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Gktech R32 Gtr/z32 Front Upper Control Arms

Arkhaeon

By Arkhaeon,
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GTSBoy Grand Master

GTSBoy

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On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

Your assumption that I am a numpty is the problem.

I'm not assuming you're a numpty. I'm not (a numpty), and I freely admit to having set mine up incorrectly, despite trying very hard to set them up properly. This is simply because they are an absolute bear to keep perfectly set up while you tighten everything up. More to the point, having learnt my lesson the first time, I have had them apart many times since (as detailed in my own diary thread on the topic) and have managed to not get it right more times. Filling the boots with grease (which I highly recommend!) doesn't help with setting them up in the least. Makes it 10x harder.

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

Researched options and spoke to people that own them

> Spoke to GKTech about my intended purpose being road use.

> Installed, followed instructions

Sounds like me....

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

Had professional suspension place(road and race) go over all suspension prior to engineering.

> Engineer reviewed all suspension, photographed, signed off and submitted to DOT (yes inc camber arms)

> DOT carried out a full inspection of vehicle, again including these arms.

So I skipped these bits. But....I would not expect that the nuances of exactly how fiddly these arms are to get all 3 of the joints centred would necessarily register on any of those people in that list. Including and especially the engineer and the DOT. The suspension shop, maybe, probably, hopefully. But again - they are outside the experience of most such, so it's not unexpected for them to miss something.

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

The suspension place was explicitly asked to check.

Even with this. Yes, I know.

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

If it had bound on setup, i would have also expect it to fail closer to install, not 6 months later.

No, see that's the nature of it. If you set them up so that they only hit at a particularly large deflection, and you only bump them occasionally, then you could stress them a few times and eventually start a crack. And then, in the middle of just driving along with normal road undulation being the only input to the suspension, the crack makes it all the way through and they let go. Happens all the time with such things. Similar to how I shattered a CV joint just backing out of the  driveway. Was fine driving the day before, was not thrashed backing out of the driveway - but that motion was the last straw in the ball cage, which had obviously had a long and hard life before that moment.

 

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

It would suggest more likely to me a regular checking of product is required, the product is not suitable for road use(even with engineering)

Oh, absolutely. I know I'm "doing the wrong thing" by using them on the road. I went through a phase of inspecting them extensively and spent a lot of time developing sufficient confidence in them that I don't dismantle them every few months now, like I used to. But I still check every year (it's been a year, so I'm technically telling a lie about that, but I'm not driving the car, given that I'm 2000km away most of the time lately).

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

or a fault of the product has occurred here.

Also possible. But the rod ends they use are not weak. They're pretty beefy. So it would have to be a batch/random problem more likely than a systematic product problem.

 

On 6/24/2021 at 1:26 PM, Butters said:

It is from what I see an unusual event, so if you are correct it is a setup issue, then it is a really good learning for others that should be shared.

Absolutely. It's another reason why I didn't want to load up my rear suspension with spherical joints. I don't need to add more inspection/maintenance load to my daily.

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And a year down the track, another follow up. The UAS arms have not done well. They work, when new. But after 10000km of daily driving they have "stretched" so that the centre pivot that provides

GTSBoy
GTSBoy

Following up on this AGAIN for more posterity. After 6 months and not very many road kilometers, the "self-lubricating" teflon lined bearings started talking.  And they rapidly got a lot worse. 

GTSBoy
GTSBoy

And  one more follow up. I still had a lot of noise in the front LHS.  This had previously only ever occurred when the old poly bushes were dry and when the rod ends in the GKTechs were buggered

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Butters

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Thanks for the above reply :)

 

Quote

So I skipped these bits. But....I would not expect that the nuances of exactly how fiddly these arms are to get all 3 of the joints centred would necessarily register on any of those people in that list. Including and especially the engineer and the DOT. The suspension shop, maybe, probably, hopefully. But again - they are outside the experience of most such, so it's not unexpected for them to miss something.

I tend to agree. I have really struggled to find a suspension shop I am happy with. These guys did make basic mistakes.

 

-------------------------

Given how this conversation has gone and what I have learned, I really think these are track car only.

I have bushes going into standard arms today :)

 

 

 

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