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Savvy Offroad upper and lower control arm measurements if you choose to build them

ChrisTJ98

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Louisiana
I purchased some Savvy Offroad upper and lower double adjustable control arms that use the Johnny Joints what I actually learned is the diameter is NOT what Savvy is claiming that they are. The lowers should be 1.5" when they are 1/16th less than that as well as 1-1/4" uppers they should be but read again at 1/16" smaller Diameter.

The upper and lower control arms are made of 6061 T6 aluminum. After talking to Mr Blaine he said the lowers should have been made out of 7075 which is almost DOUBLE the strength of 6061 T6. 7075 T6 isn't cheap but I found a place in Michigan that sold me 7075 T6, 1-1/2" diameter, 4ft piece for I believe around $146 shipped to my house. I had a friend of mine machine and tap the lower control arms using a 1" - 14 UNF Right hand and a 1" - 14 UNF Left hand tap.

https://industrialmetalsales.com/ where I bought the 1-1/2" 7075 T6 from, Email them on what you need because not everything is listed on the website.

The measurements are for upper control arms 9" long and 1-1/4" diameter 6061 T6 aluminum, 3/4" 16 Left hand and 16 Right hand threads.
Part numbers for Johnny Joints are CE-9112SP and CE-9112SPL, This is for the Two forks you will need for the TJ/LJ CE-9102-BRKT.
You will also need 8 nuts to lock the Johnny joint to the aluminum control arm and Rockjock sells them.

The measurements for the Lower control arms are 10-7/8" long and 1-1/2" diameter 7075 T6 aluminum, 1"-14 UNF left hand and 1"-14 UNF Right hand threads.
CE-9113L and CE9113 Johnny joints and you will need 8 of these nuts as well to lock the Johnny joint and control arm down so they don't unscrew.

As always double check in making sure all these part numbers are correct before you order. I have done my best to be as accurate as I can be.

In the long run it was still cheaper to order it from Savvy as they buy the Johnny joints in bulk, If I had shopped around maybe I could have found them cheaper.


Chris
 
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I purchased some Savvy Offroad upper and lower double adjustable control arms that use the Johnny Joints what I actually learned is the diameter is NOT what Savvy is claiming that they are. The lowers should be 1.5" when they are 1/16th less than that as well as 1-1/4" uppers they should be but read again at 1/16" smaller Diameter.

The upper and lower control arms are made of 6061 T6 aluminum. After talking to Mr Blaine he said the lowers should have been made out of 7075 which is almost DOUBLE the strength of 6061 T6. 7075 T6 isn't cheap but I found a place in Michigan that sold me 7075 T6, 1-1/2" diameter, 4ft piece for I believe around $146 shipped to my house. I had a friend of mine machine and tap the lower control arms using a 1" - 14 UNF Right hand and a 1" - 14 UNF Left hand tap.

https://industrialmetalsales.com/ where I bought the 1-1/2" 7075 T6 from, Email them on what you need because not everything is listed on the website.

The measurements are for upper control arms 9" long and 1-1/4" diameter 6061 T6 aluminum, 3/4" 16 Left hand and 16 Right hand threads.
Part numbers for Johnny Joints are CE-9112SP and CE-9112SPL, This is for the Two forks you will need for the TJ/LJ CE-9102-BRKT.
You will also need 8 nuts to lock the Johnny joint to the aluminum control arm and Rockjock sells them.

The measurements for the Lower control arms are 10-7/8" long and 1-1/2" diameter 7075 T6 aluminum, 1"-14 UNF left hand and 1"-14 UNF Right hand threads.
CE-9113L and CE9113 Johnny joints and you will need 8 of these nuts as well to lock the Johnny joint and control arm down so they don't unscrew.

As always double check in making sure all these part numbers are correct before you order. I have done my best to be as accurate as I can be.

In the long run it was still cheaper to order it from Savvy as they buy the Johnny joints in bulk, If I had shopped around maybe I could have found them cheaper.


Chris
I know nothing about the standard length arms so if we had a discussion about arms, I would have been referring to the ones in the mid arm kit. The mid arm lowers are 2" and if that ones you have were 1/16" smaller than the nominal diameter, that's on the material supplier. If you dug around and tried to purchase material that is 1 7/16", or 1 15/16" or some other 1/16" less than nominal, I certainly don't know where you'd find it and likely neither did Gerald. I am 99.99% certain it wasn't spec'd out that way because that just makes no sense.

There is only one way to wind up with arms that size under normal circumstances and that would be if they sold off a set of the show arms that were part of a display that had been cleaned up and polished.
 
@mrblaine, is Chris's comment about the 6061 vs 7075 a concern? I'm about to order control arms and was going to go with the Savvy based on the suggestions and information on here. But if they are not made of the material they are supposed to be, that would be a concern. Or is the 6061 sufficient in this case? The website doesn't list a material, so I kind of have to trust the strength and recommendations from others. Nor am I a materials engineer of any sort!
 
@mrblaine, is Chris's comment about the 6061 vs 7075 a concern? I'm about to order control arms and was going to go with the Savvy based on the suggestions and information on here. But if they are not made of the material they are supposed to be, that would be a concern. Or is the 6061 sufficient in this case? The website doesn't list a material, so I kind of have to trust the strength and recommendations from others. Nor am I a materials engineer of any sort!
No idea. Like I said, I never messed with the short arm design. I would have no problem with a short arm in 1.75" diameter out of 6061. They just aren't long enough to need anything more. I use 6061 for uppers all the time because they never see rock hits.
 
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No idea. Like I said, I never messed with the short arm design. I would have no problem with a short arm in 1.75" diameter out of 6061. They just aren't long enough to need anything more. I use 6061 for uppers all the time because they never see rock hits.
Ok thanks. He seems to be saying they're 1.5". Still fine I'm assuming? I mean these certainly aren't a new product, I just want to be sure that he isn't implying that the current product is different than the product that is known by so many
 
Ok thanks. He seems to be saying they're 1.5". Still fine I'm assuming? I mean these certainly aren't a new product, I just want to be sure that he isn't implying that the current product is different than the product that is known by so many

No idea. I can only say I had nothing to do with the design of the short arms so I have near zero knowledge of them other than to know there are very few failures.
 
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I know nothing about the standard length arms so if we had a discussion about arms, I would have been referring to the ones in the mid arm kit. The mid arm lowers are 2" and if that ones you have were 1/16" smaller than the nominal diameter, that's on the material supplier. If you dug around and tried to purchase material that is 1 7/16", or 1 15/16" or some other 1/16" less than nominal, I certainly don't know where you'd find it and likely neither did Gerald. I am 99.99% certain it wasn't spec'd out that way because that just makes no sense.

There is only one way to wind up with arms that size under normal circumstances and that would be if they sold off a set of the show arms that were part of a display that had been cleaned up and polished.

We talked about the upper being 6061 and you said that was fine and that the lower control arms should have been made of 7075 and not 6061. It looks like we never talked about midarm kit or short arm kit in our conversation.
When I order 7075 they were exactly 1-1/2” diameter but Gerald’s were not and they were not 1-1/4” diameter either.
 
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We talked about the upper being 6061 and you said that was fine and that the lower control arms should have been made of 7075 and not 6061. It looks like we never talked about midarm kit or short arm kit in our conversation.
When I order 7075 they were exactly 1-1/2” diameter but Gerald’s were not and they were not 1-1/4” diameter either.

So if I needed some 1 7/16" diameter 7075, you can show me where to buy it?
 
How was it determined that the link material was or wasn't 6061 vs 7075? I just looked at the Savvy site description and did not see any mention of the specific type of aluminum being used.
 
So if I needed some 1 7/16" diameter 7075, you can show me where to buy it?

Yes right here 6061 which what they said it was
https://www.testritealuminum.com/pr...eO7-jehToohd7sWOSpcLu007U9Pk6mvDaWJvjcULHPLVI
and here https://www.metalsdepot.com/aluminum-products/aluminum-round-bar
I don’t know what you’re getting at here I’m telling you savvy measure 1-7/16 6061, what I bought was dead on a 1-1/2” 7075, I don't see any 1-7/16 7075 doesn't mean it doesn't exist but just a few quick searches is all I did. If you want a picture I’ll take one? Yeah it doesn’t make sense to me either. I’m just simply saying.
I was just posting if someone wanted to build this but I guess I shouldn’t have if people are gonna get all upset.
 
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Why use aluminum for control arms? Wouldn't steel be the more appropriate material? Aren't aluminum arms just a fashion statement?
 
Yes right here 6061 which what they said it was
https://www.testritealuminum.com/pr...eO7-jehToohd7sWOSpcLu007U9Pk6mvDaWJvjcULHPLVI
and here https://www.metalsdepot.com/aluminum-products/aluminum-round-bar
I don’t know what you’re getting at here I’m telling you savvy measure 1-7/16 6061, what I bought was dead on a 1-1/2” 7075, I don't see any 1-7/16 7075 doesn't mean it doesn't exist but just a few quick searches is all I did. If you want a picture I’ll take one? Yeah it doesn’t make sense to me either. I’m just simply saying.
I was just posting if someone wanted to build this but I guess I shouldn’t have if people are gonna get all upset.

I give up. If you think he intentionally used 60 dollar a foot material.
 
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Why use aluminum for control arms? Wouldn't steel be the more appropriate material? Aren't aluminum arms just a fashion statement?

Part of your answer is in the aluminum alloy numbers being bandied about. When a type of aluminum is comparable to the type of steel one might use for a control arm link, then you can bring into consideration the material costs with the varying labor costs of production and fabrication associated with the material. There is a balancing act that can direct the decision a particular way not evident if one thinks we are discussing tin foil or inexpensive hardware store aluminum.

Another hint as to why to consider aluminum is that an aluminum link does not require threaded bungs or welding.
 
Part of your answer is in the aluminum alloy numbers being bandied about. When a type of aluminum is comparable to the type of steel one might use for a control arm link, then you can bring into consideration the material costs with the varying labor costs of production and fabrication associated with the material. There is a balancing act that can direct the decision a particular way not evident if one thinks we are discussing tin foil or inexpensive hardware store aluminum.

Another hint as to why to consider aluminum is that an aluminum link does not require threaded bungs or welding.

Well, to be fair, steel doesn’t “require” threaded bungs or welding to accept joints either. My Currie control arms are threaded steel tubing…no inserts or welding done anywhere.
 
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Well, to be fair, steel doesn’t “require” threaded bungs or welding to accept joints either. My Currie control arms are threaded steel tubing…no inserts or welding done anywhere.
That would be a very heavy arm for one that works for a mid arm lower. 1 1/8" hole in a 2" diameter tube gives us what, 7/16" wall thickness? I already don't like how heavy .250 wall is. Last time I saw 7/16" wall thickness was on the J arms, but they weren't 2" OD.
 
Part of your answer is in the aluminum alloy numbers being bandied about. When a type of aluminum is comparable to the type of steel one might use for a control arm link, then you can bring into consideration the material costs with the varying labor costs of production and fabrication associated with the material. There is a balancing act that can direct the decision a particular way not evident if one thinks we are discussing tin foil or inexpensive hardware store aluminum.

Another hint as to why to consider aluminum is that an aluminum link does not require threaded bungs or welding.

So it's a fashion statement.
 
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