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View Full Version : Studebaker build, Suspension



Subsea69
03-28-2015, 07:28 AM
Guys I'm going to start out with what I have on the rear. Current set-up is a custom three link I built myself, that
utilizes adjustable 4th gen Camaro lower control arms from BMR and a wishbone 3rd link the guys from Suicide doors
built for me. The car has RideTech shockwaves with internal height sensors for springs. There is also an anti-roll bar.
I designed this suspension back in 2006. I did not get to drive the car much but it seemed to handle great although
I never hit the curves at a high rate of speed. The idea was to use the wishbone top link so there would be no need
for a panhard bar, leaving more room for 3" exhaust over the axle. The suspension articulates well. Originally I was
running a 295-60-16 tire in the stock wheelwells and never had a tire rub. Now I want to do a mini-tub and frame
notch to fit 315-35-20s.

What do you guys think of this design? It seems odd to me that others do not use this approach to avoid the panhard
bar. So maybe I put something together that will lead to issues down the road? I've been looking at the Speedtech
torque arm and thinking I could add that and remove the upper link all together, but I hate to have to re-work the
exhaust and x-pipe. Although I would need to go with a panhard or watts linkage to keep the rear centered. Any ideas
and advice is appreciated.

Here is a series of the cad models along with some installed pics. The lower links have multiple adjustment holes.

CampbellshotrodsAZ
03-28-2015, 10:15 AM
Wow, a wishbone 3-link and Suicide Doors, I haven't heard about either of those since I was big into the lowered S10 scene many years ago!

I'm no suspension expert, so others can chime in, but I'm thinking the limitation of the wishbone 3rd link is that it looks very short, probably doesn't give the best pinion angle change under articulation?

Subsea69
03-28-2015, 11:28 AM
I don't think its shorter than the top link on some triangulated 4 links. But yeah it was almost 10 years ago when I came up with the
design and I was happy to keep it under the stock floorboard of the car. I did have to put a small hump in the trunk to clear the link
on top of the 9" when fully lowered.

Dwayne