Front Suspension help
 

Hey guys,
I Race a 68 Camaro in brackets/SST and am slowly going to get the car ready for stock.

I want to get my suspension perfect. Right now the car is a BBC iron head, all steel with fiberglass hood. weighs 3400 lbs. car runs 10.20-40 with a 1.43-5 sixty foot. the front suspension is:

Lakewood 90/10
MOROSO small block trick springs no coils cut
stock ball joints
AFCO control arm bushings

The car is loose in the front end and i can lift it to full extention no problem but i only have 3.5in of suspension travel. I think the springs and bushings are fine but right now am mainly looking into a good set of shocks.

The three shocks i am looking at are the Koni SPA`s, the QA1`s and AFCO`s. Now i know the afcos are the top of the line, however are they really needed? I have heard going to anyone of those shocks will be a night and day difference. I am 21 years old so the Afco`s are going to be a large purchase, However if they are worth the money i have no problem spending it. I just want good weight transfer and also would like to get the wheels in the air a little more :-)

Also, i have heard of the Alf Weibe? extended ball joints? and the anti dive shafts from a few people. Will these help at all?

I am open to all ideas and help and if you can sugest part numbers or supply phone numbers that would be great!! Thanks in advance guys!!

Re: Front Suspension help
 

The new dbl adjustable AFCO's will require that you grind the LCA's. Welding will most likely be involved so that you can reposition the lower shock mounting holes. If someone is doing the work for you it will cost you around $1200-1300 for the LCA modification and the shocks together.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

That is correct, the AFCO shocks require major surgery on the lower control arms, including fabricating adapter brackets. That said, they work well. But you can probably make the QA1 shocks work.

You should get the longer upper ball joints, and look into the Global West control arm bushings.

At the rear, for a leaf spring car, there's no substitute for John Calvert's CalTracs system.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

QA 1 also has new item in their rebuildable upper ball joint, they are interchangeable length ball stud and low friction also. $49 each

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Cal-Tracs has recently introduced front shocks of their own. You may want to check into these. I'm sure someone on here can give you some feedback on them.
Danny Durham

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Thanks for the replys guy i really appreciate it!!

So i think i am looking into the QA1 double adjustable shocks. I think a good shock will help me greatly, anyone know of anywhere with good prices on them? I saw the new add for the Caltrac shocks but heard no feed back about them and for the price of 50 something dollars was wondering if i would be gaining anything over my current shocks?

As for the ball joints those QA1`s look very neat! However I was talking to a stocker friend of mine who said he purchased the Howe? ball joints and said they were around 120 a piece. He was saying to install the ball joints you need the different cross shaft which he got from Weibe but said that global west also has them and they might work. How long of a ball joint would work? 1 inch, 1.5, 2? not sure which to go with.

I have the CalTracs in the rear with the split mono`s and the rancho shocks, and have been running a 30X9 Hoosier radial. the car has been hooking great all year but last week when the track was hot i had to adjust the rear shocks up to 7 cause the car was unloading the tire after it initiallty hooked. Im hoping getting the front suspension working correctly will help the car out alot.

Thanks again guys and any suggestions or comments on the entire front i am open to all comments. thanks alot!!!

-Scotty Hakucsa-

Re: Front Suspension help
 

etracr;
I have had the new caltrac ft. shocks on my camaro all season and love em...they seperate lighting fast and land like a pillow. they are also designed to allow the car to settle at the top end...those are the things I was looking for. I replaced my hi dollar shocks with caltracs and they gave me what I wanted...Buy em... You will love em....good luck.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

What's the available range of ball stud lengths, and how do you get a non-stock length?

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Call QA-1 952-985-5675 and they are $44.95 not 49 as I posted before

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Thanks again guys!

Ok so i have decided i am going to go with the QA-1 Stocker Star "R" Front shock. I was teetering on the calvert shocks but i like the adjustability of these. I was going to spring for the double adjustable but at 290 a piece i think i will be fine with the single adjustables unless someone feels it will be worth the extra money? Im hoping they will fit without problems and i think it will help me learn how to dial in a suspension better. Anyone that runs them have any feedback? the part number in jegs is 122-RC1914P just making sure i order the right one.

I took my old shocks out last night to see if i had too short of a shock in the car, when i took the shock out i found i still only have 3 3/4 inch of front end travel then the UCA bottoms out on the frame. Im assuming the only way to gain more is to put in those ball joints? Im assuming a 1 inch taller on the top or .5 top and .5 bottom? or do i go with 1 inch on top and bottom and give myself more travel? And to the people that have run the taller joints did you NEED to change the cross shaft right away or is it just a good idea? thanks again guys really appreciate it.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Mike Pustelney from MPR is a QA1 dealer and can get you a good deal on them. His # is 810-798-8998.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

I spoke to a few people about the travel in my front end. They had mentioned that i should cut a few coils off the springs ( a little at a time of course ) And i can gain my front travel that way. My question is how low is too low? Also should i put some snubbers on the LCA`s as i dont have any right now.

Still no feed back on the ball joints?

I ordered the shocks today, they should be here wed and i will test them on sat. (its a points race so im hoping i dont need to fool with them too much initially) Any comments on starting points for the shocks? I will post my results from sat with the new shocks also!

Thanks again guys really appreciate it!!

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Cutting coils will help by lowering the frame in relation to the upper control arm, but if you cut alot, you also make the spring stiffer. I like to be able to get a regular jack under my front subframe, but that's just personal preference.

Getting longer lower ball joints doesn't gain you any suspension travel. Snubbers on the LCAs might not help you, but I doubt they'd hurt you.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Snubbers on the lower control arms help cushion the landing!!! Have you trimmed the snubber under the upper control arms to gain travel? Is there any more feedback on a the QA1 "R" series shocks, is the fixed "firm" compression enough to withstand 2-3' foot wheelie landings? I'd love to get a pair of Santhuffs to go with their springs, man those things are pricey!!

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Can you use the bolt in upper ball joint spacers in NHRA stock eliminator? I Have them in my bracket Camaro, and they work great. They increase my front end travel quite a bit. Just wondering if they are legal. Thanks, Dave.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Who makes the ball joint spacers or the long ball joints for an early Camaro

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Check the circle track suppliers.

Re: Front Suspension help
 

Companies like Longacre, BSR, or Ed Howe of Howe Racing
(Michigan) probably would have them. I would try Ed Howe first, he does a lot of oval track chassis stuff.