GI: Tubular LCA's

[Georonimo]

I may be interested in a set. Will these stretch the track with a standard escort/protege ball joint? If so how much? What sort of time frame if you decide to make these?

[JPmotorsports]

They'll be that MX-3 length---we know it works with the stock setup/doesn't bind axles. If there's enough interest-I'll start when the group buy gets going. I'd imagine a few weeks to a month for 10 sets or so.

[KAinjection]

The roll center correction would only be achieved by moving the inner pivots or by moving the spindle snout in relation to the balljoint pivot, none of which can be corrected in the arm unfortunately.

Nooooooooooooo!, lol well I am still in for these anyway. What about that special ball joint you told me about that time? still going forward or no?

[JPmotorsports]

Nooooooooooooo!, lol well I am still in for these anyway. What about that special ball joint you told me about that time? still going forward or no?

Possibly---the RX-7 Balljoint actually offers a tiny bit of correction (in addition to the track width gain---I wonder with the longer MX-3 control arm/longer BJ when do the axles start to get too short???) as the pinchbolt "groove" is farther from the pivot...

[MATT91GT]

do we know if the mx3 LCA's work with 3rd gen escorts? that could open up the group buy even more

[KAinjection]

Possibly---the RX-7 Balljoint actually offers a tiny bit of correction (in addition to the track width gain---I wonder with the longer MX-3 control arm/longer BJ when do the axles start to get too short???) as the pinchbolt "groove" is farther from the pivot...

I think my axles were on the verge of to short with just mx3 control arms, plus we also have to worry about the inner tie rods being to short after all that as well. I think a solution could be found though. I am willing to try it eventually, time being the thing I lack the most of anymore.

do we know if the mx3 LCA's work with 3rd gen escorts? that could open up the group buy even more

They should be able to run them since the balljoints and bushings are all interchangeable. I would also hit up mx-3.com and see if there would be interest there as well.

[MATT91GT]

yea i havent made it to mx-3.com yet...i do have it posted on FEOA.net currently.

my inner tierods are i want to say 1.5" inside the outers so depending on how much farther the rx7 balljoint pushes them out, that wouldnt be a huge problem

[FE3-323]

Keep in mind i still have several sets of the spherical LCA bushings

[joshg123]

Id be in,

Jim, i get a little confused. I need to get my roll centre back above the ground, im thinking i need about 3/4 a inch of downward movement at the ball joint to get my roll centre (static, very basic measuring) 3" above ground, which ive read to be the generally accepted ideal position. Do i have to move the complete joint up and just space the arm down, or do i have to leave the pivot down with the arm and somehow extend the ball joint up to the spindle above, if ive written that well enough....

[JPmotorsports]

Id be in,

Jim, i get a little confused. I need to get my roll centre back above the ground, im thinking i need about 3/4 a inch of downward movement at the ball joint to get my roll centre (static, very basic measuring) 3" above ground, which ive read to be the generally accepted ideal position. Do i have to move the complete joint up and just space the arm down, or do i have to leave the pivot down with the arm and somehow extend the ball joint up to the spindle above, if ive written that well enough....

I know it's confusing/hard to grasp---so the main things in determining roll center are the center contact patch of the tire and lines drawn between the inner pivot bushings and the balljoint center pivot. You can lower the inner pivot bushings making the arm more parallel to the ground, or you can space the spindle snout (essentially the tire contact patch) up away from the balljoint pivot. It's easier to do at the end of the arm, so imagine if you had a spherical bearing at the balljoint with a pin. You could space the spindle up on the pin and raise the roll center, or lower it down onto the pin and lower the center. A taller balljoint would move the spindle up and accomplish the same thing---as would a wheel spacer pushing the contact patch out farther (but with some negative effects like scrub radius). Hope this helps.
The rear is the same idea by the way---the tubular crossmember I created relocates the inner pivots up, raising the roll center (the rear is worse than the front!). We moved it less than an 1" and it makes a huge difference.

[joshg123]

I see,

How low do you sit your car? Ive got my sill's about 80mm from the ground. After that i will be running into clearance issues with my rear wheels, running 17x9 +20 and 235/45 tyres.

[concealer404]

Because this would be using MX3 lengths... is that going to push the track out? I'm having a hard time visualizing this. I can't afford an increase in track i don't think.

[KAinjection]

Yes

[concealer404]

Bummer.

I'm not going to give up my chance to cram 225s under this thing.

[FE3-323]

^ buy some of my spherical LCA bearings!!