Why you should use a 2nd gen prelude upper control arms

[smufguy]

I know a lot of guys have been using second gen prelude upper control arms on their lowered cars to correct the excessive negative camber. When i lowerd my car three years back, i used a third gen prelude upper control arm. Like the second gen, the third gen lude arms are adjustable from factory. The problem was, i still had -2 deg of camber with the lude arms fully extended and could not go further. Finally i got a hold of secon gen upper control arms wanted to show you guys why and where the difference is.

The Below image shows you the 2nd gen lude arm (LEFT) and the 3rd gen lude arm (RIGHT). Both control arms are Driver side despite how funny they look

As you can see, both fully extended, the 2nd gen control arm is longer from balljoint to thru bolt. They both have around the same width on the body (hanger side)

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4940/0829061437gy9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The Below image shows you the difference in a closeup. there is atleast 10mm distance between the 2nd and the 3rd gen lude arms, which means the 2nd gen lude arm is longer than the 3rd gen by 10mm (approx)

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/2083/0829061441zj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7745/0829061442lf9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Well you may ask, why the heck i am trying to state the obvious, well some like me, might take a chance and jump into buying the 3rd gen lude arms since no one ever actually made a comparison like this before as far as i know. So for future reference, i hope everyone knows why we get and insist on gettin 2nd gen lude arms rather than anything else, let alone a 3rd gen one. Hope you guys learnt something today ;)

[MessyHonda]

cool so the 2nd gen lude arms are the way to go? how much camber would they fix? thanks

[guaynabo89]

Good info.

Plus If you have the 3rd gen Accord Ingalls camber kit and use it with the 2nd gen lude arms you get more than enough camber correction to the point where the balljoint hits the body. I pulled Positive front camber with this setup dropped 2.25-2.5 inches.

So lude arms are a must for lowering the accord.

Just make sure you space the arm towards the front of the car installing the washers only on one side of the through bolt towards the rear of the car. Do not put equal amounts of washers on both sides of the through bolt to center the arm. This will in fact put the balljoint at a different point then stock by bringing the upper balljoint towards the rear of the car and affecting caster.

[smufguy]

Just make sure you space the arm towards the front of the car installing the washers only on one side of the through bolt towards the rear of the car. Do not put equal amounts of washers on both sides of the through bolt to center the arm. This will in fact put the balljoint at a different point then stock by bringing the upper balljoint towards the rear of the car and affecting caster.

Oh really? I did not know that. hmmmm thats interesting. the old How-to states otherwise.

[AZmike]

Thanks for noting the differences Praveen.

What's the harm in adding caster by moving the upper arm rearward?

[Strugglebucket]

nothing. i think it's just a little more likely to creak if your bushings are at all worn.

i didn't know spacing it equally would add caster though.

[mkymonkey]

its good to know that you guys know all of this. especially when i do this, i know who to ask :D

[smufguy]

well, we learn it the hard way and make things easier for the future fellas when they start tinkering with their car. ;)

[Xtreemjedi]

Excellant, thank you very much, I know alot of ppl want to do this mod. This will help alot!

[guaynabo89]

Oh really? I did not know that. hmmmm thats interesting. the old How-to states otherwise.

I noticed when I installed them that they sat to far rearward and even when using washers only on the rear side to move the arm forward it still does not sit as far forward as stock.



What's the harm in adding caster by moving the upper arm rearward?

To correct it they have to adjust the radius arms rearwar also so it winds up making your tire sit a little of center towards the rear is all. The caster change might be good on an extremely lower car though.

[smufguy]

i have not looked at how my knuckle sat when i had the 3rd gen arms with equal bushings on either side. but i gotta see how the caster is with this set up on the 2nd gen arms. The knuckle seems pretty dead on, but i am only lowered 2"s and people ask me if i was lowered 2.5" for some reason, I still got a pretty decent wheel gap,

[b20a86lude]

hey guys i got liek 6 pairs of these arms im kinda a 2g whore and collect parts just ot have them and i collected alot suspension parts as well im sellin them for 45 bucks let me know something