front end 69 nova

mat H/SA · 01-14-2014, 09:14 AM

Hi
what type bushing ball joint etc is the best,
im looking to refresh my stuff

thanks for you help

Marty Rinehart Jr · 01-14-2014, 10:24 PM

I don't know if it's the best but it's what we use.
Global west bushings and extended ball joints. They sell it in kit form

Todd Bailey · 01-15-2014, 01:18 AM

Matt,

Check out Howe Racing Enterprises. That have extended ball joints that go up to .9 long.

Alan Nyhus · 01-15-2014, 06:31 AM

Mat, I went with Energy Suspension urethane control arm bushings, Moog #K5250 offset control arm shafts and standard Moog replacement ball joints.

Afco and ProForged make low friction extended upper ball joints. QA-1 has standard length low friction ball joints that can be serviced. -Al

J&S Racing · 01-15-2014, 08:34 AM

Afco steel bushings and there low friction ball joints, the Afco tops can be ordered .5 longer.

FLEMING · 01-15-2014, 09:41 AM

I just did what J&S posted and it made my car totally different! It was an easy install, car has a ton of front end travel now and drives like a dream

mcashman · 01-18-2014, 09:42 AM

What is the point of the longer ball joints?

Jim Cimarolli · 01-18-2014, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcashman

What is the point of the longer ball joints?

They help to keep the camber from going off the radar at full lift.

Alan Roehrich · 01-18-2014, 10:31 AM

The idea behind all of this is to reduce the friction, so that the front suspension moves freely, allowing the shocks to have complete control. It makes the front end motion very consistent and repeatable. The other part, as Jim said, is the longer upper ball joints keep the camber from making radical changes as the front end moves through its range of travel.

Another added bonus is increased front end travel. Combine this with the correct springs (which should lower the static ride height considerably, 1" to 2") and a set of shocks such as Santhuffs, and you have a front suspension that you can count on to allow the car to leave hard with the rear tires planted, yet remain easily controllable and driveable.

With offset upper control arm shafts for extra alignment adjustment, you can get the car to track straight consistently. They recently allowed aftermarket parts to reduce bump steer as well.

Find a shop that knows what they're doing, have the front end aligned with your weight in the driver's seat, you want no more than 1/8" toe in, 6 degrees or more positive caster, and zero degrees camber, at around 2" above static ride height, because you want the alignment as close to perfect as possible at the ride height the car has going done the track.

One thing I left out of this post, and a good racer reminded me of it, was that the Nova has less clearance than a Camaro, so you may not be able to run the exact caster and camber settings. You'll need to make the adjustments and then check carefully for clearance to make sure you do not create a tire clearance problem.

J&S Racing · 01-18-2014, 08:52 PM

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Did the install on mine today. Overall not that bad.

01-14-2014, 09:14 AM	#1
mat H/SA Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Shefford,Qc Can Posts: 295 Likes: 10 Liked 14 Times in 8 Posts	front end 69 nova Hi what type bushing ball joint etc is the best, im looking to refresh my stuff thanks for you help

01-14-2014, 10:24 PM	#2
Marty Rinehart Jr Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Rineharts Performance Race Cars, Thomasville,PA Posts: 492 Likes: 300 Liked 333 Times in 75 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova I don't know if it's the best but it's what we use. Global west bushings and extended ball joints. They sell it in kit form __________________ Marty Rinehart Jr 1125 SS STK SG SC SST

01-15-2014, 01:18 AM	#3
Todd Bailey Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 312 Likes: 30 Liked 33 Times in 17 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova Matt, Check out Howe Racing Enterprises. That have extended ball joints that go up to .9 long.

01-15-2014, 06:31 AM	#4
Alan Nyhus VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Lower Dakota territory Posts: 1,180 Likes: 1,074 Liked 799 Times in 236 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova Mat, I went with Energy Suspension urethane control arm bushings, Moog #K5250 offset control arm shafts and standard Moog replacement ball joints. Afco and ProForged make low friction extended upper ball joints. QA-1 has standard length low friction ball joints that can be serviced. -Al __________________ "That'll never work....."

01-15-2014, 08:34 AM	#5
J&S Racing Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 283 Likes: 102 Liked 319 Times in 82 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova Afco steel bushings and there low friction ball joints, the Afco tops can be ordered .5 longer.

01-15-2014, 09:41 AM	#6
FLEMING Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 262 Likes: 48 Liked 54 Times in 25 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova I just did what J&S posted and it made my car totally different! It was an easy install, car has a ton of front end travel now and drives like a dream

01-18-2014, 09:42 AM	#7
mcashman Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Westminster MD Posts: 82 Likes: 16 Liked 6 Times in 3 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova What is the point of the longer ball joints?

01-18-2014, 10:31 AM	#9
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,118 Likes: 1,573 Liked 1,836 Times in 417 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova The idea behind all of this is to reduce the friction, so that the front suspension moves freely, allowing the shocks to have complete control. It makes the front end motion very consistent and repeatable. The other part, as Jim said, is the longer upper ball joints keep the camber from making radical changes as the front end moves through its range of travel. Another added bonus is increased front end travel. Combine this with the correct springs (which should lower the static ride height considerably, 1" to 2") and a set of shocks such as Santhuffs, and you have a front suspension that you can count on to allow the car to leave hard with the rear tires planted, yet remain easily controllable and driveable. With offset upper control arm shafts for extra alignment adjustment, you can get the car to track straight consistently. They recently allowed aftermarket parts to reduce bump steer as well. Find a shop that knows what they're doing, have the front end aligned with your weight in the driver's seat, you want no more than 1/8" toe in, 6 degrees or more positive caster, and zero degrees camber, at around 2" above static ride height, because you want the alignment as close to perfect as possible at the ride height the car has going done the track. One thing I left out of this post, and a good racer reminded me of it, was that the Nova has less clearance than a Camaro, so you may not be able to run the exact caster and camber settings. You'll need to make the adjustments and then check carefully for clearance to make sure you do not create a tire clearance problem. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S Last edited by Alan Roehrich; 01-18-2014 at 11:17 AM.

01-18-2014, 08:52 PM	#10
J&S Racing Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 283 Likes: 102 Liked 319 Times in 82 Posts	Re: front end 69 nova Did the install on mine today. Overall not that bad.