Rear Lower control arms

[DIV1RACER-2]

What aftermarket rear control arms are you guys using ... Loaded question here ... I have Hotchis on the car now and found the rear bushings are completely wiped out .... Can not contact them and they are not available at this time ... Any suggestions ?

 

[Murphdog]

Is it something you could make some Delrin?? bushings to fix??????
Just a thought!
Jeff

 

[boxerdog]

Check it out...

Global West

 

[63impaloligist]

I threw in a set of UMI bars on my Biscayne. But am nowhere near being able to drive it yet. Cost effective over the Hotchkis in my Impala. I actually took a Hotchkis kit out to save it for my SS.

 

[johnnyriviera]

I love that Global West makes so much stuff for our cars, but I have never had one of their products fit correctly without some massaging. Sometimes a LOT of massaging.

 

[MRHP]

I will say Global west front control arms fit my car like a glove! No issues.

 

[Skip FIx]

I have Global stuff on 2 Trans Ams , Camaro race car, and parts to put on the Impala project when it gets started soon. The 81 Trans Am subframe bushings for the core support are a weird size and they custom modified some for me!

 

[johnnyriviera]

Well I must just be "lucky" then. Because on the rear upper arms from them I had to trim inner sleeve of the rod ends (too wide for the bracket by about 1/8"), the rear upper control arm reinforcement supports had to be cut and re-welded to make them lay correctly on the frame, and the rear shock tower reinforcement was about 3/4" from the bolt holes lining up

 

[La Hot Rods]

Well I must just be "lucky" then. Because on the rear upper arms from them I had to trim inner sleeve of the rod ends (too wide for the bracket by about 1/8"), the rear upper control arm reinforcement supports had to be cut and re-welded to make them lay correctly on the frame, and the rear shock tower reinforcement was about 3/4" from the bolt holes lining up

How much has this car been beat on before you tried to install, could it had been twisted? Just a thought.

 

[skaz]

i've got global west no problems fitting (61)...if they didn't fit i would be sending them back before i hacked them up

 

[boxerdog]

I can't say as I have had any fitment issues with their stuff either, although I did some weird stuff butchering their upper rear arm (I only run one). If I had any issues they were self-inflicted.

 

[johnnyriviera]

How much has this car been beat on before you tried to install, could it had been twisted? Just a thought.

Good thought, but everything else on the car and every other brand has fit no problem. My chassis guy has had the same experience with GW on other cars. Glad they have worked out better for others!

 

[johnnyriviera]

Also, I could see twisting effecting the braces, but that's not the manner in which they didn't fit and also wouldn't account for the other issues. Not sure that would make the distance between shock towers to be 1" farther apart than the holes in the shock brace. Modifying them was easier than fabbing from scratch.

Like I said, glad some have had good experience. Me and others in my area have had different experiences.

 

[63impaloligist]

I don't have that much power to twist the frame. Just axles with wheel hop.

 

[Iowa 409 Guy]

Hotchkis

 

[63impaloligist]

I got hop with the Hotchkis in my Impala.

 

[johnnyriviera]

For a lot of situations, for the lower arms, boxing the stock arms works great, then you can use stock size urethane bushings that are readily available. I'm running boxed stock lowers on my car and have been reasonably quick.

 

[327]

Mine are boxed with oem style bushings ... NOT urethane.

 

[BSL409]

For a lot of situations, for the lower arms, boxing the stock arms works great, then you can use stock size urethane bushings that are readily available. I'm running boxed stock lowers on my car and have been reasonably quick.

That;s how both of mine are work great!

 

[427John]

Hotchkis

I was on a Ford forum the other day and a guy had ordered a set of control arms for a 65 Galaxie a few months ago from Hotchkis and hadn't received them yet, he tried contacting them to no avail and someone posted that they had shutdown their east coast facility it was in N. or S. Carolina and someone else posted that they lived near the west coast facility (LA area I think) and they had gone by there and posted a pic of the building with the sign taken down, you could see on the paint where the letters had been, he said he talked to a lady at the business next door and she said she had been fielding calls from stiffed customers for a couple of weeks, she felt bad that she didn't have any info for them they just up and closed up.