G40 Track Control Arm- A Better Alternative..

Yoof · October 20, 2009, 07:08:47 AM

Guys & Girls,

Been working on a few things recently- one of them being a G40 TCA replacement arm, as I'm sure you're all aware they're now almost impossible to get hold of new, who would be interested in a TCA complete with rose joint (as a G40 should have) which also allowed adjustable camber

Just gauging numbers to see if the tooling is viable.

Cheers

Yoof

Weeman · October 20, 2009, 08:44:03 AM

Me depending on the design, one thing I thik they must have is a replaceable outer ball joint like the golfs do.

Also any idea on a ruff price? Will they be around the same as the G-laddersite ones? As I guess they are the only other option now...

Alex · October 20, 2009, 09:02:55 AM

Would this be compatible with one of your subframes?

hayesey · October 20, 2009, 09:31:04 AM

alex - any polo tca is compatible with the subframes, I assume these will be manufactured to standard dimensions orthey wouldn't be much use.

yoof - how will the camber adjustment be achieved? Using an eccentric rose bush or adjustable length arm?

kaisegeberger · October 20, 2009, 10:09:07 AM

Sounds good. Deffo interested in TCAs if:

It they have length adjustment (i.e threaded rod instead of an eccentric bearing)
Replacable ball joint
Replacable rose joint
Rubber boots on the joints

This would basically be a ground up design or a modification to a TCA from another car (i.e. escort?) I think.

I'm not sure its worth bothering with the g-laderseite ones as the camber adjustment looks tiny and standard TCAs with nylon/poly inserts are almost as good (if not better with subframes, cages, stitching etc......got to have a bit of compliance?). I stand to be corrected on this though.

Andy

hayesey · October 20, 2009, 10:36:57 AM

yeah that's what I was thinking too, you get such a tiny amount of camber adjustment with eccentric bearings there that it doesn't seem worth bothering with, it's unlikely to be enough. The salzmann top mounts I've got already are bad enough although at least the bearings in the TCAs wouldn't cock up castor angle at the same time as trying to adjust camber.

RallyDesign amongt others make adjustable length arms for things like escorts and sierras etc... they are the general idea of what I want but I don't think there's any way you could modify one to fit a polo. They have the luxury of there being enough people seriously messing with escorts, sierras, kit cars using those parts etc... to make it worth while getting custom castings made but I don't think there'd be enough demand for polos to make that viable.

Yoof · October 20, 2009, 01:07:17 PM

To have a replacment ball joint section is impossible with the Polo ones, due to the ARB clamping so near the ball joint. We have tried this, although I've only ever replaced one TCA due to ball joint wear, I've done over 50k in my polo

hayesey · October 20, 2009, 04:18:09 PM

replaced both of mine recently because of worn ball joints but then they were old TCAs.

I'm sure I've heard someone talking about some they got where the ball joint was a screw-in job, I assume the old joint had been pressed out, the opening machined, a thread tapped and then some kind of ball joint with a thread on the outside of it screwed in. Or maybe it was just some weird dream I once had....

Yoof · October 20, 2009, 04:20:21 PM

Spy Shots of some new parts:

Will retail circa £225/pair

Another part in development:

Will retail circa £85

These parts are still in development, and require proper testing (which we conduct, unlike some companys) welding on suspension components can give problems come MOT time, having said that, my compression struts and DIY coilovers have been fine for the past 3 years, at 3 different test stations.

Testing will be completed on Andy's car (general road driving) and mine (track abuse & 1/4mile) once we're happy with them we shall release them for sale- probably early 2010.

Cheers,

Yoof

Phil · October 20, 2009, 04:40:41 PM

Looks good, whats the bush the arb goes through made from?

Alex · October 20, 2009, 04:46:42 PM

Oooh, want one of those boot braces.

Yoof · October 20, 2009, 05:01:49 PM

Quote from: Phil on October 20, 2009, 04:40:41 PM
Looks good, whats the bush the arb goes through made from?

Will be pressed out- so you can fit whatever, powerflex/nylon/rosejoint etc.

vwmk3jon · October 21, 2009, 12:33:33 PM

Quote from: Alex on October 20, 2009, 04:46:42 PM
Oooh, want one of those boot braces.

x2.

kaisegeberger · October 21, 2009, 02:41:28 PM

Fantastic (as usual

). Put me first on the list when you bring them out.

Free idea for the rear brace; quick release cams (a la pushbike seat posts) instead of bolts and a wing nut on the tensioner. This is for those of us who want to sling a bike in the back occasionally and forget the tool box regularly.

Whats the unpainted tubular conbobulation in the third picture?

Andy

(edited for grammar)

hayesey · October 21, 2009, 02:49:24 PM

it's a weld in seat mount.

Congratulations on the use of the word "conbobulation"

A prize is in the post....