Tension or Compression to replace ARB?

[Adrian Southgate]

Like Dave A I have alignment issues at the front of the legerra. I am looking at kits for compression struts and tension struts and want to know if anyone else has tried one or both.

Compression struts replace the ARB but it involves swapping the TCA's left to right, fixing a bracket to the chassis and it runs back at quite a steep angle, basically turns the TCA into a wishbone and preventing it from forward and backward motion

The kit looks like this and is available from Burton for just over £100. Fully adjustable in situ.

Tension strut kits work instead of the ARB and mount forward of the TCA which remains the right way round, generally more expensive but theoretically easier to fit IF its an escort.

Kits generally looks like this.

None of the kits I have found are bushed but use fixed and/or rose joints, I can see wear on the bolts and bearing surfaces being an issue over time.

The other alternative is to make my own by cutting an ARB and making my own front coupling which retains the bush in the TCA. If the front is a rose joint drilled and tapped into the ARB then it would be adjustable like a trackrod end but it would have to be removed from the bracket to do so.

Has anyone got any thoughts on this?

[Adrian Southgate]

Thought about it, not looked too closely at prices though. I'll look deeper into that later.

I would have to reduce the cut end on the ARB to a sensible size to cut a thread on, keeping it round would be an issue. Cant use a lathe as the bar would be kinked.

[Steve Kerswell]

Tension strut every time, my two penny worth :-)

[Adrian Southgate]

Any particular reason why Steve?

[Steve Kerswell]

Couple of things, Ford ditched compression struts on early Escorts and went ARB, why?, well no doubt lots of theory will follow,  a trailing wheel will lift easier then one leading, so over silent policemen etc. they lift were as a compression strut pushes the wheel into the obstruction. I have welded many rally cars into compression strut and now convert some into tension struts. Pay your money take your choice? I have noticed that where the compression strut is/ was mounted that stress and buckled bits seem common, but these are rally cars, auto crossers etc.

As for making your own, my way is cut the ARB and weld a sleeve over the bar with a M12 tapped hole insert, that then takes a rose joint, avoiding having to get a round thread on the roll bar. Despite a lot of rubbish spoken ARB is not special sprung steel etc. Pre-heat,Weld it and post heat, job done.

[Dave Adams]

Trailing arms are an easier fit on a restricted chassis such as the legerra I too are tempted to modify the ARB to achieve it.

[3597yjm4i4fw7]

Brave man asking  this question on here Ade lol, i got grief form when i asked. 

It depends a lot on where you want too use the car, compression  better for rough/rally, tension better for on road/tarmac.

[Adrian Southgate]

Sounds like I will be doing some 'pricing up' Pass the thin cutting discs steve...

[Adrian Southgate]

I think I favour retaining the TCA-ARB bushes too, take some of the bang out of any potholes

[Adrian Southgate]

If it was a single thread then no, contra threaded tube and yes. My personal preference would be, single thread into tube welded to arb stump. adjust once and forget. Luckily my local ATS would be happy for me to monopolise the wheel alignment machine while I sorted it. adjust by eye, take readings, re-adjust as required, take readings etc etc...

[Steve Kerswell]

got me thinking on the Sierra now, could be a simple and cheap solution to out of alignment woes. Got a couple of rosies laying idle, somewhere safe, but where are the B's.

[Adrian Southgate]

Tell you what Steve, I've got two spare ARB's, want me to chop em and ship em down along with the rosies and some tube with thread inside? Make two sets and keep one?

[Steve Kerswell]

I think I've found a flaw in the simple design, the pick up point on the chassis needs a bit of thinking, so as not to knacker out rose joint to quick. Theory being, should it be in line with TCA inner pivot? But I'm up for it Ade, just a bit of maths and engineering to work out, does the leggie use a cross member or does it have its own pick up points for inner pivot.