I am redoing my front suspension while the car is apart to be painted. I am also going with new Bear brakes and 17" or 18" wheels.

What is the advantage to upgrading my control arms with the DSE, Hotchkis, etc.. setups?

I assume it fixes some caster/camber issues with the 1st gen suspension but does it make the ride better, allow for bigger front tires?

Not sure it's worth me updating. My Control Arms were rebuilt a few years back and have no issues.

It depends on what you want your Camaro to do.
If you are just street driving and don't drive where you have to corner hard, there is no need for them.

If you drive on mountain roads and enjoy the twisty sections, or autocross or open track then the arms are a must-have.

By "Arms" I really mean the upper arms like Detroit Speed, Global West, or Speed Tech. They increase available caster which helps keep the loaded tire flat when cornering. Lower arms don't change geometry, but some have an indexable lower spring seat that allows a cut coil to be seated more correctly.

If I had a big block Camaro, and cornered hard at all, I'd get tubular upper arms for it and set caster at 5 degrees. This assumes you have power steering which will overcome the increased effort needed due to the extra caster.

Turn your wheels full-lock, then see which way it is leaning. I'd love someone to post a pic of that!
David

Don't forget about simply doing the Guldstrand Mod. to your existing set up. It's FREE and allows you more adjustability.

What is the Guldstrand Mod. and will it help a 67 sb power disc/drum?

Basically, it involves drilling new holes in the frame to relocate the mounting point of the upper A-arm - the holes are a bit lower and a bit rearward of the factory holes. Search this forum for Guldstrand or G-Mod and you could read for days. And yes, it will help.

Don't forget about simply doing the Guldstrand Mod. to your existing set up. It's FREE and allows you more adjustability.

Well... only to a point. It only adds a little to available caster improvement, but it does however, raise the front RC (roll center). That alone allows you to run a 25% softer front spring rate. What that accomplish's is a considerable decrease in roll without negatively effecting ride quality or necessitating the use of a large (read: HUGE) stay bar.

The only thing(s) that the aftermarket control arms accomplish is:

Improved caster. (6 for the Global arm / 5 for the Speed Tech / almost infinate for the DSE)
A neat and clean arm that looks good.
The ability to adapt other spring and shock designs more easily. (Its spacious area to fit coil overs etc)
Available bushing material / construction.
Free up a little space for the wheel in full lock.
And the possibility of a minuscule increase in strength. (Unproven)The first point is just about the only tangible gain.

In reality, the bushing (material and construction) and shock valving make or brake the ride quality. The spring rate isnt too much of a concern until you get into really elevated rates (750+).

In addition to chicane67's points...

They are also lighter weight.....at least my GW's felt much lighter than the OEM arms.

...oh....and cool...they're very cool....

I will say that with my GW control arms (upper and lower), QA1 coil overs, and the hotchkis sway bar installed, My BB 68 handles A LOT better than it did before.