Chassis guru Dave Zimmerman of Team Z Motorsports is at it again with yet another how-to tech piece on racing suspension components, and this time he’s providing a simplified look at what really is a rather simplified process.
Generally, when you see suspension how-to videos or photos, the parts are already underneath the car, giving somewhat of a skewed view of the process of installing or modifying whatever components may be in question. But in the case of this latest video on upper control arm installation, Zimmerman has performed the process on a jig separate of the car, allowing full view of the installation.
Using Team Z’s own Strip Series upper control arm, Zimmerman walks us through the process of installation, beginning with the straightforward removal of the 5/16″ bolt that holds the assembly together. Once the control arms and bushings are in place on the housing, the spacers and heim joints are installed, finally topped off with the outer bracket that completes the control arm assembly. A pair of support brackets that run from the control arms to the bolt locations of the former vibration dampener on the 8.8″ housing are positioned and tightened up, thus all but buttoning up what is less than a five minute installation.
Use of these Strip Series upper control arms relocates the instant center of the vehicle, which creates the much-needed intersect points that makes ultimate performance off the starting line and early in the run possible.