I'm planning on running a 53" rear axle, and will probably run into interference between the LCAs and the wheel/brake calipers. It looks like if I move the control arm brackets 1.5" inboard on the axle, I'll be able to solve most of the clearance issues.

How will this affect the car's stability on the road? My car is by no means a corner carver, but I don't want to make it dangerous on the road.

The control arms' main purpose is to locate the axle fore and aft, correct? If that's all, I don't see how angling them slightly would affect the car's handling adversely. I will be building my own LCA's, so the angles of the bushing bolts won't be an issue.

 

With the LCA angled inward, you'll be triangulating the suspension geometry. As the diff moves up and down, it does so in an arc created by the LCA. If you triangulate the LCA, you're changing this arc and the suspension will probably bind until something finally breaks.

About the only way to eliminate or reduce the binding would be with rod ends but even then the curve of the arc will be different. Since the curve of the arc changes, so will the movement of the torque arm.

Triangulating the LCA would mean the panhard bar wouldn't be required. If it was that simple with a torque arm suspension, GM would have already done it from the factory.

 

Good point. At the very least then i would be looking at LCAs with heims at both ends, instead of poly on one end. I doubt that 5 degrees would be enough to control axle side to side motion without a track bar.

Maybe rubber bushings on the track bar would be "squishy" enough to compensate for the bind introduced by the triangulation?

 

Over 2" of suspension travel with a 43" track bar, the axle will move about .050" laterally. assuming the track bar is level at ride height

 

The simplest way to do this and eliminate "binding" issues which may or may not happen...would be to move the chassis LCA mount inboard, while using offset bushings.

With that being said, if you were to use the stock size spring in the stock location you will hit it about the same time as the control arm. ( Using 1.25" control arms with offset bushings.)

Also at that point make sure to modify the front inners of the rear wheel well, and remove the bumpstop...and on and on...ah the joys of our cars...

 

I'll be running coilovers. Have you inboarded yours? Have any pics of how to make the mounts?

 

I thought about it as an option, but I did not need to....Only running 28x10.5's

FWIW my axle from flange to flange is 53.75" IIRC. I know I have pics somewhere of a 4th gen that was inboarded.

I am also using the Racecraft bracketry on my 9" I think it was money well spent, and for you running coilovers it might be a good investment.


Here it is....from Wolfe

http://www.wolferacecraft.com/images...2/DSCF0030.JPG

 

I was planning on going with the racecraft brackets, but now I'm leaning towards the moser m9. I want my axle to be right at 52"