Longer Lower

[Hodrod7]

Making a stock metric lower longer to get more camper? Any tips? (I want to keep the 5 1/2 spring)

[Dirtman29]

Why not just shim the upper CA to get your camber?

[powerslide]

Some good info in this one if you can get past the mud slinging

http://www.4m.net/showthread.php?353949-Front-End-Geometry-on-a-Metric-Monte-Carlo

[72Dubya]

Since you are talking of cheating up lowers your local tech guys must not be that smart, so I assume you could run tubular uppers. They come in a whole plethora of lengths that you can use to SAFELY get your camber/caster setup (shimming of course for fine tuning).

That being said, have you measured the thickness of stock lowers? Anyone that says they can safely cut and reweld them back together at a different length must like playing with fire while soaked in gasoline. I would rather spend the $40-$50 on a new tubular upper with a different length than try and do it cheap and ruin the integrity of my whole front end suspension.

Just a death wish waiting to happen IMO.

[Hodrod7]

We can run tublars, but I run a 8" on the right side with WAY to many shims as it is! (Prob 1 1/4 worth) I have yet to find anyone that makes a tublar upper shorter then a 8"! (Small metric bolt in, offset, 6 7/8 shaft)

[Hodrod7]

Not sure what's up with UBM but they are so hit and miss on what they will and won't do!

[save the racers]

A couple of ways to build longer lowers.I like to switch to screw in balljionts.Cut thru the middle of the old b/j hole,fabricate some filler plates to fill in the half hole.Weld the thread sleeve on then wrap 3/4 by 14gauge around the outside to strengthen and look like the stock a arm.Weld and grind till it looks like what you want and add bracing on the under side.
IF you are adding screw style weight jacks.Take 2 arms, cut one very close to the bushing ,cut the second an inch from the bushing.Weld them together to make a longer arm.This moves the spring pocket out, so weld the screw jacks out wider.This gives the added benefit of a wide spring base.
Shorter uppers and moving the upper mount in are good moves but, making the lower wider changes the front to rear track alignment and a few other positive changes

[prostock814]

http://www.keysermanufacturing.com/site/?callHandle=category&d=1506&dt=94

[Graff Spee]

Whats good on there?

1. Ive never seen rules that allow you to cut and modify lower a arms.
2. I dam sure haven't seen many people good enough at fab to do it and be safe.
2. save the racers claims to cut and weld just outside the bolts... interesting since he would be moving the spring pocket out.. no mention of moving the weight jack or if the like most stock clip rules you cant cut out the spring pocket side how he fits in a spring.

Cutting and welding on lower a arms is not safe and is not ever recommended.

I have cut and lengthened stock lower control arms many times. The most i have gone is 1 1/2 inches longer. I have done about twenty of these over the years and never had a problem. I have a jig so I can get the ball joint angle and the length perfect each time. A little sanding and you can't reallytrell it has been done.

[Graff Spee]

Ub machine will make any size you want for uppers anytime, as will some other places.

Theres no such thing as too many shims, shims don't hurt anything. Granted I never ran shims before. I run hardened bolts and washers so when you bang tires they don't fall out like shims do. I weld the washers together so when I need to replace a upper at the track I don't have to count them. I also will use a solid tube spacer instead of the washers if I had as many as you said so I can cut it at a angle and not bend the a arm shaft when I crank the bolts down as tight as I can.

Just remember that upper control arm length dictates the camber curve for that wheel. Run the proper length for the camber curve you need then move the mount (stock or other wise) and or shim as needed.