[jimib]

I'll be buying tubular front control arms for my 67 GTO (A-body). Recommendations?

[jwcfbd]

I have global west on my 67 Firebird with no complaints what so ever.

[ZeGermanHam]

I put UMI Performance control arms on my '66 GTO. Very high quality.

[76TA462]

I am using UMI Performance upper and lower tubular control arms and their (Viking) coil overs. Happy with the outcome.

[Paul E]

I used the SPC adjustable upper and lower with tall ball joints. Need stock front spring stiff, as the tall ball joints will cause it to lower. The lower arm also moves the lower ball joint position so when setting the upper the wheel stays centered better in the wheel well. I have the older uppers that are a "flatter" design and they really adjusted well and handle excellent. The alignment shop said they were excellent to work with to get the best adjustments. Other options just what worked excellent for me.

Have front lowering spring pair with 50 miles on for sale....

Paul

[jimib]

So far, two for UMI. I like the kits and the red color option.
https://www.umiperformance.com/home/...dy-a-arm-kits/

[JLMounce]

I have SPC arms on my bird and for anyone looking to go as far as they can on a stock frame vehicle, they are IMHO the way to go. Just look at who's running what and winning with what in the auto-x circuit. You'll find SPC on a lot of stuff out there.

My hierarchy is as follows.

BMI = good quality cruiser level performance oriented to a more every day driver feel with upgrades in handling and feel
UMI = less focus on cruisers, more focus on auto-x performance.
SPC = echelon for performance on stock-frame vehicles. They provide the highest level of adjustment

Now all that said, SPC doesn't have packages like BMI and UMI do. If you're serious about going this route, I would highly recommend either BMI or UMI and buy their complete kit. They are both well-engineered and scienced out properly to work well without causing headaches.
.
In your previous thread in the street section you talked about just wanting some basic upgrades and not really wanting the "lowered" look.

Originally Posted by jimib

Good info Jason, maybe I don’t need coil overs, unnecessary expense. My mechanic suggested them and that’s why I’m looking. I just want this car to be a cruiser, I have no interest in race tracks, just want to drive locally and maybe road trips once in a while.

I really don’t care for the lowered stance that seems so popular. I just don’t like the sag in the rear end. I want it level and possibly a slight rake. Station wagon springs may fix this problem. I do want a tubular front end and a tighter steering gear.

If this is still where you want to be, I wouldn't actually recommend control arms at all. They're just a wasted expense. There are some misconceptions about what tubular arms do and don't do.

The UMI, BMP and SPC arms offer geometry updates that effect the total caster available in an alignment. Positive caster creates negative camber as the wheel is turned and to an extent also provides some straight line stability. They can't correct anything else because they don't alter the pickup points of the arms on the frame itself. Most of them are within a pound or so of the factory weight arms and if you're using traditional coil springs, there's no need for the more robust lower arm. If you're not planning on doing spirited driving or auto-x where high steering angles are creating negative camber gain, and you're not traveling at sustained high speeds, the benefits of going to a set of tubular control arms are all but lost on you.

What I would do instead is have new, quality high durometer rubber bushings put in the stock control arms and add a .5" tall ball joint to the upper control arm. You could also do solid bushings if you wanted, but it's probably overkill for you. Going this route is going to reduce deflection in the system and start correcting the camber curve of the factory suspension in bump and droop without the need for steering angle to do it. It's also going to save you probably $700.00 bucks, which I would use to fund a set of springs, shocks, and a steering rebuild that includes a modernized steering gear.

The whole package I would put together for you based on what you've mentioned is as follows.

-Stock upper and lower control arms, rebuilt with high durometer rubber bushings, .5" tall ball joint on upper arm, factory ball joint on lower arm
-Global West 1" lowering springs front and rear
-Koni Classic shocks (reds)
-Factory steering rebuild (moog)
-Lares or Borgeson .210 torsion bar steering gear with faster ratio (can do Lee or Turn10, but the cost goes way up)
-Helwig front and rear sway bar

Align the front end at these settings

-0.5* Camber
+3* Caster (or as close as the factory arms will allow)
1/16th" toe in

Combined with the 17" wheel and tire package you're looking at, I really feel that you'd enjoy this ride without breaking the bank.

[jimib]

Originally Posted by JLMounce

I have SPC arms on my bird and for anyone looking to go as far as they can on a stock frame vehicle, they are IMHO the way to go. Just look at who's running what and winning with what in the auto-x circuit. You'll find SPC on a lot of stuff out there.

My hierarchy is as follows.

BMI = good quality cruiser level performance oriented to a more every day driver feel with upgrades in handling and feel
UMI = less focus on cruisers, more focus on auto-x performance.
SPC = echelon for performance on stock-frame vehicles. They provide the highest level of adjustment

Now all that said, SPC doesn't have packages like BMI and UMI do. If you're serious about going this route, I would highly recommend either BMI or UMI and buy their complete kit. They are both well-engineered and scienced out properly to work well without causing headaches.
.
In your previous thread in the street section you talked about just wanting some basic upgrades and not really wanting the "lowered" look.



If this is still where you want to be, I wouldn't actually recommend control arms at all. They're just a wasted expense. There are some misconceptions about what tubular arms do and don't do.

The UMI, BMP and SPC arms offer geometry updates that effect the total caster available in an alignment. Positive caster creates negative camber as the wheel is turned and to an extent also provides some straight line stability. They can't correct anything else because they don't alter the pickup points of the arms on the frame itself. Most of them are within a pound or so of the factory weight arms and if you're using traditional coil springs, there's no need for the more robust lower arm. If you're not planning on doing spirited driving or auto-x where high steering angles are creating negative camber gain, and you're not traveling at sustained high speeds, the benefits of going to a set of tubular control arms are all but lost on you.

What I would do instead is have new, quality high durometer rubber bushings put in the stock control arms and add a .5" tall ball joint to the upper control arm. You could also do solid bushings if you wanted, but it's probably overkill for you. Going this route is going to reduce deflection in the system and start correcting the camber curve of the factory suspension in bump and droop without the need for steering angle to do it. It's also going to save you probably $700.00 bucks, which I would use to fund a set of springs, shocks, and a steering rebuild that includes a modernized steering gear.

The whole package I would put together for you based on what you've mentioned is as follows.

-Stock upper and lower control arms, rebuilt with high durometer rubber bushings, .5" tall ball joint on upper arm, factory ball joint on lower arm
-Global West 1" lowering springs front and rear
-Koni Classic shocks (reds)
-Factory steering rebuild (moog)
-Lares or Borgeson .210 torsion bar steering gear with faster ratio (can do Lee or Turn10, but the cost goes way up)
-Helwig front and rear sway bar

Align the front end at these settings

-0.5* Camber
+3* Caster (or as close as the factory arms will allow)
1/16th" toe in

Combined with the 17" wheel and tire package you're looking at, I really feel that you'd enjoy this ride without breaking the bank.

Great write up, thank you

[Brianbigoats]

I went with BMR on my 69 GTO looks good and was easy to install I was just looking for a slight upgrade in handling since it is just a cruiser

[vertigto]

I'm using the BMR with tall ball joints. Price was a consideration, as well as quality.

[Formula8]

Global West uppers here. I was getting about +2.5 degrees of caster and -0.5 camber with the stock arms fitted with offset shafts and a ton of shims due to some improper frame straightening on my car.

With the GW upper arms fitted with their offset shafts, I am at +7.0 degrees of caster and -1.0 camber. No shims in one side and minimal on the other. A bit more aggressive than I intended but I don't put a lot of miles on my car and the tires will dry rot before wearing out.

I have bunch of GW stuff on my car, have found everything well built and appreciate the time and effort Doug puts into educating his customers through his youtube channel.

[Chris65LeMans]

I have UMI in the front and PMT Fabrication in the rear. Very happy with both.

[Tim john]

I have DSE (Detroit Speed & Engineering) on a 69 Firebird. Real pleased with them and the rest of the suspension (all DSE). Front and rear 2" lowering springs as well. Outstanding quality fit and function.

Tim john---

[jimib]

Originally Posted by vertigto

I'm using the BMR with tall ball joints. Price was a consideration, as well as quality.

Yeah, I noticed that BMR tends to be less expensive than other brands. I was wondering if this reflects product quality or perhaps this company is being competitive. Hopefully the latter. The reviews here tend to be favorable.

[vertigto]

Originally Posted by jimib

Yeah, I noticed that BMR tends to be less expensive than other brands. I was wondering if this reflects product quality or perhaps this company is being competitive. Hopefully the latter. The reviews here tend to be favorable.

The quality looks pretty good. Time will tell on the durability...when the car is back on the road.

[jimib]

Those PICS look good.

[GOAT8U2]

QA1 front coilovers here, shop was able to dial them in without issue and I'm currently sitting 26" up on the front. Really helped the street driving and cornering at decent speeds. It wasn't as big of a difference as tightening up the steering box but it was a nice change.

You might need to trim the inner wheel well, on my new ones they cut them, then painted.

[389]

In a way those uppers place the ball joint in the same spot as the factory uppers. I don't know about this one. To get 5 positive the upper ball joint is usually in the middle. Hopefully it's just an optical illusion.

[ZeGermanHam]

According to the BMR Suspension website, if you use their upper and lower control arms together, they will provide 4 additional degrees of positive caster.

[pokey1]

My Qa1's have worked very well for me..