Vette Brakes transverse front suspension

[Jeremy]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the vette brakes setup for a 2nd gen f body. I was looking at updating to tubular lower arms, and vette brakes system looks competitively priced a 699 for arms and new springs.

The lower unsprung weight, easily adjustable ride height, and choice of three spring rates sounds great.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the system. I am not worried about the difficulty of installation.

I am looking for issues regarding ride and handling. I would think that the adjustable spring rates would allow me to dial the ride in and the lower unsprung weight should help as well. My concerns are that the few reviews I have been able to find say that the ride is bouncy and harsh but most say that the handling is great.

[BLUE72CAMARO]

I personally dont have any experience with there set up but I will tell you what I have heard. So with that in mind, think what you want of what I tell you.

I have read several posts on their second gen setup on nastyz28.com. I am yet to hear anyone have anything good to say about it. If I remember correctly one member had the leafspring break while driving down the road. You can imagine how fun that had to be. All others that I have read complain of excessively rough ride and suspension bind. I personally would not consider this setup just do to others experiences I have read about. If you want to read what they had to say go nastyz28.com they have a search function and have very knowledgeable people for second gen f-body's.:)

[Mean 69]

Small world. I just bought a second gen project car, and it has the front and rear vette products stuff on it. The car is non-operational to say the least, and is in the body shop now getting new quarters installed. Once that is done, the car will be structurally sound enough to put on the spit, so I will be stripping everything off of the car at that point. I will say that the control arms, though they are probably strong enough, are not terribly elegant.

The guy that owned the car before me seemed to like it well enough, but to be honest, based upon the work he did to the car that I am re-doing, I don't trust his judgment too well. If you go this route, you are basically stuck with the rate you buy, there are serious limitations on adjustability, etc.

The geometry looks to be pretty good on the car at first glance, I haven't mapped it out (nor will I, unless I get terribly bored), but I wouldn't throw it out if I was looking to do a budget type car. I think it can be made to work pretty well. The pin height on the spindle is pretty low, if someone offer drop spindles, that would probably be something to consider. Anyway, I'd be suspicous of the VBP deal. I'll sell you the good in a few weeks if you are dead set on them.

Mark

[ZZ430]

I've had the VBP stuff on my 70 Camaro for about 9 years now.

I love it. I don't understand the negative feedback I've also heard.

Is it stiff?....yes......it works great, and makes the car handle very well.

I'm using the upper control arms too, as well as their 1 3/8 sway bar, and the VBP rear springs/sway bay too.

It took me a month to install it and dial it in, I can only guess that the guys that complain didn't take the time to do it right.

I can try to answer any questions you might have.

Here are a couple of pics.


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[jeffandre]

I also have the full VB suspension on my 71 Camaro and like the front suspension adjustability (ride height/preload characteristics) as well as the ability to move the springs blocks to 3 locations to make the front more or less stiff as needed. I have it on the softest setting and it is very firm. The control arms are shaped in a way to give me maximum wheel clearance, so I am able to run 19x10's with 7.25" bs while maintaining the same steering range as a 3rd Gen F-body, and the wheel edge gets to about 5/8" from the rear side of the LCA.

The rear is setup with the poly front bushings and leaf spring sliders at the rear of the VB leafs. I noticed a major difference in handling characteristics when I removed the Rancho springs (yes Rancho used to make performance car springs) and installed the 200# rear VB leafs. The car was a ton stiffer yet handled the road imperfections better, allowing the car to maintain better grip on the street than I ever had before. I ran these leafs for about 2 years before I got the front transverse system. I had just gotten used to the feeling of the rear leafs when I needed to make a hard left in a hurry, with a driveway bump (into a shopping center) in the way preventing me from hitting the full turn at high speed. I dropped a few gears, stabbed the brakes, yanked the wheel hard left, heard minimal if any rubber noise, and the car rocketed towards the driveway entrance allowing me to stab the brakes again to get down to about 5mph before I hit the bump or got hit on the side.

That said, I love the nimble and precise handling I have experienced in my ride since installing the full VB system. I am aware that the leafs may crack/break at some point, not the ideal situation for a performance car, but plan on monitoring them closely and if I have any issues I will rag on VB and get new leafs. If this were a high speed car I would probably go with steel springs, but 200mph+ is not in my future anymore, it is not worth the bragging rights to me as I realize that a $5 part failure could spell disaster, so 120+ is all I am after.

[Jeremy]

Thanks for the input. I was wondering where the stiffness was coming from with the system. The advertised spring rates are like 390 450 and 500 so it should not be much stiffer than the ws6 springs on the lower two settings. I would also think it would be a little softer feeling as the suspension has less weight to control over stock.

I was leaning to the system for the adjustabilty, weight savings, and price. I already have new edelbrock shocks so that ruled out coil overs. I need new front springs and want tubular a arms and the price of these purchased seperately was more than the VB system, making it look nice price wise.

For those that have the system how much stiffer would you say it feels over a stock ws6 system?

[ZZ430]

Those spring rates can be a little misleading. A single leaf composite spring will always feel different than a comparably rated coil spring.

It's been my experience that the composite reacts quicker and has more rebound. I have my spring rate set to "medium', and ride height lowered as far as it will allow. Shocks are Koni, also at medium.

A quality shock is a must, the Edelbrocks should be fine.

Having said that, compared to the WS6, it's much more stiff.

Like I mentioned, I've been using it for a long time on my Camaro, and I haven't broken a spring yet. It has hit unavoidable potholes at freeway speeds, and it can give new meaning to the word "jolt".

The big thing about it for me, is a very noticeably lighter feel of the front end, and very flat cornering capabilities.

BTW, as far as the rear VBP springs go, they say a max of 400HP. I've read about some failures.

The rear springs really work well for me, ride quality is much improved over the normal multi-leafs, and I've never had any wheelhop since putting them on.

Also, they way about 35lbs less each.

[Jeremy]

I had made up my mind about the rear springs. For my application and the power I realistically plan to ever make, they should be plenty strong. I doubt I will ever race the car and hope to get it to the track once to see what it will do, but will never drag consistently.

It's the front that I am still in the air about.

As for ride quality, what would you compare it to and does the stiffness bother you. I have beefed up the structure so it should take the added stiffness.

[ZZ430]

The siffness of the front doesn't bother me at all, but seems to be a major complaint on another popular board that I visit.

Maybe I'm just used to it.

It's been driven basically from coast to coast on all kinds of surfaces, and I have complete faith in it.

Yeah, there are many of the rears living with more than a real 400HP, so if they don't get shocked, they will be fine.