my 1969 Camaro is fun but I read tube arms helps the handling. Can I use tube an arms with my disc brake setup I have on the car now. I am just trying to upgrade the car to make it handle better and be more fun to drive. It's a big block car that I only drive on the weekend. I guess the cost to actual performance will be the factor. If I have to upgrade with bigger brakes a factory style is more desirable. Thanks Jerry
If you can actually feel the difference between stamped steel arms and tube arms on your occasional driver, I’ll eat the old arms.
Might have better luck Here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/off-topic-hot-rods-customs.98/
Tube, Lighter & stronger , Yes can be used with Disc ,, For handling and seeing a big difference in handling ,many, many more upgrades will need to be done, Including break upgrade ,Sway-bar, shocks, bushings , sub frame connectors ext !! If Z28 aready handles well for 1969 Camaro but if you're looking for road race modern car handling more than just tuber upper and lower control arms.. Just one Brand Look into Q A1 Kits 3k plus. Op Your thread / post will be moved to Off topic tread , Like suggested above
I think most tubular A arms use plastic bushing. They have a short life next to the decades long life of rubber joints. Most also don’t have a place for the upper stop to hit. I would never replace the stock arms with these bad ideas.
If they are stock geometry, you wont notice anything significant. But if they are made to work with, and you are using a taller spindle or taller ball joints than factory, then that will change things a lot.
My 56 belair could not be aligned properly, couldn’t get enough caster. I bought tubular uppers that were designed to give more caster. They worked beautifully. If they aren’t designed specifically to improve the geometry they are just for showing off at the car show. In my opinion
View attachment 6089508 Total waste of $$$ if you know what you're doing. Geometry is geometry it doesn't care whether it is chrome-moly or stamped steel Geometry [arc] is an Imaginary straight line between 2 pivot points. If you want to improve handling you need to change the pivot points. The best cheap method is the "Shelby Drop" on Fords or the "Guildstrand Mod" on Chevys [the same thing] On a Camaro you can re-drill the front pivot holes [like Fords] or better still cut off and relocate the frame horns. Here is some Camaro horns I had this mod on my Corvette [where the rules required using the original mounting holes , so I didn't touch the holes] We also tilted the rear down to induce anti-dive, and it really "plants" the front wheels under hard braking How this works is the lower A-Arm arcs vertically and the upper A-Arm arcs rearward [because it is now tilted ] This causes the whole upright knuckle to rotate inducing more positive caster Which tries to counteract negative caster forces caused by brake torque.[at the caliper bracket] I was slamming the brakes on at 176 mph at a 200 yard marker ,then turning in to a 40 mph hairpin bend We've also removed a lot of aftermarket bolt-on **** from a 68 Camaro suspension, and it's lap times went down.
That was the first thing i tried, actually an offset shaft/arm combo. That didn’t do the deed but global west arms did
Nothing to do with handling but I once put on tubular upper A-arms to gain alternator clearance, worked great.
Thanks for the vote of confidence. The internet is full of people that re-invent the wheel with Brake Mods, Steering Mods [R & P conversions] and Suspension mods, that actually make things worse. The biggest culprit is some salesman who has the answer to your "worldly problems" sitting on their shelf. Usually caused by rubber bushes ..... Urethane is a huge improvement [on my Corvette we used steel bushings with grease zerks] You can buy stamped uppers with 5° added positive caster which is needed for power steering conversions https://www.cl***icindustries.com/product/tf500245.html Offset shafts are generally used for camber correction not caster. I would rather relocate the frame horns, you can move them inward [camber], rearward [caster], lower them [dynamic camber] ,and tilt them [anti-dive] all at the same time. I prefer the engineering approach to throwing "romantic" hotrod parts at the vehicle.
^^^^^ Got me on the caster vs camber. I read the post to quickly. Ever reposition an upper ball joint? I have. It works wonders.
Spacers between the ball joint and A-Arm doesn't change the geometry [it only allows for more clearance under the A-Arm for more "droop" [suspension extension] Geometry [arc] is an Imaginary straight line between 2 pivot points. If you use extended upper ball-joints it alters geometry In the photo below the pivot point is fixed at the ["Red X"] Spacers [blue arrows] do not alter the height of the pivot. An extended ball joint [yellow arrow] alters the pivot height / geometry The problem with extended ball joints is wheel clearance especially when you want to minimalize scrub radius Most Vintage sanctions only allow Plus-One /Minus-One [you go up 1" in rim diameter, and down one in tyre profile eg: 70 to 60]
HUGE difference in the quality of after market an arms, qa1, and other name brand might be ok. But No name off shore ones you buy online would NEVER be my choice. I personally don’t like the on a mild car, race car is a different store.
Tubular A-Arm's, from a performance stand point, are the cat's ***. Not so good in the look's department on a Traditional ride, though.
Ok the universe has spoken. Im keeping my old stock an arms. I see what people mean about not a good look. I crawled under my car and thought nope. thanks for all the help. Just needed more voices and opinions. Thanks jerry
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