Disregarding cost & chrome, which one of these rear end upgrades is better? The 5-link is from Guldstrand, see photo:

The upper control arm model is from Tom's. See photo:


Can they be used together?

 

What about the six-link? There's an article on it scanned in on corvettefaq.com. I think a couple people here have it and it's pretty cheap. ($400 w/VB adjustable struts?) Somebody post that guy's phone # again!

Jim

 

Actually I made a mistake. The Guldstrand kit (top photo) is refered to as a 5 bar - not 5 link, if that makes a difference.

 

Here is my understanding:

The Tom's kit is for drag racing which I think requires a link that is not part of the drive shaft. This does not fix the toe/camber issues with the C3 vette.

The gulstrand kit is what was used for road racing to correct both toe and camber change issues. This is like putting a C4 vett suspension in the back of a C3

The down side is that both of these still use the upper drive shaft as a suspension link. The real fix would include an upper link that allows the fitment of a drive shaft with a slip joint. But Gulstrand still had good results with their system as is.

 

DaveL82 is correct (to a point) ,you are comparing apples and oranges! both are designed to do different things. I have a Riley 5-link in the back of one of my cars,it was designed by Bob Riley (world famous race car designer) now known as "Riley-Scott", as was the unit Guldstrand sells, as i remember. It was designed for SCCA competition under the rules!. There also was an a-frame/coil over rear suspension sold by John Greenwood years ago that made the half shaft a NON suspension part BUT again this was for IMSA racing (where HUGE sums of money was spent to try to beat the Por$ches), and required ALOT of "fab" work to install. If the 6-link rear suspension worked, the guy would still be in business!! The problem is MONEY and no one wants to re-design anything for a car that has been out of production for almost 20 years (at least nobody with any business sense).The C-4 rear suspension is a derivitive (sp?) of the Riley designed 5-link. BUT the Riley (5-link) is designed to work in a 63-82 chassis with 63-82 suspension FOR racing, it is (so i have been told) streetable.If you want C-4 or C-5 handling you will have to BUY a C-4 or C-5.I DO NOT mean to flame anyone but, I believe it`s as simple as that. There is no way an "old style" car will ever handle like a new one, (or stop like one). ...redvetracr

 

redvetracr - thanks for the education. I'm planing a rear suspention upgrade with VB's Smart Struts & 3" half shafts. I'll probably go with the Tom's upper control arm kit but I was just curious about that 5 bar setup.

 

you could always drop a c3 body on a c5 chassis/motor/drive train/electronics. :)....im just being silly....please excuse me.:rolleyes:

Daniel

 

Yes it does. I have a similair setup and there is zero camber change and I can dial in the toe where ever I want it. T

The half shafts in the Tom's setup only go along for the ride, so they are no longer a link.. They no longer have any lateral movement meaning that there isn't any camber change anymore because the upper link holds it in place.

 

The six link does work. I don't know where anybody got the idea that it didn't. When I lift my car in the air the tires remain straight up and down and they remain that way throught the entire travel of the suspension. No camber change on launch means I have full tire on the ground and all times. And when I round a corner at high speeds the wheel and tire remain flat and again I have the full contact patch of the tire on the ground. And because the six link controls camber the stub shafts no longer pound in and out of the differential. No need for hardened yokes.

Well, I found a guy. He makes them in his garage in British Columbia as a hobby. And the cost was only 400 Canadian dollars, that's about 250 American.








[Modified by Stingy74, 2:35 PM 11/12/2001]


[Modified by Stingy74, 2:47 PM 11/12/2001]

 

hehe I sure hope he stays in business for the next 2-3 years cause I need that setup. :)

 

I have seen the Canadian's work and it is first rate. I have not seen it installed or talked to anyone who has used it. He quoted me $350 for the setup for my 71. I plan to try one in the spring.
His name is Rick Taylor and he's in Pewticton, B.C.
I don't have his phone number.
Anyone up for a GP?

 

Flynhi, I know who you've been talking to! When he get's it setup go for a ride and see. It is quite an improvment.

 

Stingy, what did you have to do to install the 6-link? Did he provide the mounting hardware? Any welding needed?

And, please give us a name and number. :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

How does this kit deal with the half shaft yokes?
I would like to have a name, address and / or phone number for the guy building these. It might be a bit late in the year for me to take a drive up there (sorry Stingy) so I would be interested in a kit with instructions on how to set it up.

 

I gotta go to work right now but when I get home i'll tell you as much as I can.

 

ttt

 

Just a quick note. You can actually use the 5 bar & most of Tom's stuff concurently. There were a few parts like the upper brackets they didn't think were adaptable, but I actually had one of Guldstrand's dudes on the phone with Tom discussing combining the 2 systems. Finally I decided that after all that cost, it just made more sense to have Morrison build be a frame from the ground up & use coil overs. That is what the next version will have IF we ever finish this one..

 

ttt :D

 

This is from Cars Componets Design -circa '90. They are out of business now. It looks like a good idea/design.