mother f'er, my a-arms are totaled - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Tom · 09-08-2003, 11:47 PM

Im so pissed right now. Im driving threw some construction in my 79. Where they have us driving is the new pavement that sits about 2" lower then the old pavement. The course takes traffic back and forth over this change in height a couple times, but with filler to make the transition smooth. I hear a couple light scrapes, nothing abnormal. I get up to the intersection, don't see it coming, and hit the 2" rise in concrete dead on, with no filler to make it transition, just a big curb looking piece of concrete. BAM! My left a-arm was almost ripped from the truck, its twisted like a pretzel. I'll show some pics tomorrow.

So, anything special to make my a-arm swap a complete pain in my butt [like some stupid special tool] or should this be pretty strait forward?

low 84 · 09-09-2003, 12:01 AM

theres nothing to it. unbolt the shock, pop the lower ball joint and unbolt the two u bolts. thats pretty much it. sway bar also if you have one, but thats obvious. in the cross shaft there is an "index hole" that you will see once you take it off. then the u shaped "saddles" on the crossmember, the front one will have an "index pin" so this is how you line it up and make sure its in there right. its really common sense, once you see it you will know with out me even saying anything. i replaced mine cause i tore them up also.

TIMSPEED · 09-09-2003, 12:17 AM

Wow..so I guess I WON"T go 5/7...

low 84 · 09-09-2003, 12:32 AM

why not? if you drive carefull you can avoid it. i just barley tap my lca's on the ground mabey 1 time a week max. but everyonce and awhile if your on an unfamiliar road you will miss something and realy bang em.

slammedLT1 · 09-09-2003, 12:51 AM

holy crap dude i ve hit some mean inclines and i have demolished 2 already!
truck looks cool tho! haha

boataddict26 · 09-09-2003, 11:28 AM

I just changed on of mine. It is REALLY easy. Hardest part was get the old beat up carter pin out.

PHOENIX · 09-09-2003, 12:35 PM

There is some construction going on over here that sounds similar. Why dont they make a smooth transaction?
My truck is stock height, with 15" wheels and small tires so its not low, but I hit those tranisions and it sounds like the front of my truck is about to fall apart. Almost like ABS locking up.

We will be waiting for the pictures!

Tom · 09-09-2003, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by low 84
why not? if you drive carefull you can avoid it. i just barley tap my lca's on the ground mabey 1 time a week max. but everyonce and awhile if your on an unfamiliar road you will miss something and realy bang em.

Not me

With my 255/60/15's I scrape a couple times a day at minimum, and thats driving carefully. If I didn't watch where I was going, this woulda happend years ago [same drop on my 78 in front]

Im swaping them out right now, seems to be a piece of cake. Ill post the pics when the bad a-arm is off so you can compare

slammedLT1 · 09-09-2003, 02:27 PM

i ll throw in money on this one if i find my old ones

low 84 · 09-09-2003, 03:33 PM

i have the same front drop as you and the same size tires. mabey your springs aren't as stiff. cause i don't scrape often at all. its all in how you drive it

PHOENIX · 09-09-2003, 04:38 PM

and where you drive

Eyegore · 09-09-2003, 04:39 PM

Tom, call the police department and report it as an accident, get an accident report and send a copy to the cities risk management division after gettting an estimate. Contractors are suppose to provide smooth transitions when doing different lifts on pavement. If there was a section that they left w/o a transition its possible that they will have to cover the damage, they should be held liable.
Contact the street department also to report what happened, make some noise, let them know how upset you are in not providing smooth transitions in construction. Then call the mayor and city councils office, you pay taxes to have smooth pavement even in construction.
My uncle several years ago hit a pothole and bent a wheel, the city reimbursed him for it. Its worth the effort.

Tom

**swervin ervin** · 09-10-2003, 12:33 AM

Yep, Tom is right.

My wife hit a big hole in the concrete where they were working on the highway in Charlotte. This was in the 93 Buick Park Avenue we had. It had aluminum wheels. Well it totaled the wheel and brand new tire. She contacted the construction company who was in charge of the project. He paid us for a wheel and tire. No questions asked. Didn't even have to see the bad parts or anything.

09-08-2003, 11:47 PM	#1
Tom driving is in my blood Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 5,718	mother f'er, my a-arms are totaled Im so pissed right now. Im driving threw some construction in my 79. Where they have us driving is the new pavement that sits about 2" lower then the old pavement. The course takes traffic back and forth over this change in height a couple times, but with filler to make the transition smooth. I hear a couple light scrapes, nothing abnormal. I get up to the intersection, don't see it coming, and hit the 2" rise in concrete dead on, with no filler to make it transition, just a big curb looking piece of concrete. BAM! My left a-arm was almost ripped from the truck, its twisted like a pretzel. I'll show some pics tomorrow. So, anything special to make my a-arm swap a complete pain in my butt [like some stupid special tool] or should this be pretty strait forward? __________________ -78 c10 short/step: 388cid, M20, 5/5 drop, lots more. Playtoy and first vehicle. -98 c1500 x-cab: 5.7L, 17" rims, 5/6 drop, flowmaster, helper bags,NBS rear disk brakes. -02 Suburban 4x4: leveled front -CBR600F4i, CBR600RR, CBR1000RR, and standup skis DISCLAIMER: I cant spell for the life of me.

09-09-2003, 12:01 AM	#2
low 84 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,144	theres nothing to it. unbolt the shock, pop the lower ball joint and unbolt the two u bolts. thats pretty much it. sway bar also if you have one, but thats obvious. in the cross shaft there is an "index hole" that you will see once you take it off. then the u shaped "saddles" on the crossmember, the front one will have an "index pin" so this is how you line it up and make sure its in there right. its really common sense, once you see it you will know with out me even saying anything. i replaced mine cause i tore them up also. __________________ '51 F100, backhalf with a narrowed 9 and coil overs, 18.5" mickeys, monte front clip, +400" sbc in the works '05 1500 Crew Cab RIP '84 swb 5/7 drop, solid cammed 408 w/ fully ported dart heads, th350 w/ 10 inch hughes, 12 bolt w/ 3.73 richmonds and a locker '80 swb 4x4 in progress: 7" lift, 350 th350/np205, d44 and 1.5" ORD tie rod, 14BFF w/discs , armored diff covers, 40" MTR's

09-09-2003, 12:17 AM	#3
TIMSPEED Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Modesto, CA Posts: 1,321	Wow..so I guess I WON"T go 5/7... __________________ I have a few cars... See Them Here

09-09-2003, 12:32 AM	#4
low 84 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,144	why not? if you drive carefull you can avoid it. i just barley tap my lca's on the ground mabey 1 time a week max. but everyonce and awhile if your on an unfamiliar road you will miss something and realy bang em. __________________ '51 F100, backhalf with a narrowed 9 and coil overs, 18.5" mickeys, monte front clip, +400" sbc in the works '05 1500 Crew Cab RIP '84 swb 5/7 drop, solid cammed 408 w/ fully ported dart heads, th350 w/ 10 inch hughes, 12 bolt w/ 3.73 richmonds and a locker '80 swb 4x4 in progress: 7" lift, 350 th350/np205, d44 and 1.5" ORD tie rod, 14BFF w/discs , armored diff covers, 40" MTR's

09-09-2003, 12:51 AM	#5
slammedLT1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB Posts: 77	holy crap dude i ve hit some mean inclines and i have demolished 2 already! truck looks cool tho! haha __________________ DIGGER 1984 GMC Sierra 1500 LQ4 T56 12B Chopped 2 1/4, Dropped 6/7, Shaved, Yenko Stripes 2004.5 CCSB GMC 2500HD DMAX LLY, 6" Liftmaster, 6 Fox Resi 2.0 325/50/22" Kumho A/T on KMW's LBZ MP, 5"Ex, Bullydog GT 1996 ECSB GMC Sierra 1500 350/4L60E, FL Headers, 2450 Stall, 6" Pro Comp,3" BL, Shock Hoops, , TrXus STS 38's

09-09-2003, 11:28 AM	#6
boataddict26 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: North Central Florida Posts: 726	I just changed on of mine. It is REALLY easy. Hardest part was get the old beat up carter pin out. __________________ 1978 Chevy C10 Currently under resto. 350 Getting face lift. .060, JEpistons, Modify heads. More will come with money.

09-09-2003, 12:35 PM	#7
PHOENIX Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 4,703	There is some construction going on over here that sounds similar. Why dont they make a smooth transaction? My truck is stock height, with 15" wheels and small tires so its not low, but I hit those tranisions and it sounds like the front of my truck is about to fall apart. Almost like ABS locking up. We will be waiting for the pictures! __________________ * AVOID: LOPER'S PERMORANCE / LOPERSPEED.COM OF PHOENIX, AZ & COTTMAN TRANSMISSION *

09-09-2003, 02:27 PM	#9
slammedLT1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Grande Prairie, AB Posts: 77	i ll throw in money on this one if i find my old ones __________________ DIGGER 1984 GMC Sierra 1500 LQ4 T56 12B Chopped 2 1/4, Dropped 6/7, Shaved, Yenko Stripes 2004.5 CCSB GMC 2500HD DMAX LLY, 6" Liftmaster, 6 Fox Resi 2.0 325/50/22" Kumho A/T on KMW's LBZ MP, 5"Ex, Bullydog GT 1996 ECSB GMC Sierra 1500 350/4L60E, FL Headers, 2450 Stall, 6" Pro Comp,3" BL, Shock Hoops, , TrXus STS 38's

09-09-2003, 03:33 PM	#10
low 84 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,144	i have the same front drop as you and the same size tires. mabey your springs aren't as stiff. cause i don't scrape often at all. its all in how you drive it __________________ '51 F100, backhalf with a narrowed 9 and coil overs, 18.5" mickeys, monte front clip, +400" sbc in the works '05 1500 Crew Cab RIP '84 swb 5/7 drop, solid cammed 408 w/ fully ported dart heads, th350 w/ 10 inch hughes, 12 bolt w/ 3.73 richmonds and a locker '80 swb 4x4 in progress: 7" lift, 350 th350/np205, d44 and 1.5" ORD tie rod, 14BFF w/discs , armored diff covers, 40" MTR's

09-09-2003, 04:38 PM	#11
PHOENIX Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Posts: 4,703	and where you drive __________________ * AVOID: LOPER'S PERMORANCE / LOPERSPEED.COM OF PHOENIX, AZ & COTTMAN TRANSMISSION *

09-09-2003, 04:39 PM	#12
Eyegore What Hump? Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: New River AZ Posts: 2,009	Tom, call the police department and report it as an accident, get an accident report and send a copy to the cities risk management division after gettting an estimate. Contractors are suppose to provide smooth transitions when doing different lifts on pavement. If there was a section that they left w/o a transition its possible that they will have to cover the damage, they should be held liable. Contact the street department also to report what happened, make some noise, let them know how upset you are in not providing smooth transitions in construction. Then call the mayor and city councils office, you pay taxes to have smooth pavement even in construction. My uncle several years ago hit a pothole and bent a wheel, the city reimbursed him for it. Its worth the effort. Tom __________________ Lil red 86 c-10 99 Sub 78 Camper Special w/ 454

09-10-2003, 12:33 AM	#13
swervin ervin You get what you pay for Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Cherryville, NC Posts: 4,798	Yep, Tom is right. My wife hit a big hole in the concrete where they were working on the highway in Charlotte. This was in the 93 Buick Park Avenue we had. It had aluminum wheels. Well it totaled the wheel and brand new tire. She contacted the construction company who was in charge of the project. He paid us for a wheel and tire. No questions asked. Didn't even have to see the bad parts or anything. __________________ Mike 1985 Chevy C-10



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