pro and cons using aluminum lower arm bar?

[nadziad]

helo friends and sifus i like to ask and abit survey about aluminum lower arm bars.....i have seen many older civics,wiras,satrias using these bar.....so would someone sharing a bit info about this item...i know aluminum is a lightweight material....if this aluminum bars are install...did it make any difference with the oem bars

 

[ehdrian]

Difference in terms of looks, yes these aftermarket ones definitely got the bling2 factor.

But i don't think it's as strong as OEM ones, i'll nvr buy and use this bcos i have seen photos of broken aluminium arm bars.

 

[nadziad]

oh.....that i afraid of....broken bars...i usually drive faster in highways...afraid if i install these bars make me
accident

 

[ColdPlay]

Considering that so many fakes out there, I am not confident in using the aluminium bars on our potholes ridden road. Let alone pushing it on track.
Have been to few accessories shop to check out the bars, no doubt, they are lightweight with aesthetic (bling bling factor)
but they doesn't feel tough. Far cry from the heavier OEM bars or proper racing prepared bars.

Verdict : Autoshow material. Unless you got those proper ones.
Shedding few kgs on the lightweight but fragile looking fakes aluminium bars doesn't do justice to overall driving experience. What if those bars snapped or broken while we're taking corners or drive over potholes?

 

[TitanRev]

These aftermarket LCA I won't consider using them for a few reasons.

1. The material they used is unkown. Aluminium also got different grade and strength. We don't know if it's aluminium alloy or just aluminium.
2. These LCA not sure have gone through any lab test for breakage and distortion test.
3. Aluminium will crack under stress. My factory machines are using Aluminium bar and overtime I can see fine cracks appearing and becoming longer and longer on area where it is constantly under stress.

I believe those genuine hardrace, skunk2 won't make their LCA like the ones in the picture....it just looks very weak and won't stand much beating on the road and will snap into half.

 

[nadziad]

look its more cons than pros..

---------- Post added at 04:38 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 04:31 PM ----------

These aftermarket LCA I won't consider using them for a few reasons.

1. The material they used is unkown. Aluminium also got different grade and strength. We don't know if it's aluminium alloy or just aluminium.
2. These LCA not sure have gone through any lab test for breakage and distortion test.
3. Aluminium will crack under stress. My factory machines are using Aluminium bar and overtime I can see fine cracks appearing and becoming longer and longer on area where it is constantly under stress.

I believe those genuine hardrace, skunk2 won't make their LCA like the ones in the picture....it just looks very weak and won't stand much beating on the road and will snap into half.

owh i taught aluminum can stand much pressure than standard metal....the picture just for showing, i just copy and paste for reference only....maybe anyone who works in material factory can observe and different it like mr titanrev

 

[vr2turbo]

Aluminum is still softer, if mix to become an alloy, probably the cost will go up too. May be good for racing on a flat circuit and not on our pothole ridden roads....

 

[mouse8899]

just like titanrev said, aluminum has a lot of grades and we are not sure what grade it is made of.
judging by the price, if it's cheap it won't be any strong grade material. but don't be fooled if the price is high too.
always do a background research of the company and what material they use and also possible of replicas in the market.
i've heard before about a customer wanted to do a bucket seat from aluminum, he flew in a T8 grade aluminum (not sure if it's wrote as T8) from aussie. just a [8ft x 4ft + transport = rm4k+] material only ah... that thing langsung cannot weld, once weld terus crack, bend that thing as in standing on it can see it bend down but after you let off it goes back flat again. the only way he made the shape of the seat was using machine spray fire and quench with water....

 

[pwhyze]

Stick with the established brands, which means it's gonna be expensive as hell for a bit of bling and kilos shedding. So up to you whether it's worth it or not.

 

[nadziad]

aluminum bars like all aftermarket items looks stronger....but dont know its durablity....just to shows some bling2 behind our car and take rissk on our life is like a gamble....if there are proof this item is stronger and better than oem stuff...maybe i will change it.

 

[TitanRev]

Nadziad, these very cheap LCA are machined out from a single block of aluminium. The problem with machining out a part from a single piece of ALU block is that the block itself is made out of casting process and there are micro voids/cracks in them because in casting process the molecules is held together by mechanical adhesion only they are not interlock together. That's why the parts can be so damn cheap.
Take example, cast aluminium wheels. very easy to bend, crack if hit potholes or put under very extreme stress.

If you want the part to be strong you need to use forging process to make it but it's going to cost you more. That's why you see Skunk2 make their LCA with forging process. The molecules are interlock together through forging process. That's the reason why those original Rays, Work, Enkei rims from Japan is so damn expensive because they are forged instead of cast.

However if they make the LCA from material grade 6061-T4 or T6 then it's different because they went trough heat treatment.

 

[TitanRev]

This following post of mine is not meant to break any people's rice bowl or close their business down. I'm just sharing what I find and know. I believe consumers also have to take some time to do readings and information gathering before jumping into the unknown.

Just for the record, BEAKS and ASR. these 2 companies are from the US. They make only performance parts for HONDA cars ONLY..I repeat HONDA ONLY. BEAKS is only making the subframe lower tie bar while ASR makes subframe braces, ARB kits, suspension kit... parts on handling departments only. Plus they only uses 6061 grade material.

I attach here the links to both of the companies for fellow zthians to read and gain more. In the end, to buy those fake, replica stuff is still up to you.

ASR
http://www.asrparts.com/about/

BEAKS
Beaks Bars

 

[arturo]

lots of beaks n asr for non-honda nowadays...

also many stories of the bushing that comes with those alum LCA dying after just a few months of normal use. just think...if yr LCA breaks at the heaviest load area which is the area where yr abs connect, yr tyres have nowhere to go but up into the wheel well...total loss of control.

 

[^pomen_GTR^]

if want lightweight lower arm i wouldn't choose aluminium....

i'll choose chrome moly tubular arm instead....used in FIA races/rally worldwide.....

http://walshracecraft.com/images/wrc-can-aa-y.jpg

http://www.gtmotoring.com/images/e9x-toe-arm-kit-med.jpg


http://img864.imageshack.us/img864/5515/img00560201106041326.jpg


http://photos.motoiq.com/MotoIQ/Columns/Beyond-the-Dyno-by-Eric-Hsu/i-LzkCqN2/0/L/IMG_3246-L.jpg

 

[arturo]

wah....so far UCA got la...but LCA never seen ppl selling b4. even hardrace who sells chromemoly tubing for their UCA use alum billet for their LCA.