Hot Rods So-Cal Hairpin Radius Rod Kit. Worth double the price of Speedway?

Looking at Hairpin Radius Rod Kit-Plain Steel from So-Cal which runs about $500. Similar Speedway runs less than half of So-Cal. The So-Cal's stainless steel one runs about $700 and the again speedway runs half the price of So-Cal.

Suggestions please!

 

Unlike I've heard a lot around here, I've never had an issue with anything from speedway. I've bought a lot of suspension and brake kits from them.

 

You already know the answer to the question. Chop chop. No tickee no hairpins.

 

Keep in mind Speedway's hairpins are not stainless.

 

So-cal pricing may change https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/so-cal-speed-shop-closing-its-doors.1203682/

 

With any of these critical parts, safety is paramount, your life might depend on it. Price should never be the reason to buy a critical part.
Not sure if So-Cal and Speedway source their stuff from the same suppliers, but in the past 20 years a lot of stuff where you knew was OK may not be anymore, hate to say the dirty word, but maybe critical parts should come with an engineers certificate, at least you could have a fall back if something happened.

 

Have used Speedway hairpins and suspension components on the Hilltown Shaker for years , many wheelies and rough trailer rides over the years and no issues at all

 

Every vendor I use has about the same price range difference between stainless and plain steel.kind of a universal and I guess, understandable range. Stainless" quality varies a great deal. Determination of stainless quality and actual grade is a murkey deal at best. One would hope that high quality stuff would be supplied across the board by reputable suppliers, especially the " big" names mentioned by the OP . I can't say that I feel all that positive about that just based on name awareness. It would be a big plus for the industry if they voluntarily provided some sort of certification to standard for critical suspension parts. Sort of the same requirements any manufacturing plant provides for critical use parts, is what I envision. Such certs. would maybe remove some of the questions and concerns concerning parts quality, reliability, and price, such as posted above.

 

Exactly..... some people gotta have a certain name on the box to make them feel warm and fuzzy, but if i shit in a box, write a big famous name on it, it doesn't mean you gotta buy it. But it makes some folks gravitate to it.

 

I don't have any clue how many ladder bars and hairpins I've built with bungs and heim joints purchased from speedway. Probably 20 sets? Hell I don't remember lol. Drove the wheels off of every car and even customer cars. I never wrote a letter of certification on any of them. It's Hot Rodding. Not a Prius and coffee thing.

 

I hate to say it but as good as So-Cal stuff is, and I have purchased from them and Speedway I tend to see So-Cal as paying more for just the name.

 

This thread made me wonder . Is there any wall thickness differences between manufacturers?

 

I have used both on customer cars and currently have 3 cars with the So-Cal stainless hairpin kit. I personally like the style of the So-Cal hairpins along with their stainless bat wings with built in shock mounts and panard bar tab. I guess I'm probably a little to picky about ascetics? The So-Cal kit is a high quality product.

 

Do you know of anyone who provides an engineer's certificate?

 

Here you go: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Front-Hairpin-Radius-Rods-27-Inch-Polished-Stainless,32083.html

 

I use parts from both companies and have for years. I went with SoCal for the hairpins on my roadster because I liked the style best of all of the offerings and I was too lazy to build my own.

 

Oh, please no. Don't turn it into certified parts like aircraft parts. Just making a part FAA certified probably runs prices up 300% or more just because of the certs. Personal responsibility shouldn't be made obsolete.

Lynn

 

I took some pics at the Nats a few years ago. Now I don't know about the quality of either brand but I noticed that the "hairpins" for the Speedway are plated rather than stainless. I didn't check to see if the SoCal ones are/aren't stainless or plated. Here is a picture of a Speedway axle. If their hairpins aren't any better than this, I would look elsewhere.

Edit: I was wrong as Tman pointed out below. For some reason (senility ?) I was thinking that was a Speedway emblem. That being said, I would still be concerned about plating quality on aftermarket parts. A good chrome job lasts a long time. I purchased some 57 Chevy bumpers from a vendor at the Louisville swap meet many years ago. They looked great and the price was decent. I installed the rear bumper and as soon as the morning dew got on it, it developed a rusty looking color. Wiped it off, and the next morning the same thing happened. I went to get the front bumper out of my basement and noticed it had flaked off in one spot....and I hadn't even installed it. So I'm pretty adverse to buying things with lackluster plating. I'd be very careful about what I bought because cheap prices often reflect problems later on. Anyway, My Bad and thanks for pointing it out T-man !

Speedway does sell Super Bell axles, so I wonder who makes the Speedway ones?

 

Thats a Suberbell axle. One that has probably been on the road for decades.

 

That is a Super Bell axle & they have been making those for 30+ years , so don't knock it because of the chrome , besides , maybe the guy likes driving it more than cleaning it . . .

 

I have used both SoCal and Speedway ones. The SoCal is def a better product. The speedway ones were fine with the exceptiong of having to chase the threads on one set a few years ago. The Welds looked nicer and the batwings were definitely nicer on the SoCal hairpins. They look very similar till you put them side by side, and you can see the socal is just nicer quality. That being said, I still prefer split wishbones over hair pins.

 

I don't know how long its been on the car, but the car itself doesn't appear to be an older build or something thats even driven in bad weather. Didn't get the license plate so I don't know what state its from.....maybe the rust belt. Patina ?

 

Unless he bought it used, I doubt its been on a car for 30 years or so. Everything else on the front end looks pretty decent, and I don't think rust on a chrome axle when the rest of the car is spotless (and probably fiberglass) is there for patina. Someone who goes to the trouble to put stainless and chrome suspension on their car isn't likely to keep all of it clean except for the axle. It was a crappy plating job and thats why it rusted in a spot like that.
I took a lot of pictures that day and looked at a lot of 32s......specifically at suspensions and steering set ups. That was the only one I remember seeing that had rust on it.

 

Don't blame a rusty chrome job on the axle maker. Plenty of parts get plated after purchase.

As to the OP, I'd look over the catalog pics very closely and maybe even ask the vendors for wall thicknesses. But then realize the welds and hardware will probably never be known as to source and quality. Gotsta take your chances there.

 

I have never bought the speedway stuff but I did buy the SoCal hairpins for my 34. They are stainless, they are perfect in every regard. I don't mind spending money on suspension, tires, brakes and steering though. A cheap paint job won't kill ya!

 

"The more you spend the more it's worth"!

 

Speedway offers a stainless product as listed above. Plated, or stainless.

 

I have a set of Speedway plain hairpins. When they arrived, I looked 'em over pretty good. I don't see anything wrong with them.

 

Your asking for MORE govt control & the obligatory " much " higher prices , NO THANK YOU !