Front Upper Arms

I ran in to a small interference problem with the front upper A-arms and the Afco shocks.  The Afco double adjustable shocks were the best on the market at the time.  And they have different dimensions than the Koni and  V-Maxx  parts.   A big clue for this is that the other components require a shock spacer, but the Afco’s do not.

Flyin’ Miata now has a Fox set up that is supposed to be better.   And the dimensions are probably different as well.

Right Front Shock
Left Front Shock

 

In any case, I noticed this rub mark on the left front shock.  There’s a similar rub mark on the right, but bigger.

So, obviously I needed to make a little more room for these parts.

 

Interference point
Interference point

 

 

Here’s where the interference was occurring.

 

Left Upper A-arm, stock
Left Upper A-arm, stock

 

 

Here’s what I started with, the stock unmodified  left upper A-arm.

 

 

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I used a Sawz-All, and trimmed a notch into the arm.  When you cut into the arm, obviously you’re going to trim away the welded area, and open up the cross bar.  That’s not good.  You can’t leave it like that, as it will weaken the arm.

Modified Arm
Modified Arm
Modified left A-arm
Modified left A-arm

Not a big deal, though.  It’s a simple matter to smooth out that cut, and then weld in a small piece of steel to restore the integrity of the part.

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DSC01546

The part is cleaned up a bit, painted, and installed.  Yes, I know, my welds are kinda ugly.  But they penetrate well, and are very strong.

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Now there’s plenty of room for the Afco shocks.

Now, this – I think – is only a problem with the Afco shocks.  I have not read of anyone having interference with any of the other parts.   But you should take a close look at your assembly and make sure you have plenty of room.   If you’re using the new Fox shocks, I’d be interested in knowing if they fit better, and if they work better.