Seen quite a few cars pop up for sale lately with the common poorly installed Camaro clip- I.E. mounted too far back with the wheels off center in the wheel wells. Did anybody ever make A-arms or spindles to cure this? Is the only remedy a new frame? Thanks, Jim
sometimes they have to be narrowed and i know for 53 style chevy pickups it usually has to be mounted on at like 27 inches from the center of the wheel or something, my dad does alot of them and his most recent subframe is the nicest graph job i have ever seen, i should post up a pic
my cousin has a 50' chevy truck and it was put in were the truck sat too low. big ****ing mess! setting up your ride height is crucial! having to add higher springs is just a band-aid, take your time and set things up correct or i'll be by to drag off your "old" project for next to nothing.
Fatman makes narrowed A-arms, and somebody (but not Bell Tech, apparently) makes dropped spindles, but I don't believe either is intended to fix wheelbase errors.
Actually some people would benifit greatly by adding a simple tape measure and a couple plumbobs to their tool chest before starting a re-clip on anything. Did I mention learning how to read that tape measure was critical. Hmmm, then they would have to learn all about caster camber toe in toe out anti dive, shucks, maybe they should just take it to an expert and have it done professionally. lol
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but remove and reinstall is what it's gonna take. There is nothing wrong when they're installed correctly, but there are quite a few butchers out there... some of them call themselves pros...
I know what you're talking about Jim. On the '55-59 Chevy pickups, right. If you do the clip at the factory wheelbase it sets the wheels back too far in the wheelwells towards the cab. You need to actually stretch the wheelbase 1"-1.25" from stock with a camaro clip (or any other clip for that matter) to center up the wheels in the well. Only solution.....reclip it.
Not a cure for wheel base problems but McGaughy's make a dropped spindle for 70-78 Camaro clips. I have used them on my clipped 56 Chevy PU and they are nice. Cost was about $250 from Summit about 3 months ago. P.
As my user name indicates I'm into trucks. Mostly AD Chevys. Pime example as to why you see so many AD projects with sub-frames for sell. Don't want to stir up a bucket of $hit here but I'm just finishing a '54 panel w/sub. Never Ever Ever again. No more subs for me at least in the AD trucks. Can't get them down enough during highway driving to suit me. O'yea I put he shortened a-arms on. Still gets the tires in the (bowed out fenders) when lowered and driving............. By the way, I am new around here Jim. Putting two and two toghether, would it be safe to say you were once with GG's? If so I met you at Columbus several years ago and gave you one of my (Hotrodders Against Saving Spots) t-shirts. Not that it was a pay back or anything but my purple panel got a pick after that exchange.
Yeah, that's me. I knew that would be the answer- hoped there was a cure for some of the butchered trucks I look at because they don't take any off the price for the bad clip job with a horrible overbite. Oh well!
I've seen Camaro clips in stock cars and the location of the left side lower ball joint is moved back 1" to 2"to shorten the wheelbase on that side to get some cornering advantage, I suppose you could just as easily move the balljoint location forward to lengthen the wheelbase, just be careful with the bumpsteer geometry.
fatman makes crossmember with frame rails to replace messed up camaro clips. they also make them for cars that do not have the right kind of frame to do a mustang II . there was a 50 (?) chevy truck at my buddies shop with a clip. neither side was lined up in the fenderwell correctly, and add to that one side was a couple inches ahead of the other. no easy cure for your problems... cut it off and start over
Don't be skeered, Jim. Youuu can dooo eeet! If I can figure it out, anyome can figure it out. Notice I didn't mention how much fun it will be.
wack off the ****ed up camaro clip, install new rails, & slide a jaguar front suspension under it. works really well & is superior to any camaro set up.
I'm not bashing the Jag (got the front and rear under my Buick) but fixing the Camaro usually isn't a huge deal unless they absolutely butchered it. And it should be more economical than starting over.
I'd rather find them stock because the seller thinks the hatchet job is worth an extra couple grand- hard to tell them it actually makes the truck worth less because someone will eventually buy it.
I'm still trying to figure out why so many people can't read a tape measure or make match marks on the floor. Measure, measure, measure....cut. Measure, measure,Tack.....measure, measure, measure....finish weld. Once we did the first one, they were a lot less scary. Have you found one yet, or just shopping solutions for the nightmare you know you will find?
Found PLENTY of botched trucks- not going to spend extra just to cut it out. I guess NOBODY checks the tires in the fenders before welding it up? I'm going to do a Fatman front end and push it FORWARD 2 inches because that's the way Thom Taylor draws them.
can anyone tell me why so many people install a clip?, is there something wrong with a straight axle?, if you want a lower front end then buy a droped axle of drop your own, if for some reason i was going to install a clip i`d narrow the cross member and leave the control arms alone. and if i needed it lower i'd buy new spindles.
...Jim,...you'll probly have to cut it off and re-do it. Hang a fender on the cab when you think you have it lined up where you want it to double-check. I usually keep the frame rails even on top, otherwise you'll run into radiator/steerring box interference. I usually cut one coil, no biggy, or you can get spindles to lower it. ...I also get the ride heigth by compressing the springs down before installing a clip. ....I've done lots of clips, probly a dozen or more on AD trucks, you can get em to sit/ride/handle rite with a clip...see enclosed photo,... ...71 Malibu front clip on my 47 pickup....nicest ridin truck I've owned. It's bout an inch or inch and a half lower in front now after drivin it for 5 years.
Yes. It rides like dog****. Thats whats wrong with the straight axle. I have a 49 Mercury with a similar frameswap. The work is nice, full floor/frame swap, but the measuring the wheelbase was way too much work for them to do. Im just going to move the wheelwells back a tad and flare em. Wont "fix" the problem but the car isnt worth the fix, just the make it less noticible route.
Exactly.... Another thing I do is, get the Subframe to rideheight before I move it in place. By compressing the springs, or taking the springs out. The wheels dont always move up and down in a true vertical line, so that takes one more variable out of the deal when you are trying to get the Wheel exactly where you want it in the Wheel Well...
Bingo! I removed the springs and put in spacers to get the lower control arms level.(Well, the line from the inner pivot to the lower ball joint) So, Jim, did we help?
The straight axle is ok, but the Camaro clip is a bunch better, to bad som many people screw them up, they're not that hard. Lux did a great tech on how to do them right....
What about a Camero clip under a '50 Chevy Bel Air, too wide? Also, has anyonme ever heard of a Camero clip being put under the rear of a the same car?
Maybe a clapped out old POS Caddy, but not any decent one. I drove my old '59 pickup everyday for years, it drove ok, but not even close to a Caddy or a Camaro... I got it plenty low for me and used the **** out of it, drove it almost 1200 miles each way to the HAMB Drags one year. And I'm keeping the straight front axle on my International for now. But saying it drives like a Caddy isn't stretching the truth it's breaking it. And thats with springs, shocks, and all... even radials...
My '57 was clipped when I bought it and it was pretty bad, crooked and in too low in relation to the frame. Plus it was set up at the stock wheelbase which looks awful when they're low. I cut it out moved it up 3" and forward an inch and a half. I moved the back axle an inch and a half forward as well but I think I would have only moved it about an inch if I had it to do over. -Jeff
Thanks for making the post Jim. I have a 59 Apache I'm going to clip with 77 Camaro. Got all the parts and have measured at least 14 times! (SCARED-- YEP!!) And yes I'm going to follow Lux's tips to the "T". I think you should re-clip the your ride. You'll be happier. Hey!!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Jalopy Journal
