Welcome to Club Hot Rod!  The premier site for everything to do with Hot Rod, Customs, Low Riders, Rat Rods, and more. 

  •  » Members from all over the US and the world!
  •  » Help from all over the world for your questions
  •  » Build logs for you and all members
  •  » Blogs
  •  » Image Gallery
  •  » Many thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of posts! 

YES! I want to register an account for free right now!  p.s.: For registered members this ad will NOT show

 

Thread: front suspension plans
          
   
   

Reply To Thread
Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    front suspension plans

     



    Been doing a bit of studying on a front suspension set up I want to try on the 'maro for sure, and maybe on the '57 too...

    On the same design as the 'maro's from '82 to ?? and the Mustang's from '97 to '04 using a lower control arm and a McPherson strut. Playing with the design on a suspension simulator and in the shop on some stuff I mocked up I've discovered that I can really limit the camber gain as compared to a conventional suspension with upper and lower arms. On the Mustang stuff I mocked up, I can eliminate the camber gain going to negative on the inside tire and actually make it go positive....result being bigger tire patch on the ground in hard turns at full suspension compression.... Can't quite get the 'maro stuff to do the same thing, but I can still play with mount points for the lower control arm and strut top yet...

    Both the Mustang and Camaro style have coilover conversion kits available to convert the strut to a coilover strut setup, just a sleeve and spring cups. Shop is too crowded to mock things up on a frame so I can put a rack and pinion on it and set up the bump steer fixture, but so far the geometry looks good.

    What else should I be checking, and what am I leaving out before I proceed a whole lot farther????
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  2. #2
    RadRidesByDan's Avatar
    RadRidesByDan is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    175

    this is what Im using for my project......2003 to 2008 crown vic fron end....comes off in one complete piece including rack and pinion......may be someting else for you to look at.......it measures 34 inches between the rails mounts


    Here's what the front piece looks like.
    http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...RatRod/A15.jpg
    http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...RatRod/A16.jpg
    Never take life too serious.....You wont make it out alive

  3. #3
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Quote Originally Posted by RadRidesByDan View Post
    this is what Im using for my project......2003 to 2008 crown vic fron end....comes off in one complete piece including rack and pinion......may be someting else for you to look at.......it measures 34 inches between the rails mounts


    Here's what the front piece looks like.
    http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...RatRod/A15.jpg
    http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...RatRod/A16.jpg
    I've been through them, way too big and bulky for what I want... friend brought his over, took the coil spring out and hooked up the caster/camber gauge and ran it though it's travel.....way too many changes in camber for what I'm after....

    Having been around this Hot Rod stuff so many years, to me the Crown Vic thing is just a modern version of the Camaro/Nova sub frame on anything that was so big in the late 70's, early 80's.....
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  4. #4
    echnidna's Avatar
    echnidna is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Garvoc, Australia
    Posts
    71

    Hi Dave, you might find this thread from the Brit rodsnsods forum helpful .

    making a independant front end

  5. #5
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Quote Originally Posted by echnidna View Post
    Hi Dave, you might find this thread from the Brit rodsnsods forum helpful .

    making a independant front end
    Neat stuff, but just another system with upper and lower A-Arms. They work great, I just want something better and lighter...
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  6. #6
    stovens's Avatar
    stovens is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Petaluma
    Car Year, Make, Model: 48 Ford F1
    Posts
    9,778

    Way above my head Dave, but I'll watch and learn!
    " "No matter where you go, there you are!" Steve.

  7. #7
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Quote Originally Posted by stovens View Post
    Way above my head Dave, but I'll watch and learn!
    It's nothing really difficult, just something you haven't learned to do yet.. Guess my favorite part of a build is chassis and suspension, making it work better and weigh less!!! It will be mostly OEM design, just some lighter and stronger components and more adjustability..
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  8. #8
    pro70z28's Avatar
    pro70z28 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    CC
    Car Year, Make, Model: 70 Camaro Z-28 Now/40 Chevy Back Then
    Posts
    4,306

    This set-up is pretty light & simple.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...Suspension.jpg

    Funny you should bring up front suspension Dave, I've kicked around the idea of replacing this with a lower control arm deal. I may have gone too light for occasional street use. I won't be changing it anytime soon, but might sometime down the road. Just depends how the build goes.
    "PLAN" your life like you will live to 120.
    "LIVE" your life like you could die tomorrow.

    John 3:16
    >>>>>>

  9. #9
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Quote Originally Posted by pro70z28 View Post
    This set-up is pretty light & simple.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...Suspension.jpg

    Funny you should bring up front suspension Dave, I've kicked around the idea of replacing this with a lower control arm deal. I may have gone too light for occasional street use. I won't be changing it anytime soon, but might sometime down the road. Just depends how the build goes.
    Yeah, same design, just need some heavier components and altered mount points.... If you can visualize a cross between a Strange Strut front and an Asphalt Late Model........ I want the car to be light, fast, and handle like a slot car!
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

  10. #10
    onemintcaddy's Avatar
    onemintcaddy is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    sauk rapids
    Car Year, Make, Model: 1952,56,62,71,76,78,and 88 cadillac
    Posts
    4

    You more than likely have already herd of this for front end stuff but,, My Old Man ran torsion bars out front on Little Six back in the day. It only had a slant six in her but man did that little car move. He held the track record with it running against all the big V-8's until 1971. Then he beet his 5 year standing qualifying lap with his 70 Hemi Challenger
    Attached Images

  11. #11
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Madison
    Car Year, Make, Model: '67 Ranchero, '57 Chevy, '82 Camaro,
    Posts
    21,160

    Thought some of bars, ran fast with a bunch of old Mopar's...but positioning them is the trouble, same with the Sprint car type set up. Sure do like your pic of your Dad's car!!!! Ran a couple similar when I first moved from karts to cars but never with a six. The old Modified days of racing were great, if you and a couple friends had decent jobs and went together on a car you could actually afford to race it!!!!

    My suspension for the front is in the "virtual" stage right now, all done up and tested on the 'puter. Waiting for time and room in the shop to get back on my own stuff!!!!
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
    Carroll Shelby

    Learning must be difficult for those who already know it all!!!!

Reply To Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Links monetized by VigLink