Sleeper Status
Ultraspeed FA5
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2010
- Messages
- 424
I've noticed ALOT on that these "Extended Ball Joints" are often referred to as "Roll Center Adjuster".
The Fact is that these "RCA" that are made for these Dbl Wishbone Honda's are just Extended Ball Joints. They do nothing for your Roll Center what so ever. They only thing it does is Correct your Camber Curve for those that lower Excessively where your LCA has now become either Flat/Horizontal or Past that point where they are now Facing up.
For those of you that don't know how a Dbl Wishbone susp. works is fairly simple and some quick "Googling" and time reading will help you understand.
Now the reason these Extended Ball Joints help your Camber curve is because they correct the Geometry of the SLA (Short Long Arm) of the Front Dbl Wishbone Susp. In the Stock suspension if you've looked at your car whiles it's on the Ground the LCA should be pointing towards the Ground starting from the Pivot Point @ the Crossmember out to the Ball Joint. When the Suspension compresses it in turn grows Longer in length due to the arm now becoming Flat/Horizontal or as long as it can be. When Honda engineered the Suspension they dialed in a Camber Curve that was "Optimal" for the chassis. Now when your lower the car Excessively the LCA now becomes Flat or even past that point. So now instead of the LCA growing in length it now starts becoming short. Thus your Camber Curve is now screwed and to a point can even turn into Positive camber.
Measuring the "Roll Center" of a suspension you measure from the Pivot Points. Not the Control arm position or such. So.........
Here's an Article to help some of you understand what all this jibber jabbers about.
This is a Diagram of a OEM Ball Joint, a Extnded Ball Joint and a Roll Center correction Ball Joint:
Left = OEM
Middle = Extended Ball Joint (i.e. Spoon, J's, etc.)
Right = A True Roll Center Correction Ball Joint
Notice that the Extended Ball Joint does nothing but add an extension to the bottom of the Ball Joint. So the Pivot Point is not moved or changed at all thus the Roll Center has not and will not move/change from the OEM Ball Joint. The only thing it did change was the Angle of the LCA and help the Camber Curve like stated Above.
Now taking a Look at the Right "True Roll Center correction Ball Joint" the Shank of the Ball Joint is Extended. Therefore the Pivot Point is Spaced down ALONG with the LCA. Correcting the Roll Center AND helping the Camber curve.
Here's an pic of an OEM Ball Joint and a Roll Center Correction Ball Joint.
Here's a pic of a Extended Ball Joint that is Advertised as a Roll Center corrector. But for those that understand and know Suspension geometry will tell you this does absolutely nothing but Space the Lower control Arm and help the Camber Curve.
Just thought I'd share some info and knowledge with you guys.
The Fact is that these "RCA" that are made for these Dbl Wishbone Honda's are just Extended Ball Joints. They do nothing for your Roll Center what so ever. They only thing it does is Correct your Camber Curve for those that lower Excessively where your LCA has now become either Flat/Horizontal or Past that point where they are now Facing up.
For those of you that don't know how a Dbl Wishbone susp. works is fairly simple and some quick "Googling" and time reading will help you understand.
Now the reason these Extended Ball Joints help your Camber curve is because they correct the Geometry of the SLA (Short Long Arm) of the Front Dbl Wishbone Susp. In the Stock suspension if you've looked at your car whiles it's on the Ground the LCA should be pointing towards the Ground starting from the Pivot Point @ the Crossmember out to the Ball Joint. When the Suspension compresses it in turn grows Longer in length due to the arm now becoming Flat/Horizontal or as long as it can be. When Honda engineered the Suspension they dialed in a Camber Curve that was "Optimal" for the chassis. Now when your lower the car Excessively the LCA now becomes Flat or even past that point. So now instead of the LCA growing in length it now starts becoming short. Thus your Camber Curve is now screwed and to a point can even turn into Positive camber.
Measuring the "Roll Center" of a suspension you measure from the Pivot Points. Not the Control arm position or such. So.........
Here's an Article to help some of you understand what all this jibber jabbers about.
This is a Diagram of a OEM Ball Joint, a Extnded Ball Joint and a Roll Center correction Ball Joint:
Left = OEM
Middle = Extended Ball Joint (i.e. Spoon, J's, etc.)
Right = A True Roll Center Correction Ball Joint
Notice that the Extended Ball Joint does nothing but add an extension to the bottom of the Ball Joint. So the Pivot Point is not moved or changed at all thus the Roll Center has not and will not move/change from the OEM Ball Joint. The only thing it did change was the Angle of the LCA and help the Camber Curve like stated Above.
Now taking a Look at the Right "True Roll Center correction Ball Joint" the Shank of the Ball Joint is Extended. Therefore the Pivot Point is Spaced down ALONG with the LCA. Correcting the Roll Center AND helping the Camber curve.
Here's an pic of an OEM Ball Joint and a Roll Center Correction Ball Joint.
Here's a pic of a Extended Ball Joint that is Advertised as a Roll Center corrector. But for those that understand and know Suspension geometry will tell you this does absolutely nothing but Space the Lower control Arm and help the Camber Curve.
Just thought I'd share some info and knowledge with you guys.
).gif ":)) :))")
