Want more angle? This is how it's done! We offer Standard arms that still maintain some Ackerman for better street manners as well as Zero Ackerman arms for maximum angle, but with less street manners. With all the options out there for steering arms, you may be concerned with quality. We've been making this type of steering arm since 2010, and the original test pair, is still in use.
General Fitment
When we design our arms, we measure the car, the factory arms, do CAD layouts for the geometry, then do street and track testing. Our arms, Ackerman or Zero Ackerman, are still on the version one design. We've managed to do this by getting it right the first time. Our steel arms don't bend an break due to fatigue. The factory style steel locator sleeves keep arms and spindles aligned just as the factory intended. We use factory tapers on the tie rod end to keep the fitment tight, no straight through bolt will ever have the longevity of a locked in taper, that's why factory parts will run for 200K without coming loose.
The arms are designed to give as much angle as possible without over centering the factory steering rack. Depending on tire fitment, this may cause rubbing with the increased angle. Stock fitment wheels and tires tend not to have a problem. The arms are designed to work with factory style outer tie rods and maintain the taper fitment of the tie rod end. The relocation of the tie rod requires the lower ball joint to have the stock tie rod mounting point removed, we do offer new lower ball joints that are pre cut for the proper fitment.
How much angle?
The stock steering arms are good for a net effective angle (inside tire and outside tire) of 37 degrees. XM's Standard arms are +16 degrees for an average net of 53 degrees total. The XM Zero arms push it up to +23 degrees net effective angle for an average total effective angle of 60 degrees!/span>
Extra requirements
Due to the relocation of the outer tie rod mounting point, you will need longer outer or inner tie rods. Often it's easiest to replace the outer tie rod ends, but if your inners are worn, then you can replace those instead. If you're planning on running longer LCA's, you may need both the longer inners and outers.
Material
The new arms are all new steel construction with CNC geometry and steel alignment sleeves. They also come with new grade 10.9 bolts for an easy installation.
Ball joints have become a big topic and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Changing knuckles, lowering your car and increasing spring rates don't "make" the factory ball joints fail, it was probably 100K+ miles before the changes that caused the primary wear. Economy ball joints aren't necessarily junk, they may just be over taxed in the situation you're putting them in, aggressive spring rates, extreme low, and low profile tires all add load and stress that was never intended to be applied. We offer both economy ball joints and Premium MOOG. A lot of people don't know that a lot of brands offer two levels of quality, some sold under different names. MOOG has the standard line, (typically made globally) to be price competitive, and their Problem Solver line which is of highest quality and made in America.
Why stock lower ball joints?
Factory ball joints are both sealed and greased, they'll typically last over 100K miles. Spherical bearings, even Teflon lined, are not sealed or greased. Road grit gets in and acts like sand paper inside the joint causing premature wear. If you want them last, run sealed ball joints wherever possible, especially 6" off the ground where all the road grit is.
The Parts
Arm kits come with new 2 arms and new bolting hardware
Lower Ball Joint kits come with 1 RH and 1 LH ball joint cut off for proper fitment
Longer outer tie rod kits come with 1 RH and 1 LH tie rod
Longer inner tie rod kits come with 2 matching length tie rods
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