Arens stem and Houser a-arm ?
Arens stem and Houser a-arm ?
Just installed a +3'' long travel Houser front end on my '02 Speed. Took it out this weekend and when I came home and washed it, I noticed the tie rods were bent near the threads where they mount to the steering stem. I looked under the frame and could see where they were hitting. Has anyone had this problem when switching arms and using the stock stem? Will the Arens stem eliminate this problem? Any input would be appreciated. I will call Houser and Arens tomorrow and try to get some help.
I bought the arms off Ebay, so I had no idea about the clearance problem. I talked with John from Arens today and he varified the problem, so I ordered a stem from him. My friend works at a dealership, and he contacted Houser and they also said that the stem needs to be replaced. The tie rods were $70. I will have them by Friday and make a trip to the dunes on Saturday and report back. Thanks for all the responses.
Well, like I said I would report back and pass on some info. After installing the Arens stem and doing lots of jumping and riding through the whoops at the dunes I took a look at the tie rods. They are hitting, but just barely. You can see where they were making contact with the frame and the rods do have small marks on them. They are not bent and I don't think I will have any more problems. I am going to get my die grinder and remove a very small amount of material off the bottom of the frame. I also noticed that the Arens stem did help the bump steer as well. Thought I would let you all know of my findings.