[urq] Cast steel control arm question

[Fluhr]

> How heavy are the cast parts, and are the considered an upgrade? Are  these a 
> bolt on, or do you need to switch lower ball joints etc. Forgive my  
> ignorance and all the questions, but I had not heard of these  before. 
> I have always been a fan of cast as opposed to stamped steel. You  never know 
> if stamped part is bent, tweaked, or straight.

Dennis,

The cast steel control arms are quite a bit heavier than the
stamped steel ones.  They also require a different ball joint
and two-piece 82mm wheel bearing knuckles/upper struts.

I initially planned on using my existing control arms and just installing
new 90q10v front ball joints and two-piece struts with S2 rear hubs
(along with Coupe GT steering tie rods).  This would basically be a
factory replacement for the stock components, with easier servicability
of the front suspension in the future.  The updating steering tie rods
also gives me indepenent toe adjustment on each side, so I can get that
steering wheel centered.  :-)

Then I had the opportunity to go with the 82mm wheel bearing version,
using the cast steel control arms.  The parts are quite a bit heavier, 
they cost more, and the only real benefit I could quantify is beefier 
components for the AAN engine I will be installing and the track time 
the car will see.

I'll have pictures when I am all done.  I had a second set of control
arms that were "good" (well, I stole the ones my brother planned to use
on his Urq conversion  :-), and we have almost everything ready to
reassemble in the car.  We hit a big stopping point when we destroyed
one of the new subframe bushings trying to push it in.  FYI, for those
trying to do subframe bushings, you WANT to push on the INSIDE of the
bushing with a press, to get it in.  This stretches the rubber so that
it can fit through the subframe hole.  The normal method of bushing
or bearing installation, which is to push only on the outer edge of
the new piece, will not work because it compresses the rubber.

Regards,
Eric