i'm installing a CE kit in a 54 chevy. i took off the old shackles and springs. i drilled new holes for the new shackles and i tried to install the 1970 camaro rear end. after doing all of that. the rear end won't fit. its 4" to long on the perches. i've read somebody else here used the same rear end on a 54 also and it fit. so i took it down and i tried to install a 57 chevy rear end that i have and that wont fit either. both rears are suppose to fit but they don't. i will have to cut out the stock perches to make them fit. has anyone ever had problems like this before? you can see in the pic. i get one side to fit, but the other side is way off.
Are the kit hangers supposed to go outside the frame rails? Can you post pictures of the frame brackets?
If the rear axle is the right width,,,,just cut the spring mounts and fab up some new ones,,,heck if this ol' car thing was easy you could get your sister to do it! HRP
Catalog #36 (2001) sez: "1968-74 Nova multi-leaf rear ends or 1967-69 Camaro or Firebird are the best choice." Lists 2 kits, one for the description above, another for use with Ford 9". Did you buy the correct kit? Mike
I did the same thing to mount up a 77 Camaro 10 bolt into my 53. I fabbed up all mounts to the frame myself but I ran into the same problem. If you want to use the stoock rear end mounts they dont line up, so I offset mine on the frame of the car and welded them on. John
Yep, on the Nova and 1st generation Camaro/Firebird the perches are set narrower in comparison to the 70-81 Camaro/Firebird. Looks like their kit sets the springs slightly inboard compared to the stock location.
I don't mean to be a smartass but did you call Chassis Engineering ? that should have been the first call.
If the kit's for 67-69 Camaro rear, and you've got a '70 Camaro rear . .. there's your answer. The '70 rearend is probably a fair amount wider than the earlier ones. Right kit, wrong rear. Steve.
The '70 rear is about ½" wider than a '69. I think what the instructions were getting at was that the rear would fit track width wise. I think you just confused "fit" with "bolt-in".
yes i know i should call them. it was late at night and tech line was closed. so what better way to get some quick answers. than posting it here.
I got my 70 Nova rear with aftermarket perches already welded on in a different location than the stock ones anyway, so I had to cut them off and weld new ones on in the correct place. That doesn't help you much, but FWIW, I would consider it worth it to put new perches on that axle to make this kit work. I have the CE kit on my 52 Chevy, and I like the way it rides and handles a lot. It actually did more to improve the ride/handling than my MII front end did! The bad thing, though, was that I no longer had room to run my exhaust between the rear shackles and the gas tank/spare tire well. I ended up cutting out my spare well, and centering the gas tank in the car. Much better.
Very good info! I plan on going with the wide spring kit this spring, looks I will have to do the same thing as you did so it will clear the exhaust. Good to know.
I just did a quick measurment of the rearend out of a 68 Camero that Ive had sliding around in the back of my pickup for 2 months. Its 54 1/2" between the backing plates. I was under the impresion that only stock springs would fit, on a 49-52 and not well! I like the better spring idea!
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