Dowser Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Hey all you Fabrication Freaks, I'm in need of a Idler Control Arm and looking at Calmini's online it looks simple enough to make. Now I know many of you have fashioned your own out of Duct tape and Staples but this is the real deal here, and only True Fabrication experts need apply. Calmini sells theirs for like $34 buck plus shipping and in Canada, that equals out to a bit more then I'm willing to pay. So the question is, Who's done it and done it good. I'm looking for a Indestructable Idler Arm Brace that can contend with my Abusive and Destructive Nature. I need it built so tough that before i even put it on It must survive my Pre-Installation Hammer Smash, M-80 Fire Cracker Explosion, and the 5th Storey Window Drop Test. This is of course to eliminate any thoughts the Idler Arm Brace might have of trying to become the Alpha Male in this Pathfinder/Driver relationship. -argue- That being said, Who can make one? I wont admit I don't have the ability to do this myself, I'll instead blame it on lack of tools and my need to constantly dominate others into doing things for me. :X Any takers? I could really use a hand here and I'll be glad to pay up and tell all my friends I made...... er, you made it for me. :contract: Dowser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Is it April 1st already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 88 Might be able to help you out here. I also know someone else who might.. he made his own and the one I have on my truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Ok, let me get this straight... You want a Indestructable Idler Arm Brace That you don't have the ability to do this myself But $34 buck plus shipping... that equals out to a bit more then I'm willing to pay Did I get that right ??? Fully amusing post, in more ways than 1. While I can make most things, I dont think anyone tatooed "JACKASS" on my forehead last night... 88 has made some and may be able to help you, but you'd have to pay for shipping at least, as he wont drive it up and install it for you... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Dank Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 Hmmmm...$34 doesn't seem THAT much for something that you can't make yourself. I mean if we're talking about a bumper or sliders, that'd be diff. I got a good laugh though by your post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLApathy Posted October 1, 2005 Share Posted October 1, 2005 l and p performace sells them google it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowser Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 Thanks for the Replies so far and by the way, no $34.95 + shipping doesn't sound like much your right, BUT your forgetting that $34.95 + shipping of $12.95 and Special courier service for getting over the boarder another $30.00 Equals about $78.00 which of course converts into $90.78 Canadian according to www.xe.com, SOoooo as you can see the price keeps getting higher and higher. :oops: I'd be willing to pay for it like I said, just didn't really want to pay that much as I stated. Plus, I firmly believe that one of you Fab Freaks can probably do a better job then some of the Crappy looking things I've looked at. I mean Really, half of them wouldn't even make it through me getting it out of the shipping package without breaking. And I dont want to hear it, people always say its not necessary to open Cardboard boxes and envelopes with a crowbar buy Dammit I'm too old to change now. sly I'll check out that I and P Preformance but I half to say, most of the other companies I've called didn't seem to think that their product would hold up to my testing even. *remembers conversation with sales man* Hi whom I speaking with? Ahhhh this is Rob. Hey Rob how ya doin? Good and yourse....(I interupt him at this point) Ya thats great so anyway Rob, I'm looking here at the Idler Arm Brace you guys sell for a Nissan Pathfinder, and it says here It's built tough. What do you think? Is it built Tough? Umm sure, Most likely. So you haven't personally SEEN the product have you? That was an Idler Arm Brace you said right? That's Right Rob, try and pay attention alright. Ya, I heard you the firs...(I interupt him again here) So anyway you think It could withstand a drop from a 5th Storey Window without denting? Pardon? How about if I put like 30 M-80's around it and lit the fuse? Uhhhhh, are you..... are you being serious? OF COURSE I'm being serious here Rob? What kind of Question is that? Well it's just not something most people ask when they... (yet again interupted) Alright FINE fine, How about if I just smash it with a big hammer a dozen times, is it going to bend? At least tell me that. Uhhh well ya it's probably gonna bend if you do something like that to it sure. See that wasn't so hard. Thanks Rob... Not interested. *click* *flashes out of Daydream* At any rate... Perhaps 88 will have the Answer Im looking for. But if anyone else is up for a challenge I'll even throw in a Thank you Christmas Card or something like that, that way you can brag to your friends about the time you made some loser Pathfinder owner a cheap Idler Arm Brace cause he was too cheap to buy one. Dowser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 (edited) 5th Storey Window Drop Test Is there even a 5 storey building in Minden? :X If you change your mind & decide to get the Calmini Idler Arm brace - Hubby ordered his from National 4WD in Burlington for about $50 Canadian... http://www.national4wd.com/index.php Edited October 2, 2005 by Pezzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Here's a pic of the one I made for myself. Haven't bent any idler arms yet with it on. The main problem you're going to have when offroading your Pathy is bending tie rods and having the centerlink joints wallow out on you. The idler arm brace doesn't necessarily NEED to be huge and overbuilt, all it does is keep the idler pivot shaft from bending. That said, I believe the Calmini brace is the strongest setup I've seen yet, but they'll all do the same job equally well under the same conditions, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Oh, and yes, I can make people some braces. Who wants one? I was already about to make three or four of them for a couple of people. I'm just doing these in black with a top coat of clear lacquer, and they will be test-fitted on my Pathy before being sent out. I can see about shipping to Canada. Do they have customs taxes on birthday presents in small packages that are also a functional piece of art? Or gifts from friends? Or Hurricane Katrina care packages? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayman Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Yeah but you also gusseted your idler arm '88.....an idler arm brace doesn't really do squat for a factory I-arm you'll just bend it. That's a nice design by the way 88! you chopped it and put a bigger bushing in too.. looks like. CM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Yeah but you also gusseted your idler arm '88.....an idler arm brace doesn't really do squat for a factory I-arm you'll just bend it. That's a nice design by the way 88! you chopped it and put a bigger bushing in too.. looks like. CM An idler arm brace prevents the idler arm from wearing out it's own pivot bushings under radial (up-and-down) load induced by the crappy centerlink joints which allow the tie rods to torsionally twist the entire centerlink when sufficient side-shock loads are encounteded while offroading. In the end that contributes toward bending the idler arm pivot shaft (and possibly bending the arm itself, yes), rendering the whole thing useless. With a brace, the stock IA is a lot stronger than without and it also keeps the IA bushings maintenance free. (Or at least lower than without the brace) Thank you for the design compliment, but it's not all mine. My steering setup is L&P Performance's full steering system with a custom idler arm brace I made. Look into their website for how it's built. http://www.lpperformance.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowser Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 All that IP Preformance stuff looks and sounds good. I unfortunately wont be getting a new Idler Arm, Centerlink, and Pittman arm until I win the lottery next month so until that time I'm going to work on the Nickle and Dime parts. Pezzy, see thats more the Price I'm willing to pay, I swear I can spend hours looking for a deal and come up with nothing. I can't figure it out, I type in "Indestructable Idler Arm Brace, M-80 Proof, Hammer Smash Resistant, Kick Ass Nissan Pathfinder" in the google search and come up with hardly anything at all. -alcohol- But seriously, $50.00 bucks is a descent price and I perhaps could spare 88 the bother. And by the way 88, I really like the look of that Idler Arm Brace. Good work. On the other hand, I think that maybe it would be kinda sh!tty on my part to buy a part from a shop now that I've started a thread about Fabricated Idler Arm Braces and I can't help but feel partly responsible for that. So Damn it 88, Make me up a Idler Arm Brace and I'll send you $50.00 Canadian that you can play Monopoly with. If your willing that is. If you refuse on the other hand, I'll have to make a special trip over there just to throw garbage on your lawn though so keep that in mind. sly And while I'm on the subject of Small Fabricated Parts to Save a Penny, I need to Ask if anyone has a picture of the Brace used for the E-Brake extension for when you put new JGC springs in. I'll be needing one of those shortly too. Oh how I love NPORA. And I'll just assume NPORA loves me too. Dowser Let me know if your up to it 88, I'll send you whatever you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clayman Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 hey '88, Yeah I'm a bit of a suspension virgin. I don't like dealing with them. But I've got issues that need to be taken care of. It's kinda forced my hand to get under there and figure out how it works. I actually got out there today, jacked it up and stared at it for a while. That L&P stuff is nice ... but It's all stuff that I can build in an hour or so. I've got access to just about every type of steel under the sun and I've got a Brand spankin new tig machine showing up right away. I'll whip up a few prototypes and test them in my rig. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to come up with a CL for about $50. Yeah you could sell it for $200, but how many people are actually going to buy one? Like half a dozen? whoopty. Give me a couple weeks, I'll have a jig whipped up and a couple versions made. I'll be posting! Take Care, Clay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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