stascom

The ball joint doesn't clear at the top and cuts off about 2 inches of suspension travel. Is this right? ConceptZ really f**ked me on this one among other things

NoQuestionZ

iTrader: (93)

uhhhhh, okay?



can you post pictures? Seems silly but do you have them on the right side? What Version are they? I have the V2s on my 08 and love them... i dont even use them to their full potential either.

AdvanZ33

iTrader: (105)

The control arms for all year 350Zs are the same. How else has ConceptZ "f**ked" you?

sradenton

iTrader: (19)

You might have made a install mistake.
kinetix a arms come with stickers labeling side and direction. if yours didnt, then they angle backwards with the spindle attachment to the front of the bend.

stascom

According to some research on the forums, one turn of the ball join provides for either 0.18 or 0.3 degree change in camber. There are 16 rotations from completely out to completely tight. I couldn't find any info where the "max" position is. So, let's assume it needs 5-6 turns "in" to be stable. That should be the max setting of +1.5 camber. It makes sense further as 10 turns will give you a total of 3 degrees at 0.3/turn (from -1.5 to +1.5). I conclude then that 10-11 turns in would be equivalent to stock geometry with 0 camber changed. 15 turns in is -1.5(MAX negative camber offset) while 5-6 turns in is +1.5 (MAX positive camber offset). The situation you see in the pic happened at 8 turns in. I had to go further to 10 in order to clear the panel and allow for full motion of the arm. That means I'm basically at stock geometry and cannot gain any positive camber from the arm. Effectively, these arms only give me up to -1.5 of camber adjustment from 0, and no positive adjustment at all.
Am I wrong?

Edit: That white sticker says "Driver side up." The other arms has the same sticker that says "Passenger side up." They dropped in with barely any force. No other way would make a difference since the arm is rubbing at the furthest point in the well.

AdvanZ33

iTrader: (105)

That's your driver's side we're looking at right? How low are you?

stascom

Correct. I have 0.5" if wheel gap right now (stock wheels/tires). I cannot remember the measurement from the floor (I can check later) but I'm barely an inch lower from stock. Either way, I'm not sure how that's relevant. If the ball join doesn't clear (let's say 8 turns in), the car won't even sit on the springs and it looks like a lift.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

dude, it doesn't matter what aftermarket upper control arm you purchase, kinetic or ANY OTHER OUT THERE.....the physical limits of the arm are reached when you get close to that wheel well sheet metal wall...ie, the unibody of the car - its the shock tower well....

if you need to come that far out then I KNOW your car is way slammed.......you CAN NOT make up for stoopid slammed in any aftermarket arm.....if anything, the kinetics are the least bulky to allow you to come out as much as possible, ie - allow you to move closer to positive as possible in other words.....

Think about it......you obviously are saying you need longer, but any arm you install will result in a clearance issue with that wheel well sheet metal of the unibody of the car.....so this is not a kinetix issue, or that another upper control arm is better, etc...its a lowered to much issue if your not satisfied with the camber result in the positive...the range is 0.17 to -1.33, see my post 3.

sure, some Aftermarket A-arms don't have much material past the point of mounting...and for example - i have seen some Z owners CUTTING/Grinding their Cusco upper arms to gain more range....

another thing,
There is a science to engagement of the kinetic rod end into the arm itself...it should be:

Minimum thread engagement is 1.5 times the major thread diameter unless otherwise stated.

I find it bull ish that kinetix doesn't state this MAX as well, to me its a liability issue cause guys can thread out till they hit the wheel well wall like you!....

maybe Kinetix tested this and knows that no matter what the max turns is safe due to the wheel well wall, so they see no need to have a MAX noted.....either way, Kinetix should provide it!!!

Now, i did read a thread one time where a guy cut the wheel well sheet metal! I was like --- I do not recommend cutting your cars unibody! duh....

I have posted on this before, i believe in my suspension 101 thread....

-J

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

it took me forever to type that, that i just saw your post...

So only an inch lower?? doesnt seem right, what camber reading are you getting when you make everything clear???

-J

sradenton

iTrader: (19)

^^^ Soo true^^^ and great advice.
1" lower does not seem true looking at the pic you posted. Why not screw it in till it clears and get a alignment?

Z_on_TE37's

iTrader: (3)

What I did was took a heatgun and a copper round ended mallet, and heated up that wall where the ball joint hits and beat it in at an angle where it allows me a couple extra turns out without rubbing. I then took a knife and trimmed away the plastic wheel well shield where it rubbed. Then cleaned it off with a scotch brite pad since the paint was all chipped in there, and then sprayed it with some rustoleum flat black. Took a little while, but I believe it was a very effective and structurally safe method to getting some extra adjustment room.

Z33Garage

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like you are scraping low, that and the arm is reaching the end of its limit. I still dont see how CZP fawked you...

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

Wut???

so, if using kinetix arms:
how much engagement did you get with the kinetix rod end into the arm itself?? remember what i wrote in my previous post -

Z_on_TE37's

iTrader: (3)

Jason I'm 8 turns out on each side. Idk if thatll answer ur question, but all I did was give some room so they weren't rubbing on the side wall in the wheel well.

JasonZ-YA

iTrader: (60)

^then thats the farthest toward positive your gonna get it....from there, in order to add more you need to raise the car more...

whats your alignment at with what you have?

-J

KingBaby

iTrader: (3)

can't be a 1" drop...