Be Careful installing Core 4x4 Rear Control Arms

[Quick_Shifter]

Yesterday I snapped a grease fitting off on a brand new lower control arm. I thought I was being careful but turned out I was being carefool. An ez out would not turn the threads back out so I had to pull the bushing to drill and tap. The powder coating must have been just a hair too thick and I over tightened it (by hand 8mm box wrench)
I can say I’ve never had to take a bushing apart before on a Core 4x4 arm before and I am highly impressed with the quality of them. The assembly process and the fact that the powder coating was the whole arm and not just the outside. We all make mistakes and when we do there is only one way to fix them and that’s the right way

 

[Midknight]

That’s because it’s actually more expensive to mask surfaces when powder coating than to just shoot the whole thing. I’m not taking anything away from your quality assessment, it’s smart business.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

That’s because it’s actually more expensive to mask surfaces when powder coating than to just shoot the whole thing. I’m not taking anything away from your quality assessment, it’s smart business.

I’ve taken a lot of powder coated stuff apart and normally there are areas not done. It’s like the door jams in our Rams you can see primer the paint is so thin in areas.

 

[Midknight]

Larger parts or where overspray is ok I could see. But if you have to plug or mask you're gonna pay and not just for paint. Plating and TDC coatings have the same cost associated. Might be small but it's there. Often companies are subbing their fabrication and paint out and don't always know themselves. The final requirement is still the most important. If you want that surface protected because they sit on the shelf without bushings pressed in until an order comes along, no brainer. If you you need to control the bore to press a bearing in then no paint is more important.

 

[heckcat9]

Does Core offer guidance or instructions with the control arms to adjust them based on lift height to ensure the axle is correctly located?

Or do you have to pull out the protractor and figure out your angles and lengths yourself?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Does Core offer guidance or instructions with the control arms to adjust them based on lift height to ensure the axle is correctly located?

Or do you have to pull out the protractor and figure out your angles and lengths yourself?

All you do is match them up to the control arms that are on your truck 99.9% of trucks will not need a custom length. The relocation brackets that come with your lift already did the geometry for you.

 

[heckcat9]

All you do is match them up to the control arms that are on your truck 99.9% of trucks will not need a custom length. The relocation brackets that come with your lift already did the geometry for you.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll have to do some measuring then since I'm planning on running these to correct my axle with my current lift while I wait for my bracket lift.

Might go an extra inch or two depending on which shocks and coils I toss in with the bracket lift so more measuring when that times comes too.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Thanks for the info. Looks like I'll have to do some measuring then since I'm planning on running these to correct my axle with my current lift while I wait for my bracket lift.

Might go an extra inch or two depending on which shocks and coils I toss in with the bracket lift so more measuring when that times comes too.

Doubt you’ll need to compensate as you’re not going to be going that far with a leveling kit. The control arms are not the only variable.

 

[heckcat9]

Doubt you’ll need to compensate as you’re not going to be going that far with a leveling kit. The control arms are not the only variable.

It's currently a 3 inch front/rear suspension lift and I've lost a tiny bit of wheel base from the the stock arms and the axle is off center due to the panhard pulling it a bit. Was looking to correct the axle with Core's tier 4 control arms + panhard kit until I order the bracket lift.

It seems like the adjustable 0-6" Core kit will work with my current setup to correct the axle, and the Core arms and panhard will be compatible with the brackets from the Zone or BDS 6" kit as well, as long as I adjust them back to factory length, yeah?

Are there compatibility or adjustment limitations I'm missing here with the Core parts?

 

[Quick_Shifter]

It's currently a 3 inch front/rear suspension lift and I've lost a tiny bit of wheel base from the the stock arms and the axle is off center due to the panhard pulling it a bit. Was looking to correct the axle with Core's tier 4 control arms + panhard kit until I order the bracket lift.

It seems like the adjustable 0-6" Core kit will work with my current setup to correct the axle, and the Core arms and panhard will be compatible with the brackets from the Zone or BDS 6" kit as well, as long as I adjust them back to factory length, yeah?

Are there compatibility or adjustment limitations I'm missing here with the Core parts?

You’re thinking about it wrong. It seems as simple as adjusting to re center etc. but if it was why would a bracket lift exist? Why wouldn’t BDS just to a front diff drop bracket and be done then include adjustable control arms and springs.
my best advice to you is wait until your kit shows up. You’re heading down a narrow path that closes behind you where you’ll end up spending a lot of money trying to figure out what factory geometry originally was. Granted I do not know your skill level or how experienced you are with suspension. I own a suspension shop and you would not be the first one caught in a circle because it was cheaper or the right parts were not available. I see it 2-3 times a year and it’s never been a cheap fix

 

[heckcat9]

You’re thinking about it wrong. It seems as simple as adjusting to re center etc. but if it was why would a bracket lift exist? Why wouldn’t BDS just to a front diff drop bracket and be done then include adjustable control arms and springs.
my best advice to you is wait until your kit shows up. You’re heading down a narrow path that closes behind you where you’ll end up spending a lot of money trying to figure out what factory geometry originally was. Granted I do not know your skill level or how experienced you are with suspension. I own a suspension shop and you would not be the first one caught in a circle because it was cheaper or the right parts were not available. I see it 2-3 times a year and it’s never been a cheap fix

I'm an engineer and have lifted my trucks in the past and built/raced E36 M3s when I was younger, so I'm somewhat experienced with lifting and lowering. But I don't deal with suspension as a profession as you do, which is why I'm asking you these questions.

Would running the Core components with the bracket lift be superfluous? I'm assuming the Core arms and panhard are more resilient than factory and have better and serviceable bushings, so there is a benefit even if they are adjusted to match my factory lengths?

My thinking is since I'd like to upgrade the arms and panhard regardless of my current setup, why not get the Core kit to help bring the axle back and to the center now (roll center issues from the angled panhard aside), that I can later use with the BDS kit as well?

 

[Graygoose]

I had something similar to the Core, and had them powdercoated. I did the 4.5/3" lift on 35's and like @Quick_Shifter stated, just went with the factory length and was perfectly aligned.

 

[heckcat9]

Looks solid, so upgraded arms and panhards should work fine with the bracket lifts available for these trucks then?

My intermediate situation is a bit different than yours though as I don't have relocation brackets yet. Without the brackets, the factory length panhard for example would be exerting both vertical and lateral force on the axle and pulling the driver side of the axle toward the passenger side of the truck.

An extended panhard would bring the axle back to center, but will still cause uneven roll issues due to the panhard sitting at an angle. Which is what I'm trying to do now until I "correctly" correct it with brackets.

 

[olyelr]

I'm an engineer and have lifted my trucks in the past and built/raced E36 M3s when I was younger, so I'm somewhat experienced with lifting and lowering. But I don't deal with suspension as a profession as you do, which is why I'm asking you these questions.

Would running the Core components with the bracket lift be superfluous? I'm assuming the Core arms and panhard are more resilient than factory and have better and serviceable bushings, so there is a benefit even if they are adjusted to match my factory lengths?

My thinking is since I'd like to upgrade the arms and panhard regardless of my current setup, why not get the Core kit to help bring the axle back and to the center now (roll center issues from the angled panhard aside), that I can later use with the BDS kit as well?

Your thinking seems spot on to me.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Someone like @ram1500rsm is much more educated than me when it comes to explaining why/how. I’m not a great teacher

 

[ram1500rsm]

Not the same application but an example of what happens after lift the axel droops in the arc created by our rear setup and moves forward a bit, the pinion angle changes too and rotates up. You can use adjustable control arms to fix this. You can use adjustable lowers to move the axel backwards and adjust the uppers to correct your rear pinion angle.




With a 3" rear lift you'll also need to recenter your axel side to side with the rear trackbar and correct your center roll with a trackbar relocation bracket . We don't get numbers in general with our control arms based on lift height cause i'd think everybody who has a lift has correction brackets already so for the most part nobody has to correct pinion angles and the like though some could use their adjustable arms to fine tune the wheel centering in the fender wells.

 

[heckcat9]

Not the same application but an example of what happens after lift the axel droops in the arc created by our rear setup and moves forward a bit, the pinion angle changes too and rotates up. You can use adjustable control arms to fix this. You can use adjustable lowers to move the axel backwards and adjust the uppers to correct your rear pinion angle.
View attachment 469178

View attachment 469183

With a 3" rear lift you'll also need to recenter your axel side to side with the rear trackbar and correct your center roll with a trackbar relocation bracket . We don't get numbers in general with our control arms based on lift height cause i'd think everybody who has a lift has correction brackets already so for the most part nobody has to correct pinion angles and the like though some could use their adjustable arms to fine tune the wheel centering in the fender wells.

Correct.

My original questions remain unanswered. Will the Core arms and panhard work with BDS or Zone brackets? Are there any gotchas with the bushings/joints/etc that I may not know?

I now realize I should just call Core and BDS to verify before I drop $1200 or whatever on these things instead of trying to get this info from here.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

@heckcat9 panhard bar should be as close to level as possible. Bump stops should be maintained. Rear sway bar should be close to level. Control arms can be used to fine tune (there may be a number, for example 2” max +-) achieving travel, centering, pinion angle needs brackets to center pivot points. Cars are a lot more forgiving than trucks because 2” on a car is a drastic change on the stance but not to the geometry.

 

[Quick_Shifter]

Correct.

My original questions remain unanswered. Will the Core arms and panhard work with BDS or Zone brackets? Are there any gotchas with the bushings/joints/etc that I may not know?

I now realize I should just call Core and BDS to verify before I drop $1200 or whatever on these things instead of trying to get this info from here.

Yes core 4x4 control arms will work with all bds and zone lift kits and brackets.
highly advised to wait until your brackets are in to install everything properly once because everything costs more the second time you do it

 

[heckcat9]

Yes core 4x4 control arms will work with all bds and zone lift kits and brackets.
highly advised to wait until your brackets are in to install everything properly once because everything costs more the second time you do it

Thank you.

It'll be fun measuring and dialing in the axle, both times, it's a good excuse to destress and work on my truck.