Nova drop questions..

[steelcity6]

Hi guys I am new to this. I have looked around at some of the novas and seen some very nice drops. My question is well what can I get away with and not tub/ minitub my Nova. After my last nova rotted to peices I spent a great deal of time finding one with no rust then had it shipped from arizona here to Pittsburgh. I just can't cut it up now. Can I put 3 inch drop leafs on back with a 235 tire and not rub? I will roll the fender lips if needed. I also plan 2 inch hotchkis drop in the front plus 1/2 size body mounts. Do any of you guys have this configuration? I have lowered Imports before including My lexus daily driver but the nova is very different to me . Any advice /tips/tricks are appreiciated

[Fuelie Nova]

What year Nova? Also you may want to visit Steves Nova Site, great info for Novas only.
Tg

[JohnUlaszek]

The half height body mounts are a potential source of interference with transmission and tunnel space claim -- given you are reluctant to cut up the body, you could mock this up with washers to see if you clear without cutting up the tunnel.

[steelcity6]

My Nova is a 68.I have looked into th clearence issue a little I am running a th350 the only thing i see that may be a problem is the tranny dipstick tube. which i plan to replace with a Lokar flexible one. I also was concerned about my disty .I did an hei swap and had to pund it back a little hust to get it to fit. the big issue as always is the clearence out back.Keep em comin guys I do apprieciate the feedback

[Apogee]

A 235 is so conservative on a 68-74 Nova assuming you're not going with a huge profile, you shouldn't have any fitment issues.

I've got Hotchkis 2" drop springs with 245/40-18 fronts mounted on 18x8.5 wheels. Most here would suggest running that size tire on a 8" wide wheel and so would I, otherwise you need to weld up your steering stops slightly or "french" the frame a little to avoid rubbing. It's equally close on the outer fender, so we've swapped the inner fenderwell bolts for button heads for additional clearance and smooth contact points.

In the rear, we've mounted 285/35-19 tires on 19x10 wheels...the rears took some serious hammer work to fit, rolled fender lips, etc and it's still closer than I'd like, but short of mini-tubbing it, that's what it gets. Again, most people wouls suggest sticking with a 275 in the back on a 9" or 9.5" wide rim for the best fitment with the least amount of headache. Keep in mind that these rear axles are only sort of close to being centered under the car most of the time, so I wouldn't automatically assume that if it works on one side that it will work on the other.

Tobin
KORE3

[steelcity6]

AWESOME!!! thanks for the info..

[Hotchkis]

Hi guys I am new to this. I have looked around at some of the novas and seen some very nice drops. My question is well what can I get away with and not tub/ minitub my Nova. After my last nova rotted to peices I spent a great deal of time finding one with no rust then had it shipped from arizona here to Pittsburgh. I just can't cut it up now. Can I put 3 inch drop leafs on back with a 235 tire and not rub? I will roll the fender lips if needed. I also plan 2 inch hotchkis drop in the front plus 1/2 size body mounts. Do any of you guys have this configuration? I have lowered Imports before including My lexus daily driver but the nova is very different to me . Any advice /tips/tricks are appreiciated

Nova Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_zOa_EYRXQ)

Super Chevy did a great Nova suspension article (http://www.superchevy.com/technical/chassis/suspension_steering/sucs_0827_chevy_nova_suspension/index.html) with our Nova TVS (http://www.hotchkis.net/6874_nova_tvs_system_big_block.html) system. You can get a great stance and still have excellent handling and turning characteristics.

Even basic suspension components will make a big difference in bringing your new Nova up to the level you are used to with your daily driver. The Nova in the video was a budget project car where the owner had less than $20k total in the car when it was done, and it out-handled a Porsche 911.

Before and After:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/sucs_0827_01_z1972_chevy_novafront_view-1.jpghttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/sucs_0827_02_z1972_chevy_novafront_view-1.jpg

[steelcity6]

very good article ..thank you I plan to purchase hotchkis as much as i can.