Bolt a sway bar link, one end only, with bushings, onto a LCA or anything else handy. Try moving the other end perpendicular to the arm. See how easily it moves? That's the "added strength" (not) that it imparts to a LCA setup.
Now bolt a tension strut, with bushing, into a K. Try moving it fore and aft (parallel to the rod). You can barely move it -- in fact, it acts very similarly to a ball joint. That's how the stock setup locates the LCA against road impacts, braking forces, et. al.
Rick
So then given that have you welded lca stiffening plates to your Valiant?
Because a U shape will bend somewhat, a box won't very much at all if any.
If the strut rod is indeed bearing most of the fore-aft load in an OEM setup then there will be very little bending moment in the lca (fore and aft direction). Assuming the strut rod is acting efficiently that is.
bullcrap, sheetmetal bends and needs to be reinforced against flexing by welding a thick plate on the surface the rod is attached to, and/or by boxing the U shape of the control arm. At least on a performance vehicle. Stock street vehicle won't need it just to drive to the store and back, even a spirited drive.
I learned a long time ago to pick my battles, why are you bantering with a guy only hours ago who made an unsupported statement about sway bars, and imo this waste of electrons just muddys up a thread that was covering a lot of ground
Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
