Im pretty sure LSJ and LNF control arms are the same, just the bushing in the LNF is a bit stiffer...Figured double check with you pros before I hit the buy button.


Why ask? ...Im picking up 2 new control arm's and the LNF arms are cheaper


Thanks!

 

did you ever put the lnf control arms on your lsj? If so did they fit fine?

 

If fitment is your question, They will fit no problem^

 

dude at crateenginedepot told me that to put the lnf's on a lsj you had to spread the nuckle or something sounded kinda complicated so i figured id just spend the extra dough but then again hes the one selling them so i wouldnt mind another opinion as well

 

I also heard somewhere if you put the lnf control arms that you need the lnf knuckles for the lsj, I also wanted to know if this is true.

 

correct. lsj ball joint pin runs 19.5 mm the lnf runs 20.5 both nominal values
directly interchangeable.

 

I did!

They do NOT directly fit. You just have to use a chisel and pound it in a few times to help spread the ball joint hole. Insert chisel in the crack from the back side and pounder her in a few times until she opens up wide enough. Id pound a few times, test fit, pound a few more times, etc....until she would slide all the way without any hold ups. I also made sure to grease the ball joint.

The first side took me a while because I was worried about this but after I figured out wtf I was doing things went fine. This is pretty simple and you guys should have no problems.

I've been driving for months (few thousand miles) and things have been all good.

 

you should have made a how to =p

 

yea ha i guess pounding with a chisel is worth saving 50 bucks wish there was a how to guess ill figure it out when i do it

 

If you do a lot of them, you get used to removing the bolt, putting up a chisel, 'wack/wack" u r dun.

It standard practice in the trade to do this ahead of time to drop the arms easily during service...

 

do you pound the control arm to get it in or do you pound the ball joint?

 

neither...you pound a chisel in the slit on the back side of the knuckle...part where the ball joint slides into the knuckle. You should see a slit that you need to hammer a chisel into it to help open it up. Remember you don't need to open it up that much more.

You should NOT be pounding on the control arm itself or the ball joint of the control arm. You open up the knuckle so the ball joint will be able to just slide in nice an easy. Maybe apply some grease to the ball joint to help it slide in. If she will not go all the way in then you need to use the chisel again and hammer a few more times on that slit.

 

i need a picture or i dont understand haha

 

I think I have one I can post up when I get home.

 

see the part of the knuckle that is in the vise? thats the slit, where the ball joint inserts and the cross bolt goes through. If its clamped too tight in this photo, then it will have to be "opened up" with a chisel to spread it apart. Not much. 2mm max

 

Nice pic John!

Hey is that a mockup of my setup?

 

nice yea ive never switched out control arms so it should be a fun experience thanks to this ill be saving some money too does the chissel have to go all the way through the slit ?

 

The thicker ball joint stud may also have a larger ball joint which could technically be stronger and be another benefit besides the cost savings. That's a pretty small increase in size and since it's a compression fitting (meaning when you install the ball joint bolt through the knuckle it's going to clamp down on the ball joint stud and there is no play) I'd have no problem doing this if I had an older LSJ SS.

By chance did you measure to see if GM moved the ball joint slightly in relation to the control arm for a better/different geometry on the LNF SS cars? The GM Performance Division info mentioned a new control arm but I doubted that they'd change the entire forged casting and had always thought it was just the ball joint. Still would be a good idea to have an alignment done after install to make sure everything is good.

 

oh oh oh ok so you have to work the knuckle with a chisel to get the control arm to fit not the actual control arm i gotcha good stuff guys thanks for the help