Johnny On The Spot
We look forward to our test sessions; given a choice between a day in the office and a day at the track, we'll take choice B anytime. It turns out we're not alone, as John Hotchkis hisownself brought our '69 El Camino test mule out for our most recent cone-bowling extravaganza. Given Hotchkis' extensive racing and testdriving experience, we insisted he take a turn at the wheel, and learned that is pays to have the man who made the parts on hand. Hotchkis' TVS package includes one of its new Extreme adjustable rear sway bars. The bar provides two levels of stiffness: 75 percent more than stock, and 100 percent more, which is where ours was set when we arrived at the track for our post B-body install testing. As we noted elsewhere, the improved alignment specs and negative camber curve provided by the B-body spindles increased front wheel traction-but decreased rear wheel traction. John Hotchkis quickly diagnosed the problem: "With that really quick, tight slalom, the cones are spaced quite close, so that the car is always moving; you're turning the steering wheel very quickly, and it was readily apparent that the car needed more rear grip." Hotchkis grabbed some tools, put the sway bar on the 75-percent setting, and voila, our slalom runs became more consistent-and quicker. "We had a loose car that needed more rear traction, so we softened the setup in order to gain that rear grip," Hotchkis explains. "If it was a Chevelle, possibly, or it had larger rear tires, we could have gone for the stiffer setup," he continued. "But with only 245s on this El Camino and the lighter weight in the back, this was just what it needed. That's why we made this bar."
On the flip side, our subject...
On the flip side, our subject A-body was still outfitted with its original rear drum brakes. Given that we'd just upgraded the Elky's front binders, we decided a back-end upgrade was also in order.
True Connections' rear disc...
True Connections' rear disc brake kits for A-bodies are based on late-model GM components that have been massaged to work on the earlier cars. Except for a proportioning valve, if needed, the kits come complete.
This spacer goes in between...
This spacer goes in between the axle flange and the backing plate...
... otherwise, this is pretty...
... otherwise, this is pretty much a simple, remove and replace job. Everything-including the new emergency brake cables-bolted right into place.
Depending on your application,...
Depending on your application, a proportioning valve may be needed to regain proper brake bias when adding rear disc brakes. We retained the '69's original master cylinder, so a prop valve was needed. Hotchkis selected a Wilwood unit, which Bedortha mounted under the car. The Elky's previously mediocre braking ability now matches its impressive handling capabilities.