FCAB Life

[ac427]

Is it me or do FCAB's just not last very long even with road use only?

I got sick of replacing poly inserts in aftermarket FCAB's. So i went back to OEM. I now have a clonk on hard braking This is usually the first sign of the end for an FCAB.

Do the aftermarket FCAB's that come with grease nipples for lubricantion, fair any better in terms of longevity?

[1000hp]

I have these. They're sealed and greasable, and make the steering feel rock solid.

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-394376-turner-motorsport-control-arm-monoball-upgrade/

[George Hill]

E46 M3 FCABs are solid and in my experience last a long time. Non-M that are oil filled do not last very long.

[Estoril]

I haven't had that experience.

[bigjae46]

Ran OEM FCABs for a decade on my track car, zero issues.

[Casa de Mesa]

Have had Turners on mine since 2013. But that's pre-ECS so...

[1000hp]

Ran OEM FCABs for a decade on my track car, zero issues.

Im sure they hold up OK, but I'd never go back to stock after these monoballs. They made the steering feel as good as the internet says it feels.

[bigjae46]

Im sure they hold up OK, but I'd never go back to stock after these monoballs. They made the steering feel as good as the internet says it feels.

Yeah, totally agreed. Although I would consider the monoballs not as robust as the OE rubber. Despite that...monoballs are the way to go.

[9kracing]

Funnily enough, the FACBs are the only thing not spherical on my car.

The FCAB is a single axis rotation, I feel like delrin is the better choice for this location.

But then again, WTF do I know

[ac427]

i think a lot of garages just don't know who to fit them properly. The inserts get torn up because of a lack of lube.

The idea, at least for aftermarket FCAB's, is that the insert rotates in the lollipop holder. Rogue and other's moved to a design which has a grease nipple.

[OldRanger]

The OEM option is solid. I have them on one of our cars, and the Bimmerworld TrackCAB on our dedicated track car.

I can’t imagine a reason why not to use the OEM option outside of track use. Even then, I think the minor wandering in the hardest braking zones could be mostly attributed to camber on the track surface or some condition causing variables in grip from side to side.

[1000hp]

I can’t imagine a reason why not to use the OEM option outside of track use.

I found the stock steering to be entirely too light and vague on center. Even after reducing steering assist 25% with pressure regulator shims, the steering felt like mush across a ~10-degree spread in the middle.

The spherical bushings fixed probably 75% of that. Again, the feel with the monoballs is as solid and direct as the youtubers make it out to be in their glowing reviews of the steering in these cars.

This is a street and mountain twisty roads car. Don't give two shits about track performance or lap times. Just want to enjoy the drive, and the monoballs made a major improvement in the overall experience.

[OldRanger]

I found the stock steering to be entirely too light and vague on center. Even after reducing steering assist 25% with pressure regulator shims, the steering felt like mush across a ~10-degree spread in the middle.

my apologies if I overlooked this in your post but is your steering rack original equipment? On one of our cars the 2002 we replaced a steering rack and it largely corrected that Symp you’re referring to.

[1000hp]

my apologies if I overlooked this in your post but is your steering rack original equipment? On one of our cars the 2002 we replaced a steering rack and it largely corrected that Symp you’re referring to.

I believe so. It's the stock rack, if not the original rack. Fixing other worn stuff (rtabs, etc...) made improvements. But even with everything else freshened-up and new I found the steering feel kinda lackluster. The monoballs are a must, IMO.