QA1 Coil Over Upper Control Arm Fitment

[vance.dykes]

as much caster and camber as you want with s.p.c upper control arm

 

[Bird 426]

Here's mine, small spacer, large spacer each side, not both together. Now, you can alter things for caster if you can have someone make what you want. Not uncommon to have to stretch the control arm a little. Any cars dimensions can be off a little or from accident damage.

 

[PistolGrip6]

Here's mine, small spacer, large spacer each side, not both together. Now, you can alter things for caster if you can have someone make what you want. Not uncommon to have to stretch the control arm a little. Any cars dimensions can be off a little or from accident damage.

View attachment 1790753

Here's mine, small spacer, large spacer each side, not both together. Now, you can alter things for caster if you can have someone make what you want. Not uncommon to have to stretch the control arm a little. Any cars dimensions can be off a little or from accident damage.

View attachment 1790753

Thanks for taking the time to take a photo for me. I appreciate it. I’ve got a machining background and access to a lathe so it won’t be difficult for me to make up spacers like the ones on your car.

Tweaking and flexing them into place is an option but I can’t bring myself to alter them when I see something like this.

 

[j-c-c-62]

Not knowing what your measurements are, I'd at least make the small side 1/2 the length of the large side, so you can flip them if needed, and still be in the ballpark I would assume.

 

[PistolGrip6]

Not knowing what your measurements are, I'd at least make the small side 1/2 the length of the large side, so you can flip them if needed, and still be in the ballpark I would assume.

I’ll bust out the vernier and a gauge block set to get right down to the thousandth of inch if needed. Both driver side and passenger side look to have the exact same condition.

 

[Bird 426]

Could they have given you the wrong spacers? Wouldn't take much to make a set. Good luck with it!

 

[PistolGrip6]

Could they have given you the wrong spacers? Wouldn't take much to make a set. Good luck with it!

I’m going to have to call them again to follow up. I didn’t receive a response after being asked to email pictures of the issue.

 

[Bird 426]

Not a big fan of QA 1. They wouldn't work with me when I wanted a manual rack and pinion, so, won't say here where I went. Good luck!

 

[gkent]

I don't see what the big deal is, just shove 'em in a vice, "adjust" them and get on with your build. They're probably wondering why the hell you haven't already done that!

And let's not ignore the fact that you're in for a big hassle if they tell you to send them back to exchange for another pair.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I’ll bust out the vernier and a gauge block set to get right down to the thousandth of inch if needed. Both driver side and passenger side look to have the exact same condition.

But what I am not hearing here is how do you decide the placement of the joints in the gap, determining the spacer size is as you note just take a measure/simple math. But is centered best, or favor one direction and if so, , which way and how much has to be decided.

 

[gkent]

But what I am not hearing here is how do you decide the placement of the joints in the gap, determining the spacer size is as you note just take a measure/simple math. But is centered best, or favor one direction and if so, , which way and how much has to be decided.

seems to me if they sent you equal length spacers its because they want the hiems centered - at least as a starting point. What you do afterwards is a personal thing.

 

[j-c-c-62]

I agree, but something is amiss here, centered means little if one or the other or both are not the intended spacing or location and nobody seems able to make that distinction definitively.

 

[gkent]

You're talking a couple thou at the outer ball joint !! And besides, who says that's going to move at all, he'd just be pulling one of the arms what looks to be about an 1/8th of an inch. You're splitting hairs here, at that rate he should have the chassis on a jig and make sure everything on that 55-year old car has no variances front to back, side to side or top to bottom!

Once again this is just you making a mountain out of an molehill !!

 

[j-c-c-62]

You're talking a couple thou at the outer ball joint !! And besides, who says that's going to move at all, he'd just be pulling one of the arms what looks to be about an 1/8th of an inch. You're splitting hairs here, at that rate he should have the chassis on a jig and make sure everything on that 55-year old car has no variances front to back, side to side or top to bottom!

Once again this is just you making a mountain out of an molehill !!

I can't help anybody has such a fixed opiniated negative viewpoint. If you think the difference here is only a couple of thou at the balljoint and that is
"Once again this is just you making a mountain out of an molehill !!"

Stay in your own little blissful world, and ignore me, Performance Trends and maybe Tom Sutton among others, and stay happy, cause it's apparently above my paygrade to expand it.
I am not troubled by that.

 

[dvw]

This is what I would do. Measure the mounting tabs on both sides of the car. If they are the same the issue is the arm. If not? nobody has considered that posibility. Making spacers to allow an incorrecty shaped arm is the wrong repair in my eyes. Would it work? Yes. Unsupported tubing can be made to move quite easily. Moving one of the brackets on the frame would be far more difficult. The bottom line would be to have the right side ball joints and the left side balljoints in the same two planes. How do you do that? Hard to measure and easier said than done until it's on the alignment rack. Then there is the question. Are the two front rails exactly in the same planes? Probably not. Adjusting the upper ball joint so it rearward of the factory location will add positive caster. Moving it .100" is worth about a degree. QA1 may have already built this into the arm. Don't forget adding additional caster drops the outer tie rod. Outer tie rod height is critical to bump steer. But that's another discussion.
Doug

 

[PistolGrip6]

This is what I would do. Measure the mounting tabs on both sides of the car. If they are the same the issue is the arm. If not? nobody has considered that posibility. Making spacers to allow an incorrecty shaped arm is the wrong repair in my eyes. Would it work? Yes. Unsupported tubing can be made to move quite easily. Moving one of the brackets on the frame would be far more difficult. The bottom line would be to have the right side ball joints and the left side balljoints in the same two planes. How do you do that? Hard to measure and easier said than done until it's on the alignment rack. Then there is the question. Are the two front rails exactly in the same planes? Probably not. Adjusting the upper ball joint so it rearward of the factory location will add positive caster. Moving it .100" is worth about a degree. QA1 may have already built this into the arm. Don't forget adding additional caster drops the outer tie rod. Outer tie rod height is critical to bump steer. But that's another discussion.
Doug

I am currently travelling for work and won’t be able to look into this issue until I get back. I am going to call QA1 again sometime this week to consult them. I did not get an email back from them after I reached out a week ago.

Bird 426 has a QA1 set up with custom spacers that they have in a vehicle currently. Which I am using as a functional example. If it’s working in that car it should in essence work on mine.

There have been other options to remedy the issue mentioned by members on here that I am taking into account as well.

I am not going to do anything until I get a response from the QA1 to see what they have to say. I should consult an alignment shop as well.

I have a few weeks until I get back to the build so I will mull over all options until then. Thanks for the input.

 

[PistolGrip6]

I would also like to thank everyone for their input. I appreciate all opinions.