Quick Notes
What We Did
Swaped the rear leaves, added big-block drop springs up front, and installed new polyurethane body bushings
Bottom Line
This chassis is ready for a big-block upgrade
| SHOPPING CART |
| MFG |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
| PST |
2-inch big-block drop springs with 11/2-inch rear lowering leaf springs (package set) |
$599 |
| Polyurethane front subframe bushings |
95 |
| KYB shocks (set of 4) |
179 |
|
TOTAL |
$873 |

Moving to the front was simple....

Moving to the front was simple. All that was needed was a 3/4-inch wrench to loosen and remove the upper spindle nut from the upper A-arm. We fully extended the lower A-arm and rotor down far enough to remove the old coil spring.

While the car was still on...

While the car was still on the lift, we moved on to replace the bushings for the front subframe. The PST front subframe bushing kit comes with six all-new polyurethane bushings, washers, and bolts. The trick here is to separate the body from the frame just enough to remove the bushings. We did one side at a time. For the body bushing supporting the firewall, we used a 15/16-inch socket and an impact gun to loosen and remove the old rubber bushing.

Old vs. New: Coil Springs...

Old vs. New: Coil Springs
With an iron-headed big-block in this Camaro's future, it was necessary to make sure the suspension was well prepared. These feature a 600 lb rate, are 2-inch drop springs to properly lower the front end and support the weight of the big-block. We bolted the upper spindle to the A-arm and tighted the assembly back together.

We reinstalled the new PST...

We reinstalled the new PST bushing and utilized a steel punch to locate and center the subframe to the body of the Camaro. Once aligned, Lou tightened the assembly.

We followed up with the rest...

We followed up with the rest of the body bushings along the subframe and used the same procedure on the opposite side as well.

While we still didn't see...

While we still didn't see much drop after the install of the new components was completed, we took note of the measurements anyway. The front measured 29 1/4-inches and the rear measured in at 28 1/4-inches. Keep in mind none of the suspension was settled and there is still no drivetrain or interior. We can't wait to get the engine in.

We replaced all the shock...

We replaced all the shock bushings and ditched the old shocks in favor of these new mono-tubes from KYB. While these aren't race-specific, we have no doubt they'll get the job done.

Stayed tuned, next month we'll...

Stayed tuned, next month we'll install the new PST subframe connectors in our Step-By-Step department. With the suspension on the Camaro rebuilt front to rear, future plans call for an install of the drivetrain. We'll make sure to keep you up to date and provide true ride height measurements once everything has settled in.