;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;Thanks for the compliments! To address some in your response:
1) "You could've addressed that a couple different ways, curious why you went with moving the ball joint?"
You don't mention what "different ways" you think I could have used, but: A) I was not going to fabricate a new upper arm, B) Taller spindles are not available for small-body AMCs, and C)
The only available aftermarket suspension is expensive and involves cascading effects. The taller ball joint acts as a taller spindle for camber curve, moving the mount aft was relatively easy for caster, and it was relatively inexpensive.
2) "Did you account for KingPin angle, scrub radius, Ackerman, Jacking, etc.. or just kinda wing it based on the known positive caster = better straight line tracking? Did you know how much caster/camber moving the ball joint xx.xx" would create beforehand or just wing it?"
There was no need to worry about kingpin effects, the change was minor. Scrub radius isn't changed. Ackerman isn't changed. Jacking increased a minor amount. Yes, it was fairly easy to calculate using basic trigonometry, and I was within 20% of my estimate.
You were on my mind multiple times yesterday lol.. As we slowly hacked away at these two giant half dead trees in 33 degree weather, I kept thinking to myself "why did you not answer the man's question about which ball joint you went with"... SMH...
Also shouldve worded the others more thoroughly. I was starting to feel the pressure/anxiety of the clock, and wanting to be able to still make the post about the tire fitment/approach angle before I went to work.....and why? IDK lol..
Cool.. I was thinking the ball joint move would have a big impact on the Ackerman?
I think I was also trying to confirm to myself that I dont HAVE to make all this math come out perfectly before building these control arms... Mainly because I don't know what perfect is?
I need to stop over complicating it and just make the lowers x.xx" wider and 1.5" forward, then make the uppers the same additional width but only (somewhere between) 0.75" and 1.25" forward, and that will add a couple degrees of caster and increase Ackerman which is exactly what I want to accomplish...
To answer your question 110% honestly:
I was pretty locked into the Kryptonite... Wanted them because, somehow, I was under the impression they were extra heavy duty tough American made parts! Because I have such a heavy vehicle, because I drive so hard, and because of the type of terrain my truck is going to see more frequently now. I don't remember where it came from?? I just remember thinking their stuff was was tougher....
Was it because of the name? because it cost more? because of the warranty? or was it just clever marketing??
Then I saw a post somewhere that said something very similar to this: Kryptonite Hub / Bearings are just Timken's with a Kryp laser etched logo, a MUCH larger pricetag and a lifetime warranty that still requires you to send in the old one to get the new one.....and my first thought was: Don't be a hater (because that's how we're conditioned to respond)
BUT..... having recently, and completely unintentionally stumbled across the fact that there are companies out there that make ALL of the _____ (auto part) for 2-3-5 or 12 different automotive manufacturers; I had to at least look at them split screen....side-by-side....see what I thought?
Honestly, I think that post is 100% correct. They look identical...
It was a little stunning to learn that something I always thought of as just organic corporate competition, the kind that makes the end product better for the consumer....is a total farce! Things I thought were part of "The American Way" were actually a crock of horse manure..
Things like:
Company X makes ALL the truck axles for the (not so) big 3
Company Y made ALL of the springs for the (suddenly not so innovative) big 3......along with several other well known spring "manufacturers"
for years and years now this has been happening.
Disheartening, to say the least, to learn that ALL those commercials where Truck Brand Z brags throughout the whole commercial about how they can tow circles around Truck A Brand.....and blah blah blahhhh....when ALL ALONG NONE OF THE THEM WERE MAKING THEIR OWN AXLES ANYWAYS?? instead, ALL OF THEM were
buying "their" axles from the same axle maker
It's not just axles and springs...
Look at tires.. There are two other Models that have the exact same base tread as Kenda's BRAND NEW design on the M/T2's that I just got- Mastertracker Badlands M/T & Cooper Discoverer STT Pro.....annnd one more that has Kendas's allegedly patented side wall design- Maxxis _____(whatever their called)
And there are NUMEROUS other tire models that share treadpatterns. Are they all from the same factory? Why is one 5x more $$
Moreover, this practice is not just in autoparts!! It's in every single product category there is!
I've said this for a decade + now.... "The factory makes NorthFace from start of morning shift til lunch, then changes software, changes thread colors and makes Freelander from lunch to close... Same factory, same day, quintuple the retail price....
We're just all supposed to be too busy, too caught up in meaninglessness to notice
Oh yeah, and I went with the Mevotech TTX (tough terrain xtreme) and they work like a ball joint should. They allegedly have sintered steel ball that is one piece with the threaded shaft. I went with all their products. Inner and outter tie rod ends, lower balls, hub/bearings, and may use their upper bearings? OR Icon Delta Points? or maybe even Uniballs??
! Didn't hurt that they press right in.. One less thing to think about....though im not crazy about the fact that the LCA's don't have a machined groove and a retainer clip to ensure my overweight heavy Chevy doesn't find a way to press them back out...
