Thread: custom made control arms

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using an s10 frame under the 48 burb I'm building but would like to be able to kick the front wheels out some more, so does anyone know who might sell custom made upper & lowwer control arms for a S10 2wheel drive P/U, i would like them to be at least 3 inches wider...thanks.....joe

Originally posted by techinspector1
What about widening the frame Joe?

no can do, any wider & I might as well used a full size truck frame and then it would of been 2 inches too wide on each side. I can get wheel adaptors from http://www.adaptitusa.com/ BUT I think I'll put my 8inch rims on the front first just to see what it looks like & maybe I can get away w/using a different offset and if need be a thin spacer....thanks..joe

You can not use control arms that are 3" longer. That would put a lot of stress on the frame & require springs w/a higher Lb/in rating.
Start w/a frame that has the same track - wheelbase can be changed.
I do not know what vehicle you are working on but, if you want to use a trk frame that is wider but narrower than a full size trk measure a Dodge Dakota frame...........Don

You might have some other options...

I have a 'metric' frame from a '78 Monte Carlo, and in discussing some of the options with it, I've been told that this frame, even though it uses coils instead of torsion bars, uses many of the same front suspension parts as your S-10.

There are custom air arms built for the metric frame for use in racing.

Another possiblity to chase is looking at the brake rotors to see if you could swap on some that are thicker, and thus increase track width some.

I haven't checked this, but one race car guy you could swap rotors off a metric frame to a Camaro subframe to decrease the track width. If the reverse is true you might be able to swap Camaro stuff in place to widen yours...

I haven't tried any of this, its just stuff others have said as I've investigated putting the Monte Carlo frame under a '54 Chevy pickup.

Originally posted by Don Meyer

I do not know what vehicle you are working on but, if you want to use a trk frame that is wider but narrower than a full size trk measure a Dodge Dakota frame...........Don

the problem there is the size of the brake rotor & its too wide also, BUT as OldSub says I may be able to use late model camaro rotor, did a little more digging & called a place called Global West and talk to one of the guys there, he told me they have a set up that'll let me run a tall spindle from a 78-96 caprice spindle on the S10 that way I get 12inch or larger rotors from a late model camaro that will kick it out about 3/4 to 1 inch and then he said to use a different offset rim to make up the rest, which I should be able to do w/o any problems. I had read something to this fact on a S10 board I belong to but never quite understood what the hell theyy were talking about untill I talked to the company....... soooooooooooo hopefull I have finally solved my problem, it'll cost me between $400 to $530 for the upper control arms but it beats doing another frame since I like the way this one is fitting............ thanks for everything....joe

Stock Caprice rotors will have the larger Chevy 5-lug bolt pattern. If you didn't know I thought I should warn you...

Give Fatman Fab a call..
He makes narrowed a-arms for clip front ends that are too wide.
Perhaps he can help you with a-arms..

Also, have you considered changing wheels? Wheel Vintiques can make you wheels about any width/offset you want.

Jeff

I have Global West upper control arms on a modified 85 El Camino frame. They cost over $500 but, allowed me to use full size 1985 Buick spindles & brakes.
This would appear to be an expensive method of solving your problem. Remember the farther out you place your wheels the more mech advantage you have & the heavier (lb/in)spring you need to keep the spring rate the same.
On my car it increased the track very little.

I would use my original frame & modify it or if you have no frame buy a frame that has the correct track. If the latter is the case tell us what track & wheelbase you are trying to achieve & will try to help. I bought my frame for $200 from a salvage yard........Don

OldSub ---- Stock Caprice rotors will have the larger Chevy 5-lug bolt pattern

called Global West and talk to one of the guys there, he told me they have a set up that'll let me run a tall spindle from a 78-96 caprice spindle on the S10 that way I get 12inch or larger rotors from a late model camaro which should be the 5x 4 3/4 bolt pattern .

deepnhock -- Give Fatman Fab a call..He makes narrowed a-arms for clip front ends that are too wide.
Perhaps he can help you with a-arms..

Also, have you considered changing wheels? Wheel Vintiques can make you wheels about any width/offset you want.

didnt think about the BIGG guy, but I am going to check my 8 inch ralley's to see how the fit also. .

Don Meyer --- This would appear to be an expensive method of solving your problem.
it maybe in a sense but it beats paying over $3000 for the suspension that I would of had to use because of the wieght of the FRAME (frame weighs right 1000 lbs MORE then the 1/2 ton frame but the body only weighs only 40 lbs more while the whoule truck weighs in at over 4400 lbs.

Remember the farther out you place your wheels the more mech advantage you have & the heavier (lb/in)spring you need to keep the spring rate the same.
I understand this & have taken it under consideration and really dont see a problem w/changing the springs.

On my car it increased the track very little.
the guy at Gobal West said it will move the wheel tire combo out between 3/4 to 1 inch, which will help if I change the tire & wheel combo in the front.

I would use my original frame & modify it
problem there don is the frame weights 1000 lbs more then a 1/2 ton frame and the only TRUE set up that would work because of the weight is a Jim Meyers set up for big truck which would cost about $3000 to buy which I dont really have & dont want to spend.

or if you have no frame
cut up and GONE .

buy a frame that has the correct track. If the latter is the case tell us what track & wheelbase you are trying to achieve & will try to help. I bought my frame for $200 from a salvage yard........Don

here's what the the book tells me, my wheel base for the stock truck is about 138 inches long, frame lenght of about 228 inches long, with the width of 36 inches ( cant be much wider then an S10 frame which is 40 1/4 inches wide) and a width of of about 56 inches from center to center of the front tires.lots of folks have said to use a late model truck frame but the problem w/that is the width of the suspension w/the tires & wheels on is about 2 inches tooooo wide for each side and I DONT want the tires to stick out past the wheel wells..any help would be great........... thanks..................joe

Well Joe, while we're all trying to rain on your parade, just a couple more things to think about.

If you go the bigger rotor, your ralleys may not fit. I'm assuming you have 15" ones. With a 12" rotor, and the caliper hanging above it, it probably won't clear anything smaller than 16" rim. Check that first. Positive offset wheels are okay to a point. If you go with a positive offset wheel, AND spacers, then you compound the load problem. Not only will you have the spring issue that Don mentioned, you'll also increase the leverage on the front wheel bearings.

BTW, it wasn't clear to me whether you were trying to get 3" wider overall or per side.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TooMany2count
called Global West and talk to one of the guys there, he told me they have a set up that'll let me run a tall spindle from a 78-96 caprice spindle on the S10 that way I get 12inch or larger rotors from a late model camaro which should be the 5x 4 3/4 bolt pattern .

I guess I need to get my glasses checked... Oh well.

My memory is finite. Are you one of the guys with a 1-ton panel that has been converted to a school bus? Depending on how you plan to use this thing, you might want to reconsider the issues related to a full-size pickup frame. You might need the load capacity and brakes of the bigger truck.

If you are setting it up so it can't ever carry a load its one thing, but if it will have seats or cargo space, you'll want the capacity to handle the load.

On my 1/2-ton Suburban I'm planning to use 'heavy half' Chevy pickup stuff to gain the load capacity to carry passengers or pull a trailer. I've got a full set of pickup fenders that I plan to use to widen my fenders enough to cover the track. I'm going for load, wide and tough.

Originally posted by Bob Parmenter
Well Joe, while we're all trying to rain on your parade
geeeeeeeeeee thanks uncle bob . , just a couple more things to think about.

If you go the bigger rotor, your ralleys may not fit. I'm assuming you have 15" ones. With a 12" rotor, and the caliper hanging above it, it probably won't clear anything smaller than 16" rim. Check that first.
I have been told that I can run a 12 inch rotor w/15 inch ralleys but will check to be sure.

Positive offset wheels are okay to a point.
yep I understand that & it kills me everytime I see a "RICER" going down the street w/the tires & rims sticking outside the wheelwells.

BTW, it wasn't clear to me whether you were trying to get 3" wider overall or per side.
per side. and I'm know some of this stuff but I'm looking for advice also, because its much better to ask questions first & get oppions then dump a bunch of $$$$$$$$$$$ in it & then learn "IT WONT WORK", I hate when that happens. Right now all I have invested into the frame is $0.00, zip, nada, nothing, zero and since I bought the S10 truck & sold parts off of it, matter of fact I'm still ahead about by about $400 or more. so keep it coming I'll take all the advice I can get and use it, thanks again folks.............joe

[QUOTE]Originally posted by OldSub

I guess I need to get my glasses checked... Oh well.

My memory is finite. Are you one of the guys with a 1-ton panel that has been converted to a school bus?
yeppers I'm one of thos guys.

Depending on how you plan to use this thing, you might want to reconsider the issues related to a full-size pickup frame. You might need the load capacity and brakes of the bigger truck.
thats one reason why I would go to the caprice spidle & 12 inch camaro rotor.

If you are setting it up so it can't ever carry a load its one thing, but if it will have seats or cargo space, you'll want the capacity to handle the load.
well i had that figgered out, I was going to use heavier front & rear springs.

On my 1/2-ton Suburban I'm planning to use 'heavy half' Chevy pickup stuff to gain the load capacity to carry passengers or pull a trailer. I've got a full set of pickup fenders that I plan to use to widen my fenders enough to cover the track.
I would LOVE to see how you're going to do that cause I had thought about that also but was reluctant because to tell the truth I dont know if I have the skill to do that, but then I did reradius front fenders on a 47 ford p/u we use to have using part of a VW type3 front fender to do it with.

I'm going for load, wide and tough.
would like that also.

Joe, three inches on EACH side is a TON!! I think you should think about, or look into, alternatives to move the front suspension mounting portions of the frame outward, either with the existing clip (maintaining proper location could be "fun"), or by substituting a different front clip that has a more appropriate track measurement.

well i went to the bone yard again w/my tape measure and guess what i found out???????????? the s10 blazers have a wider track on them then the pick ups. matter of fact its just about the same as the 48's, so first I'm putting my 8inch ralleys on the front just to see what it looks like and if I dont like what I see I guess I'll be lenghtening another frame , will someone just shot me PLEAZZZZEEEEEEEEE.. o well I guess it could be worse, at least I havent lost any money on the truck frame. I'll let ys all know what happens as soon as I do it.... got to remember, now I have 2 project to contend with, mine & the sons.................joe