modifying control arms

[kgmunro]

i saw a set of modified control arms on ebay where the guy cut the lower control arm ball joint mount off and welded in plates to raise it 3 inches. will this work the same as drop spindles, and will you still have the suspension travel because I think the upper arm will be pushed up that much more, and lastly how safe would that be?

[lolife99]

Drop spindles would be a MUCH better option.

[Grumpy old man]

Do you really want to risk your life on someone else's welding skills when you can buy the correct parts ????? probably NOT a good idea !

[nlped]

Doesn't seem like a very safe way to lower a vehicle. It would certainly screw up the geometry...
Drop spindles might be a bit more up front, but between the piece of mind related to safety and the simplicity of installation of spindles vs. control arms (no fighting the coil spring) more than offsets the cost difference in my mind. Just my .02¢

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by kgmunro

i saw a set of modified control arms on ebay where the guy cut the lower control arm ball joint mount off and welded in plates to raise it 3 inches. will this work the same as drop spindles, and will you still have the suspension travel because I think the upper arm will be pushed up that much more, and lastly how safe would that be?

Very bad idea.

[motorcritter]

Some 'shade-tree' engineering stuff works pretty good. This, however, does not appear to be an instance of that.

[Matt Cramer]

Biggest concerns I'd have, which would NOT be manifest with drop spindles:

1. Upper control arm would be much closer to the bump stops.

2. Altered camber curve making for weird handling behavior.

3. Potential for more bump steer.

4. The plate that raises the ball joint mount may not be capable of taking the bending loads under hard cornering.

5. This REALLY wouldn't be forgiving if your welding isn't up to par.

Some of these depend on the quality of the work, but some would be unavoidable.

[dirtyjim]

stepped control arms have been around at least 30 years, when drop spindles became available most people stopped using them.
when done right they are just as safe as your factory arms

[67ctener]

Originally Posted by dirtyjim

stepped control arms have been around at least 30 years, when drop spindles became available most people stopped using them.
when done right they are just as safe as your factory arms

Agreed 100%.

[kgmunro]

Kinda what I thought too!

[jjzepplin]

Maybe post a pic of these arms to get a better opinion of how they were done and if it would look safe to use them.