Tq arm rod end .....egg shaped!

[shmoov69]

Ok, how much stress does a tq arm mount endure? I pulled my arm off to paint it (after 3 years of being on!!) and saw that the top rod end that mounts to the pumpkin had egg shaped pretty bad. I don't see any signs of bindin. And the people at the MMCC saw it running around the track ok, so it must work decently. Why would it have done that?
Thanks gurus!!

[79T/Aman]

because the top one is under the most stress under both braking and accelerating the lower is much closer to the housing pivot point

[shmoov69]

That's what I was thinking but wasn't sure. Also maybe when I'm at the dragstrip with slicks on it, that it may be hooking hard enough to put alot of stress on that upper mount. I got a couple new ones today that are industrial grade (those things are pricey!) to put on it.
Is that the most stressed point on the entire rear suspension? Do the lower links or the panhard have that much stress on them?
Thanks!

[srh3trinity]

Just curious, but what Torque Arm suspension do you have?

[shmoov69]

It was a setup that a buddy and I made a few years ago. Here is a link with a couple pics. And there are a few others in my fquick page.
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35849

[Maverickoutlaw]

Which torque arm are you running? Im installing a TCI on my project now and would like to know if I should make a couple upgrades first. I have 2 upper housing links that are both very small and am unsure of their load capacity. Some systems do not even use an upper link but use pinion snout plates. How do these survive. I have heard that TCI changed from this design due to a housing manufacturer warning again stress on the snout. Ideas???

[79T/Aman]

Jimmy said, him and a buddy made it.
Anyhow here is what I see in looking at the pics, the upper mount point is just about in line with the yoke this means that as the rear end housing tries to rotate it is putting load on the rod end in a vertical dirrection instead of a horizontal dirrection so that the load is in line with the shank.
I know there are issues trying to fit a torque arm but you will need to change the mounting points, raise the upper point and move the lower point forward as much as you can.

[shmoov69]

Hmm. I'm trying to visualize what you're saying. It has streched the joint longways (horizontal with the ground and paralel with the threads) and not up and down. Is that what you are thinking? On moving the mounting point up, I don't know if I can do that without cutting up the floor. How important do you think that would be? What driving do you think puts the most stress on it, drag, corners, bumpy street?
Thanks!


Oh, and Mavrick it is a homemade setup.

[shmoov69]

Here is a couple pics of it.

[80 MONZTA]

Curious if the rod end was squeezed tightly between the mounting points by the bolt?

[ArtosDracon]

Wow, that stretched A LOT. That's kinda scary and I just walked away from a crash that totaled my DD.

That stretching is definitely from acceleration and from reading your thread thus far, I would tend to blame the slicks at the strip. What size is that rod end?

[79T/Aman]

ok make a side view drawing of your rear suspension use a compass on the lower torque arm mount as the pivot point, draw an arc through the top torque arm bolt you will see the load dirrection I'm talking about.
Now that load is also directed rear ward. and because there is a short distance between the two points it shocks that rod end harder that if they were further appart.
Go back to your drawing and place an upper mount further up on top of the housing you will notice that the arch is much more in line with the rod end shank, also move the lower point forward.
As for the rod end pic, I see it being under a lot of stress up, down, and rear ward in all the unsupported dirrections, speeding up the elongation.

[shmoov69]

Ok, I am grasping it a slight bit better, but not too much! Lol
so basicly you're saying I should move the top mount up and back and the lower mount forward? That will shock the suspension less right? How about the other movements and such, will doing that affect it better or worse?
Thanks!

Oh, and the joint was tight between the mounting points and I have replaced it with a heavy duty rod end, both the upper and lower ones. I am pretty sure they were the economy grade before.

[ErikLS2]

It's kind of like tryin to torque a bolt to 150 lbs/ft with a short 3/8 ratchet. Spreading out the two rod ends would be like using a long 1/2" breaker bar instead. Much less effort needed at the handle to do the same amount of work. In your case, much less stress on that higher mounted rod end to keep the rear axle in place.

[shmoov69]

Ok, I got my coil overs back and got them on.
But I got a stupid question, how is the best way to put a spring on a coilover?? Surely there is a better way than fighting and pushing and prying to get them compressed enough to go on?
Thanks

[ArtosDracon]

Get a spring compressor, or rent one from autozone/checker/o'reillys. You'll need the external one like for a strut, not an internal one.

[shmoov69]

Oh, that would've helped!! Lol. I guess I'll try that next time!
I thought maybe there was a trick to it, but I guess not!
Thanks