Suspension arms & tension rods thread

[spartan]

Hey guys i wasnt able to find any good information in search so wanted to make a thread devoted to suspension arms and tension rod components and everything in between, post your experience from install to ride quality anything you want to spread information on what you have. I am in need of tension rods currently for the bushing is badly ripped and causes the steering wheel to shake severly while braking. I've been searching many sites for them, the prices range from $350 to about $60 and i havent read any good reviews about any of the products. It doesn't look like a hard process to make tension rods or suspension arms, seems like the material is the most important factor aside from fitment.

I like seeing a product that offers a warranty just makes me feel all warm an fuzy a company isnt looking shady. I like seeing where a product is made, lots of products ive seen they hide the fact they were made in Taiwan or even some made in USA.

Im gonna start from the bottom an go up from the products I've seen.(Tension Rods)

1. Ebay/no name $50-$69: these are cheap as hell price wise, dont look bad at all, and some even offer a warranty. Im really curious if anyone has had experience with these. I'm leaning toward these because im on a budget and dont think it's hard to get this kinda thing wrong. Just a speculation looking for people who have had good or bad experiences.

2. God Speed Racing, Megan Racing, ISIS, Circuit Sports, or etc...$70-$115+:
These products looks great an many offer warranty, i have never bought from any of them before but look worth trying. I know of a few people that work with GSP and they have many products that make me want to spend a fortune on. Many of the products seem under priced and too good to be true. That goes for the the rest of the brands I have named.

3. SPC, Power By Max, Tein...$160-$350: I have had personal experience with SPC on my Civic. Great product, Great fitment, and decent price range.
LOVE PBM and Tein Products but why so expensive!?

Also interested in whole set suspension arms and tension rods as well, Ebay ones are about $200, ISIS and Megan Racing goes for less then $400.
My S14 is a daily and I dont feel i need to get every thing but i have been thinking of having fun at the track every now and then.

Please post any helpful information. websites, contacts, hook ups, or whatever! Thanks!

[zooopreme]

SPC's are great for daily driving with a not so low stance. If your car is lowered at a reasonable height, these arms are perfect. I have yet to have them fail on me.

I have PBM suspension arms on my other subframe and I think these are great if your car is really low. I mean really low. The newer ones have the ability to lock in alignment specs without slip so that's definitely a plus.

The cons of PBM arm (and maybe all suspension arms with spherical bearings) are that they aren't really daily driver friendly. At least, for me they aren't. Some people can and probably will not mind them but I like being comfortable in my daily driver. Some don't mind it.

With suspension arms, you really get what you pay for. Ebay arms typically have terrible bearings and bad welds along with low quality metal. They really should only be used for shells that roll around.

[dluevanos01]

I personally have battle version. I was looking for the same information a while back. I was between SPL, PBM and Battle version.

SPL has nothing but good reviews online and they offer a "trade up" when they release a new version or when you want to buy they're product.

PBM is reputable but since I have Tein coilovers I was scared that the RUCAS would hit the coilover.

Battle version is cheaper than both, but they still have a good reputation and their quality is extremely good! I purchased tension, traction and toe rods and they are very strong and look like a quality product.

I would have purchased SPL but it was kind off out of my budget. But I am more than happy with my Battle Version suspension.

there are a lot of reviews online, it just takes time to search.

[spartan]

SPC's are great for daily driving with a not so low stance. If your car is lowered at a reasonable height, these arms are perfect. I have yet to have them fail on me.

I have PBM suspension arms on my other subframe and I think these are great if your car is really low. I mean really low. The newer ones have the ability to lock in alignment specs without slip so that's definitely a plus.

The cons of PBM arm (and maybe all suspension arms with spherical bearings) are that they aren't really daily driver friendly. At least, for me they aren't. Some people can and probably will not mind them but I like being comfortable in my daily driver. Some don't mind it.

With suspension arms, you really get what you pay for. Ebay arms typically have terrible bearings and bad welds along with low quality metal. They really should only be used for shells that roll around.

Great post!
I'm not into the whole lowered scene i prefer to only be dropped about 1.5 inches for track and daily.
I want a smooth ride quality more stiff then soft but i dont want to feel every damn bump and line on the road.
for the ebay stuff ive never really thought about that, I have emailed ebay sellers before and they dont even know what the products are made out of other will gladly tell you an know their shit.

[spartan]

I personally have battle version. I was looking for the same information a while back. I was between SPL, PBM and Battle version.

SPL has nothing but good reviews online and they offer a "trade up" when they release a new version or when you want to buy they're product.

PBM is reputable but since I have Tein coilovers I was scared that the RUCAS would hit the coilover.

Battle version is cheaper than both, but they still have a good reputation and their quality is extremely good! I purchased tension, traction and toe rods and they are very strong and look like a quality product.

I would have purchased SPL but it was kind off out of my budget. But I am more than happy with my Battle Version suspension.

there are a lot of reviews online, it just takes time to search.

Another great post thanks for the information, Where did you make your purchase, how long have you been rocking that setup, and how did install go?

[Dousan_PG]

I've had
Tein (tc)
Kazama (ruca)
eBay (tc ruca and toe)
Battle version (ruca and toe and forward)
And spl (tc ruca toe forward and tie rod ends)

Spl and bv have been m favorite due to customer support. Ended up using spl because of trade up and super easy for replacement parts

They all did the job with no problem.
Daily comfort?
Anyone going with spherical setup shouldn't expect a daily driver comfy feel. Obviously stiffer
Quality and thickness and welding on the bv and spl was superior to the others

You get what you pay for

[zenkiset]

I'm having the same problem with my S14 while braking from around 60mph+. Personally I've been looking at the ISIS and Circuit Sport Packages that are near $400. Just more in my price range, plus id rather knock out some other old arms and rods before they break or get in awful shape so i can use them as backups if i happen to have a little spill at the track and break the ISIS or Circuit's (whichever i choose).

I can give a partial review on the ISIS package. My friend bought their package deal from Enjuku and we installed them about two months ago. He hasnt had any problems out of them at all so far, and i can testify that the ride they provide is very satisfying. I've driven his car a few times since installing them and i really like the ride that these offer for the price.

I personally am probably going to go with the Circuit Sport Package for $459 from Enjuku.

[The Dude]

You can easily make your own toe/traction arms. I bought some hex rod from coleman racing (which is where BV gets theirs) and rod ends from QA1. I think I may have $100 or just over that in both sets.
If you're good at fab work you should be able to make pretty much all your own rods. I'm not, so the rest of my arms are from spl. The new stuff is good but their first generation stuff oxidized on me almost immediately.

[Croustibat]

Circuit sports arms are way above godspeed ones. Had them both. Cant remember the seller but there is one that backs the CS arms it sells with lifetime warranty.

i also had emusa arms, which frankly should never be even considered, except if you are planning to suicide. Not only are they made from an alloy of metal and cheese, but the welds are rubbish, the misalignment spacers are at best oval and not to the right size. There is also a ton of play in most threads - which sometimes are not even straight (traction arms) nor round ! (oval shaped RLCA threads, guess what happens when a ball joint that gets a lot of efforts are attached there ? )

How about a couple of RLCA seized ball joints after 50 miles ? how about RUCA and traction arms ball joints that develop a 1mm play in 50 miles ? Well i only spotted after 50 miles, which was basically a one way trip to my tuner.

How about front and rear LCA studs with the wrong taper, too ? Not for S13, not for S14 either. Just not for nissans.

I bought the whole package. Granted it was cheap, i think that was 600€, something like 800$ at the time... But in the end it is all useless. They are going to the bin, and i wasted so much time, money and efforts on it i will tell everyone about this. And i will make public videos and photos, because it looks like they got friends here that dont like people telling the truth and calling me a liar.

Now i heard they got quality control people ... the way i see it, i got something that has not been controled at all, or i was sent rubbish parts because i live too far to send them back, and they didnt want to bin them. Either way, this is unnacceptable from any company.

[whyteboi]

Save up and buy nice arms. I went the ISIS route and they are not terrible, probably fine if you are just daily driving. After a year of drifting I bent the toe rods on the subframe (they did warranty them though) and the joints might make it through another season, but they are not as tight as they were new. I will be slowly upgrading to PBM. I make shit money so I understand when you have to save a ton to get nicer parts, but it's cheaper in the long run. Wish I would have listened and started with nice parts from the beginning.

[spartan]

I've had
Tein (tc)
Kazama (ruca)
eBay (tc ruca and toe)
Battle version (ruca and toe and forward)
And spl (tc ruca toe forward and tie rod ends)

Spl and bv have been m favorite due to customer support. Ended up using spl because of trade up and super easy for replacement parts

They all did the job with no problem.
Daily comfort?
Anyone going with spherical setup shouldn't expect a daily driver comfy feel. Obviously stiffer
Quality and thickness and welding on the bv and spl was superior to the others

You get what you pay for

Cheap aint reliable and reliable aint cheap. Some times i like to believe there are loop holes, because I've been lucky enough to discover such things.
not to sound like a noob but what is TC stand for and im assuming RUCA is rear upper control arms?
I take it soft spings are the most important for a comfy ride, I drive about 2k miles a month and i just want to be planted nice haha.

[Dousan_PG]

Tc rods
Tension control rod

[spartan]

I'm having the same problem with my S14 while braking from around 60mph+. Personally I've been looking at the ISIS and Circuit Sport Packages that are near $400. Just more in my price range, plus id rather knock out some other old arms and rods before they break or get in awful shape so i can use them as backups if i happen to have a little spill at the track and break the ISIS or Circuit's (whichever i choose).

I can give a partial review on the ISIS package. My friend bought their package deal from Enjuku and we installed them about two months ago. He hasnt had any problems out of them at all so far, and i can testify that the ride they provide is very satisfying. I've driven his car a few times since installing them and i really like the ride that these offer for the price.

I personally am probably going to go with the Circuit Sport Package for $459 from Enjuku.

How long did the isis kit take to install and how was fitment? Why go with circuit sports package instead?

[spartan]

You can easily make your own toe/traction arms. I bought some hex rod from coleman racing (which is where BV gets theirs) and rod ends from QA1. I think I may have $100 or just over that in both sets.
If you're good at fab work you should be able to make pretty much all your own rods. I'm not, so the rest of my arms are from spl. The new stuff is good but their first generation stuff oxidized on me almost immediately.

I wish i had the time to fab my own that would be ideal, Very good information thanks for sharing!

[Zerolift Autolab]

The Battle Version arms are by far the best quality for the money.
We have been using their products in our race vehicles for a few years.
And with their recent changes and updates to some of the
products, they are better looking and stronger than in previous years.

The BEST part about Battle Version ... If you bent a link and need to
replace just the "Tube" you dont have to purchase a whole arm.
Battle Version will provide the Center Section of the arm for significantly
less than purchasing a whole arm.

[spartan]

Circuit sports arms are way above godspeed ones. Had them both. Cant remember the seller but there is one that backs the CS arms it sells with lifetime warranty.

i also had emusa arms, which frankly should never be even considered, except if you are planning to suicide. Not only are they made from an alloy of metal and cheese, but the welds are rubbish, the misalignment spacers are at best oval and not to the right size. There is also a ton of play in most threads - which sometimes are not even straight (traction arms) nor round ! (oval shaped RLCA threads, guess what happens when a ball joint that gets a lot of efforts are attached there ? )

How about a couple of RLCA seized ball joints after 50 miles ? how about RUCA and traction arms ball joints that develop a 1mm play in 50 miles ? Well i only spotted after 50 miles, which was basically a one way trip to my tuner.

How about front and rear LCA studs with the wrong taper, too ? Not for S13, not for S14 either. Just not for nissans.

I bought the whole package. Granted it was cheap, i think that was 600€, something like 800$ at the time... But in the end it is all useless. They are going to the bin, and i wasted so much time, money and efforts on it i will tell everyone about this. And i will make public videos and photos, because it looks like they got friends here that dont like people telling the truth and calling me a liar.

Now i heard they got quality control people ... the way i see it, i got something that has not been controled at all, or i was sent rubbish parts because i live too far to send them back, and they didnt want to bin them. Either way, this is unnacceptable from any company.

Thanks so much for sharing! I've actually delt with EMUSA/SPEEDY RACER products before on my Civic, There are over a dozen members that have been running the K series turbo kit for years with ZERO issues. I myself run the EMUSA turbo on my K Series and spools every day like its new. But im glad to know they dont share the same quality with Nissan because i was considering them.

[spartan]

Save up and buy nice arms. I went the ISIS route and they are not terrible, probably fine if you are just daily driving. After a year of drifting I bent the toe rods on the subframe (they did warranty them though) and the joints might make it through another season, but they are not as tight as they were new. I will be slowly upgrading to PBM. I make shit money so I understand when you have to save a ton to get nicer parts, but it's cheaper in the long run. Wish I would have listened and started with nice parts from the beginning.

Isis sounds good for me not great for the average drifter/racer thats awesome that after a year they warranty the parts still. I read they use their own parts on their race car so thats also a plus in my book but im sure the tansfer is 100x eaiser when that need to replace parts.

[spartan]

The Battle Version arms are by far the best quality for the money.
We have been using their products in our race vehicles for a few years.
And with their recent changes and updates to some of the
products, they are better looking and stronger than in previous years.

The BEST part about Battle Version ... If you bent a link and need to
replace just the "Tube" you dont have to purchase a whole arm.
Battle Version will provide the Center Section of the arm for significantly
less than purchasing a whole arm.

Thats great looks like these are in the top running for my next purchase.
Where did you buy from?

[whyteboi]

Isis sounds good for me not great for the average drifter/racer thats awesome that after a year they warranty the parts still. I read they use their own parts on their race car so thats also a plus in my book but im sure the tansfer is 100x eaiser when that need to replace parts.


They are not terrible. If you need somethibg quick then buy them to get you on the track but if you can wait I'd just buy better arms.

[Croustibat]

Thanks so much for sharing! I've actually delt with EMUSA/SPEEDY RACER products before on my Civic, There are over a dozen members that have been running the K series turbo kit for years with ZERO issues. I myself run the EMUSA turbo on my K Series and spools every day like its new. But im glad to know they dont share the same quality with Nissan because i was considering them.

I dont know if it applies to anything else than suspension arms. They dont build anything, they just label cheap chinese made stuff, so maybe the suspension arm stuff is terrible and other parts are better.

It still is no excuse for "quality control" though.

[spartan]

I cant seem to find a good site to buy battle version set, the main website is very expensive.

[whyteboi]

I cant seem to find a good site to buy battle version set, the main website is very expensive.

Get hold of Nick at EliteJDM. He runs them on his FD car.

[spartan]

Get hold of Nick at EliteJDM. He runs them on his FD car.

Thanks man!
I'm considering these great price but most items are for rear. i guess thats a plus tho.
*ISIS Suspension Arm Package - Nissan 240sx 95-98 - Enjuku Racing Parts, LLC (http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/%2AISIS-Suspension-Arm-Package-%252d-Nissan-240sx-95%252d98.html)

[whyteboi]

Thanks man!
I'm considering these great price but most items are for rear. i guess thats a plus tho.
*ISIS Suspension Arm Package - Nissan 240sx 95-98 - Enjuku Racing Parts, LLC (http://www.enjukuracing.com/products/%2AISIS-Suspension-Arm-Package-%252d-Nissan-240sx-95%252d98.html)

Well, that replaces everything except the LCA. Nick sells those as well.

[spartan]

Well, that replaces everything except the LCA. Nick sells those as well.

I doubt ill get that, those are really expensive and i really dont think ill need them. maybe later down the line i will, thanks for letting me know tho, hopefully another member will be able to take advantage.

[spartan]

Actually i dont even think ill get that ISIS package lol I'm just going to buy Megan Racing OE spec replacment bushings, i really cant afford more atm, how pathetic lol.
Keep posting if you can everyone this thread isnt just for me there are plenty of noobs that will find these posts very helpful!

[tengo240]

the isis toe rods will hit the subframe if your car is really low correct?

[whyteboi]

the isis toe rods will hit the subframe if your car is really low correct?

That's how I bent mine. If you get something like PBM, theirs are bent to keep that from happening but, if your not crazy slammed then you'd be ok.

[Croustibat]

Actually i dont even think ill get that ISIS package lol I'm just going to buy Megan Racing OE spec replacment bushings, i really cant afford more atm, how pathetic lol.
Keep posting if you can everyone this thread isnt just for me there are plenty of noobs that will find these posts very helpful!

If it is just for caster arms, change the bushings. They are big and easy to do.

Just dont get cheapass megan racing ones, you need bushings that can actually move a bit. Megan are usually just PU bushes, that will put a lot of stress on the chassis as they will resist a lot.

This would be a nice solution, i didnt know it existed.
whiteline bushes, with added caster. You want more caster, so get them.
Whiteline KCA331 Radius/strut rod - to chassis bushing (caster correction) (http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_detail4.php?part_number=KCA331)

[The Dude]

The megan bushings are actually hardened rubber. I would buy them over the PU ones.
OP, save your money and get something you aren't going to regret later.

[zenkiset]

How long did the isis kit take to install and how was fitment? Why go with circuit sports package instead?

we took our time on the install lol, we honestly spent around 5 hours doing it. fitment is nice. one of the hardest parts for us though was putting the energy bushings in.

why go circuit? honestly, for the zilvia community. im willing to take a risk on my own money in order to provide a complete write up and review on them. havent seen an in depth, clear desciption of them yet and not just a biased sounding "opinion" because thats what the person decided to spend their money on.

[Zerolift Autolab]

Thats great looks like these are in the top running for my next purchase.
Where did you buy from?

We're a vendor for the Battle Version products if you're interested
Please contact us.

[BoostinIX]

^Where I got my BV stuff

[spartan]

Just wanted to update you guys with my Megan Racing Tension Rod bushings, Still working great and still look brand new. A fairly quality product for the price and will be expierimenting more with their products.

[SupaDoopa]

I've personally used a wide range of arms - most coming on cars and shells I've bought and missiled around. Some were better than others, some were stupendous, and some were absolutely perfect.

TEIN: I had the tensions a few times on a few different cars. They're pretty good quality but they seemed too thin for me. I guess it's good for cars with good angle to give them a few more millimeters of clearance but I like nice, beefy arms. Don't get me wrong, the welds are great and the metal is high quality as are the joints but they just aren't anything super beef like other companies but still an awesome upgrade from stock.

PBM: I've had them on every SERIOUS drift car and absolutely love them. Every arm is perfect. The metal is super high quality, the welds are always nice and clean, and the joints are top tier. The issue with their arms is they're focused more on slammed cars and having a 'correct' slammed suspension geometry. My cars mostly being slammed, this is the set of arms that I tend to flock towards. I've never had issues with customer service or the arms themselves and recently, they DO offer a trade-up program [at least they offered when I called with an issue I was having; I lost the spacers for my toe rods and they said 'worst case scenario, you can use our trade-up program and get some new arms' which is dope]. The arms are beefy and last forever. I'm a loyal customer to PBM.

SPL: Again, some of the beefiest arms around. The metal and welding is top tier and nearly unmatched. The only company that I can see competing is PBM. SPL started using titanium with awesome joints so for people not going SUPER low but want a nice, beefy, strong, quality arm, SPL is the way to go. Their downside is the price. They do offer the trade-up program as well but you'll pay the most out of pocket up front. It's not a HUGE difference [between 20-40$ over PBM] but for people who are on a tight budget, these may be a little further out of reach. I've also never had an issue with any SPL product [I use a large array of their stuff from solid subframe bushings to arms] and I doubt I ever will. Customer service is great as well.

Battle Version: They remind me of a different colored TEIN or Megan. The metal is great as are the welds and joints, but they don't seem 'special' to me. They don't have something that makes them different. While they are super strong, they seem generic to me. I know a lot of people use them and the newer design they just released do look more beefy and less mainstream than the others, they just don't have that specialty thing that jumps out to me.

Megan/ISIS/other lower end brands: Same issue above. They're always look alike for the most part, always share the same type of joints. While I've seen quite a bit of people swear by them and run them with great success, I'm always skeptical with the thickness, quality metal, and the welds or joints. They seem easily bent or the joints just seem really low quality and mass produced.

I hope somewhere in my little short story I helped. I'm not biased to a brand but am biased to quality, strength, and customer service. While any arm is a sure upgrade to your OEM arms, not all are equal and the saying goes 'you get what you pay for' strongly in this spectrum of upgrading your car. For what it's worth, spend the money the first time and never worry about it again. Don't worry about bends, shit joints, sketchy welds, or generic painted mainstream product. Know that you're buying the best of the best even if it takes you a little longer to get it.

[aga]

nobody has experience with cusco? i'm in europe and buying japanese stuff is easier than buying american ...(i kinda prefer them too) ... i want to buy lower control arms from cusco, from the past, they are the top quality in chassis stuff in my opinion... i got a couple of parts from driftworks but i dont know how well they'll last. the ball joints felt "easy" to turn, im more used to tight fitments.

[jumboflan]

hate to bring up a two year old thread. Would i be better off making my own traction rods and tension rod. I say these two because they seem easier to make them say a lower control arm. Thanks for any feedback. I have a source that can fab it up. What kind enough f steel do I need chrome moly? I have a s13 . Also, would a s14 front control arm fit a s13?

[[email protected]]

For the male threaded parts I'd recommend something like 4140HT or 4340HT but the turnbuckles can be plain mild steel like 1018 or 1020. Heat treating will help, but not important on the female parts, but don't bother if you make aluminum turnbuckles.

These days you can buy many of the components off the shelf at your nearest offroad fab shop or major online vendor like summit, look around.