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How To: Build a lower arm bar for under $15

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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 10:48 PM
  #51  
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Originally Posted by ROTARYROCKET7
So does the mazdaspeed lower bar clear RB headers. Looks very nice, and i dont have the tool or time to make one my own. Mad props to you for doing this project.

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Yes. If you look at this picture you can see my RB header clearing the bar.

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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:30 PM
  #52  
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what does this bar do, whats it called
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:34 PM
  #53  
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Hey dDub, do you happen to know where to find that on the Mazda Motorsports site? I looked for it and didn't see it.
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:39 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by Sideways7
Hey dDub, do you happen to know where to find that on the Mazda Motorsports site? I looked for it and didn't see it.
No idea, I bought it from Corksport.
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:47 PM
  #55  
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Has anyone tried this bar

http://www.himni-racing.com/index.ph...products_id=70

Its the himni racing joint, pretty cheap

Jason NYC
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:49 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by dDuB
Yes. If you look at this picture you can see my RB header clearing the bar.
yeah i feel like a tard, i just looked closer and saw it lol. Looks good. Notice any real difference, im in the market for one of these bad boys

Jason NYC
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:50 PM
  #57  
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Nice that it's adjustable to make sure it fits properly, but doesn't look overly strong in the middle section..
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:51 PM
  #58  
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Call it whatever you want, I call it a lower arm bar, because that's what everyone else calls it, and it's an appropriate name. I can't really say that I felt any difference, because I suspect that most of the deflection happens during braking, as this would push back on the ball joints, torquing the arms around, pushing in on the back pivots. A stiffer chassis is always better (excluding any weight penalties), so I think it's worthwhile, especially at the price.

You can quite clearly see the exhaust clearance in my pics, and the RB header follows a fairly similiar path, it's certainly not any lower, and my bar's higher up than the Mazdaspeed one.

Thanks for the compliments.
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:53 PM
  #59  
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Personally I'd like to see a pic of your brake stopper...

Since they're made of the same materials it seems like a good idea to make them at the same time.
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Old Dec 10, 2006 | 11:56 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by ROTARYROCKET7
yeah i feel like a tard, i just looked closer and saw it lol. Looks good. Notice any real difference, im in the market for one of these bad boys

Jason NYC
When I put it on I did a lot of suspension stuff at once so it's hard to say exactly what it did by itself. But it seems like a pretty solid unit and is nice since it replaces the mounts entirely.
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 12:04 AM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by dDuB
When I put it on I did a lot of suspension stuff at once so it's hard to say exactly what it did by itself. But it seems like a pretty solid unit and is nice since it replaces the mounts entirely.

I guess me and you are in teh same position. Im in the process of a complete overhaul. Kind of waiting for everything to come in and be in my posession before i begin. Here are some of what im doing

KYB AGX
Eibach Springs
Complete Energy Suspesion Bushing
RB Front and Rear Sway Bar
RB Swaybar Endlinks
MMR Engine/Tranny/Rear Diff mounts (potentially, research pending)
Greddy/Trust Front Strut Bar
Corksport Rear Strut Bar
Lower Arm (Mazdaspeed, Custom, Cusco, still undecided)

Thanks for the feedback

Jason NYC
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 12:09 AM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by Black91n/a
Call it whatever you want, I call it a lower arm bar, because that's what everyone else calls it, and it's an appropriate name. I can't really say that I felt any difference, because I suspect that most of the deflection happens during braking, as this would push back on the ball joints, torquing the arms around, pushing in on the back pivots. A stiffer chassis is always better (excluding any weight penalties), so I think it's worthwhile, especially at the price.

You can quite clearly see the exhaust clearance in my pics, and the RB header follows a fairly similiar path, it's certainly not any lower, and my bar's higher up than the Mazdaspeed one.

Thanks for the compliments.
Id imagine a lower arm bar would do more good in conjunction with other pieces, like a strut bar. I might try this one day soon, Im always looking for things to do when Im bored and off work
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 12:10 AM
  #63  
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Originally Posted by ROTARYROCKET7
I guess me and you are in teh same position. Im in the process of a complete overhaul. Kind of waiting for everything to come in and be in my posession before i begin. Here are some of what im doing

KYB AGX
Eibach Springs
Complete Energy Suspesion Bushing
RB Front and Rear Sway Bar
RB Swaybar Endlinks
MMR Engine/Tranny/Rear Diff mounts (potentially, research pending)
Greddy/Trust Front Strut Bar
Corksport Rear Strut Bar
Lower Arm (Mazdaspeed, Custom, Cusco, still undecided)

Thanks for the feedback

Jason NYC
Yah basically. My list included:

Ground control coilovers with Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable shocks f/r
RB lowering strut mounts
DTSS eliminator bushings
Full energy suspension bushing kit
Front/rear corksport strut tower bars
Mazdaspeed lower arm bar
Delrin rear differential mounts

Plus already had Suspension Techniques sway bars, solid aluminum engine/tranny mounts, and solid steel front differential mount.
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 12:18 AM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by dDuB
Yah basically. My list included:

Ground control coilovers with Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable shocks f/r
RB lowering strut mounts
DTSS eliminator bushings
Full energy suspension bushing kit
Front/rear corksport strut tower bars
Mazdaspeed lower arm bar
Delrin rear differential mounts

Plus already had Suspension Techniques sway bars, solid aluminum
engine/tranny mounts, and solid steel front differential mount.

Wow sounds great. I really like the Mazdaspeed bar because it replaces the mount.

hey black91, why dont you try to make something that replicates the mazdaspeed bar =). That would be nice, then you can sell them and pay for school =)

Jason NYC
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 01:58 AM
  #65  
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I'll try to get some pics of the brake MC brace when I'm home for Christmas (week and a half away). Right now I'm away at university and the car's back at home. I've been meaning to get pics of it and do a writeup for some time now. One day I might change my bar to be a Mazdaspeed style one, but I've got no welder, so it wasn't an option at the time.

I really don't have the time, tools or a place to manufacture them right now. Making them like the Mazdaspeed ones would be difficult, because I don't have a supply of the bushing clamps lying around, so I'd have to go junkyard hunting, or reproduce them which would be time consuming and expensive because I don't have a welder, so I'd have to hire someone. At that point it'd have be more expensive than the Mazdaspeed one for it to be worth my while (apparently my time's worth $24/hour according to my latest co-op employer).

If someone really wants I can make a manufacturing drawing of a Mazdaspeed style one, as well as my style, provided someone sends me all the necessary dimensions of the bushing clamp.
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Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:38 AM
  #66  
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I run a mazdaspeed speed one (as pictured a couple of pages back) and I noticed a slight increase in front end grip once it was installed, this seemed to lead to a slightly greater tendancy to oversteer at heavy cornering, rather than understeering, at a certain point


This looks like a great alternative, as my mazdaspeed bar set me back about $250
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 02:40 AM
  #67  
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This thread is rather intresting since I'm in the market for a frontbar. The decision is between cuscos front lower bar and mazdaspeeds. Anyone have tested the cusco bar and know if its anything as elaborate as the mazdaspeed?
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 02:44 AM
  #68  
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Hmm, I'll have to call up the mazdaspeed motorsports people and ask them about it. They should offer it since it has their name stamped on it...
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 07:08 AM
  #69  
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^^ you do that, cuz i was in the market for one as well, but i really like how the mazdaspeed bar replaces the mount lol, pretty cool =). But the cusco is nice on price.

Hey black91 are you selling yours lol muahahahhaha!



Jason NYC
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 09:07 AM
  #70  
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No! It's mine! Hands off!
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 11:57 AM
  #71  
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IMO if you want a Cusco-style bar you're better of making your own, because it mounts the same way that the homemade one does (two bolts on each side, doesn't replace the mount).
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 12:04 PM
  #72  
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Like i said Black91n/a > Cusco. You hear that your better than CUSCO my man. So how much shipped and painted Red to match my FC =)
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 12:05 PM
  #73  
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Originally Posted by Valkyrie
IMO if you want a Cusco-style bar you're better of making your own, because it mounts the same way that the homemade one does (two bolts on each side, doesn't replace the mount).
YOu do have a point, now where do i place my order black91?
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 12:11 PM
  #74  
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why not home make one that gussest's itself to the mounts like the Mazda speed one? No need to replace them entirely....just integrate the bar into the existing stock mounts....

IMHO that would *almost* be as easy as what he's done there. Just a little more cutting/time and a little welding.
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Old Dec 12, 2006 | 01:48 PM
  #75  
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The reason the aluminum bent was because it was the incorrect stock with improper stress locations.

Has the square steel stock bent yet? I suspect that to bend as well as square stock in that form is weak.
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