Speedway upper control arm issue

willtow

Daily Driver
Jul 9, 2012
29
0
0
Got a issue I'm trying to resolve I just installed a set of speedway tubular upper control arms on the front of my 79 malibu drag car while at it I installed new ball joints (cheap house brand at napa) my issue is when the car is jacked up or front susp. Is at full extention the upper ball joint is binding up and stopping the suspension from totally bottoming out.....has anyone here ran into this ? Any ideas on if another brand ball joint might have more travel ....or do I just leave it alone ? All help is appreciated
 

Grcrygtr44

Frequent Racer
Feb 1, 2013
421
0
0
Ontario Ny
I have the same arms and yes, I've seen that before. Last time I got upper ball joints from the local advance auto parts, I opened the pkgs and the slot in the housing in which the shaft slides back and forth in were different by 1/4 inch, which limited the travel since the shaft would stop at the end of the slot. Even though they were in identical pkgs and part numbers. Went back to the store, expressed my disgust with the crappy jap parts, and asked for moogs. Even tho they were almost 2x the money, worth it. The slots were longer and parts were identical.
 

LS6 Tommy

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 15, 2004
15,847
1
38
North Jersey
IME, it's a combination of low buck ball joints & the A-arm not having the proper ball joint mount geometry. The budget A-arms skimp on tubing bends and use very simple welding jigs to keep the price down and that's one of the results. If the car doesn't launch with the nose up real bad, it's usually not much of an issue once the car is at ride height.

Tommy
 

green440

Member
Apr 22, 2012
9
0
0
Can someone post up some pics of the speedway arm installed. I'm in the market for upper arms. It's either the speedway motors or gbodys
 

Grcrygtr44

Frequent Racer
Feb 1, 2013
421
0
0
Ontario Ny
They are the same ones. I'm thinkin gbody gets them from speedway and marks them up a little.
 

Grcrygtr44

Frequent Racer
Feb 1, 2013
421
0
0
Ontario Ny
That would be the way to go to unsure that u have enuff for possible shimming for front end alignment. They are 8.5" vs 8". I unfortunately bought the upper & lower kit from gbody about 7 yrs ago before I ever heard of speedwaymotors or I woulda saved some cash. Not to mention the fact that gbody didn't offer the 8.5s then. I don't know if they even do now. When i had my front end aligned, the tech told me I was just borderline with where I needed to be and if I had the 1/2" longer i would've been perfect. Btw, my car is wheels up 3-4 ft every pass and I haven't bent or f'd one of them up yet. Really a decent piece for the money.
 

green440

Member
Apr 22, 2012
9
0
0
The right side is 8" and the left is 8.5. I was reading that people are buying 2 right sides. Shimming the arm is making it shorter. I think that's why people are buying 2 of the 8" arms
 

Grcrygtr44

Frequent Racer
Feb 1, 2013
421
0
0
Ontario Ny
True, shimming them makes them shorter, in my case I was -1 or 2 with no shims which is why the guy said had I had a lil longer a-arm, it woulda been 100%. Hopefully u don't run into that issue. Good luck!
 

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