Evo 6 Arms Better than Evo 5?

Tim M · 13-01-2021, 20:01

Greetings!

We are renovating an Evo 5 back to roadworthiness and considering replacement of the rear suspension with Evo 6 aluminum arms.

What might be the weight difference?

Is there much benefit?

Thanks!

Current setup...

Pushpex · 13-01-2021, 20:12

They're already aluminium arms...

Tim M · 13-01-2021, 20:22

Apologize, meant we are thinking of replacing the steel rear arms on our Evo 5 with aluminum Evo 6 arms (other than the top arm which is aluminum on both).

Thanks!

Mita · 13-01-2021, 20:34

I have done it on my 5rs . Loads of difference in weight . The 5 steel arms are heavy!

Pushpex · 13-01-2021, 21:11

Sorry, from the lighting it looked like the trailing arm was also aluminium. I replaced them on my 4, there's a fairly significant unsprung weight difference between the arms, but I guess it depends on how you use the car if you'll notice it when driving. Unfortunately I didn't drive mine much before replacing them so don't have much to compare with

super rover · 14-01-2021, 22:23

alloy arms are around 25% lighter thats it really ,if you can tell that driving your in the wrong job

if you can find a nice set of clean alloy arms then go for it but a rattle can of silver paint makes steel ones look alloy in no time and at a fraction of the cost

Pushpex · 14-01-2021, 23:03

Aluminium is about 1/3 of the weight of steel, to retain the strength you need to use more however the aluminium arms didn't seem any thicker than the steel ones, mainly because they were over engineered in the first place (most suspension arms these days are stamped sheet steel like this

instead of the great big lumps of cast iron on the earlier models). That's not to say the big lumps or iron aren't good, they're obviously bombproof hence why they are on the RS models, and I didn't really have a good reason for changing them other than I wanted to spend some money I guess, but there is definitely a significant unsprung weight difference.

Tim M · 15-01-2021, 18:53

Appreciate the responses. Was trying to rationalize the purchase...;-)

A new bushing or two and rose joint with the labor per arm takes a bit of a chunk out of a new purchase.

Thanks.

Pushpex · 16-01-2021, 11:03

Where were you getting the arms from? There's still some 6 arms pretty relatively cheap from the place I got mine, then new ralliart bushes from rosssport
I think my local garage charged me £200 labour to push the bushes in, you could probably do it yourself with a ball joint press, but a hydraulic press would be easier, and for the £200 I spent on labour I could have got one from machine mart

Hindsight...

No point trying to justify things, if you want to do it you should

It's not like we're allowed to do anything else these days

Canadian_CD9A · 16-01-2021, 18:38

The later Evo 5s had aluminum arms, it was a mid-generation changeover. There's no drawback to using the aluminum arms and they are direct replacement.

Tim M · 19-01-2021, 20:39

Gents,

Thanks for the feedback. The aluminum seems automatic if one is refreshing the suspension.

13-01-2021, 20:01	#1
Tim M User Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 67	Evo 6 Arms Better than Evo 5? Greetings! We are renovating an Evo 5 back to roadworthiness and considering replacement of the rear suspension with Evo 6 aluminum arms. What might be the weight difference? Is there much benefit? Thanks! Current setup...

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13-01-2021, 20:12	#2
Pushpex Senior User Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 156	They're already aluminium arms...

13-01-2021, 20:22	#3
Tim M User Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 67	Apologize, meant we are thinking of replacing the steel rear arms on our Evo 5 with aluminum Evo 6 arms (other than the top arm which is aluminum on both). Thanks!

13-01-2021, 20:34	#4
Mita Senior User Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 10,558	I have done it on my 5rs . Loads of difference in weight . The 5 steel arms are heavy!

13-01-2021, 21:11	#5
Pushpex Senior User Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 156	Sorry, from the lighting it looked like the trailing arm was also aluminium. I replaced them on my 4, there's a fairly significant unsprung weight difference between the arms, but I guess it depends on how you use the car if you'll notice it when driving. Unfortunately I didn't drive mine much before replacing them so don't have much to compare with

14-01-2021, 22:23	#6
super rover acting daft since 1969 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: PRESTON ,lancashire Car: E7 RS RALLY CAR Posts: 19,560	alloy arms are around 25% lighter thats it really ,if you can tell that driving your in the wrong job if you can find a nice set of clean alloy arms then go for it but a rattle can of silver paint makes steel ones look alloy in no time and at a fraction of the cost

14-01-2021, 23:03	#7
Pushpex Senior User Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 156	Aluminium is about 1/3 of the weight of steel, to retain the strength you need to use more however the aluminium arms didn't seem any thicker than the steel ones, mainly because they were over engineered in the first place (most suspension arms these days are stamped sheet steel like this instead of the great big lumps of cast iron on the earlier models). That's not to say the big lumps or iron aren't good, they're obviously bombproof hence why they are on the RS models, and I didn't really have a good reason for changing them other than I wanted to spend some money I guess, but there is definitely a significant unsprung weight difference.

15-01-2021, 18:53	#8
Tim M User Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 67	Appreciate the responses. Was trying to rationalize the purchase...;-) A new bushing or two and rose joint with the labor per arm takes a bit of a chunk out of a new purchase. Thanks.

16-01-2021, 11:03	#9
Pushpex Senior User Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 156	Where were you getting the arms from? There's still some 6 arms pretty relatively cheap from the place I got mine, then new ralliart bushes from rosssport I think my local garage charged me £200 labour to push the bushes in, you could probably do it yourself with a ball joint press, but a hydraulic press would be easier, and for the £200 I spent on labour I could have got one from machine mart Hindsight... No point trying to justify things, if you want to do it you should It's not like we're allowed to do anything else these days

16-01-2021, 18:38	#10
Canadian_CD9A Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 18	The later Evo 5s had aluminum arms, it was a mid-generation changeover. There's no drawback to using the aluminum arms and they are direct replacement.

19-01-2021, 20:39	#11
Tim M User Join Date: Nov 2020 Posts: 67	Gents, Thanks for the feedback. The aluminum seems automatic if one is refreshing the suspension.