I need to replace a broken aluminium control arm (and more) so I have a choice of either sticking with the aluminium arms or switching to steel.

Cost of steel is obviously less but are there any other differences to consider? What are the pros and cons of using steel or aluminium?

I love the steel. You may give up some stiffness, but you gain a cheap disposable part.

Thanks Joe.

Is boxing/reinforcing legal for Spec on either the steel or aluminium control arm?

sagoston wrote:
IIRC it is legal to box weld the steel control arms for SPEC to make them stronger. I'm not sure about the aluminum or what one would do to reinforce those.

yes it is legal for the steel arms only. However not required. I recommend them run as is. Buy 3 arms. One for each side and one for a spare. If you go off track or have an issue you can swap it with the spare one.

Back in 2003 I went off at turn 9 at Willow. Turns out I could not stop before I ran up a dirt berm 200 yards off track. That bent up the left front of the car. However damage was to the front spoiler, bent tie rod, and twisted steel arm. No damage to the mouting or even the bushings.

So I swapped the arm with a spare. Hammered the tie rods best I could and redid the front toe.

My 1 lap in qualy just before the off, put me on pole and won the race from pole 3 hrs later. Who knows a nice stiff arm may have caused damage to the chassis. As it was a twisted up a $25 part. Heck the bushings for the arms cost more than the arms.

So where is the cheapest place to buy new arms?

Does this require new caster blocks?

Can I use the alu arm front bushings?

Does the steel arm ball joint have a metallic cup?

I found out that both of my plastic ball joint cups were bad after I got home from the Nats.

After seeing Steves failure and the resulting collateral damage I am considering going to the steel arm as well.

Steve did the arm break across the hole where the sway bar drop link goes?