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CORNER -STRAIGHTENING PERFORMANCE

HARLEY CAMILLERI . September 26, 2022 . All Feature Vehicles
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Get a handle on handling with suspension from BMR

Whether new or old, we all want our cars to be able to lay down some rubber at will and swing a corner without tossing us into the passenger seat. With the proper parts, everything from your ’60s Chevelle to your modern-day Mustang can keep up with, or even outfox most newer sports car in handling prowess. Thanks to BMR Suspension, we’ll show you how.

BMR had a lowly third generation Camaro languishing on one of its lifts in the shop that was stuck somewhere between a has-been, and maybe even a never-was. With parts right off the shelves, BMR turned this old street warrior into a machine capable of flying through any corner-filled canyon, or embarrassing many a car at the local curvy track or SCCA event. The keys to proper handling lie in chassis rigidity, weight reduction, and the ability to properly set the suspension up for its intended purpose. BMR offers everything to fill all those blanks.

Preuse the company’s catalog, and you’ll find everything from tubular upper and lower control arms to coil-over kits, and even complete rear suspension conversions, to a fully adjustable torque arm with Watts-link. Want to put the power to the ground? Check out BMR’s extensive line of products to see what they have for your muscle car.

01. To transform the third gen Chevy Camaro’s suspension, BMR threw the book at it. Amongst the parts are a front K-member, control arms, coil-over conversion and larger sway bar with end links. The rear consists of a transmission cross member, adjustable torque arm, panhard bar, larger sway bar and adjustable trailing arms (not shown).
02. As you can see, anything is an improvement for this wretched Camaro. BMR knows how to make it all better.
03. All of the suspension is torn down minus the steering components. If your car looks as worn out as this, it’s surely time to upgrade your steering parts to complement the new suspension.
04. Lucky for BMR, its Camaro does not have an engine or transmission to deal with, so it went ahead and removed the bolts to allow the factory K-member to drop free from the car. If your car is still operational, support the engine with a hoist and all will be well.
05. Check out the difference in bulk between the stock pieces and the new BMR replacements. The BMR K-member drops 30.5 pounds from the Camaro, while the tubular control arms lose an additional 10 pounds a piece. That’s 50 pounds less weight on the nose of the car!
06. The BMR K-member bolts right into all the factory holes and makes things much more accessible for future wrench time when the LSx engine gets planted under the hood.
07. Hopefully you sharp-eyed readers caught the lack of coil spring pockets on the new control arms.
08. BMR’s coil-over conversion slips right onto the stock (or many aftermarket) struts and does a much better job of allowing fine-tuning of the front suspension for superior handling characteristics.
09. Much of what was taken off can now go back on, including the spindle assemblies.
10. With everything all buttoned up, it’s easy to see how these stronger and lighter parts are going to help boost the Chevy’s turning prowess.
11. Last but not least, the cold-formed, solid, 32mm sway bar is cinched in position. This bar is 40% more resistant to body roll than the popular 1LE bar.
12. All that’s left is to slip in the sway bar end links and get to work on the rear suspension.
13. The rear suspension parts require a slightly different approach. This time BMR left everything in the car and swapped each piece out one at a time.
14. First on the list is the torque arm. It bolts to the axle using all factory mounting points and is fully adjustable to allow changes to the pinion angle as necessary to set up the car for desired performance.
15. The BMR torque arm relocation cross member takes the mount off the transmission, eliminating the chance of breakage, and firming up the mounting point. Additionally, the cross member offers multiple mounting points for “instant center” height adjustments.
16. Much of the Camaro’s rear suspension is comprised of stamped steel parts with rubber bushings that are easy to manufacture and allow plenty of deflection to make driving more comfortable at the expense of performance. All are getting dropped into the scrap pile.
17. This kit replaces the upper panhard rod support and relocates the panhard rod, allowing enough room for dual 3-inch exhaust routing over the axle. New heavy-duty brackets bolt to existing mounting holes and lower the panhard rod while maintaining the correct geometry.
18. BMR 1.25-inch drop springs are the ultimate solution for lowering your third generation F-body. The 160 lbs-in, dual-rate springs are engineered to provide optimal handling without sacrificing the ride quality.
19. The panhard rod is responsible for centering the rear axle side to side in the chassis. BMR’s adjustable panhard rod is made from large-diameter 1.25-inch tubing and allows easy on-car adjustment.
20. For the best of both worlds, these adjustable lower control arms have a quiet, poly-bushed end for the car and heavy-duty QA1 XR series rod ends on the axle side. With these, you’ll be able to eliminate wheel hop and improve traction.
21. As you can see, these trailing arms can be adjusted on the car to perfectly square up the rear axle and wheelbase.
22. Increasing cornering and decreasing body roll is this hollow, a 25mm sway bar that perfectly complements the front.
23. What a difference a day makes. If this car actually ran, we’d be heading for the nearest set of super tight twisties!

SOURCE

BMR Suspension
928 Sligh Ave.
Seffner, FL 33584
813.986.9302
Bmrsuspension.com

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