Camber
These control arms start with a minimum of -2 degrees of camber at a moderate ride height and can be adjusted all the way to -6 degrees of camber (max negative camber may vary depending on ride height). This is achieved by utilizing a high quality, low-profile design SPC ball joint that provides maximum clearance for lowered cars. It works in conjunction with a slide plate welded directly to the arm that allows the camber to be adjusted. The ball joint is secured with a large 27mm locknut that's torqued to 120 ft-lbs to prevent it from slipping. The ball joint is completely sealed to retain grease and stay protected from the elements.
Caster
This control arm provides approximately +6 to +7.5 degrees of caster. This added caster results in improved straight line stability, increased steering wheel self-centering ability, and increased dynamic camber gain. The control arm is designed to have 3 different caster settings based on the arrangement of the included shims. For each bushing on the control arm, there are two shims (4 per side). If two shims are arranged towards the rear of the car on both bushings, you'll obtain the least amount of caster. If the shims are arranged with one on each side of both bushings, that would set caster in the mid-range. Lastly, if two shims are arranged at the front of both bushings, you'll obtain the maximum amount of caster.
Bushings
Since we designed this control arm to take extensive abuse on the race track, we opted for a larger pillowball style bushing to be able to handle more dynamic loads without overworking the bushing. The pillowball bushings are also sealed to retain grease and repel debris to ensure maximum longevity. Without the deflection experienced with standard rubber bushings, the pillowball design provides a direct and sharp steering feel while cornering.
Made in the USA
We're proud of many things that went into this component, but we're most proud of it being 100% designed and manufactured here in the USA. We always look towards longterm sustainability, so we do our best to reduce the risk of being exposed to tarrifs and potential global supply chain issues. When having to source components such as the ball joints, we're ecstatic about using yet another US-based company to complete our products. We're aiming to not only source balljoints for the TSX, but future platforms like the Civic, Integra, Prelude, S2000, and Miata.
How it all Started
Our goal was to go endurance racing and we settled on the TSX platform as our chassis of choice. We won't get into the details on why this was the perfect platform, but it made sense and that's how we eventually acquired the first chassis. In the early stages of development, we started off with a Skunk2 camber kit which provided only +2 degrees of caster and roughly -2.7 degrees of camber. The Skunk2 ball joint did end up slipping a few times after some track use. This ultimately led us to set the goal of gaining more negative camber, more caster, and to address slip issues.
We race with the ChampCar Endurance Series and they do a great job rewarding the doers and the builders. We pivoted away from the Skunk2 control arms and started testing custom arms that allowed us to run up to -5 degrees of camber and +8 degrees of caster. Over time we dialed our car to -3.9 degrees of camber and +7.5 degrees of caster. We achieved this by using an SPC ball joint which has never actually slipped. It definitely wasn't the prettiest arm, but it did the job and provided us with the data we needed to move forward with what would then be, the first real iteration; V1.
Testing Process
We ran this newly developed arm for a few test days before seeing any real racing. After a successful first outing, we put the control arm through more than 60 hours of racing conditions and experienced all sorts of curbing, off-track excursions, unfortunate contact with barriers (and cars), while being piloted by multiple experienced drivers. We wanted to make sure that these arms could take the abuse. The results speak for themselves after earning several podiums (In-class and Overall!). We had no issues with balljoint slip, clearing the shocktower, and had excellent tire wear.
Some anecdotal feedback we acquired from experienced drivers:
“... it (front-end) turns like a S2000”
“... yeah, high speed stability …. non-issue”
“... I like.... stock caster so trassssh”
Hero Time Racing TSX Basic Specs:
2,600lbs (full fuel, no driver) with 215whp
Penske non-adjustable dampers
16k front and 12k rear springs
No aero
17x10 wheels
255/35R17, 200tw tires
Wilwood 12.2" rotor and SuperLite calipers
Volvo power steering pump
Charlie's Final Thoughts
"We designed these to be for our car and our car only. I floated the idea of maybe offering a milder UCA to the public, but I wanted to be fair to our clients who believe in us. I'd assure them they would get the best that we could offer. We went back to the V1 design to simply make it more adjustable.
These UCA's changed the behavior of the TSX. I own several track FWD Honda's, S2000's, and Miata's. The turn-in is so much sharper and it makes high speed maneuvers and passing significantly more stable. It feels so planted even without aero and achieves more cornering grip without the need of adding excessive static camber.
It's rare for race teams to sell what they designed specifically to give them the advantage over others. As we continue to find new ways to optimize the car, it allows us to release some of the best products we can offer."
