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Old 05-08-2022, 09:37 AM   #1
GrahamOD
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Default Adjustable Rear Lower Control Arm. Adjuster keeps coming loose.

Hi all,

Haven't found a thread with anyone discussing this. I have ISC Rear Lower Control Arms installed on 2016 WRX.

https://www.rallysportdirect.com/part/s012ca-v3-isc-suspension-v3-rear-adjustable-control-arms

When first installed, there was no issue. After 12 months, the adjuster broke loose throwing alignment way off. I've taken it to 2 different shops for re-alignment. It's perfect leaving the shop and but barely makes it home before alignment is off again.

The issue is that the two jam nuts on the adjuster keep breaking loose. (See pictures in link above for ref.) And as the car moves, the adjuster barrel seems to gradually move throwing off camber/toe. I can't really drive with that loose.

I've tried to get under the car and tighten the heck out of the two jam nuts. However, on the jam nut closest to the pillowball connecting to the subframe, it's tucked inside the subframe bracket leaving almost no room to get a wrench in there. (The bracket sort of curves around where this nuts sits). It's very difficult to tighten it hard. I've looked for "slimmer" or "plumbers" wrenches or something that would allow this but no luck. Crowfoot wrench is always the answer for "difficult" areas but that wouldn't fit here either.

Since this is, as designed, I'm not sure how nobody else is running into the same issue. Is there a trick to this or a special tool?

The only way it could work IMO is to run huge camber on the rear so that the jam nut is wound way outside the subframe bracket and accesible. But definitely not looking to go that way.

Thanks all for any advice.
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Old 05-08-2022, 09:27 PM   #2
speedyHAM
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Just tighten the jam nut tighter after alignment. I can't find the thread size, but I'd guess 75 ft-lbs would be enough. If you can give me the thread size I could tell you the recommended locking torque for that thread.
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Old 05-09-2022, 11:59 AM   #3
GrahamOD
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Thanks.
As I said though, the problem is that there's no room to get a wrench in behind the subframe bracket meaning that "snug" is about the best you can do. After that you run out of any room to get a wrench inside the bracket to the jam nut so can't really torque in inner jam nut any more. Out outer one I've tightened as hard as I physically can.

I emailed ISC and they responded promptly. They said it was ok to put a little loctite blue to help, so I'm going to give that a try and hope for the best.
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Old 05-10-2022, 04:33 AM   #4
lukethedork
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Undo the control arm and torque the jam nut properly where you can gain access to it.
You have it set to the length so no harm will be done by taking it off and tightening everything then reassembling.

It is idiotic to leave it loose as you will destroy the threads. Loctite is not a replacement for proper torque in this application.
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Old 05-11-2022, 08:45 AM   #5
GrahamOD
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FYI, for anyone interested. I snapped two photos from underneath the car looking directly upwards.

On the jam nut closest to the pillowball, the bracket wraps around it. This is with the length properly adjusted for slight amount of camber.

There is minimal room to fit a wrench in there or move it, so it's quite difficult to hold the adjuster in place and also get a lot of torque.

Setting camber, then removing the LCA, then installing again might be the answer but it seems counter intuitive as the alignment shop won't do that.

Removing and reinstalling the LCA right after an alignment job seems like it's going to loose some of the precision of the alignment and seems counter intuitive for what should be an "easy" adjuster.


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Old 05-11-2022, 07:38 PM   #6
REX_WGN
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That just seems like a poor design but cusco ones look very similar. Voodoo13 looks to be a better design on it's jam nut
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Old 05-19-2022, 02:39 PM   #7
Patrick Olsen
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GrahamOD View Post

https://img.nasioc.com/ is free, and will insert the pics inline with your post.
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Old 05-19-2022, 04:01 PM   #8
xtremewlr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Olsen View Post
https://img.nasioc.com/ is free, and will insert the pics inline with your post.
And doesn't allow creating of new accounts for a while now. Doesn't send the emails needed. It's broken and over rated.
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Old 05-19-2022, 06:09 PM   #9
smplsti
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Mine also keep doing this.

I spoke to my alignment guy at length about it and asked about using thread locker or a locking jam nut like some off road guys do on their trucks. In the end he told me to not waste my time and even showed me some stress cracks in the metal where the coilovers mount.

I'm just going to replace with the SPL set which have lock collars built in, wasted too much money on this PoS LCA and multiple alignments already.
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Old 05-19-2022, 06:20 PM   #10
REX_WGN
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I've been keeping my eye on an ISC set but thanks to the feedback here, I'll skip it and stick to my original plan on running the simple SPC set. I'm currently at roughly -3 degrees in the rear as I'm lowered on STI take-offs on my 09 Forester. I plan on raising it back up a little with tophats and that along with the camber adjustment bolts of the SPC arms, I should get it to -2 degrees or more which is more ideal for tire wear.

I bought two sets, if any of you guys are interested in the other, let me know!
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Old 05-20-2022, 12:22 AM   #11
GrahamOD
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I think they are meant to fit multiple models so maybe other models don't have the same design to the bracket the ball joint attaches to. I actually did research on these before I got them and it seemed a lot of people were running these at the time, so it's funny nobody else has really chimed in or has experience with them, lol.

It wouldn't actually be a problem if you wanted to run a lot of camber because winding out the adjuster would move the jam nut outside this bracket and you'd get full access to it from all sides.

My car is set up as a daily that also goes to the track so I run a little more camber than stock but it's not slammed by any means... so it's just in that (un)sweet spot where it's obstructed.

That issue aside, they are really solid, well built, and look great IMO and allow for tons of adjustment so I'm bummed I can't find a better solution.

If it's any consolation, lifting the car rotates the arm and gives you a little more space to get at it. Then I tightened the outer jam nut as hard as I physically could and it hasn't moved since.

I think in future I need to ask the alignment guys to tighten the outer jamnut like heck. They say to just "snug them up" but I think they really need a lot of torque to make sure vibrations and movement of the arm doesn't eventually loosen them off.... I've actually found more discussion on this on Jeep forums than Subaru's
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