Modified Arms for Show - Molding Arms

When it’s time to show your ride at car events, you always want to take any opportunities you can to get the upper edge on the competition. From chrome undercarriages to painting the belly of a build, now, more than ever, people focus on the details involved that can separate the best from the rest.

In this month’s suspension tech, we stopped at Low Life Hydraulics in Inglewood, CA., a shop that has been in business for over 16 years. This shop’s staff has earned a great reputation as being suspensions experts, as they have been molding, plating, and cleaning them up to show quality standards at their facility. Some of the benefits that you will gain from extending the arms and plating them include increased strength and the proper camber needed for driving.

Now follow along, as Rick’s crew at Low Life Hydraulics show us how they extend and mold A-arms for show, or in some cases, for street riding.

1. Low Life Hydraulics is known for custom suspensions.

2. This Impala A-arm was ready to be extended.

3. Stencils were used to cut out the plates to mold and reinforce the stock arms.

4. Using the cut off torch, the plates were made.

5. The metal plates were checked for precision.

6. A metal reamer was used to clean off the slab left from the torch.

7. To clear the cylinder and to streamline the arms, the edges were cut.

8. To keep the heat off the arms, they were bent with a manual break.

9. As you can see, the plates were being shaped to the arm and needed one last adjustment before being welded onto the arms.

10. The ends of the plate were tack-welded, starting from one end to the other.

11. The welds were spread out to keep the plates from warping caused by the heat.

12. Once the plates were all tacked into place, they started laying the welding beads.

13. The beads were allowed to cool off, avoiding any warping from the arms.

14. As you can see, the beads were done in sections and once they cooled off, they continued to weld them up.

15. Once the arm was welded up, it was ground down and shaped.

16. This arm was ready to be chromed or powder coated.

17. Low Life offers these arms completely finished, much like this arm that was chrome plated.

18. From powder coat to a chrome plated finish, these arms will help you earn the show points needed to get an edge on the competition while keeping your car looking stylish.