SPL Front Lower Control Arms (12+ FRS/BRZ/86)

Description
Shipping

The SPL Front Lower Control Arm (FLCA) kit is the ultimate tool for setting up the front end of the GR86 / BRZ / GT86 / FR-S for track, drifting, or street use. Adjust track width, camber, caster, roll center, and anti-dive to increase front grip, gain tire clearance, greatly improve tire wear at the track, reduce body roll, and more, in addition to eliminating all of the bushing flex that causes vague and undesirable handling characteristics in corners and under braking.

Camber Adjustment

One of the biggest improvements to cornering grip you can make is increasing the front camber angle from the weak factory spec (0.0 to -0.75°) to a more proper -2.5° to -4.0° of front camber. This also will significantly improve tire life by reducing heavy wear on the outer portion of the tread that occurs due to insufficient camber angle while cornering.

Elongating the lower arm will add more camber without the need for adjustable camber plates or eccentric bolts that could potentially slip. However, pairing the SPL LCAs with camber plates allows you more adjustability options for inner and outer tire clearance as well as elongating the track width while retaining a specific camber angle.

Caster Adjustment

Another important alignment spec is caster angle. Caster angle is particularly helpful on a McPherson strut suspension because it increases the amount of camber that is gained as steering angle is increased. It also improves the centering torque on the steering wheel for straight line stability. The OEM spec is a little over 5.0° which compared to other platforms is a bit on the low side. The SPL arms will allow most setups to run 7.0+° of caster, depending on wheel clearance. The result is better grip mid-corner.

Track Width Adjustment

The 86 and BRZ have roughly a 1" (25.4mm) narrower frontal track width compared to the rear. This promotes more weight shift onto the outer front tire during cornering, promoting understeer. Miatas, Corvettes, and the GR Supra all run very close to a 1:1 track ratio for a reason. By extending the front track width you'll promote a more neutral handling behavior and reduce the overall amount of weight that shifts off the inner tire and onto the heavily loaded outer.

Roll Center Adjustment

Roll center is the imaginary point that the chassis rolls about during cornering. The distance between the roll center and the center of gravity (front-view, vertical) is essentially the amount of leverage the chassis has to produce roll. When you lower an 86 or BRZ the roll center drops further than the center of gravity, resulting in a larger roll moment (force). Using the roll center correction spacers to correct the angle of the front lower control arm brings the roll center back up, resulting in less body roll at the same spring rate and less tendency to understeer with fast transitions.

Anti-Dive Adjustment

Put simply, anti-dive geometry is similar to roll center, but viewed from the side rather than the front. The more anti-dive (expressed as a %) a car has less the front suspension will compress under braking. This geometry becomes more important as cars increase braking force with grippy tires and aero, especially on bumpy tracks and softer front spring rates. Adding a small amount of anti-dive geometry can be helpful when setting up the front suspension to maintain acceptable front splitter heights and sufficient front suspension travel.

Benefits

Adjustable Camber, Caster, Roll Center, and Anti-Dive
Lightweight: lbs ( kg) as Installed per Side
Significantly Better Front Grip
Sharpened Turn-in and Steering Feel from Eliminating Bushing Deflection
Improved Braking Stability
Greater Adaptability for Wheel/Tire Clearance

Materials

6061-T6 Billet Aluminum Arms (Anodized Black)
6061-T6 Billet, Hollow Aluminum Trailing Link (Anodized Black)
4130 Chromoly Steel Double Adjuster (Electroless Nickel Plated)
6061-T6 Aluminum Spacers and 360° Clamps
304 Stainless Steel Adjustment Spacers
4130 Chromoly Steel Studs (Heat Treated)
Class 10.9 Metric Hardware / SAE Grade 8 Imperial Hardware
Ti-6Al-4V Titanium 1/4-20 Socket Head Allen Screws (Anodized Blue)

SPL Rear Traction Arms for the GR86 / BRZ / GT86 / FR-S improve throttle response, braking stability, handling, and prevent wheel hop by eliminating bushing deflection. The rear bumpsteer can also be adjusted by changing the length of the traction rod relative to the toe and camber arms, allowing for greater control of the over/understeer behavior of the car.

Acceleration Improvements

Under hard acceleration the rear traction arm bushings in the knuckle and arm will deflect under the load. This small movement in the suspension alters the bump geometry and can lead to wheel hop due to a combination of tire forces and the spring-like behavior of the rubber bushings. The SPL rear traction arms replace one of these bushings, and the optional SPL rear knuckle bushing for the 86/BRZ replaces the other. The result is improved throttle response and reduced wheel hop.

Braking Improvements

Under hard braking the rear traction arm bushings in the knuckle and arm will deflect under the load.

As the rear suspension unloads, the OEM rubber bushings will begin to resist the articulation of the suspension. When trailbraking into a corner, the inner, rear tire has the least amount of load on it and is likely to lock up. Reducing the bushing bind by using a spherical bearing allows the suspension to droop and reduce the likelyhood of flat spotting the tire. The SPL rear traction arms replace one of these bushings, and the optional SPL rear knuckle bushing for the 86/BRZ replaces the other. The result is greater predictability and stability under heavy braking.

Benefits

Allows for Additional Bumpsteer Correction
Lightweight: 3.56 lbs (1.61 kg) / 1.78 lbs (0.81 kg) per Side (18% Lighter than OEM)
Improves Throttle and Braking Response
Reduced Wheel Hop
Maintenance-Free, US Made, PTFE-Lined FK Bearings