Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.   The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…   When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

  Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…  

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

      OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.   A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.     The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

UCA3881H-TOUR has been developed if looking for a fit and forget option which has a 1 degree caster increase (about the same as a good alignment from any adjustable UCA) & will only move the wheel rearward approx. 6mm. This will minimise any clearance issue whilst still offering all the advantages of improved clearances to the coil tower & tyre to the UCA with an increase in caster and camber correction for improved wheel alignment.

 

UCA3881H is the original design developed with 3 degrees of fixed caster increase – this moves the upper balljoint rearward approx. 18mm. This movement pushes the wheel rearward reducing the amount of clearance to the guards, which is an issue as the Hilux has quite small guards anyway and is compounded by the fitment of larger tyre’s and various wheel offsets. This will require the fitter to identify the clearance issues to be overcome and make the required changes – once fitted you will have the best! wheel alignment potential from any aftermarket UCA on the market. It is assumed you will have the basic knowledge of how wheel alignments work to get to this stage and understand what is involved with modified vehicles.

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

For any increased camber requirements please use Whiteline bushing W53270 (adds +/- 0.75deg camber)

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

UCA4729Q suits all MQ, MR Tritons and Pajero Sport models. These vehicles have clearance issues from factory where any large bore aftermarket strut is fitted reducing clearance and subsequently the ability to achieve any positive caster…

The Blackhawk UCA’s move the ball joint rearward providing additional caster in the UCA so you don’t need to try and adjust the lower camber bolts to gain bulk caster – only fine tuning. The Blackhawk UCA’s also have a relief pressed into the tube where the strut intersects increasing the available clearance. Once Blackhawk UCA’s are fitted to the vehicle you will need a wheel alignment immediately as the parameters have changed and it will potentially cause the strut to hit the new UCA’s – this is because the vehicle has already been adjusted to maximise caster (which is very minimal from factory) to having considerably more @ 3 degrees with UCA’s fitted. If clearance is an immediate issue you can adjust the camber bolts to remove the current caster to provide clearance to drive to the wheel alignment center.

Suitable for fitment on all variants of Triton & Pajero sport with OE droop stoops able to be fitted without modification – we even provide more clearance here for those running aftermarket struts can choose to remove some of the supplied shims for increased suspension travel. It is strongly recommended to check all lengths and clearances if doing this. Now there is no need to cut the factory rubber droop stop when fitting aftermarket suspension.

Head light sensor arm is incorporated on the Drivers side arm where relevant for vehicle with factory headlight aiming.

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

UCA4727C will suit all Isuzu Dmax’s from 2012-2019 up to but not including the latest generation. The 2020 RG Dmax is a different design with product development underway.

The UCA4727C also suits all variants of Holden Colorado, Colorado 7, Trailblazer etc from 2012 to 2016. Facelift Colorado’s from 2017-2020 require the updated version with part number UCA4670C which has an updated ball joint to suit this vehicle.

 

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

For any increased camber requirements please use Whiteline bushing W53270 (adds +/- 0.75deg camber)

 

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

For any increased camber requirements please use Whiteline bushing W53270 (adds +/- 0.75deg camber)

 

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The UCA4981NV2 suits all D40’s & D23 Navara that have 2 camber pins in the lower control arm. Some D40 Navara’s are only fitted with 1 camber pin for wheel alignment adjustment in the lower control which limits the amount of adjustability that can be achieved. When fitting the aftermarket Blackhawk UCA’s it moves the alignment scope to far out for potential camber adjustment with only 1 pin and is therefore not recommended.

 

UCA4981N has evolved into UCA4981NV2 which offers an additional 0.50 degree negative camber and increased clearance from front UCA tube to coil tower on full droop. The Blackhawk UCA’s are one of the only UCA’s that will achieve good alignments at 70mm of lift and not touch the coil tower!

For taller lifts you can fit BJ4085 extended ball joint to achieve good alignments.

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

• It has been identified some Spanish models only have 1 camber adjusting bolt on the front lower control arm. The Blackhawk UCA’s will not suit these vehicles due to their limited scope for alignment.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

UCA5251P will suit all versions of Y62 Patrol from S1 – S5 with standard type of HBMC suspension providing increased caster to give a firmer, sure footed feel to your wheel alignments offering increased control especially when fitting larger rubber. Developed to overcome two key issues on the Y62 being more clearance from the UCA to the tyre with larger tyre’s (i.e 35x 12.5’s.) on factory rims & the potential for more droop.

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

UCA3881H is developed with 3 degrees of fixed caster increase – this moves the upper balljoint rearward approx. 18mm. This movement pushes the wheel rearward reducing the amount of clearance to the guards, which is an issue as the Hilux has quite small guards anyway and is compounded by the fitment of larger tyre’s and various wheel offsets. This will require the fitter to identify the clearance issues to be overcome and make the required changes – once fitted you will have the best! wheel alignment potential from any aftermarket UCA on the market. It is assumed you will have the basic knowledge of how wheel alignments work to get to this stage and understand what is involved with modifying vehicles.

UCA3881H-TOUR has been developed if looking for a fit and forget option which has a 1 degree caster increase (about the same as a good alignment from any adjustable UCA) & will only move the wheel rearward approx. 6mm. This will minimise any clearance issue whilst still offering all the advantages of improved clearances to the coil tower & tyre to the UCA with an increase in caster and camber correction for improved wheel alignment.

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

 

For any increased camber requirements please use Whiteline bushing W53270 (adds +/- 0.75deg camber)

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.

Designed to maximise clearance and travel, while giving 3 degrees of caster to suit 50-70mm lift, with bonded rubber bushes and to take the factory ball joint for maximum reliablity.

Blackhawk 4×4 have identified a requirement for a program supplying replacement Upper control arm’s (UCA) that are fitted to a wide range of late model IFS vehicles. As a result we have developed the Blackhawk program – a product that will bolt in with marked improvements over the OE design.

 

The evolution of the Blackhawk UCA’s…

 

When a vehicle has raised suspension and this can be anything from 30mm or above, it will disrupt the vehicles relationship with factory set geometry and create issues such as…

• Reduced caster correction – causing vague steering and response
• Bump steer resulting in reduced handling – with an out of control feeling
• Clearance issues to suspension & wheels/tyres – larger wheels can hit suspension components
• Some standard vehicles can have an issue of the UCA hitting the coil on full droop,
• Strength of OE equipment in offroad scenarios –

 

Roadsafe 4WD have developed their UCA range of product drawing from over 30 years of experience in the manufacture & supply of chassis parts including but not limited to steering & suspension components. The Blackhawk UCA’s have been designed in conjunction with industry experts to ensure vehicle fitment is comprehensive. In this process we identified a large number of issues that can be present, resulting in a list of features we included to overcome these issues…

 

• 3 degrees of fixed Caster correction, we’ve identified this as a good amount of correction required for lifts ranging from 30-70mm, by providing a bulk – fixed amount of caster, this offers the ability to utilise the factory adjustment to fine tune the caster required for your vehicles lift, with the UCA not being the limiting factor for increased droop relative to the other components.
• Camber change to meet OE spec, if your application requires increased camber, we can offer offset bushings to provide more camber.
• Clearance to larger aftermarket wheels & tyres – we often see larger than standard size tyres with wheel offsets having clearance issues to the OE UCA, our Blackhawk UCA’s minimise this as much as possible.
• Clearance to suspension components & chassis – a large number of OE UCA’s hit the coil or the chassis mounts on during the suspension travel limiting the amount of travel you can achieve, with revised bends and clearances identified the Blackhawk UCA’s will not contact the strut or the chassis limiting travel unless specifically designed to do so.

 

• Fixed position balljoint – Blackhawk UCA’s do not use an adjustable balljoint, with a fixed location balljoint we are able to offer OE specification for the ball joint itself.
  • The position of the balljoint housings have been rotated to ensure the balljoint is not the limiting factor with maximum down travel. Roadsafe specifically chose a fixed ball joint for a number of reasons – in offroad applications the ball joint receives a large amount of “bump” loads, which over time can either knock an adjustable ball joint out of position leading to increased tyre wear due to a change in caster. Changing from a fixed balljoint mount reduces the structural integrity of the mount and the mounting platform of the balljoint, with any remote traveling we need to ensure strength and reliability is not compromised.
  • There will never be a need to adjust or re-adjust your caster once established with the Blackhawk arms as the balljoint cannot be knocked out of position.
• Maintain OE specification ball joint & bushings – regardless of where you may go, if you need to replace a balljoint or bushing you can use genuine replacement parts or aftermarket OE specification replacement items, regardless of how remote you are at home or abroad.

 

• Ball joint binding – Often we see the ball joint limiting the amount of down travel because the OE ball stud hits the side of the ball joint housing, this creates a stress point on the ball stud creating an environment for potential terminal failure of the ball joint, it also limits the amount of down travel possible when used in conjunction with aftermarket suspension and longer shock lengths.
• Securing ABS lines – we incorporate tabs and mounts where practical so the OE lines can be secured discreetly where possible, reducing the potential of sticks and other debris from damaging the sensitive lines.
• Increased strength compared to the OE design – The design of the Blackhawk arms have shown with the use of FEA to be much stiffer than the OE arms, providing the driver with increased handling and response when the Blackhawk arms are fitted when compared to the OE arms, this is illustrated by the amount of deflection the FEA results have provided, with 3 times less deflection in the Blackhawk UCA’s.

Does this rigidity negatively transfer to the vehicle – No, because the Blackhawk arms use OE Rubber bushing, any NVH (Noise, Vibration and harshness) is absorbed in the rubber bushings before it makes it way to the chassis, you may find an increase in wear in the bushings which is directly related to how you drive the vehicle, the bushings are a consumable component of any vehicle, however you should expect years of trouble free service before the need to replace the bushings.

• Heavy Duty Long life Balljoints – Roadsafe 4wd specially redesigned the OE balljoint into a heavy duty application, due to the nature of the application the 4wding community require a serviceable component, so we have a balljoint that is manufactured in the “hard to hard” style with a locating nylon disc that the ball stud terminates against, grease is pumped into the assembly through the top keeping everything lubricated and keeping any potential contaminants out of the boot region. The ball studs and seat area of the housing are all heat treated forming a hardened surface with the purpose of long life and limited wear.
• Dust Cap – Blackhawk arms that utilise a press in balljoint feature a machined alloy dust cap which is anodized black with engraved Blackhawk logo to deter corrosion etc, as a result creating a sealed housing to remove the balljoint from the elements such as water, dust & mud ensuring they are in the best possible environment.
• Finish – All arms are sand blasted upon completion and E coated black for a durable discreet finish, E coating is the same process the vehicles manufacturer used for the original equipment you are replacing.

 

 

 

OEM & Blackhawk Upper control arm samples have been computer modeled and subsequently FEA tested with static and bump/lateral load tests, these results have been reviewed and certified by VASS Engineers locally who unequivocally confirm the design and materials chosen to manufacture the Blackhawk arms by long term suspension manufacturer Roadsafe Automotive products, and that they are of sound design and furthermore exceed the original equipment by design in strength and functionality.

 

A key feature identified by the FEA testing was the amount of deflection seen between the OE component and the Blackhawk UCA, with the Blackhawk arms being 3 times stiffer than the original equipment, resulting in significant increased handling and feel of your vehicle as the suspension cycles.

 

 

The manufacturing process is controlled by Roadsafe with a range of Quality Assurance procedures in place, some of these include…

• Welding specifications, Material & procedure
• Material selection
• Manufacturing jigs inspected for conformity regularly
• Random post manufacturing QC checks
• ISO/TS16949:2009
• IATF number 0224504 – Manufacture of steering and suspension parts

Based on years of experience in manufacturing a large volume of suspension components, Roadsafe is able to ensure the manufacturing process is of standard delivering a high quality component to market.