What Is a Trailer Arm?
A Trailer Arm is a part of the suspension system on many vehicles. They help connect the chassis, rear axle, and shocks together.
Trailing arms can be damaged in a number of ways, and it’s important to know how to spot them. Fortunately, there are some signs you can look out for that point to bad trailing arms or trailing arm bushings.
QA1 Trailing Arms are Stronger
QA1 Trailing Arms are designed to help improve your vehicle’s overall handling. This includes keeping the rear tires planted and making your car go around corners more easily.
Unlike factory stamped metal trailing arms, QA1 tubular trailing arms are much stronger. They have a boxed construction for maximum strength and flex elimination, as well as fluted, greaseable polyurethane bushings on both ends that are superior to stock rubber bushings.
The polyurethane bushings isolate road noise for a smooth ride while reducing bind for improved handling. They are also a lot stiffer than the rubber bushings on factory trailing arms, which helps to keep the alignment of the suspension stable and offers better cornering performance.
They are a great upgrade for any vehicle, whether it’s a street or a race car. QA1’s Trailing Arms will improve your handling and driveability while improving the look of your vehicle as well.
These control arms are a great way to update your vehicle’s handling without having to spend tons of money. They are lightweight, have a good price point, and are made in the USA.
QA1 offers these control arms in two different styles. The Street Style is perfect for cruising or street use, and the Race Style is perfect for drag racing or pro-touring.
The Street Style is equipped with a factory replacement ball joint for serviceability and polyurethane inner pivot bushings that isolate road noise for a smooth ride while also reducing bind for improved handling. These control arms are also a lot lighter than factory stamped steel designs and can handle the abuse of street driving.
The Race Style is ideal for drag racing, autocross, and pro-touring applications. QA1’s exclusive X Series chromoly rod ends and low friction ball joints give you a wide range of wheel alignment settings to choose from while reducing friction. These race control arms are lightweight and are a great way to improve your Mustang’s performance.
They Have Provisions for Rear Sway Bar
When traveling with a travel trailer, it’s crucial to have a sway bar to help keep the trailer from swinging or flipping forward. This can be a serious problem on rough roads or when making tight turns at highway speeds.
Sway bars also help control the vehicle’s lateral dynamics by transferring suspension forces between the front and rear wheels during corners to decrease roll. They increase the vehicle’s response and balance and can even reduce understeer.
QA1 Trailing Arms come with provisions for a rear sway bar, which allows you to bolt-on this accessory without having to weld supports into the Trailer Arm frame. This makes it a much easier upgrade and saves you time on installation.
Rear sway bars are a great way to get the lateral handling you want for your classic muscle car. They are precision CNC formed from lightweight hollow (4130) chromoly steel for maximum strength and durability and feature adjustable end links to fine tune the roll stiffness to your personal preference. They’re also coated with a gloss black powder coating for lasting durability and corrosion resistance.
The sway bar connects to your truck’s control arm and the frame of the car using sway bar links and bushings. The bushings are designed to separate the sway bar from your vehicle’s body or frame, which helps to reduce noise and friction.
Another benefit of QA1 trailing arms is that they solve flexing issues common to stock arms, allowing your rear suspension to move smoothly. Factory trailing arms are typically stamped metal arms that will eventually flex and allow your rear suspension to bind. This can lead to a poor ride and inconsistent alignment.
Compared to the stock trailing arms, QA1’s tubular trailing arms are strong and can handle heavier Trailer Arm loads, while reducing bushing bind for smoother operation. They are available in both boxed and tubular forms and use greasable polyurethane bushings on both ends of the arm.
In addition to being stronger, QA1 Trailing Arms are also more stylish. They look sleek under your car and are easy to wipe down for a clean, factory-like appearance.
They Look Great
While a trailing arm may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of improving your ride, it certainly is an important component of the suspension puzzle. They help to connect the chassis and rear axle and provide a solid connection for the shocks mounted underneath. They also have a few other responsibilities, such as preventing the rear end from bucking around corners and providing an anchor point for any sway bar that might be installed.
QA1 offers a plethora of tubular control arms in all shapes and sizes, so you are sure to find the perfect solution for your needs. Some of them even have some bling, in the form of powder coating and a sleek design that will make your vehicle look as good as it drives. Unlike the stamped steel models of yesteryear, these are a snap to install and will keep your vehicle handling as it should.
A well designed trailing arm can help to make your ride that much better by allowing you to maximize your ride height, improve your chassis stiffness, and increase your traction on the track. They also come with a host of other performance and safety features, making them the perfect addition to any car enthusiast’s arsenal. The best part is, they will last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. It’s no wonder they’re a popular choice among high-performance and hot rod drivers alike. The biggest challenge is finding the right one for your vehicle and budget.
They’re Easy to Install
Many classic muscle cars are factory equipped with coil-spring rear ends that have trailing arms (rear control arms). While these stamped steel trailing arms did their job in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, they have lost much of their effectiveness. Oftentimes, they have worn rubber bushings that shift and defy traction, leading to poor handling.
These worn bushings can also lead to suspension bind, which prevents the rear end of your car from moving freely. QA1 trailing arms replace the soft OE bushings with polyurethane differential bushings that eliminate bind and improve steering response, while providing improved ride comfort.
QA1 Trailing Arms are easy to install because they have all the necessary parts that you need to do the job right. All you need are basic tools and a few minutes of time to remove the stock rear suspension components from your vehicle and replace them with the new QA1 arms.
All of QA1’s trailing arms are made from 1-1/4″ diameter, 0.120″ wall steel tubing. This provides increased strength over other designs, while still being lighter and easier to handle than stamped steel arms.
The adjustable arms can be adjusted to match the pinion angle of the rear axle without having to remove them from your car. This saves you money and prevents premature wear on the U-joints.
Pro Series rear upper arms are constructed with 3/4» PTFE uni-ball mounting points and stainless steel misalignment spacers. All bearing mounting points eliminate bushing compliance in suspension movement, and the thick wall 1.5» DOM construction allows for an additional outer eccentric adjuster to offer two degrees of camber adjustment.
These adjustable arms feature a high-strength zinc-plated and anodized finish that’s tough enough to stand up to rough road conditions. They’re designed for heavy-duty use and can be used in both street and race applications.
All of QA1’s trailing arm kits include rod ends and jam nuts. This makes installation a breeze and ensures that you get the right fit for your vehicle. They’re available in a range of styles, including tubular, boxed, and adjustable models. They’re made from premium self-sealing and self-lubricating X Series (heat treated chromoly steel) or A Series (aircraft aluminum) rod ends.