randy78045

Stock control arms have rubber bushings for ride an comfort... aftermarket has steel bearings or urethayne (sp?) bushings with less movement/play...

joeybutts

Less movement/play as in shimmy? which are better? urethane or bearings?

GodAmGT00

Sure bushings will help, but the stock control arms, as randy78045 mentioned, are for comfort, not performance, really.. Most of the aftermarket versions are a little longer/beefed up, lighter and come w/ the poly/steel bushings PRESSED in, which saves you aggravation.. Some aftermarket versions are also adjustable, so you can customize your suspension for your specific application...



JT

joeybutts

So any aftermarkets are gonna be better than stock ones.... Are these tough to swap out? and control arms aren't very expensive are they?

randy78045

The control arms with the bearings can be a bit more pricy... Replacing them is not hard if youre referring to tools that most people have like floor jack, jack stands, etc... They are however a pain in the azz IMO...

GodAmGT00

I'd say that most aftermarket upgrades are generally better than OEM, but that's not always the case..


W/ something like Control arms, they are a good upgrade. You get better road feeling/sensation. Personally, I feel more connected to the road.. They're not that tough at all to swap out.. My suggestion is to do them one at a time, as in, do Uppers first, then lowers, or lowers them uppers.

If you take them both off at once, you'll have to figure out how you're going to support the axle. I don't know if you've ever lifted a 8.8 axle, but it's not exactly light..

Oh yeah, they're also not very expensive at all. You can usually pick up a good set off of Ebay for $150-$350, depending on who makes them... I like Granatelli suspension stuff.. That's my preference..



JT

joeybutts

Gentlemen, i thank and appreciate your insight and knowledge. It is always wonderful to further understand a subject, especially one as fun and worthwhile as your automobile. Thanks again! Joey B

randy78045

One other thing, if you get adjustables, either upper or lower, you dont need both, make sure your pinion angle is set correctly or you can damage your rear end.... my rear end howled like hell till i got it adjusted right... another pain in the azz an i aint even gonna try explaining the pinion angle... l'll leave that for someone else...

GodAmGT00

Randy,

Were your spring perches too high/too low??



JT

randy78045

I dont think so... the springs fit right back like stock...