clittleton07

I built some adjustable strut rods today.

I also made a bracket so I could bolt them to the lower control arm.

Here is everything before I bolted it in. The spacer is not cut to length yet in this picture.

I think everything turned out alright. I just need to paint it and adjust them tomorrow. The heims are 1/2 inch and the tubing is Chromolly.

Mustangdemon67

they look really good. i was actually looking to buy a couple of these but they arnt cheap, and ive been debating if i really need them for just the street driving i do. what else have you done to your front suspension?

oh, nice welding by the way !

clittleton07

Thanks, Im actually a welder by trade. This was my first time welding chromolly but it was just like tigging mild steel. The only modification I have done to the front suspension besides the strut rods is the shelby drop. I have however replaced all the parts except the front springs. I am considering doing a coil over swap in the future and rack and pinion, but I just dont have the bank account for that now.

JamesW

If you wanted to weld up the brackets that attach to the hole in the front (similar to the major brands), and leave the rest to the DIY guys...those brackets would sell like hotcakes....

clittleton07

James,
Im not sure I could make them at a price that would please both the consumers and myself. If i had a CNC plasma It could certainly be done at a reasonable price. I dont know if you could use these bars with a front sway bar either. I imagine that would turn off some buyers.
,Chris

mr_velocity

When you got done buying liability insurance I doubt you could make them at a cost people would be willing to pay.

clittleton07

Well actually our business has liability insurance. We are welding contractors on the Eastern Shore. All that aside, still dont think it would be profitable. If anybody is local I would be more than willing to work something out with them though. I dont think any of you guys are from the Eastern Shore of MD area? Side note, have any of you guys heard of the Ocean City Cruisin before? Its a great time for people with muscle cars.

Old Mustanger

Does the strut bar clear the frame when the suspension is compressed to the M/M jounce position? It appears like it could hit, but it may be the angle of the photo. If it hits M/M in a hard jounce, the whole LCA geometry could go splooey.

Do you see any problem with the way the mount attaches to the LCA? The stock bolted attachment actually strengthens/stiffens the LCA and keeps it in proper alignment.

With a pivot attached an inch or so above the LCA, it may be introducing some added geometry movement (added pivot). The LCA on this car is very flexible the way it is originally, adding another pivot point may be counter-productive?

Maybe it would be better to attach your heim joint mount to the front-facing surface of the LCA?
Or keep the OEM point and mode of attachment on the LCA and keep your upgraded heim on the front mount?
Just my 2 cents.

ps: Great welding!

jgemperline

Cool project! I have read that when you weld chromolly it needs to be heat treated afterwards. Is that your understanding too? I was thinking about using mild steel because of this. I believe mild steel was the original material used (please correct me if that's not true). Are you going to box in your lca? Keep up the good work.

BuckeyeDemon

were you able to drive the car before and after you made the mod? i've read the solid strut rod has the biggest impact in creating a harsh ride (and i can visually understand why that could potentially be a true statement).

since everything was changed at once on mine, i'll never know what parts had a positive/negative impact.