SLA/double wishbone?
#1
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Joined: Jun 2009
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From: NJ (not by choice), hopefully PA soon
Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: stock with 3.23
SLA/double wishbone?
did a quick search and came up with nothing, is there no 3rd gens out there running a SLA/double wishbone up-front?
if not i'm wonderin how hard it would be to fab up something decent maybe using the specs of a 4th gen...
if not i'm wonderin how hard it would be to fab up something decent maybe using the specs of a 4th gen...
#3
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: NJ (not by choice), hopefully PA soon
Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: stock with 3.23
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
actually i was asking more of in a sense of, since it hasnt been done, can it be done? dont get me wrong, i know that the mcpherson design does work well. i've just always been interested in the SLA.
#4
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,587
Likes: 1,901
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
Right; we were all "always interested in the SLA" design at one time, since that was all there was back in older cars all the way back as far as when they dropped the solid axle and kingpin setup. Lots of even more stubborn people wanted (and still do) to put a solid axle under the front of their cars. Too bad time and technology have moved on.
Get up under the car and look at how it is built.
Note that there is a K-member with a lower control arm. It is about 4" tall or thereabouts at that point.
Note that there is a spring/strut tower above that which is part of the car unibody, bolted to the top of it, covering the whole top. Note further that the fender is bolted to that.
Now think about what you would have to do to put an upper control arm in there. Think about where the spring and shock would go. Think how the K-member would have to be altered. Think what would have to happen to the spring/strut tower. Eh?
Unless you are willing and able to cut the whole front end off of the car and fab up something else, ain't happenin.
Best to work with what you've got in this case unless you're building a caged race car.
Get up under the car and look at how it is built.
Note that there is a K-member with a lower control arm. It is about 4" tall or thereabouts at that point.
Note that there is a spring/strut tower above that which is part of the car unibody, bolted to the top of it, covering the whole top. Note further that the fender is bolted to that.
Now think about what you would have to do to put an upper control arm in there. Think about where the spring and shock would go. Think how the K-member would have to be altered. Think what would have to happen to the spring/strut tower. Eh?
Unless you are willing and able to cut the whole front end off of the car and fab up something else, ain't happenin.
Best to work with what you've got in this case unless you're building a caged race car.
#6
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
Yes, it's being done with a C6 front suspension.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/fabr...-z06-long.html
Right; we were all "always interested in the SLA" design at one time, since that was all there was back in older cars all the way back as far as when they dropped the solid axle and kingpin setup. Lots of even more stubborn people wanted (and still do) to put a solid axle under the front of their cars. Too bad time and technology have moved on.
Get up under the car and look at how it is built.
Note that there is a K-member with a lower control arm. It is about 4" tall or thereabouts at that point.
Note that there is a spring/strut tower above that which is part of the car unibody, bolted to the top of it, covering the whole top. Note further that the fender is bolted to that.
Now think about what you would have to do to put an upper control arm in there. Think about where the spring and shock would go. Think how the K-member would have to be altered. Think what would have to happen to the spring/strut tower. Eh?
Unless you are willing and able to cut the whole front end off of the car and fab up something else, ain't happenin.
Best to work with what you've got in this case unless you're building a caged race car.
Get up under the car and look at how it is built.
Note that there is a K-member with a lower control arm. It is about 4" tall or thereabouts at that point.
Note that there is a spring/strut tower above that which is part of the car unibody, bolted to the top of it, covering the whole top. Note further that the fender is bolted to that.
Now think about what you would have to do to put an upper control arm in there. Think about where the spring and shock would go. Think how the K-member would have to be altered. Think what would have to happen to the spring/strut tower. Eh?
Unless you are willing and able to cut the whole front end off of the car and fab up something else, ain't happenin.
Best to work with what you've got in this case unless you're building a caged race car.
#7
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: NJ (not by choice), hopefully PA soon
Car: 1989 Camaro RS
Engine: 305 TBI
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: stock with 3.23
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
Thanks for the link. i realize some people see it as a hassle, or w/e their reason they just like to buy parts and throw it at their car (bolt on, w/e), but me, i bought this camaro STRICTLY to mod it out as i see fit.
yep thats right, its my "project" car, meaning its getting the junkyard LSx motor, junkyard turbo, and even if i have to rip a-arms off a freakin honduh its gettin a double wishbone/SLA. ok i wont go that far, i'll prolly just "copy" the c6 or gen4 camaro dimensions and then make my own custom arms...
i realize sofa, your a senior member on this forum. and i get that you have your own opinions. a lil cuttin and welding aint gunna phase me any. gives me a reason to use my tig.
sounds to me like you think the SLA is complete garbage, or old technology or something. i dunno where your coming from, as most of the newer cars i've seen have been going with a SLA or double wishbone setup. the ONLY benefit i can see to a mcpherson is packaging/simplicity as far as manufacturers are concerned, and cost.
oh, and lees02ws6, that wouldnt happen to be your last name would it?
yep thats right, its my "project" car, meaning its getting the junkyard LSx motor, junkyard turbo, and even if i have to rip a-arms off a freakin honduh its gettin a double wishbone/SLA. ok i wont go that far, i'll prolly just "copy" the c6 or gen4 camaro dimensions and then make my own custom arms...
i realize sofa, your a senior member on this forum. and i get that you have your own opinions. a lil cuttin and welding aint gunna phase me any. gives me a reason to use my tig.
sounds to me like you think the SLA is complete garbage, or old technology or something. i dunno where your coming from, as most of the newer cars i've seen have been going with a SLA or double wishbone setup. the ONLY benefit i can see to a mcpherson is packaging/simplicity as far as manufacturers are concerned, and cost.
oh, and lees02ws6, that wouldnt happen to be your last name would it?
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#8
Supreme Member
iTrader: (15)
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 3,449
Likes: 4
From: Charlestown, IN
Car: 1971 Camaro
Engine: 427
Transmission: TKO600
Axle/Gears: 3.73
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
Too me the big question is "is it worth it?"
what are your goals with the car?
At what point is the factory design a hold back?
It seems like a lot of time and work to change to a different design for what may not be great improvements.
I have seen a lot of our cars be very competitive in many forms of racing, from autocross, road course, drag racing.
If you are trying to buikd a competitive race car. Which for this amount of fabrication It better be, definatly way to much involved for a street car.
Anyway, if you are building a competitive race car and need every possible advantage to make this worthwhile, realize too that these mods will not be legal in many race clasmses, or at the very least, bump you into an even more competitive class.
So again. What is your cars purpose, what are you trying to acomplish?
what are your goals with the car?
At what point is the factory design a hold back?
It seems like a lot of time and work to change to a different design for what may not be great improvements.
I have seen a lot of our cars be very competitive in many forms of racing, from autocross, road course, drag racing.
If you are trying to buikd a competitive race car. Which for this amount of fabrication It better be, definatly way to much involved for a street car.
Anyway, if you are building a competitive race car and need every possible advantage to make this worthwhile, realize too that these mods will not be legal in many race clasmses, or at the very least, bump you into an even more competitive class.
So again. What is your cars purpose, what are you trying to acomplish?
#9
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,587
Likes: 1,901
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: SLA/double wishbone?
I can't say about Moustanks, but in one of these cars, it's pretty much, cut the whole front off and start over.
LOOK at where the parts have to go, it shouldn't be too hard for such an obviously intelligent person as you (unlike me) to figure out why it's not some kind of a bolt-in or anything even remotely close.
LOOK at where the parts have to go, it shouldn't be too hard for such an obviously intelligent person as you (unlike me) to figure out why it's not some kind of a bolt-in or anything even remotely close.
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