Strut vs A-Arm front
#1
Senior Member
EXPERT BUILDER
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 279
Strut vs A-Arm front
I'm debating on which to go with. It will be mainly a street car, but it will get abused at the track too.
Thinking of putting a full frame under my BMW and was drooling over the new Morrison catalog. Got me to thinking "Why not?". Either a ladder or 4-link rear along with the 10 point or so.
Price difference would be a wash, just thinking of durability if I wanted to drive the thing someplace, like roadtrip.
This isn't gonna happen anytime soon, unless I hit the lotto. Just in dream stage still.
Wacha think? :wink:
Thinking of putting a full frame under my BMW and was drooling over the new Morrison catalog. Got me to thinking "Why not?". Either a ladder or 4-link rear along with the 10 point or so.
Price difference would be a wash, just thinking of durability if I wanted to drive the thing someplace, like roadtrip.
This isn't gonna happen anytime soon, unless I hit the lotto. Just in dream stage still.
Wacha think? :wink:
#2
YEEEEEES ---DREAMS ARE NICE AMD SOMETIMES THEY DO HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE!!!---KEEP ON PLANNING -YOU NEVER KNOW[BRIAN MIGHT GIVE YOU ALOT OF MONEY JUST BECAUSE HE LIKES YOU!!!!!!] :lol: :lol: :lol:
#3
Senior Member
DYNO OPERATOR
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: VA Hospital, Dallas, Tx (214 302 1924) cell-972-464-7400
Posts: 540
I am against racing struts for street driving. They barely will handle extreme racing conditions when a car gets crazy. I have seen instances where a car only gets out of shape and spins on the high end and never hits anything but the strut gets bent. Not always but it has happened.
That means you are left with tubulat control arms and coil over shocks which are not really that heavy as compared to struts.
Or my favorite.
Corvette C-4 Front suspension control arms, spindles, and brakes installed with coil over shocks. Light, good handling and strong.
Ed
That means you are left with tubulat control arms and coil over shocks which are not really that heavy as compared to struts.
Or my favorite.
Corvette C-4 Front suspension control arms, spindles, and brakes installed with coil over shocks. Light, good handling and strong.
Ed
#4
Senior Member
EXPERT BUILDER
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 279
Originally Posted by lively
[BRIAN MIGHT GIVE YOU ALOT OF MONEY JUST BECAUSE HE LIKES YOU!!!!!!] :lol: :lol: :lol:
Edvanced, I agree with your reasoning. After all, it's a BMW, it has to handle.
#5
Senior Member
DYNO OPERATOR
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: VA Hospital, Dallas, Tx (214 302 1924) cell-972-464-7400
Posts: 540
Thx,
I have put these on several different cars and the end result is always good braking, good handling, and very light weight.
The aluminum control arms, both upper and lower with the spindle and hub but minus brakes equal close to 20 lbs for each side meaning a complete total of close to 40 lbs is all it all weighs.
You get the chassis shop doing the instal mods to include the same amount of anti-dive in it as the factory Corvette has. The spindles are mounted behind the axle centerline. iF you mount this right and build it right even the ackerman will be right on. You can use the Corvette Rack & Pinion too with extra work but what is easier is the late Thunderbird Ford Rack.
This in my opion is the very best non-strut front suspension there is for street or for race.
Ed
I have put these on several different cars and the end result is always good braking, good handling, and very light weight.
The aluminum control arms, both upper and lower with the spindle and hub but minus brakes equal close to 20 lbs for each side meaning a complete total of close to 40 lbs is all it all weighs.
You get the chassis shop doing the instal mods to include the same amount of anti-dive in it as the factory Corvette has. The spindles are mounted behind the axle centerline. iF you mount this right and build it right even the ackerman will be right on. You can use the Corvette Rack & Pinion too with extra work but what is easier is the late Thunderbird Ford Rack.
This in my opion is the very best non-strut front suspension there is for street or for race.
Ed
#6
Member
JOURNEYMAN
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Letellier MB, Canada
Posts: 31
For the street a A-arm is the way to go for ride and handling. I was going to use struts for my project. The only strut i found thats good for the street is the Morrison street strut. They are pricy so i decided to build my own controle arms and go with a mustang rack and QA1 shocks. I also used the mustang geometry when building the front suspention. The only difference is i built in more caster and had to use tie rod extentions to eliminate bump steer.[/img]
#8
Senior Member
RACING JUNKIE
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: La.
Posts: 2,890
I'm in agreement on the a-arm for the front end when street driven. in fact when i was having the chassis built for my Anglia ART, told me they would not build it for a strut front end if i was going to drive it on the street. I guess it's libality thing, but they explained the weakness of a strut vs an a-arm when cornoring and braking on the street. I decided to go strut because the car will primarily be a drag car.
Zip.
Zip.