Cobalt SS FE5 Control Arms - Page 2 - Saturn ION RedLine Forums

04-13-2008, 12:12 AM

#11

Skythe

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Location: Tampa, FL

Posts: 955

Cobalt SS FE5 Control Arms

A few of you may be wondering what in particular is there to gain from swapping the redline FE3 control arms to the cobalt ss FE5 components. I too wondered. It had been mentioned in a couple of threads. I feel, that those threads lacked significant detail as far as delivering enough information to

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#11 (permalink)

Eco-Mod on 04-14-2008, 07:02 PM

I dunno who the hell told you you cannot replace the Ion control arm bushings, but they aren't telling you the truth... We do it quite often, more-so on '03-'04 cars.

As for reduction in wheel hop... Uh... not really any reduction here.

#12 (permalink)

qwikredline11 on 04-14-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eco-Mod

Right not the answer for wheel hop. The fact is GM parts probably meant the ball joint etc is not serviced seperately OEM as a part; the foward control arm bushing is hard to replace unless with aftermarket, and the trailing inner control arm bushing has to be aftermarket spherical replacement poly wont work the joint as to move in and out as it goes up and down and a poly cant do that. so in conclusion GM only sell the whole arm. The Cobalt FE5 arm changes caster therefore wheelbase slightly, so must be replaced in pairs.

#13 (permalink)

Eco-Mod on 04-15-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qwikredline11

Um, the rear "spherical" bushing is the one we replace... with OEM bushings. It's a serviceable press-in bushing on the ion arms. doubt it on the balt though.

#14 (permalink)

qwikredline11 on 04-15-2008, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eco-Mod

Um, the rear "spherical" bushing is the one we replace... with OEM bushings. It's a serviceable press-in bushing on the ion arms. doubt it on the balt though.

copy that. GM are said to have made a stiffer "ride" bushing like that for racing Cobalts that the SCCA guys apparently have but I cant find them

#15 (permalink)

Eco-Mod on 04-15-2008, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qwikredline11

copy that. GM are said to have made a stiffer "ride" bushing like that for racing Cobalts that the SCCA guys apparently have but I cant find them

Powell Motorsports my man... Powell Motorsports...

#16 (permalink)

my_12sec_saturn on 04-15-2008, 10:44 PM

i own a redline and just drove a 08 cobalt and it had just as bad wheel hop as my 04 redline so i dont really see the point of changing out the control arms...and you can get the bushings...you just have to know what your looking for...any pontiac grand prix from like 97-04 control arm bushing will fit in the redline control arms...so instead of spending $315 and not getting rid of the wheel hop issue...spend $25 per bushing and get some bwoody traction bars for like $180...which makes total spending less then $300 and you get rid of the wheel hop...

#17 (permalink)

BigBrother on 06-16-2008, 02:48 AM

I'm thinking that the same people who say this isn't woth it are the same ones - and moreso, since this is more technical, lol - that argue with me about wheel weight being worth the $$ for the ligther rims.

25-30 lbs of unsprung weight is worth a LOT, reduced wheel hop or no, lol. That's freakin' HUGE. ESPECIALLY at the front of the car.

Now for the long part - only SCCA types bother from here:
I just read, re-read, and read again the ST class rules in the '08 book. I want these control arms, but was pretty sure there's no way I could get them legally (I'm a stickler for rules; if I win in a grey area or that fact that nobody would know it was illegal, I'd still feel like I didn't win 'cuz I cheated). WRONG. THEY ARE LEGAL IN STX. Here's how/why:

The ST class definition states that all stock category mods are legal, plus "the additional allowances outlined in sections 14.1 through 14.10. We all know (or you should by now) we can get obscene negative camber in the stock rules with the stock struts. Moving on:

Section 14.8, subsection I, paragraph 2 states "On arm-and-strut (MacPherson/Chapman) suspensions, the lower arms may be modified/replaced OR other methods of camber adjustment as allowed by paragraphs 14.8.B, C, or G may be used, but not both." The subsections referenced talk about bushings and alloances for camber plates, and cam bolts. SO:

As long as we don't install camber plates or other methods for altering camber beyond the stock setup already allowed by class definition, we can change our lower control arms. Well, the big deal with camber plates or bolts - the use of which would eliminate the ability to use these control arms - is getting more begative camber. With lowering springs and struts or coilovers without camber plates (how do pillowball mounts fit into this definition?), I can still get over 3 degrees negative camber! So I can lower my car with springs and struts, and shave 30 or so lbs of unsprung weight with a stronger, stiffer control arm LEGALLY!!

Serious autocrossers who haven't discovered this yet (and SHAME ON YOU if you have and it's not posted all over hell and back), please discuss. This is HUGE, and I am teh stokedz. Starting a new thread actually, in the autocross section, right now.

#18 (permalink)

djt81185 on 07-24-2008, 03:22 PM

Just as an FYI...Im using 2.4 Cobalt SS control arms on my 05 IRL and they went in with 0 problems. They use the same suspension code as a IRL (FE3 iirc) but they are a cast aluminum arm like the ss/sc

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