I lowered my car a couple inches back in the 90's. While the car handles much better with this setup, the rear end has much higher rear camber than stock, and under hard acceleration it squats even worse yet.
While the original design is adjustable by using different brackets (3 different brackets which can be used in different combinations to get the camber right), Richard Good of Goodparts has come up with a much slicker setup. His setup looks much like a stock bracket with a vernier adjuster grafted into it. Definitely a top notch assembly for getting your camber right.
I decided to install the Goodparts Brackets, along with a new set of his Nylatron bushings to improve the action of my suspension.
For the installation, I used Richard's instructions, along with some helpful hints from BobbyD's website (link to the right--->)
Before I started, I measured the car to get some data. This was my starting point.
Left Front: 1.6 degrees
Right Front: 1.4 degrees
Left Rear: 3.7 degrees
Right Rear: 3.2 degrees
I dug into the install and it went pretty quickly. A few photos are below.
I did reinstall all the original alignment shims so that I would not change the rear toe settings. While I was in there, I measured up the alignment shim and drew this. It might help me or someone else down the road.
When everything was installed, it was time to adjust everything (that is the whole point!). I found that the instructions call out a certain amount of adjustment per turn of the adjuster bolts, however that unfortunately did not work as planned. In the end, I made several adjustments per side to get them right.
Some installation observations:
- Don't bother installing these adjustable brackets without doing the Goodparts nylatron bushings with them. (how-to on Bobby-D's site is great)
- Do all of your grease zerk installation prep before you do the bushing fitting.
- The arm with brackets will go on and come off the frame much easier if the arm is hanging down almost vertical. If sticking out like it would be going down the road, the body will get in the way.
- Keep a pad and pen ready to write down your toe alignment shims and what combo goes inside/outside.
- Take 'before' measurements of both camber and ride height (I did not do ride height and I'm now trying to do this via old photos...)
- Make sure to shoot a squirt of grease in your outer axle universal joint while you have the hub removed!
- You do not need to disconnect your brake lines if you are very careful to hang the brake backing plate up out of the way while you do the other work.
When I installed the brackets, I installed them with the inside bracket with 1/2" between the bottom of the adjuster and the bracket on the inside, and 1/4" on the outside bracket. This adjustment made the following change:
Starting-
Left Rear 3.7 Right Rear 3.2
New Brackets-
Left Rear 2.5 Right Rear 2.2
I then put 5 turns down on the left rear and 4 turns down on the right rear (both outside adjusters)
First Adjustment result
Left Rear 2.2 Right Rear 1.8Finally, I put 3 turns down on the left rear outside, 1 one up the inside and 2 turns down on the right rear outside
Final Adjustment result
Left Rear 1.4 Right Rear 1.3
The handling of the car now feels more solid, and comments from my friends indicate that the car does not squat nearly so much upon hard acceleration. All those things are great. I'm pretty doggone happy with that!
. This is the bar that Lou (lfmtr4) worked on with Addco and arranged in 2013. They do now stock it and when I was finally able to order it during the 1st week of January, they had 5 in stock and mentioned it had been a very good seller.
)
