Beeman

Read on another board about changing the lower shock mount on Camaros. If you look at it with the lower shock in the stock mount it actually binds as the rear moves up and down. I found out that Mustangs have brackets on the rear to rotate the shocks on the GT models. A friend had some old rears and gave me 2 brackets.




First pic is of brackets the others are before and after. I had to make a bushing for the shock to ride on. I used a piece of pipe and polished it and lubed the lower shock bshng with silglide.

BBCpoweredZ28

iTrader: (3)

I need a set of these for my coilovers when I put them in. Anybody have suggestions on mounting an eyelet mount up top?

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

Actually if you think about the axle tilt left & right, I'd think you made it worse by turning the shock mount. At first it sounded good, but after seeing it & thinking about the axle lean left & right it seems worst. Axles lean more than rotate.

Beeman

I'm interested in going straight so axle lean isn't my worry. If you look at all coilovers they are mounted parallel to the axle. The only top mounts I've seen is the plates that go into the spring pocket replacing the spring and shock with a coilover setup. The other option is moving the shocks inboard and making a crossmember between the frame structure.

83 Crossfire TA

iTrader: (2)

I don't see how turning it either way will make any significant difference, the angle change is so small that a rubber bushing will easily absorb it.

BlackenedBird

iTrader: (5)

90 degrees is not exactly small & the shocks can't do their job when the rubber is squishing around. Why do you think Polyurethane exists?

BBCpoweredZ28

iTrader: (3)

Considered doing this as well. But would that "structure" support the weight of the vehicle (2900#) in the event of excellent weight transfer? Or even at all?

mw66nova

iTrader: (13)

That thing doesn't support any weight at all in general. The springs hold the car up.

Beeman

The question was about using coilovers in the stock location. I don't know how the conversions work as I still have factory springs. Rear springs don't hold up much weight so I don't think there would be a problem.

As far as what good rotating the shocks will do it frees up the movement of the rear and it's free. Given that why wouldn't I do it?
Step back and look at the movement of the rear end housing. It doesn't move straight up and down, it can't. It has to move in an arc because it has lower control arms or in my case ladder bars which cause it to move in an arc as it moves up and down. Now look at the shock when it's on it's stock mounts, there is no pivot point. The movement is binding by compressing the lower shock bushing.

BBCpoweredZ28

iTrader: (3)

Ya. Spring hold the car up. But with coilovers the spring is on the shock body. Now with them installed on a crossmember between the "framerails" would the framerails hold the weight of the car or is that sheetmetal just too thin. Basically of mounted to a crossmember would it hold?

Beeman

If you look under the car the factory springs are supported on top by the frame rails. Since you'll be removing the factory springs you'll be tieing into the part they were supported by.