Fabri-cobbling a Autocross Chevelle

[416velle]

After some mock up....I found my shocks are COMPLETELY BOTTOMED OUT at the ride height I desire. Some goofball will be begging and pleading with Summitracing to take back some QA1 arms and swapping out for the ridetech ones.
I think I will be keeping the different springs I bought and maybe mess around with them once I have the correct lower arms in.
I KNEW something had to completely ___ me over given how uneventful and easily the rear suspension came together. Maybe this is a calling that I need to re-engineer the front susprnsion too lmao

[matthimself456]

Maybe look into a Speedtech Chicane setup or this similar one from Global West:

https://www.globalwest.net/cof-42-ch...tcoilover.html

This modification seems like it falls easily within your fab skills.

[marolf101x]

I was going to say, if you can’t move the lower mount down, move the upper mount up.
You want roughly 5 inches of suspension travel in the front.
So motion ratio determines shock stroke length.

[416velle]

I decided to get some different lower control arms, extremely begrudgingly.
I would go with the ridetech ones but will be going with UMI because the lower shock mounts are removable and there are 2 available heights they make; this also means if the dropped mounts arent enough for my desired ride height, i can put the thing as low as i absolutely want and built my own set of mounts to not worry at all about neutral shock location.

[marolf101x]

You can’t drop the lower too low or it’ll hit stuff, like a manhole cover during construction. Ask me how I know.

[416velle]

You can’t drop the lower too low or it’ll hit stuff, like a manhole cover during construction. Ask me how I know.

Jeez o man. Noted lol

[speedfreakcobra]

You can’t drop the lower too low or it’ll hit stuff, like a manhole cover during construction. Ask me how I know.

I kinds want to hear this story.

[416velle]

It almost looks like i did all the proper measurements (i didnt, absolutely none LOL), clearances out back are PERFECT with the fuel cell mocked up. Welded some doubleshears on for the control arm tiebars, came out pretty good. Also finally did some bodymount reinforcements; dont really like em but to do em the way i REALLY want to id have to pull the body again, so not gonna happen. Currently am caliper brackets away from buttoning up the rear suspension/brakes all the way and putting the fuel cell back in. I have parts coming for rear sway bar too, I think ultimately I will wait til the first couple autocross sessions to determine whether I really NEED it or not.

UMI front lower control control arms come tuesday; i hope their drop mounts will equate to my desired ride height.

[marolf101x]

Now flip the shock over to make mounting the resi easier, and so the hose or fittings don’t get torn off.
Looks good!!!

[416velle]

Now flip the shock over to make mounting the resi easier, and so the hose or fittings don’t get torn off.
Looks good!!!

Thank you. I thought about doing that but I like the knob on the top because its accessible through the trunk, so i don't have to get on the ground under the car.

[416velle]

Question for you given you worked for ridetech, about part no. 90002048 which is a 2" tall stud mount....looking at it as its installed in a vehicle, does it move just the spring position up (in relation to the 2-3/4" mounts that come factory with my kit) or does the entire shock assembly essentially become 3/4" shorter? Only asking to kind of assess a fall-back plan to hopefully not have to make super low mounts for my lower arms if the car isn't doesn't sit the way I want it at 50% shock travel. You mentioning an unfortunate scenario with a manhole cover got me a bit weary about this now lol

[marolf101x]

The 2" tall stud top makes the shock itself 0.75" shorter overall. However, you still retain the same stroke.
You'll likely not be able to use the shorter stud top as the upper spring cap will hit the OE frame. You could cut more away to provide clearance and use the 2" stud top, just make sure you weld the OE shock mount and anything else on the frame that looks like it was welded on a Friday after the guys stopped by the bar after work on Thursday evening.

Regarding the manhole cover story. . .I was developing a new lower control arm for the C10's and trying different lower mount ideas.
We had a "test loop" that ran outside town a couple of miles. It was great as the road was terrible, so you could hit all kinds of bumps, cracks, etc and evaluate ride quality.
The city decided the road needed repaired, so they ground it down to lay blacktop over it.
I come flying along at 50 or so, set up to straddle the manhole cover (normally I hit it with the driver tire, but I was afraid I'd dent a rim this time around). I didn't want to risk the oil pan (did that once in a 71 Nova and a large rock), so I moved a bit to the side.
When I hit it the truck nearly stopped, I bounced off the steering wheel, then it leapt in the air like I hit that magic bush in Hazard County.
I should have taken pictures, but I didn't. It bent the lower shock mounts nearly to the rear bar and broke the shock, but fortunately it didn't hurt the frame.

[416velle]

Good to know, ok thank you.

Ground clearance will now be something I look at surgically

[matthimself456]

The 2" tall stud top makes the shock itself 0.75" shorter overall. However, you still retain the same stroke.
You'll likely not be able to use the shorter stud top as the upper spring cap will hit the OE frame. You could cut more away to provide clearance and use the 2" stud top, just make sure you weld the OE shock mount and anything else on the frame that looks like it was welded on a Friday after the guys stopped by the bar after work on Thursday evening.

Regarding the manhole cover story. . .I was developing a new lower control arm for the C10's and trying different lower mount ideas.
We had a "test loop" that ran outside town a couple of miles. It was great as the road was terrible, so you could hit all kinds of bumps, cracks, etc and evaluate ride quality.
The city decided the road needed repaired, so they ground it down to lay blacktop over it.
I come flying along at 50 or so, set up to straddle the manhole cover (normally I hit it with the driver tire, but I was afraid I'd dent a rim this time around). I didn't want to risk the oil pan (did that once in a 71 Nova and a large rock), so I moved a bit to the side.
When I hit it the truck nearly stopped, I bounced off the steering wheel, then it leapt in the air like I hit that magic bush in Hazard County.
I should have taken pictures, but I didn't. It bent the lower shock mounts nearly to the rear bar and broke the shock, but fortunately it didn't hurt the frame.

Driving my wagon one time I failed to notice a spot where a trench had been cut across the road and filled back in with one layer of asphalt but the final layer wasn't down yet. When the front wheels hit the dip and the suspension compressed the engine crossmember hit the rising cut edge of the asphalt on the far side of the trench. Probably only about 35mph max but felt like I had just dropped anchor. Luckily it wasn't something hard like a manhole cover but the little assembly line tow hook and a some of the holes in the front/bottom of the crossmember are still packed with asphalt.

[matthimself456]

Good to know, ok thank you.

Ground clearance will now be something I look at surgically

The other thing to keep in mind is what happens if a tire blows out. Having a dropped shock mount on a front lower control arm dig into the pavement before the rim touches the ground could be dangerous situation and really tear up your car.

[416velle]

New lower control arms in, i really like the design of the UMIs. The drop mounts that came with the kit are perfect for these coilovers. Perfectly level front-rear, and at ride height im right in the meat of the shock travel. Now to connect sway bar, correct tierod angles, tape measure alignment and tighten all the bolts. Rear sway bar mounts come tomorrow and I need to figure out a chassis mount for it.

[raustinss]

screw everything else ...lets discuss the snorkel set up lmao

[416velle]

screw everything else ...lets discuss the snorkel set up lmao

Clearly its rated for 4ft of underwater operation

[Joris69velle]

Nice work. Would like to see an engine bay pic tho

[416velle]

Once i get the fuel cell back in ill post an idle video