Chuff
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Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
I was always under the impression that adjustable track control arms were not road legal in Australia due to having the arms welded in order to accommodate the adjuster, so when I saw these it got me wondering. Since there is no welding involved, would these adjustable track control arms be road legal in Australia? 
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Robbie
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/03/23 17:26:35
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I think the answer would be with an automotive engineer, but tbh if you threw them under your small ford do you think the cops would get upset about it? im thinking no.
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Chuff
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/03/23 17:55:06
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Cops looking under my car isn't the problem. Passing RWC to get rego after rebuild is.
Is anyone running these on the road?
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martymexico
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/03/23 19:47:42
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It's only illegal till get caught lol. I had them under my mk2 for years , mine were the cut n welded ones and never had a cop look twice. These days they wouldn't know what a Ford Escort is let alone any components from stock it may have.
Chuff, speak to an engineer and you might be lucky that they'll ok them being a manufactured part. If you need ammo, say kit cars have adjustable A arms which are pipe welded. Rules for one, not another I doubt it..
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deano
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/03/27 09:41:11
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or get it cleared by your insurer, that would be my biggest worry.
We had a car written off last year, and despite it being less than 12 months old, it still went through the insurers investigation team, and the car was totally inspected, in the hope that a loophole could be found to avoid a payout.I'd hate to see what theyd pick on for any of our cars..
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martymexico
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/03/27 20:28:39
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If you insure with Shannons they'll most likely be fine as long as you've told them they are installed . Being legal is with your engineer to decide.
I rang Shannons about my Ford courier conversion engines and mods l can have insured with, and they said I can fit a monster V8 with 1000s bhp , lift it 10in and fit 38in tyres if I want and they'll insure it. The clause is if I do stupid and cause a wreck with other cars I'm not insured, but if someone plowed into my truck I'm fully covered . The fun police will see things differently to suit their rules tho.
So it's engineer to keep the rozzers off your back and insurance knows it's there to be fully covered
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accapmad
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/04/03 09:38:52
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I asked that same question of a respected suspension specialist here in the ACT in the late 1990s.
I was pondering lowering the car at some point in the future, and they were cheaper than adjustable strut tops.
Short answer was - .... No, not legal on road cars.
accapmad - In the Land of Oz
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martymexico
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/04/04 16:00:17
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So why they say no.. welded arms etc, the ones in pic are made that way.
These days I'd re drill the inner control arm hole on the XM further out. UK Rally cars was redrilled on a 5mm up/5mm out
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Chuff
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/04/04 16:38:49
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Thanks for all the replies.
I'm no engineer, so what I say is just that of a layman & enthusiast, but I would have thought there were 2 main reasons to not allow an adjustable LCA.
If the LCA was cut & a threaded tube was welded in place to facilitate adjustment then I could understand that may induce weaknesses in the LCA as a result of welding and therefore not be allowed for road use.
If the inner LCA bush was replaced with a rose-joint which MAY then wear prematurely as a result of grit getting between the ball & sleeve of the rose-joint I could understand that.
But the photo I posted in my initial post shows an adjustable LCA which has no welding, using a inner LCA bush, and from what I can see of the photo it looks to be as strong, in not more-so, than some of the non-genuine crap which you have to buy today, and have no other option, as genuine Ford LCAs were discontinued decades ago and are rarer the rocking horse $hit.
I'd be interested in knowing why the above adjustable LCA is not legal for road use, but that's a question for a certified engineer.
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martymexico
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/04/06 08:26:28
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This is how I see it with this stuff. You ' can't ' have adjustable LCAs but every car truck 4x4 has adjustable steering arms of thin rod material, not bulky iron material.
I'm building a kitcar which has adjustable thread in a pipe for the upper A arms. I'm my mind, that is far worse then an Escort LCA that's been moulded and tapped with 3/4" threads !!
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Chuff
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Re: Are Adjustale Track Control Arms Road Legal
2022/04/06 09:22:41
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martymexico
This is how I see it with this stuff. You ' can't ' have adjustable LCAs but every car truck 4x4 has adjustable steering arms of thin rod material, not bulky iron material.
I'm building a kitcar which has adjustable thread in a pipe for the upper A arms. I'm my mind, that is far worse then an Escort LCA that's been moulded and tapped with 3/4" threads !!
Yep, that's what I see as well and has me scratching my head as to why it's OK for others but not for our beloved Escorts, hence, the reason for this thread.
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