strength question

[mixermike]

are tubular upper and lower control arms that much stronger that stock stamped control arms ?

[dznucks]

that would be a tough question to answer without making a finite element model and analyzing the loads.

Based on my experience as an aircraft stress analyst i would say no, they are not any stronger than the stock arms. however, that is not to say that they are not strong enough to perform their job. the stock arms were designed with a very high factor of safety, making them total overkill for the usage that most of these trucks see these days, especially on a hot rod or street truck. these trucks were designed to have the hell beat out of them and the parts were designed to be manufactured quickly and cheaply. the tubular arms were designed to be light to reduce unsprung weight and to increase their performance.

[mixermike]

thank you sir. i believe i will stay with what i have.

[dznucks]

well...i am not saying that the originals are 100% better than the tubular arms. it depends on what your expected uses are for the truck and your budget. if its a purely street truck and you want better handling, the tubular a-arms would provide some benefit. but if you plan on using your truck as a truck it might not be worth the money.

i have never installed tubular arms or been in a truck with them, so i cannot speak to the true benefits of them. i was providing my professional insight to answering the original question of their strength. a quality built arm COULD be stronger. it ultimately depends on what you are looking for in you ride.

surely someone who has installed them and has experienced the difference between the two can pick up where i am leaving off.

[PBFAB.COM]

The main advantage of tubular arms would be the weight savings. As mentioned, it could be argued which is stronger... but in the end both are definitely strong enough, and the tube arms will yield a weight reduction in unsprung weight.

[mixermike]

my truck is strictly a street cruiser. i don't do any high performance driving.

[DKN]

CPP Tubular arm are many times stronger than a stamped steel arm. The bushing and shaft design also make a big difference in strength. Before CPP I did a lot of work in off road truck racing. OE sheet metal arms are flimsy and bend easily.
It is rare to remove an OE arm off a Chevelle and not find several cracks around the lower ball joint. The OE designs work OK with soft ruber bushings, tall sidewall tires, and skinny wheels. I have done back to back tests with OE arms on urethane bushings compared to CPP tubular arms. The difference is very easy to feel. If you want a soft compliant ride with vauge feel and feedback use OE rubber and stamped steel arms; if you want precise control and feed back use a quality tubular arm and bushing.

M2 cents,
Danny Nix
CPP