While not building a track star, this car is going to see a lot of miles on roads where cornering and handling will make demands on the system. Obviously, we sought to improve on the car’s 40-year-old technology under the hood.
As a refresher, we studied the three basic alignment factors that plant a vehicle’s tires as it runs down the road and through a corner, including:
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Caster: The angle of tilt facing toward the back of the car to which the spindle is set, as observed from the side of the vehicle. Positive caster sets the axis rearward and allows tires to follow the line of direction.
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Camber: The angle of tilt facing inward from tire bottom to top as observed from the front of the vehicle. This angle is critical in maintaining maximum tire surface on the pavement, which enhances traction.
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Toe: This is the measured distance between the leading edge of the front tires, as observed from the front of the vehicle. Toe-in brings the tires closer together, toe-out farther apart.
A correct combination of these angles greatly enhances vehicle’s road-hugging rocket potential. Miss the setting and you’ll have your hands full with pull and reduce the tires’ life.
Besides reviewing basic knowledge of front suspension, we also spent time researching our A-body’s system through previously written stories and Web sites. We contacted Global West Suspension Systems, which has built racecar suspension components for various applications and quality musclecar performance components for over 25 years.
Global West has two control-arm systems compatible with our A-body. Desired ride height would be the deciding factor between the two. One option, the Negative Roll System, uses tall GM spindles along With Global West’s special Generation 2 upper control arms. The two-part combination lowers ride height about 1 inch, changing the suspension geometry to improve handling and tire life.
The second option involves Global West’s tubular control arms, which incorporate special geometry to improve straight-line stability and corner entry. This system can be equipped with either a stock or 2-inch-drop spindle and can be lowered another inch through springs or drop axles. The combination slows positive camber gains down from the factor geometry, exactly what we had in mind for our Chevelle.
The pieces we installed were Global West’s No. CTA-47A (upper) and No. CTA-42L (lower) tubular control arm kits. Both packages are designed and built with 5 ? degrees of positive caster. The front A-arms come with Del-a-lum bushings, a billet cross-shaft, ball joints, and poly snubbers installed. The lower A-arms include rotating spring cushions and Heim joint sway bar connectors. To complete our front suspension system we added a set of No. S-13 1-inch-drop front coil springs.
To compliment the engineering built into the front suspension out back, we installed a Global West trailing-arm conversion and new springs. Unique to their offering is a combined use of Del-a-lum bushings and spherical bearings at the frame ends of the control arms for controlled performance and enhanced suspension travel without bind or deflection. The end result is a well-handling car without a harsh ride. Both upper and lower read-trailing arms incorporate this technology and are further tied together into a comprehensive package with a set of rear control-arm mounting braces.
We installed Edelbrock’s new Classic Series IAS shock absorbers on all four corners because of their Inertia Active System variable valve technology that automatically adjusts to driving conditions. These gas-charged units come with polyurethane bushings and shaft dust covers. The Classic Series further enhances the vehicle’s appearance with OE-looking gunmetal gray color and a nostalgic Edelbrock logo.
John Barbera and Paul Morrow of Johns Customz & Performance in Torrance, California, installed the front and rear suspension components at the same time as the Baer brake system. JC&P is an unusual performance shop in the it provides for every phase of a reconstruction project (engine, chassis, paint and body, interior) under one roof. It even employs a live-action Web cam in the shop during business hours for your viewing pleasure. The guys at JC&P are great enthusiasts who love what they do.
As the project progressed, we catalogued and boxed each removed part for future reference. While the rearend was completely removed from the car for pre-rebuild cleanup, the project became a replacement bolt-on in every sense of the word. Parts fit as expected, and the process didn’t require a big hammer.
This isn’t and inexpensive proposition, however. The complete suspension conversion retails for approximately $2,225 complete, as opposed to an estimated $550-plus machine shop costs for presswork on a conventional rebuild.
But the end results more than justify the cost. The suspension that once felt like marshmallows now responds to steering commands with tight, crisp reactions, giving a feel of the road without a harsh ride.
If you have a similar project in your garage, before you simply rebuild the OE suspension, put serious consideration to the performance enhancements as we did on our Chevelle. We think you will be happy with your investment in the future.
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The rectification theme for this Chevelle gives two avenues for suspension needs. We could opt to completely rebuild the current factory system with quality parts or enhance the cornering abilities of the car with aftermarket performance parts. This is where vehicle owners must determine the anticipated use of their vehicle so the final result meets expectations.
