View Full Version : staggered rear shock question


denverRS/SS
Oct 19th, 99, 07:14 AM
Looking through some restoration books covering the early Camaros, I have learned that some of the cars with mono leaf springs were fitted with an "underride bar" or "stabilizer bar" connected from the frame to the rear axle to eliminate axle windup on acceleration. In '68, it sounds like the problem was addressed by staggering the shocks and installing the multilple leaf springs. My question is, on a car with mono leaf springs, how hard is it to install shock brackets that would stagger the shocks? Does this help? It seems like it would be a very easy bolt in.

Sureguy
Oct 19th, 99, 08:02 AM
The rear stabilizer bar was put there to control "Sway" the inherent tendency to lean alot around corners, not for straight line traction although it may help some but nothing to call home about. I don't see what staggering the shocks would do for that either. Maybe it was just another design, It's currently being used on trucks, For that "big car stability". Mono leaf springs are better for traction because they don't bind and allow the tire to "hook".

------------------
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
The night-time is the right time

****James Bondo****
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


[This message has been edited by Sureguy (edited 10-19-99).]

Kevin
Oct 19th, 99, 08:22 AM
You're correct as to why the bracket and brace on the passenger side axle tube of '67 Camaro's were installed (to prevent "axle wrap") but I don't think it was limited to just mono-leaf cars. As far as your question goes, the lower shock mounts are bolt-ons that sandwich the springs to the rear - there's no reason why you couldn't use some of the lower mounts from a '69 to stagger your shocks.

68RS
Oct 19th, 99, 09:15 AM
As a side note, I think the upper shock mounts are staggered as well. You might be able to relocate them.

My homepage....
www.kdsi.net/~malandk (http://www.kdsi.net/~malandk)

------------------

68SS396
Oct 19th, 99, 09:29 AM
The bar was put on to control wheel hop. It was only for mono springs because it was only used in 67 and all 67's originally came with mono springs. Its not as easy as it sounds to do the conversion. The inner wheel well on the drivers side is different between the 67 with non staggered and the 68 with staggered.
They come up into the trunk area in different places.

denverRS/SS
Oct 20th, 99, 04:53 AM
Thanks to all for the replies, 68SS396, your information is helpful. It seems easy to swap the brackets that the lower end of the shocks mount to, but I didn't know if significant changes are needed in the wheel well where the upper shock mounts. Sounds like I would need to do some cutting in the wheel well, which I don't want to do on this car. It does have the underride bar from axle to frame, so I will leave the shocks as they are.