A-arm plates

[Luke]

So I've sold a few sets of a-arms but the thought occured to be that they are very labor intensive for me to make. I have to source cores and bead blast them and then cut all the reinforcements, and then each arm requires about 30 minutes of TIG welding. So basically they eat of a lot of my time and I make very little from them.
Then I was thinking that pretty much anybody that is going to build a rally car is going to have some sort of welding resources and could probably do their own. I am thinking about having these drawn up in CAD and then having a large stack of plates cut at the watercutters. This would save me a lot of time and I would also be able to offer just the reinforcements for people than prefer to weld things themselves. I have no idea of cost yet but in the small volume I would have run my best guess is around $50 for a set of 4 plates. Would anybody be interested in these?

[Jordan]

Well I know saab people are cheap, but you should probably charge a little more for your commissions. And I thought you were taking cores? I think the fact that you do excellent work should justify a premium.

As for the A-arms... id like some reinforcement, but not to rally spec, I think its unnecessary for my pansy driving surfaces and adds unsprung weight. I'd probably only need to strengthen my lowers too. For rally it's probably a good idea though if people are asking for them.

[GRMPer]

Yes, I would...and I was actually thinking about asking you just for the plates with those nifty little dimpled holes. four would be for two control arms or four?


Per

[Luke]

Well I was thinking about just the lower arms so 4 plates would do both lower arms, but it would make sense to do the upper plates as well.

[Crazyswede]

its a pretty simple shape. its pretty much just a trapezoid with a couple of holes down the middle for the bottom plate, and the top plate could be made into 2 pieces so that you could reinforce the shock mount at the same time.

[99Super]

Well, in my case, you made just a pair for the bottoms of the lowers, right? I don't need super strength for road use, but the stiffening helps handling.
I think L&R lowers will be the most common seller for a modest upgrade.

john

[Luke]

john, you are getting 4 plates for the lower a-arms (top and bottom). You will need to "gently massage" the upper plates to clear the chassis expecially since you probably run your car much lower than mine. I accomplish this with a large radius die in a press, but a hammer will also suffice.

[99Super]

Cool! I'm looking forward to getting them! I have access to a big press and big hammers : )
The ones I made were (as Seth suggests) just some trapezoidal plates that I hammered to fit and welded in place.

john

[GRMPer]

Luke, let me know when you start making these...I'm sourcing suspension parts now, just ordered balljoints/bushings.

Per

[SAABMaven]

In the interests of time, I may want to send you a set of new lower A-arms. Interested in the work? My closest competent welder is 12 years old and needs to spend more time on her math. I need to spend more time on my homework as well as I'm in grad school and working too.

[Luke]

Rob, would yours be for a 96? I'd have to make custom plates for them, I've never done them before.

[SAABMaven]

Nah, a C900. Mine and my wife's.

I have ordered new lower control arms for my 900 already; the prices have come down a _lot_. Hopefully they're not chinese imitations.

So one would be applying the plates to new clean control arms. In my experience most of the time and frustration is in cleaning them up.

Regarding my 96, back in 1996 I was able to buy _one_ pair of Sport & Rally control arms, upper and lower, and for the other side I just imitated what they did.

[Hans]

Hopefully they're not chinese imitations.

If they're Scantechs, then yer close: Made in Korea.

I have them on my 89 daily driver, and they are fine: the finish quality is decent, and the welds are well-done.

Incidentally, in 92 (91?) the part numbers for lower arms changed. I ASSume that Saab fixed the problem.

[SAABMaven]

Thanks for the info.

If memory serves, the weakness has (or had) something to do with backing up with steering lock, or similar manoevres. To this day I avoid backing up with the steering wheel cocked; simply because I'm not sure.

Cheers
Rob

[Luke]

I bought a set of scantech a-arms, they were very well made. The problem is the epoxy based paint on them was almost impossible to get off when I went to reinforce them. I stripped as much as I could and then when I went to weld them the remaining paint gave off horrible fumes and gave me a bad headache and I probably lost mucho brain cells. The j-yard ones clean up nicely in a blasting cabinet for fume free welding pleasure.