Rear Lower Control Arms

Maximum Motorsports Rear Lower Control Arms
The stock lower control arm (top) has large rubber bushings at each end which allow the control arm to articulate through a wide range of motion with minimal bind. These stock rubber bushings do not locate the axle very well, and they can cause wheel hop when you accelerate from a dead stop. The Maximum Motorsports lower control arm has a three-part urethane bushing at the chassis end (left above) and a teflon-lined spherical bearing at the axle end (right above). It binds less than the stock control arm, it does a good job of locating the axle, and it eliminates wheel hop. It also has a grease fitting at the chassis end, which makes it easy to lubricate the multi-part urethane bushing if it starts to squeek. The downside of installing these control arms is that they will cause more road and rear-end noise to be transmitted into the cabin, and they accentuate any driveline slop. See results, below. Installation Installation instructions for these control arms can be found posted on the Maximum Motorsports website www.maximummotorsports.com/rlca.asp. I highly recommend that they be used instead of the instructions you'll find elsewhere. (Example: www.corral.net/projects/subzero/szlowers.html.) The Corral's instructions say to disconnect the shock absorber to drop the rear axle and remove the spring. If that is done, when the stock control arm is removed the axle rotates, the pinion angle changes, and it becomes very difficult to line up the bolt holes when installing a new lower control arm. The Maximum Motorsports instructions call for the use of two sets of jackstands, with one supporting and preventing the axle from rotating. The spring is removed by unbolting the axle end of the control arm and lowering it with a jack. If you follow that advice, when you put the new control arms into place the mounting holes line up perfectly. That was my experience. Here's how it works: Block the front wheels, jack up the rear of the car, and support the chassis on jack stands. (The red jackstands shown above are placed under the car's subframe connectors.) Jack up the rear axle to a height just above full drop, and support it on a second set of jack stands. (Blue above. I also used a couple of pieces of 2"x4" lumber to cushion the axle.) Remove the rear wheels and rear anti-sway bar. Loosen, but do not remove, the lower control arm bolts (both the axle and chassis ends). You may have to partially drop the exhaust to get access to the chassis-end bolt. Support the control arm near the axle mount with a jack. Remove the axle-end bolt. Slowly lower the jack to release the spring tension. Once the spring is completely uncompressed, remove it from the car. Remove the chassis-end bolt and remove the control arm from the car. Assemble and install the Maximum Motorsports control arms. Reinstall the springs, anti-sway bar, wheels, etc. Note: There is more to the installation than described here, but the MM instructions (linked above) cover everything well and contain helpful pictures and drawings. Results With the new control arms installed, my car has lost its rear-end "squirm" in corners. I assume it is also going to hook up better at the drag strip. There is an increase in noise in the car. At first I thought I had developed an exhaust leak, but found that it was just increased rumble from the exhaust being transmitted through the harder bushings/bearings into the cabin. I guess I'll accept this increase in NVH (noise-vibration-harshness) as the price of better handling, but you should be aware of it if you plan to put these or similar control arms on your car. *Update - August 2003:* After driving 2,500 miles on these control arms, I decided to take them off the car. I just got tired of the noise, particularly when the top and windows were up on my convertible. Their effect on handling was great, but I guess I'm getting too old to deal with the NVH. I reinstalled the stock arms, and now I've got my old car back.

Maximum Motorsports Rear Lower Control Arms

The stock lower control arm (top) has large rubber bushings at each end which allow the control arm to articulate through a wide range of motion with minimal bind. These stock rubber bushings do not locate the axle very well, and they can cause wheel hop when you accelerate from a dead stop.

The Maximum Motorsports lower control arm has a three-part urethane bushing at the chassis end (left above) and a teflon-lined spherical bearing at the axle end (right above). It binds less than the stock control arm, it does a good job of locating the axle, and it eliminates wheel hop. It also has a grease fitting at the chassis end, which makes it easy to lubricate the multi-part urethane bushing if it starts to squeek. The downside of installing these control arms is that they will cause more road and rear-end noise to be transmitted into the cabin, and they accentuate any driveline slop. See results, below.

Installation

Installation instructions for these control arms can be found posted on the Maximum Motorsports website www.maximummotorsports.com/rlca.asp. I highly recommend that they be used instead of the instructions you'll find elsewhere. (Example: www.corral.net/projects/subzero/szlowers.html.) The Corral's instructions say to disconnect the shock absorber to drop the rear axle and remove the spring. If that is done, when the stock control arm is removed the axle rotates, the pinion angle changes, and it becomes very difficult to line up the bolt holes when installing a new lower control arm.

The Maximum Motorsports instructions call for the use of two sets of jackstands, with one supporting and preventing the axle from rotating. The spring is removed by unbolting the axle end of the control arm and lowering it with a jack. If you follow that advice, when you put the new control arms into place the mounting holes line up perfectly. That was my experience.

Here's how it works:

Block the front wheels, jack up the rear of the car, and support the chassis on jack stands. (The red jackstands shown above are placed under the car's subframe connectors.)
Jack up the rear axle to a height just above full drop, and support it on a second set of jack stands. (Blue above. I also used a couple of pieces of 2"x4" lumber to cushion the axle.)
Remove the rear wheels and rear anti-sway bar.
Loosen, but do not remove, the lower control arm bolts (both the axle and chassis ends). You may have to partially drop the exhaust to get access to the chassis-end bolt.
Support the control arm near the axle mount with a jack. Remove the axle-end bolt. Slowly lower the jack to release the spring tension. Once the spring is completely uncompressed, remove it from the car.
Remove the chassis-end bolt and remove the control arm from the car.
Assemble and install the Maximum Motorsports control arms.
Reinstall the springs, anti-sway bar, wheels, etc.

Note: There is more to the installation than described here, but the MM instructions (linked above) cover everything well and contain helpful pictures and drawings.

Results

With the new control arms installed, my car has lost its rear-end "squirm" in corners. I assume it is also going to hook up better at the drag strip. There is an increase in noise in the car. At first I thought I had developed an exhaust leak, but found that it was just increased rumble from the exhaust being transmitted through the harder bushings/bearings into the cabin. I guess I'll accept this increase in NVH (noise-vibration-harshness) as the price of better handling, but you should be aware of it if you plan to put these or similar control arms on your car.

Update - August 2003: After driving 2,500 miles on these control arms, I decided to take them off the car. I just got tired of the noise, particularly when the top and windows were up on my convertible. Their effect on handling was great, but I guess I'm getting too old to deal with the NVH. I reinstalled the stock arms, and now I've got my old car back.