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Thread: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

  1. #1
    senior backyard mechanic Grease Monkey legend's Avatar
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    Default suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Hi i have been toying with the idea of placing a 10mm plate between the ball joint and the lower control arm on my ae82
    I ve heard this helps with fwd cars that have been lowered. But i dont know how this works
    would anybody have any info on this or what change it would make to the suspension

    my car is lowered 25mm ,nolathane bushes,caster rod bushes ,koni,s

    Sorry if its a stupid question
    Thankyou mik
    building my 4agte ae82

  2. #2
    Junior Member Too Much Toyota oldcorollas's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    maybe it works with the longer balljoints available for stuff like Silvias..

    it works like an RCA for a "normal" strut
    ie, by restoring the LCA angle so you don't have stupid camber changes in bump.

    be aware it will slightly change your bumpsteer characteristics
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  3. #3
    Junior Member Domestic Engineer RobertoX's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Got pics or a diagram?

  4. #4
    Junior Member Too Much Toyota oldcorollas's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    eh? for what?
    older cars have a seperate strut and steering arm, so you can put a spacer to angle the LCA down.
    FWD shitboxen and silvia etc have steering arm integrated, so to angle the LCA, you need a longer balljoint. (or a higher inner pivot )
    "I'm a Teaspoon, not a mechanic"
    "There is hardly anything in the world that a man can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper" - John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

    AU$TRALIA... come and stay and PAY and PAY!!! The moral high horse of the world!

  5. #5
    senior backyard mechanic Grease Monkey legend's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    thanks + rep im getting a better understanding now as i'm researching roll center adjuster
    building my 4agte ae82

  6. #6
    Junior Member Domestic Engineer RobertoX's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    They use a bolt in ball joint right?
    diagram

    Are you talking about putting a spacer between the ball joint and the control arm, where it is bolted on?
    If you are then this will angle the arm down but it wont actually effect geometry (because the pivot point locations wont be affected).

  7. #7
    Junior Member Too Much Toyota oldcorollas's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    'dats why you need a long balljoint
    "I'm a Teaspoon, not a mechanic"
    "There is hardly anything in the world that a man can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper" - John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

    AU$TRALIA... come and stay and PAY and PAY!!! The moral high horse of the world!

  8. #8
    Junior Member Domestic Engineer RobertoX's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Yup
    But then there is no point in putting in a spacer. Your ball joint taper would need to be further up the shaft for the knuckle to sit properly negating the use of a spacer...
    Also the ball joint shaft would be under higher stress, I'm not sure I would like that as they are pretty skinny.

  9. #9
    Chookhouse Chooning Automotive Encyclopaedia Hen's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    I've heard it discussed about Silvias before, and I don't like this idea one bit.

    ALL your steering and braking forces are transmitted through that balljoint, so it sees some reasonable loads, and lengthening the balljoint is going to increase the stresses in the tapered bit, which seems a bit spindly to start with anyway.

    I reckon living with it, or looking at other ways to solve the problem would be better solutions.

    Hen

  10. #10
    Junior Member Automotive Encyclopaedia
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    This AE82 that you have, was it given to you, or did someone promise to give it to you? and than disappear, with out letting you know what happened to it?

    I bet that would be annoying.......

    Hi Hen.

    http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=33602

    Edit.
    Well curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction bought it back

    Thanks for filling me in Hen
    Last edited by wa5; 25-02-2009 at 08:08 PM.

  11. #11
    That's me before i was a Conversion King -GT-'s Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Like this?





    Not my car, cheers to Gunmetal for forwarding the pics a while back.

    EDIT: Then i went and read all of wa5's link thread, and now i really want to know what happened too! Pm is ok.
    Last edited by -GT-; 25-02-2009 at 08:34 PM.
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  12. #12
    Chookhouse Chooning Automotive Encyclopaedia Hen's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Now that looks a bit more serious...

  13. #13
    Junior Member Too Much Toyota oldcorollas's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    the silvia ones are a bit solid lookin and Greddy call them roll centre adjusters..



    "I'm a Teaspoon, not a mechanic"
    "There is hardly anything in the world that a man can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper" - John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

    AU$TRALIA... come and stay and PAY and PAY!!! The moral high horse of the world!

  14. #14
    senior backyard mechanic Grease Monkey legend's Avatar
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    just thinking of putting a spacer plate between the lower control arm and the balljoint about 20mm thick
    u can see it in GT diagram could i do it without that balljoint modification
    or would i need to change or modify the ball joint as well to make it work

    Its different in GT pic's as the balljoint has 2 bolts that mount to the bottom of the hub
    the ae82 balljoint tapers and just goes through the hub with a castle nut on top

    in robertoX diagram is the suspension i have in the ae82

    thankyou for the pics and diagrams
    Last edited by legend; 25-02-2009 at 09:03 PM.
    building my 4agte ae82

  15. #15
    Non qualified Domestic Engineer
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    Default Re: suspension help "balljoint spacers"

    Quote Originally Posted by legend
    just thinking of putting a spacer plate between the lower control arm and the balljoint about 20mm thick
    u can see it in GT diagram could i do it without that balljoint modification
    or would i need to change or modify the ball joint as well to make it work

    Its different in GT pic's as the balljoint has 2 bolts that mount to the bottom of the hub
    the ae82 balljoint tapers and just goes through the hub with a castle nut on top

    in robertoX diagram is the suspension i have in the ae82

    thankyou for the pics and diagrams
    As long as your spacers are well made to take the shear loads instead of the bolts and are made from decent material, your idea should work.
    I've seen similar things for AW11s
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