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Thread: eBay after market lower arms - why so cheap?

  1. #1
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    eBay after market lower arms - why so cheap?

    http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/111530113425

    Anyone tried these? They seem a bit too cheap. Apparently made from "aircraft grade aluminium" and CAD designed.

    I messaged the seller and asked if they would fit my 1999 S14a which currently has standard lower arms and Apex adjustable arms everywhere else. The seller said they'd "probably" fit.

    I wanted to replace the bushes and ball joints on my stock lower arms. Providing these arms fitted,it would be easier and possibly cheaper just to buy these arms - no hassle burning/cutting out the old bushes and having new ones pressed in.

    Just seem a bit too cheap.

  2. #2
    I <3 BBS LM Actual_Ben_Taylor's Avatar
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    I wouldn't, the quality is likely to be shit

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    I imagine the arms will be okay just the rose joints will be crap and ether be noisy from new or not last very long before they are

    The arms are probably made in the same factory as most others

  4. #4
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    For a drift/ track car they maybe ok but I wouldnt use them on a road car.

    You can get ball joints etc cheap, best thing is to buy soem to refurb off the car then swap with yours

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    Guest -ghost-'s Avatar
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    Brought a set for less than 200 in red all look the same to me just different colours.

    I went with them as was chopping them up anyway for my build.

  6. #6
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    Refurbish your standard lower arms. A pair of joints will cost you about £60. A set of bushes the same. Done.

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    It's a tough choice. My car is a garage car really. I only drive it 300 miles last year. It sits in a dehumidified garage and never goes out in the rain or gets dirty. I even use waterless cleaning spray rather than wash it. In this unusual situation, I imagine rose joints would last many years? I could buy the arms, test fit them and if they are ok keep them. I could keep hold of the original lower arms in case the adjustables went wrong.
    ive already spent many hours refurbing my existing lower arms. Sand blasted and POR15 paint system. I don't have the time at the moment to do that again. I should have obviously replaced the bushes before I refurbished them. If I burn out the old ones or have them pressed out it would ruin the integrity of the paint system.
    Just playing with ideas here - nothing's set in stone. Any ideas welcomed.

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    It makes no difference if it's a garage queen or not. The standard lower arm is better. You don't need to repaint them.

  9. #9
    Now with 400bhp....
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    Go for nismo arms
    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

  10. #10
    Now with 400bhp....
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    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

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    Guest ANDY black s13's Avatar
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    nothing in the link in first post is made from Aluminum as far as I can see,
    the only arms using aluminum are the cheapy tension rods and only the section that bolts to the lower arm is aluminum
    I don't think anyone makes an aluminum lower arm front or rear,they are all steel afaik
    I know partshop max make some nice aluminum parts,but these ain't them

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    Thanks for all the input so far - it all helps. I just want to ensure I've considered all the options before jumping in and replacing the final bits on my car that I've not yet done. My main aim is to replace the all ball joints and bushes on the lower arms together with the rear hub knuckle bushes.
    So options are:
    1. Nismo arms @ ~£600
    2. Rebush the standard arms and new ball joints - I guess I would need to get the old pressed out and new ones pressed in? What brands do people recommend? I've gone with updated rubber on the rest of the car - a mix of Nismo and Apex Performance branded stuff.
    3. Cheap eBay arms - I've sent more questions to the seller asking about construction materials/types of bushes/fitment

    What bushes would people recommend for the rear knuckles? What's involved in fitting them?

    Thanks for any advice.

  13. #13
    Guest zeppelin101's Avatar
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    1. 6061 Aluminium in the quantities needed there is not terribly expensive. Also, 6061 is technically an aerospace grade material but usually the term refers to 7075, which is stronger, lighter and more expensive than 6061. Also, the specification of the material grade is largely useless with the temper designation because it could be a raw grade or it could be heat treated and aged - you would never know.

    2. If they are aluminium then who ever welded them together needs a slap.

    3. CAD designed doesn't really mean anything other than some monkey learned how to use SolidWorks and doodled a drawing in an hour or so. It does not mean it has had any meaningful load path analysis carried out on it - basically the bit that matters and is time consuming.

    4. Cheap spherical bearings fall to bits because they are usually not sealed and not lined. Proper sealed and lined bearings with the misalignment angles needed in suspension arms in the right sizes will eat up a significant amount of the money those arms + bearings cost.

    I'd strongly consider a refurb of the standard arms

  14. #14
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    Moog Joints, K9820's, about £60 for a pair.

    Powerflex bushes, about £40 for the set

    An Hour of an engineers time.

    Done.

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    Guest BLAKTOOTH's Avatar
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    Or Hardrace (Apex) Roll Centre Correction BJ's and uprated rubber Hardrace (Apex) bushes. Seems to fit in with your other mods from what you've said. I'd only go poly and rose joints on a track car.

  16. #16
    Guest diamondsink's Avatar
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    Id give the ebay joints about 3-6 month before they are rusted sloppy scrap.

  17. #17
    Now with 400bhp....
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    Think apex don't do the lower arm bushes anymore at least they didn't when I tried to get some.

    Energy suspension do a full set of bushes for the hubs and lower arms.
    1998 Nissan 200sx s14a , 2000 std 5 speed with nismo supercoppermix clutch bn6 Sapphire Blue

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    Quote Originally Posted by diamondsink View Post
    Id give the ebay joints about 3-6 month before they are rusted sloppy scrap.

    I was told this when fitting drift works arms on a road car. But nearly 2 years later and they're as mint as the day I got them. Luck of the draw I think lol.

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    Thanks for all the info. I've contacted ApexPerformance to see what the situation is regarding their uprated rubber bushings. I'll probably get my local garage to press out the old bushes/ball joints and press in the new ones. Still tempted by the Nismo arms though!

  20. #20
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    They are a waste of money if you already have new joints.

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