We admit it, we don’t like leaf spring-based suspensions. They may have been fine when this now-radical RS Camaro was new and their shortcomings not so glaring given the stock horsepower, bias ply tires and drum brakes of the day all conspired to hold the car back performance-wise.
But thanks to a huge horsepower numbers, new sticky tire compounds and the advent of coil-over shocks, leafs leave us wanting. Ask anyone who has encountered the dreaded “spring wrap,” caused when launching a leaf spring-equipped car hard, and they would swear that something in the car is going to shake itself loose. There is simply little doubt that a link-based rear suspension system is better for competition, be it drag racing or autocrossing. To get around a road course fast requires many things coming together quickly and above all smoothly. Huge forces are in play when a hurtling, 2-ton vehicle going in one direction is asked to change direction quickly.
As much as we love going fast in a straight line, there is nothing like carving a fast corner to get the blood pumping. The folks at Detroit Speed and Engineering obviously feel the same. They are always among the fastest lap times when autocrossing at a Goodguys event, and they take competition seriously. To do so, they use their own suspension systems, such as their QUADRALink rear suspension system. The DSE QUADRALink uses (what else?) 4-links to connect the rearend housing to the frame, and along with a panhard bar and adjustable coil-over shocks, provides a stable platform under the most intense driving. According to DSE, it’s their new Swivel-Link (Patent No. 7,398,984) that allows the suspension to fully articulate with smooth, solid motion and no binding. In addition, this owner wanted to have QUADRALink adjustable sway bar installed, as well. The adjustable sway bar provides an additional way to fine tune the suspension.
We’ll say right out that this is not an install that one should attempt at home unless they really, really know what they are doing. There is a lot of welding involved, and if, like us, you don’t have a fully equipped shop to draw upon, then you need to seek professional help.
The owner of this Camaro knew this, and wisely went to the 401K Club in Anaheim, California, to have them do the work. The crew at 401K is made up of old hands at this type of install, and only one unforeseen problem kept them from easily completing the job. That problem was that the 9-inch-based axle tube was ¼-inch larger in diameter than normal. And that ¼-inch made all the difference in the world when it came time to install the brackets onto the tube. A call to Detroit Speed and one of their really trick housings, with all of the brackets already welded on, was on its way. Once it arrived, the 401K crew had the rest of the job done quickly and professionally. We wouldn’t have wanted to be the kid who had to lie in the trunk to weld in the cross member, though.
The result is that the Camaro, which also has a DSE front suspension system, now has the capability to get its power to the ground and stay glued to it whether that ground is straight or twisty. Sounds like a combination we can get excited about.
SOURCES
Detroit Speed & Engineering
Dept. MCP
185 McKenzie Rd.
Moorsville, NC 28115
704.662.3272
www.detroitspeed.com
The 401K Club
Dept. MCP
4392 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92807
714.993.4015
www.the401kclub.com
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- This Camaro had been previously equipped with a Detroit Speed leaf spring kit.
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- A Detroit Speed upper cross member had been installed for the leaf kit. It will be retained but modified to work with the new kit.
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- The existing kit and rearend are removed.
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- The area is prepped for the new cross member.
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- Care is taken to not warp the thin sheet metal of the trunk floor when welding in the new cross member.
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- While working under the car, the hole is cut for the upper link pocket. This is where a lift comes in handy.
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- Fitting into the cross member is the track bar body mount bracket. It will be welded into place.
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- All of the internals from the customer’s original housing (Strange carrier and other trick parts) simply slide into place.
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- The lower link attaches to the where the front leaf spring mounted, so it’s just a matter of attaching the link and spacer to the bracket.
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- It’s all hands on deck as the housing is lifted into place. This thing is beefy!
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- The shocks are attached to the lower mounts. The upper mounts will be welded in place soon.
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- The adjustable track bar is installed and the rearend is positioned perfectly side to side. This is critical for the next step to go smoothly.
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- To determine the forward sway bar mounts, measurements are taken from the axle tube.
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- Detroit Speed supplies a neat little centering drill fixture. It’s used to determine the exact center so that the holes are drilled square through the frame rail.
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- Nut inserts are used to affix the bracket to the rail.
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- A liberal amount of supplied grease is used on the polyurethane bushings prior to installation.
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- With that, the bar is installed in place.
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- Although installing the Detroit Speed QUADRALink rear suspension system may be a labor intensive affair, once it is in place, your car will never be the same.
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- Although installing the Detroit Speed QUADRALink rear suspension system may be a labor intensive affair, once it is in place, your car will never be the same.
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- Although installing the Detroit Speed QUADRALink rear suspension system may be a labor intensive affair, once it is in place, your car will never be the same.
Tags: Camaro, QUADRALink, Rear suspension system, Suspension
