Frankenstein is literature’s most famous reanimation project. While that was spooky, we’re talking about breathing new life into an inanimate object that’s been dead for way too long—your Chevelle’s front suspension. While the subject has fascinated science-fiction writers for decades, reanimation is practically an everyday way of life for hot rodders. And you don’t have to skulk around graveyards at midnight to do it...
If Chevelles get you animated, then it’s a fair bet that the car you’re driving has seen its share of too many road miles. This means the front suspension probably has seen better days. If so, we’re here to show you how to restore its factory-new handling and ride.
It’s always nice to have someone help you with a project like this, especially if you’ve never tried it before. So, to help you out, we accompanied owner/hero Keith Davis as he converted his dilapidated ’69 Chevelle’s front suspension into something better than new with a few parts from Performance Suspension Components and some weekend muscle. Except for assistance from a hydraulic press to install the new lower ball joints, Keith performed the work himself with just a few hand tools. So, let’s look at what it takes to perform a front suspension reanimation.