TOUGH REAR-PART 2
Installing the suspension and axle housing
If you add power under the hood, you need to amend the rest of the package accordingly. In the March issue, we showed you how Heidt’s Hot Rods has addressed the growing popularity of the 1968-’72 Nova by adapting its 1st-Gen Camaro four-link suspension system to fit this popular marque. If you didn’t see the first part of the story, click on “archives” and get caught up. In essence, our Nova became an engineering mule, as we more or less prototyped the kit for it with the Camaro pieces.
This month we’ve outlined the installation of the differential housing, control arms, coil/over shocks, and Panhard rod that hold it all in place. Save for the lower links that required lengthening, the stuff fit glove-like. Next month, we’ll be back to complete the Currie 9+ housing with the axle shafts, a complete Randy’s Ring and Pinion center section, and a Denny’s driveshaft. We’ll finish it off by plumbing the Wilwood disc brakes.
Click on the thimbnails below for full screen images.
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The head of the bolt that holds upper bar in place interfered slightly with the inner sheet metal so we trimmed the flashing overhang with a small conical rotary cutter until the bolt head fit snugly in place. |
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The front eye of the lower bar mounts to the uni-body by using the stock leaf spring mounting “bucket,” but it’s not a bolt-in. To accommodate the larger diameter bolt and specific-length spacer, we enlarged the hole in the mount with a 17/32-inch drill. Clamp the mount suitably before beginning. |
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