STEP
With the crossmember securely in place, the
lower control arms are test-fitted and then
measured to ensure everything is straight
and where it should be relative to the
measurements the boys made in Step 01The new crossmember
is measured up and
welded into place. The
Rod Shop can adapt
these independent front
suspension set-ups for
basically any car. They just
have to adjust the length of
the main beam according to
how much space is between
the two chassis rails. XR-XY
Falcons are pretty common,
so the boys already had the
part ready to go
STEP
The Rod Shop’s 5mm-wall tubular control arms aren’t
made from cheap, thin steel. After all, they have to be
able to hold the weight of a blown 700ci big-block while
doing all the crazy theatrics we expect from the top-level
burnout cars. They’re engineered to hold 1000kg per side!Sparks fly as the crossmember that the steering rack and
control arms are mounted to is cut from the chassis rails.
It will be replaced by a much stronger and chunkier unit,
made in-house from laser-cut steel. First the top control arm
mounts are cut off, followed by the main beam connecting the
passenger- and driver’s-side chassis rails. The rails are then
smoothed back to clean metal, ready to mount the new gearSTEP
ATRISK arrived at Castlemaine Rod Shop basically as a
rolling shell, with the motor, trans and front body panels all
removed to make the job as easy as possible for the boys.
First, the locations of the existing control arms and hub
assemblies are measured, to ensure the new gear goes in
exactly the same spot so that the tyres sit in the same place.
Then it’s all removed and thrown in the binSTEP