Hi,
Does anyone know of any solid rear conversion brackets for the C4 out on the market?

The main problem is that buying a complete kit incl, rear axle the shipping to Sweden is crazy ( large package ). I was thinking of finding maybe a Ford 9 or a GM 12 bolt in Sweden and adjust it together with a prefabricated bracket kit.

Can one buy only the brackets from lets say Carrols rod and racecraft?


Thanks
/Svante.

 

..... They would be easy enough to make ... these are Racecraft's frame brackets as taken from an '86 'vette ... the extensions are 3/16" steel approx. 12" long ... the new lower hole is spaced 5.5" south of the existing Track bar mounting hole ..... The tack-welded bushings are spacers for the new Heim joints and to position them inboard .....

 

..... If you want to buy rather than make , you could try Forum Member ... Ski-Down-it ... or call Racecraft ... they might be able to supply the axle housing brackets as well .....

 

If you can fabricate/modify either the FOMOCO 9" or GM 12 bolt to the width required, backing plate fit etc. you should have no issues fabricating the hardware to "match the project" and do it much better than the offered packages "off the shelf".

Take a look at the Progressive brackets in this kit

http://www.progressiveautomotive.com...rear-ends.html

 

Great info thanks!!

I have access to laser and waterjet cutter and some press brakes at work so fabricating my own should work.

I have never been involved in 4-links before so this will be a challenge. Doesn´t the link bars get to short when using the factory bracket locations? The pictures i´ve seen has been with longer bars.

What has been welded in the bottom of the brackets?

Thanks
/Svante.

 

Do you have a picture with the parts installed that i can look at?

Thanks
/Svante.

 

..... Sorry , no ..... look closely at the center part of the bottom picture ... its the OEM frame bracket for the dog bones or track bars with some downward extensions added ..... they are on your car toward the front of the rear wheels .....

 

Ok, yes i saw that, this shouldn't be a problem to fabricate. I was just curious to see the rest

Regarding the brackets for the axle, any standard set would do i guess?

Thanks
/Svante

 

Svante, With your skills you wont have any problems making your own. Here are mine. They are welded in to the frame for more tire clearance (if needed). In this photo it is not fully completed-Note the hanging sway bar mount. To get max clearance the sway bar would have to be narrowed-Which I didn't do.

Steve

 

Other photos

 

Looks great Steve!!

What axle are you running? Does it work good for you? No binding during suspension travel?

Did you buy the brackets or fabricate your own?

Thanks
/Svante

 

It drives fine. No binding. It utilizes a wish bone to located it. It is a 9" Ford fabricated housing. It was completed by a Chassis Shop in NY. He made all the brackets.

Thanks,
Steve

 

I think the links seem very short.

With short links each hole will move instant center very much.
Also instant center will move much more with the same suspension travel.
Short rods also bind sooner.

Normal rod length is about 20 inch.

Of course there is very limited space but I would have made the brackets for as long rods as possible.

 

With no spring or shock-It binds at the extreme end of travel (as most suspensions do). This set-up with wish bone and 4.0-5.5 inches of travel (depending on shocks) does Not Bind at all. Some set-ups with longer bars-bind with pan hard bars or diagonal links a lot quicker-Not to mention relocating the rear housing.

Steve

 

If you lift only one side I bet you get almost instant bind.

 

Something else to think about would be a 3 link..... 2 types of 3 link have sucessfully transplanted to the C4 Corvette.

First and most common is a TQ Arm suspension like an 1983-2002 F Body.

Second is a regular dual lower trailing arm and single upper link style like the S197 Mustang or X Frame GM's of the 1960's.

I have the second under my 84.













Rear end housing brackets are adjustable from Quick Performance and originally for an F Body. The upper link, panhard bar, anti roll bar and the frame/chassis brackets were all fabricated by my chassis builder on water jet.

I'm set up for drag racing and it works as good if not better than anything else I could have put under my car..... but this style 3 link is a very good suspension for turning corners, as the S197 Mustangs have proved. It was also the choice of suspension for the IMSA Trans Am cars of the 1990's. It's very free and very adjustable.... only thing I would change for turning corners is to replace the panhard bar with a Watts Link.
Will

 

If you want the proper geometry and optimized rod end lengths that allow for the CORRECT instant centers and adjustment thereabout the best centers give me a call. Or Text. I can also give you many peoples names that I have provided these to and they love the setups.

Its best to text me at 814.594.2357. I dont come on here much anymore and just stop by once in a blue moon.

Lots of videos and other things on here of my car. Full weight with stereo runs 9.03@152MPH. Put the solid rear conversion in it 10years ago and other than gear changes have not touched it.

The car now has a 555CI motor - 12bolt conversion and it works perfect enough to compete in the best of the NE bracket series and be competitive.

There is more to it than just adding the some brackets the holes, bar lengths and such need to give you the optimal Instant Centers related to anti-squat and other suspension characteristics. My car was scaled and brackets designed around those optimal setting and it pulls 1.26 60ft times at 3350lbs. Its not going to get any better than that.

 

 

Thanks for all the replies,

I have bought a used Ford 9 that i will use for this setup. I am not allowed to go fully adjustable 4-link, only parallel bar setup.

I have one question, due to the limited space in the back i was thinking of having an offset on the rear axel brackets in order to use longer bars ( the inspection prefers 23.62" long ). Is it possible to do so? I made a small drawing just as an example ( bracket to the left ).

The bars will then have their mounting points behind the rear axle.

Thanks
/Svante

 

..... I was thinking the same thing ... I can't imagine why it wouldn't work ... there is likely a mathematical or physical limit to how far behind the axle center line the track bar mounts can be and they would need to be high enough to eliminate the possibility of contact with the axle tube in its range of movement ... but not high enough to contact the under carriage .....