UMI Performance 78-88 GM G-Body Upper & Lower A-Arm Hardware Kit

Complete Front Upper and Lower A-Arm Pivot Hardware for the 1978-1988 GM G-Body

A full front A-arm swap on a G-Body means eight pivot points and two different bolt lengths, and nothing stalls that job faster than discovering halfway through that the upper hardware is not in the box. This kit covers both the upper and the lower front control arm pivots in a single bag of Grade 10.9 zinc coated bolts, flat washers and nylon insert lock nuts.

It is the wider of UMI's two G-Body A-arm fastener kits. Where the 3011 kit addresses the lower arms only and also covers the third generation F-Body, this one is G-Body specific and includes the upper pivot hardware as well, which is the reason to choose it when the whole front end is coming apart.

Key Features

• Covers both upper and lower front control arm pivots on the 1978-1988 G-Body.
• Grade 10.9 bolts, the metric high-strength class UMI publishes for this kit.
• Zinc finish on every fastener for corrosion resistance in the wheel arch.
• Nylon insert lock nuts throughout.
• Flat washers included to spread clamp load across the bushing sleeve faces.
• Direct bolt-on with no modifications, per UMI's product data.
• G-Body specific lengths rather than a generic assortment.

Fitment

UMI publishes this kit for the 1978-1988 GM G-Body only. There is no F-Body coverage, which is the key difference from UMI's 3011 lower-arm kit. UMI publishes year, make and model only for this part number and lists no submodel or trim breakdown, so the fitment tags on this listing stop at model rather than inventing a trim.

One documented inconsistency in UMI's own data: this product page lists the Oldsmobile Cutlass as 1981-1988, while UMI's 3011, 3028, 3034 and 3035 pages list the same platform as 1978-1988 and nothing in the engineering description changes by Cutlass model year. This listing publishes the 1978-1988 G-Body range that four other UMI pages agree on, and the conservative buyer-facing statement remains to confirm the year on a Cutlass build before ordering.

Specifications

What's Included

• Grade 10.9 bolts for the front upper control arm pivots
• Grade 10.9 bolts for the front lower control arm pivots
• Flat washers
• Nylon insert lock nuts
• All fasteners zinc coated

That is the full published contents. No installation sheet exists for part 3013, and UMI documents no grease packet, shims, cross-shafts or ball joint hardware with the kit. Because UMI publishes no quantities, this listing does not state a piece count.

About UMI Performance

UMI Performance builds chassis and suspension parts at 509 Hemlock Street in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, using North American raw material from USA steel suppliers, machine-guided precision DOM tube bending, laser-cut plating and welds laid by skilled and robotic welders. Its catalogue splits front A-arm hardware into two kits so a buyer replacing lower arms only does not pay for upper hardware. This is the wider of the two, built to G-Body pivot lengths, and it is a plated fastener kit rather than one of UMI's powder coated fabricated parts.

FAQ

Two things. This kit covers the front upper and lower A-arm pivots, while 3011 covers the lower arms only. In exchange, 3011 also fits the 1982-1992 F-Body, and this kit is published for the 1978-1988 G-Body alone. Choose on which arms you are replacing and on which platform.

No. UMI publishes this part number for the 1978-1988 GM G-Body only. For a third generation Camaro or Firebird lower A-arm installation, UMI's 3011 kit is the one that lists F-Body coverage.

They are ratings from two different systems. Grade 10.9 is a metric property class and Grade 8 is an SAE grade. A major retailer of UMI hardware describes metric 10.9 as equal in strength to American Grade 8, which is why you will occasionally see the same kit described both ways. UMI publishes Grade 10.9, and that is what this listing states.

Metric. UMI's grade designation for the kit is the metric 10.9 property class, and a supplier describes the bolts as 12 mm. Use metric sockets and do not mix in an SAE bolt of similar diameter, because the thread pitch will not match.

No. UMI publishes the contents as bolts, flat washers and nylon lock nuts. Alignment shims, upper cross-shafts and ball joint castle nuts are not part of this kit and are either reused from the car or supplied with the control arms themselves.

It will supply the upper pivot hardware, but you will be paying for the lower hardware as well. If the lower arms are staying on the car and their hardware is sound, that is the trade-off to weigh. Many builders buy the full kit anyway because the lower bolts are the ones most likely to be seized when the job expands.

UMI's page for this part number lists the Cutlass as 1981-1988, while its 3011, 3028, 3034 and 3035 pages list the same platform as 1978-1988, and nothing in the engineering description of this kit changes by Cutlass model year. This listing publishes the wider 1978-1988 range that the other four pages agree on. On a Cutlass build, confirm the pivot hardware against the car.

For a brief test fit and immediate reassembly, yes in practice. For a final torque on a front suspension pivot, no. The nylon collar is deformed by the thread on first use and a reused lock nut has reduced prevailing torque.

UMI publishes the kit as G-Body specific and direct bolt-on, which is written against factory pivot geometry. Tubular arms from any manufacturer, including UMI's own, generally reuse that geometry, but a third party arm with an unusually long bushing sleeve can need a longer bolt. Compare the new bolt with the original before assembly.

UMI publishes no torque figure for this part number and no UMI installation sheet exists for it, so this listing does not print one. Use the General Motors factory service information for your exact year and model, and follow the instruction sheet that came with the control arms these fasteners are being used on. Torque values printed on UMI sheets for other part numbers belong to those parts.

UMI publishes a two year warranty from the original date of purchase against defects in materials and workmanship, to the original purchaser only, and it is not transferable. The same policy excludes misuse, exceeding the design limits of the product, improper installation, altered product, non-UMI components, incidental costs such as towing and labour, and normal wear items including bearings and bushings. UMI also states it cannot guarantee compatibility with other manufacturers' components. Note that the printed sheet in the box still carries an older, narrower disclaimer that predates the current two year term. The policy page is the current document. Neither is a Black Ops Auto Works warranty.

Installation Instructions

1. Support the car on stands and unload the front suspension as described in the instruction sheet supplied with your control arms.
2. Work one corner at a time so the opposite side stays assembled as a reference.
3. Remove the upper and lower pivot fasteners, noting the position of any factory alignment shims at the upper cross-shaft so the same stack can be reproduced.
4. Sort the new hardware by length before you begin, since the kit contains bolts for two different pivot positions.
5. Compare each new bolt with the original it replaces, then fit it with a flat washer under the head and, where the original assembly used one, under the nut.
6. Run the nylon insert lock nuts down finger tight and leave every joint loose until the arm is positioned and any shims are back in place.
7. Lower the car so the suspension carries its weight at ride height before final tightening.
8. Tighten to the value published in the General Motors factory service information for your exact year and model, then recheck after a short drive and have the front end aligned.

UMI publishes no installation sheet and no torque figure for part 3013, so no number is printed here. Do not substitute a torque value from a different UMI part number.