Ok while I have everything apart in the rear of my Camaro I figure I might as well do some upgrading.

I've planned on (how's this look?):
-boxing the lower control arms.
-either boxing the panhard bar, or just fabricating a new one.
-boxing the panhard brace.
-Should I brace the torque arm, or does it really flex at all?
-Debating on lowering the pickup points on the rear axle (It did make a big difference on my Mustang).

-Once its back on the ground I'll work on subframe connectors.
-And a strut tower brace.

I know on my Mustang a "g-load" brace made a big difference as well, it was basically a brace for the engine craddle or "k-memeber", is there something similar for a Camaro?

 

You've got your head in the right place, but you are skipping over the easy stuff that makes the biggest difference and going for the harder stuff that doesn't do so much.


No need for stiffer links untill you take the compliance out of the bushings first. Kinda like removing .030" of deflection in the arm when you have .5" deflection in the bushing. Just slapping poly everywhere isn't the best answer either. The lower control arms can stand to be double poly but are better with a heim or some type of free rotation joint on one end (good application for a johny joint). Your panhard bar is the perfect application for a set of heims if you are serious about handling as they don't effect ride as much here or use poly if zero maintenance over 50k miles is more important. The panhard brace is plenty strong and not worth messing with. Relocation brackets are not a good idea on a corner-carver, they can induce roll oversteer which is very hard to control. They will however increase strait line traction.

Really all of this shouldn't even be looked at untill you've invested in a good set of shocks. I would make sure you at least have the stiffest springs offered for the 3rd gen, then go stiffer from there if you can stand the ride. Hint: Eibach's and the like are NOT a step in the right direction.

Most importantly your tires will effect your handling more than anything. A good set of r-compounds will make a bone stock IROC outhandle a completely tricked out IROC with street tires. Of course upgrading to wider rims and tires is always a plus.

 

Thanks for the reply, could you expand on that a little bit more. I had planned on putting poly bushings in everything?

 

The only place that poly bushings need the be questioned is where the parts move in more that one axis. This is because poly resists deflection or twisting. The lower rear control arm is one of these locations. The rear axle not only goes up and down but twists left and right as the body roles in corners. If you running stock unboxed arms you can us poly because the arms will twist enough to prevent the axle from binding up when it twists. With boxed arms use 1LE bushings (they're stiffer but not too stiff) or look for aftermarket arms with spherical bearings or a combo spherical and poly.

The two best things for handling is good sticky tires and good shocks.

 

What about the torque arm? Its only job is to control the pinion angle right? It seems like it might help distribute weight some, but does it really flex much? Is there anything to be gained by bracing it or building a new one?

 

Shorter the TQ arm the better it bite it gets you off the corner, but gets more into brake hop. Longer helps reduce brake hop and alleiviates lifting the nose and plowing off the corner.

 

To answer your question about flex in the torque arm. There are two schools of thought on this. A flexing torque arm will change your pinion angle and transmit power very "solidly" for lack of a better term so guys use a very stiff torque arm. Dirt track guys and even some road racers actually connect their torque arm to the chassis via a spring/bushing link. What this does is soften the hit when you get on the gas which keeps the tires from breaking loose.

So steping back and seing how torque arms are used under different conditions you can see that a little (I mean a little) torque arm flex really isn't a bad thing, in fact it might even help a little with forward bite.

It's another one of those things that's so small of a factor at your level that it's not worth persuing untill you take care of bigger issues.

 

"Really all of this shouldn't even be looked at untill you've invested in a good set of shocks. I would make sure you at least have the stiffest springs offered for the 3rd gen, then go stiffer from there if you can stand the ride. Hint: Eibach's and the like are NOT a step in the right direction. "

bmMonteSS......I was considering getting Eibach's. What do you suggest?

 

I noticed a huge difference when I put on my 17 x 9.5 ZR1 rims with tires. But you will need shocks and struts along with bigger sway bars.

 

Stock iroc springs are moog 5662's, and you'll have to do a little searching for the rear spring part numbers.

I suggest triming these springs for small 1-2" drops and then looking at circle track springs if you want to go lower as you'll need a much stiffer spring than stock (650 lb/in) if you go lower. Do a little searching on here, it's been discussed a LOT.