9 inch with coil over set questions. lots of pics!

[chub406]

i dont have alot of experience with rearend set ups. excuse the stupid questions. if someone could help me with this. i would really appreciate it. plus i need oppinions on parts! the guy that had it before me, put this set up in it and mini tubbed it. first problem im seeing. the mini tub doe not help at all due to the lower control arm bracket. if i move the control arm up one notch at cut off the bracket, i can tuck the rim further toward the frame. do i cut this? or cut the bracket and move it in? the rear should have been narrowed i guess. then if i do that. does it look like the lower control arm will hit? how is other people doing this? you can see the crap job he did of welding the frame plate on. im going to redo all that but right now it doesn't help at all being notched. lol

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here is the driveshaft loop that is attached to the lower control arm mounts. what are the tabs for? lol anyoe know?

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this is the upper cotrol arm. it is not braced at all. what do i need to do to brace it correctly?

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are the lowers good or should i replace them with adjustibles? they are solid. what about the uppers? they are stock. what shoud i replace them with? i want to set up my rear end correctly ad eed lots of help! thanks guys!

 

[chub406]

also. this is prob a dumb question but. i don't need to run shocks in the stock location cuase of the coil overs right? lol thanks!

 

[jdpolzin]

I'm actually jealous of the coil over conversion you have. Dont change it! One thing about the lower set up you have. Tht is an adjustable four link set up. Not done correctly in my opinion but you can make it work. You need to check the pinion angle and also check that the rear end is squared with the front wheels. I would personally set the lower arms up a notch as if the lowest notch wasnt there. Then check to see where you are on your pinion angle. You want to be around -2 or -3, probably closer to -3 with your set up. If you are ok with the angle and you dont think there is a need for the lowest notch, cut it off. BTW, the coil overs do take place of the stock rear springs.

 

[chub406]

your jealous but its wrong? lol j/k i know it takes place of the springs. but the shocks to right? lol sry. i like fabricating and motor combos. never done this before. he paid to have this done by a shop when they put in the cage. there is a bar that goes all the way from frame to frame that the top of the coil overs is bolted to. then the cage comes down and is tied into it. also.

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what was done wrong? what do i need to change? or will it work just fine? im assuming the stock uppers would want to be changed? what about bracing it? did u see the frame there jeremy? lol the frame doesnt even have surface rust in the back. 71000 miles and he did that. lmao some people's kids. thanks bud!

 

[jdpolzin]

I think it looks just fine! Here's a couple things to chew on for you. First of all the lower control arms have solid bushings, I would change them out, even if it is to put stockers back in and just box the stockers and put new bushings in them. Those solid control arms will screw that frame up BAD! I hate those things and have pitched or given away about 6 set s of them. Second is, the upper control arms are more than likely just fine. Heres the thing about it though, by having adjustability with the bracket for the lower control arms, you really dont need adjustable uppers. BUT...... If you cut the bracket off the rear end and dont have enough adjustability to get your pinion angle where you want it to be, you'll need adjustable uppers. Either way, thats something you are going to have to play with. If you do keep the stock uppers, I would take them out, box them and change the bushings.

The coil over set up is just that..... Coil over shock..... the coil and shock are all there!!!

Looks like they did a good job on the cage, I would go over that notch if you say there are gaps between the frame and the caps he installed. I see the gaps in the one pic! Definately go over that!

 

[chub406]

that makes sense. if i replace them with anything. it will be aftermarket. i just figured there was something better than the stock uppers adjustable or not. i basically have to get my rear end set up exactly how i want it. then i will know what my options are. thats how the frame looks all the way around. i havent taken the tires off yet but now im getting nervous that he cut it to far. i would havent have used a torch lke he did. i want to make sure there is enough there. i will do that with the lowers. i trust your input i seen your mini tub job ya just did. turned out really good. im sure anything he did can be fixed. i need to put new body mount bushig in it. the back ones got to close to the torch it looks like. not real bad but might as well replace them. i have some ssm lift bars for a 12 bolt in a g body. not sure if they would work. ive heard mixed reviews with those lowers. what about the uppers? can i use the ssm ones? if the measure out, would that be better? they are just a solid mount. would you suggest poly bushings in those too? thanks!

 

[jdpolzin]

that makes sense. if i replace them with anything. it will be aftermarket. i just figured there was something better than the stock uppers adjustable or not. i basically have to get my rear end set up exactly how i want it. then i will know what my options are. thats how the frame looks all the way around. i havent taken the tires off yet but now im getting nervous that he cut it to far. i would havent have used a torch lke he did. i want to make sure there is enough there. i will do that with the lowers. i trust your input i seen your mini tub job ya just did. turned out really good. im sure anything he did can be fixed. i need to put new body mount bushig in it. the back ones got to close to the torch it looks like. not real bad but might as well replace them. i have some ssm lift bars for a 12 bolt in a g body. not sure if they would work. ive heard mixed reviews with those lowers. what about the uppers? can i use the ssm ones? if the measure out, would that be better? they are just a solid mount. would you suggest poly bushings in those too? thanks!

I hate poly bushings and solid bushings. I think you are best off using the stock arms but boxing them and using Moog replacement bushings. Otherwise, I would go UMI adjustable uppers (cost effectiv and good quality) and eiher Metco, Hotchkis, or HR parts lowers. I wouldnt worry to much about how much he cut out of the frame because you have proper bracing to support it with the cage and crossbars. I've seen people with literally nothing back there but the frame edge and a piece of 3/16 support plate to help keep it sturdy. I would seriously not use those SSM bars though. The Metco, Hotchkis, and HR bars have high durameter rubber bushings in them. No squeeks, no binding, no dried out poly, no ripped frame mounts. Jsut do a good job grinding off his old welds on the frame notch and re-welding everything shut. Looks like you found a good base car to start with! Congrats!

 

[chub406]

thanks! i am tickled pink with it. lol that def makes me feel better. i was going to use 1/4 but was told to stick with 3/16 cause youll burn through with 1/4 trying to get it hot enough. so i want rubber. not solid or poly? the ssm uppers are basically stocked but boxed in as far as i understand. if i put rubber bushing in it. would that work just as good or still go adjusted? i think im going to be ok if i cut that bracket off with the wheel just clearing the lca. if not, i saw some shaped like a dog bone that would clear im sure. any other bracing you would add or what would you do dif on the rear? what about bracing for the upper arm where it bolts to the body? thanks!

 

[chub406]

great news!! i got it up off the ground on jackstands so i could take a look at it. well going by what the guy said and only being able to see the bottom, i thought the mini tub job was hacked. now i can see, the job was done beautifully on the frame. he did just flip the plate around. the welds are beautiful. the only down side is, he did not weld the bottom of the plate/frame!. lol he only welded it every few inches or so. lol so i dont have to redo that. i just have to weld the bottom. i meassured from frame to outside of rim and got a little over 13.5 inches. a 325/50/15 would be in there fine. wonder if i go to a 12 inch rim, if that would straighten out the sidewall for more clearence? lol

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

those lowers look like a southside bar or the jegs knock off... I've heard alot of bad about how they can bind and rip the tourque boxes up. And poly bushings turn to mush quicker than a rubber so dont waste the money on some red garbage.

However you get the car to sit you wanna try and keep the lower arm parellel with the ground.. thats why there's multiple mounting holes there and a slammed car will use a lower than stock hole. I'd see which hole it needs to be in at final ride height and trim the bottom so it'd clear a deeper backspace wheel.
You could have the rear narrowed but the drum brakes are gonna get in the way as they narrow it between the lower mounts and the housing ends. If it had some race disc brakes on it you'd gain more room. Then you'd also have to look at the lower arm and how deep you could go before it was to hit the wheel/tire.
However, for the money you'll spend on a good set of uppers/lowers and still possibly have wheel fitment issues(depending how much of a tub there is and how much you'd wanna use of the room available) you can just buy a ladder bar kit and have it installed and narrow the rear almost as much as you want with no clearence issues.
I have no clue what those tabs were used for, cut em off.

I'd use a set of double adjustable uppers with a spherical bearing for the housing instead of rubber or poly and a single adjustable or double adjustable(with double heim joints) set of lowers, a single lower would have a delrin bushing on the housing end and heim joint for the frame side and the uppers also will have a heim at the frame side. That will give you a very stout adjustable very non-binding and free moving setup.

I deal with TRZ Motorsports, shoot me a pm if interested in their stuff. I've also got some pics of my rear stock style suspension with a narrowed housing if you need to see some pics.

 

[chub406]

ya! pics would be great. the car looked like your originally. had an 8 inch outlaw hood on it. then someone cut off the the cowl. lol so now its a glasstek hood with a big hole. the guy i got it from was going to just put a ladder bar suspension under it too. i was told it was an old school way and dead technology. i dont know hardly anything about setting up a rear to be honest. i have a 12 bolt and ssm lift bars that will be for sale so i was interested in using anything i had but only if its beneficial. ssm lift bars worked awsome in my buddy's 12.0 car but big dif for what im building. if i move the lca up a notch, wich way it going to move? if its making it parelel to the ground couldnt it lower the ride highth or wood it raise the body? if anything, i want to lower it. its got full tubs in it. so its the sides thats the limit, not the hiegth. i like the tires to be tucked all the way in. if i wanted to, i could get a 15X10 with 5.5 bs and slam the car. lol i dont like them slammed either. of course this is all on a budget. basically, i dont want to start building until after i buy my house but i want to know what to look for incase i find a deal i can't pass up. thanks!

 

[ILLEGAL REGAL™]

changing the hole in the lowers wont raise or lower the car, the springs will do that. And ladder bars have been around for some time but are still widely used today.. definately not dead technology. An Fbody with a torque arm is essentially a ladder bar and if you look at alot of guys who dont run stock style suspension they use ladder bar setups or spend more bucks and use a 4-link.
If looking to run a 10" rim with 5.5"bs you should be able to do that easily with what ya got.

 

[chub406]

well this is what 28 10.5 15 et drags look like with 15X10 with 4.5 bs.

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i got 2inches easy to spare. has to go toward the frame. the fender lip was cut. i need to decide what size tire too. lol ive wanted 325/50/15 for some reason. ive always wanted the biggest tire i can shove under neith it. lol