Need help with suspension ?'s
 

I have come here to ask for you knowledge. I recently bought a '46 Chevy Fleetline coupe. The previous owner grafted on a '70 something Camaro front clip. I think its an earlier year due to the fact that it has drums up front. I found an article in Hemmings for swapping disk brakes from a later year car. I have also bought a set of 2" drop spindles for a '70-'78 Camaro. The article says that if I use the taller spindles that I should use the shorter A-arms. This is where lies my question. Which A-arms are the short ones? The ones I already have or the ones from the disc brake set-up?

~C.C.~

Heres the article I was talking about.

Hemmings Motor News: Front disc brake conversion

~C.C.~

No tall or short spindle for seconds. I also THINK discs were standard. You may have a first get sub frame. I also haven't heard of a shorter A Arm for our cars. Good news is there are a ton of parts for that front end. Bad news is 2" drop spindles for the wrong year. I would start looking into finding out what you have before purchasing and more parts. Sorry I couldn't help more, but I can't recall ever seeing a second gen with drums up front.

Ditto. You've got a 1st gen subframe most likely, and you need to send the dropped spindles back and exchange for the correct ones for your subframe.

If my memory serves me right the tall spindles are for the 67-68 and the snortys are for the 69. All 70+ Camaros had front disk and a few even had 4 wheel disk.

Massey

all 70-81 camaro's had front disk/rear drum..only T/A's had 4 wheel disk

O.K. I too think I have a first gen frame. But according to the article the second gen suspension from a donor will bolt up to the first gen frame. So my spindles will work just fine. I want to do drop springs also but that will have to be first gen.

~C.C.~

Never heard that either. I would get 1st gen specific parts. The second gen suspension was a refinement over the 1st.

Well its all about doing disk brakes on a budget. Some people don't have four grand to throw into a suspension. In this case you are getting all your parts from a junker donor.

~C.C.~

I totally understand budgets. Sorry if I sounded condescending. I just don't think the first and second gen parts interchange at all. As for what I have into mine. Its all income taxes that get me my parts. If I didn't have children and all that I'd be building mine much slower. It took me three years (all taxes too) to get the parts for my engine.

As for what A arms are shorter. I couldn't tell you because the only thing that changed between 70 and 81 was the wheel bearing.