Revised
Geometry Add Precision and Agility
Like
every other aspect of this Camaro, the front suspension
received attention for better handling and more precise
motion control. The stock front coil springs and shocks
were replaced with Lamb-Koni® double-adjustable
coil-over units to provide easy and precise suspension
control.
The
lower A-arms were trimmed and fully boxed for strength
by Rick “Speed” Lefever. A double-shear bracket
was also added to each lower control arm to attach
the lower end of the coil-over unit. The upper ends
of the coil-over units attach to mounts on the front
roll cage downbars. The original coil spring pads in
the frame have been opened up to allow the coil-overs
to pass through. The stock upper A-arms were replaced
with custom-made tubular steel units. The mounting
points for the upper A-arms were also shifted back
and down slightly for more caster and to improve the
camber curve during suspension travel. The front-to-rear
positioning of these upper mounts was also leveled
somewhat to reduce the amount of anti-dive under braking
since the front end weight has been reduced by the
engine, transmission and driver setback.
Bump stops were added for both the upper and lower A-arms to prevent any frame “crashing” during
full suspension travel. And of course, the stock rubber bushings were replaced
with Teflon®-lined solid bushings to ensure smooth movement without deflection.
Two-inch dropped spindles were selected to lower the front end of the car.
Further ride height adjustments can be made by adjusting the coil-overs. Body
lean is controlled by a 1-1/4-inch Hotchkiss® front sway bar.
Completing
the front suspension rework is a manual steering box
in place of the power steering box originally on the
car. This was done to eliminate the power steering
pump for extra space in the engine compartment. New
heavy-duty steering tie-rods were also fabricated to
replace the stock pieces. |
