SPC vs Function 7 Lower Control Arm
DIY King
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Originally Posted by robbclark1
You can't, you have to get it from someone who has bought the SPC arms. Grey needed one. Ask him where he got his.
I might try my Honda dealer though... 
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Rep Power: 0 Hey GT here is their web address it is still under construction but they do have a link on where to buy the control arms. www.function-7.com
Also the benefits they have is that they are lighter, they look alot better, they are stronger, they flow air thru the arms which will cause less air distortion(alot of people didnt know that) and they have the Function-7 ones have Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings which means they are better for handling So over all they are 100 times better. I hope this helps everyone.
Also the benefits they have is that they are lighter, they look alot better, they are stronger, they flow air thru the arms which will cause less air distortion(alot of people didnt know that) and they have the Function-7 ones have Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings which means they are better for handling So over all they are 100 times better. I hope this helps everyone.
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Rep Power: 0 well from what F7 says the Function-7 control arms are made out of 7076 grade aluminum or something like that and the SPC are made of 6061 grade aluminum or soemthing like that. I jsut know that the Function-7 metal grade is higher which means stronger.
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Rep Power: 418 I took physics for 2 years at a good college before I changed my major to computer science and I can tell you that they are better. Much better actually. 15% - 20% stronger overall because of the material. The design is also better than the simple holes in the SPC lower control arms.
As AceKicker mentions, the polyurethane bushings make them better than stock. Less flex when throwing your car sideways, so you get less tire movement. Also, the holes do allow for airflow, BUT... Is it the kind of airflow that makes the car more aerodynamic? I don't know about that, it takes a lot of calculations to determine whether that is true.
One other thing that people don't mention is that the weight difference helps out in ways you don't think of. In one way it's not good to get rid of weight in the rear since it makes the car even more nose heavy. In another way, it's good to get rid of the weight in the suspension because it is quicker to react. So... Certain bumps will cause the stock suspension in the rear to not compress at all because of the inertia of the suspension, but the smaller inertia (because of the weight difference) with the Fucntion7 control arms will allow the suspension to compress and relax more and therefore keep the tire in contact with the road more.
As AceKicker mentions, the polyurethane bushings make them better than stock. Less flex when throwing your car sideways, so you get less tire movement. Also, the holes do allow for airflow, BUT... Is it the kind of airflow that makes the car more aerodynamic? I don't know about that, it takes a lot of calculations to determine whether that is true.
One other thing that people don't mention is that the weight difference helps out in ways you don't think of. In one way it's not good to get rid of weight in the rear since it makes the car even more nose heavy. In another way, it's good to get rid of the weight in the suspension because it is quicker to react. So... Certain bumps will cause the stock suspension in the rear to not compress at all because of the inertia of the suspension, but the smaller inertia (because of the weight difference) with the Fucntion7 control arms will allow the suspension to compress and relax more and therefore keep the tire in contact with the road more.
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Grey as much as I would like to believe that, and I do to a certain extent, if you look at our control arm it isn't like older civics. They had their assembly attached only to the control arm. We have a trailing arm that is physically attached and doesn't move (besides the movement the bushing allows). I really don't think by changing the control arm piece will make that big of a difference. Bushings, maybe, but not the arm. A few pounds, if you are really really scraping for the last little bit of time, won't do much for the suspension set up.
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Originally Posted by robbclark1
Grey as much as I would like to believe that, and I do to a certain extent, if you look at our control arm it isn't like older civics. They had their assembly attached only to the control arm. We have a trailing arm that is physically attached and doesn't move (besides the movement the bushing allows). I really don't think by changing the control arm piece will make that big of a difference. Bushings, maybe, but not the arm. A few pounds, if you are really really scraping for the last little bit of time, won't do much for the suspension set up.
(Back from vacation...)
Grey covered most of it, thanks Grey. The material we use (7075-T6) is about 15-20% stronger than 6061-T6, and they are certified batches so that we are able to track the quality of the materials, the manufacturing batch etc, after the arms are sold so as to be able to warranty our products.
You are right in that the rear control arm, in it's current design, experiences significantly less force. This is mainly due to the struts are now connected to the trailing arm instead of the suspension arms like the earlier EF/EG/EK models. However there is a significant amount of lateral force being transmitted along the length of the arm when the car is subject to turning loads.
The design of the stock arm (stamped steel plate) allows it to bow out slightly when lateral force is applied, so some amount of stiffness is compromised. Study it closely, you'll find that the stock arms taper from 6mm to about 4mm in the center and then back to 6mm at the bushing end. Our goal in designing the 7thGen Civic/RSX arms is to develop a stiffer and more rigid 3-dimensional structure (as opposed to a flat steel plate) while reducing unsprung weight, and improving airflow. Despite its open structure, our arms are also designed for a 150-ton shock load - and they have lived up to the design specs in our extended testing.
Thanks
-A
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