Sparta Preformance control arms. and Watts link.

[Red Rum]

Hey I am trying to find out. If any member here has that set up in there Mercury Marauder. And if there Control arm kit. Is just for lower control arms. Or there for upper and lowers. Or do you have to buy upper from someone else. And how does it feel with the watt link on.

[fastblackmerc]

Hey I am trying to find out. If any member here has that set up in there Mercury Marauder. And if there Control arm kit. Is just for lower control arms. Or there for upper and lowers. Or do you have to buy upper from someone else. And how does it feel with the watt link on.

I believe the control arms are sold as a set, ie. uppers and lowers. With Addco front and rear sway bars, Metco rear controls arms and Metco Watts like my MM handles like it's on rails. The ride is stiffer but there is no body roll what so ever.

[daddyusmaximus]

I believe the control arms are sold as a set, ie. uppers and lowers. With Addco front and rear sway bars, Metco rear controls arms and Metco Watts like my MM handles like it's on rails. The ride is stiffer but there is no body roll what so ever.

Factory springs and air bags?

[fastblackmerc]

Factory springs and air bags?

Yes, rest of the suspension is stock with the exception of the rear shocks which were changed out last year for Monroe Sensa-Trac.

I did all the suspension upgrades two years after I purchased the Marauder new in 2004.

[jsignorelli]

I also have every item Sparta offers for the suspension. I added Monroe severe duty shocks.
Yes... the car steers like it is on rails. I ran it at the FIR at the SAAC weekend several years ago and I took the turns like I was in my Factory Five kit car.

If only someone made an independent rear for the MM....

[1Marauder]

Nike says, "Just do it!" You will be ecstatic. Just did mine for Christmas. See my post on topic for more.

[SpartaPerformance]

The Control arm set is all 4

[lifespeed]

In my opinion you want polyurethane in the Watt's link like Metco does. Rubber in the control arms is good as it allows the suspension to articulate more freely. The Metco control arms work, but do tend to increase the effective spring rate because the poly bushings create some bind.

[SpartaPerformance]

Our bushings don't bind, Delrin sleeve.

[lifespeed]

Our bushings don't bind, Delrin sleeve.

All four-link suspensions require extension or compression of the bushing when the axle articulates during body roll. The firmer (polyurethane, Delrin) the bushing, the more it binds. Think about the control arms rotating through different arcs viewed from the side. They will try to twist the axle housing during body roll. This is a well-understood "feature" of four-link suspension geometry.

Your control arms bind just as much as any other polyurethane-bushed arm. This can be an acceptable trade off in some cases, but it does have consequences - it increases the apparent spring rate in a non-ideal fashion.

[SpartaPerformance]

During lateral movement yes, I thought you where talking about as the suspensions jounces and rebounds.

[lifespeed]

During lateral movement yes, I thought you where talking about as the suspensions jounces and rebounds.

If the jounce and rebound aren't exactly the same on both sides (and they rarely are) the bushings are compressed or stretched along the longitudinal axis of the control arm. Of course this is true of all control arms, and like I said, it is a tradeoff often worth making.

But when it comes to choosing spring and shock rates and trying to dial in the ride, it is good to be aware exactly what the stiffer control arm bushings are doing.