Thread: Will tubular a arms hold up to the wieght of a BBC?

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I am going to order some tubular a arms for my 65 chevy truck short bed.I am planning on a BBC ,and have herd some have a tendency to break.Truck will not be a daily driver ,more like a weekend cruizer.What do you think?These are the ones I am lookng at plus the uppers,they are from CPPCPP’s Tubular Control Arms are designed to provide full wheel travel and minimal friction. The upper control arms are made from 1-1/4” x .120” wall and the lower is 1-1/2” x .120 wall D.O.M. tubing and the pivot barrels are thick 1-1/2” .188” wall D.O.M. tubing to eliminate distortion from welding and hard use. The upper control arms add 5 degrees of caster. The lower arms provide increased ground clearance and allow the use of sway bars. They can be installed with either factory uppers and lowers, or as a full set. The bushings are made from self lubricating non-squeak patented plastic that will out last any rubber or urethane, and works at temperatures in excess of 400 degrees F.

The Chrome-moly cross shafts and sleeves are zinc plated for lasting performance. The sleeves have an interlocking design that prevents the hardware from ever working loose. The pivots carry both forward and back loads (the original cross shaft pivot was designed to only carry a forward or back load, but not both). The control arm assemblies are a simple bolt-in installation with no modification required. They work with all factory and replacement power steering systems, and with or without O.E. bump stops.

NOTE: Part #6372TCA-LA works with double convoluted air bags.

They look plenty strong to me. Got to remember most horror stories are just that, stories. Any breakage I've seen on IFS is with the stamped steel MII factory control arms on heavy vehicles, by the time that circulates all the forums it condems all IFS...... Structurally, the ones you pictured are much improved in strength and design over the stockers...

Hey, just came up with a great idea!!!!! Get one of the aluminum big blocks and aluminum heads the the weight is no longer an issue, just the $$$$$$ !!!!!!!!

Dave's right. Besides, if they are gonna break then the difference between a BBC and SBC is the same as riding 2 fat boys in the truck instead of one skinny one

Kitz

You won't have a problem with the CPP arms, bud. PLENTY stout.
Keep in mind that a lot of the "breakage" stories come from guys running "race car parts" on a street car. Spindly, thin wall, light weight drag race parts are not intended for street usage and will break over time. Your CPP arms are well built and designed for street use so have at it with no concerns.
Mark

Yup, I can't even remember how many IFS kits I have sold and or installed over the years, not one breakage issue on any of them..... And one of them was on my '66 Mustang that had a tendency to go wheels up (about a foot) whenever "somebody" wanted to show off a bit in first round of time trials at the drag strip.... Then I'd move the 4 bar back where it belonged and go fast again......

Uh huh ,.....I got a good idea who that nameless wild man is!!
I got a feeling there may be a highly modified must-chero doing the same thing in the future!!!

just the way the tubing is made it is seam less DOM and on tubing there is no edge to start to fail like a stamping and there can be stress in the part of the stamping A arm with tubbing you ineffect have a box a arm that as more surface so with the right thickness tubbing it will be much stronger than a stamp stock

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

just the way the tubing is made it is seam less DOM and on tubing there is no edge to start to fail like a stamping and there can be stress in the part of the stamping A arm with tubbing you ineffect have a box a arm that as more surface so with the right thickness tubbing it will be much stronger than a stamp stock

Yeah, but I still like the idea of a POLISHED aluminum block and heads in there!!!!!!

Originally Posted by shawnlee28

Uh huh ,.....I got a good idea who that nameless wild man is!!
I got a feeling there may be a highly modified must-chero doing the same thing in the future!!!

Who Me???? Naw, that thing is going to Bonneville should I ever get it done.... However I do have this set of 6.33 gears, some slicks on 15 X10 wheels, and there is this 1/8th mile drag strip in Iowa by Erik's house and........ Man, I'm really hopeless, ain't I????? Just an incurable go-fast guy, I guess!!!!

You'll never break well built tubular A arms from a reputable mfr with that combo unless you stop real fast, like up against a 36" diameter oak tree

Silly question, what is DOM tubing?

Originally Posted by RickBF100

Silly question, what is DOM tubing?

DRAW OVER MANDRAL

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Yeah, but I still like the idea of a POLISHED aluminum block and heads in there!!!!!!

yes i have one just not polished. i like the cast look

Hey shawnlee
you going to do something with that cherokee? How about something like this?
I been thinking of doing a slam with a j10


By the way nice 64 my brother is going to kill over when i show him your truck..He got a 66 5 years ago and been setting in the shop for 2 years in pieces..maybe yours will fire him up!