Defying Gravity

The world of suspension technology isn't a hidden treasure, nor is it brain surgery. Some think that building a g-machine takes a 4-year engineering degree and tons of dough. If you're one of those people, unlearn it! Now, we're not saying that every Heavy Chevy can handle like an F1 car on pennies of budget, but when exploring the realm of Fourth-Generation Camaros you'll be surprised what a few aftermarket parts will do to your lap times.

Late-model Camaros have the reputation of being excellent handling cars right off the showroom floor. When doing every day street driving, that may seem believable. We wanted to see how our '02 Z28 performed under the rigors of on-the-edge track testing. Yeah, we knew it wasn't a Z06, but our baseline results surprised even us. While our quarter-mile acceleration was a respectable 13.55 and our 60-0 mph braking was a hair above 130 feet, our 200-foot skidpad results yielded a disappointing .80 g's, and our 420-foot slalom was even more inadequate at 40.9 mph. For those of you not quite up to par on all these figures, we'll let you in on a little secret, there's room for improvement to say the least.

When we got back to the office with our heads hung low, we immediately got on the phone with SLP Performance Parts, Weld Wheels, Nitto Tires, RK Sport and Bilstein of America. We were driven to make our Camaro a respectable handling machine.

While the OE GM suspension offers a plush ride, it lacks rigidity. Our first order of business was to stiffen the F-body unibody construction. Using SLP Performance 1LE sway bars, sub-frame connectors, strut tower brace, boxed rear arms and an RK Sport adjustable panhard bar, we were able to tighten things up a bit. To give us a more agile feel and a quicker rebound when in the twisties, we installed Bilstein BTS custom valved shocks and progressive rate springs. And finally, we ditched the stock wheel/tire combo for a more aggressive Weld Forged Evo Mecham 18x9.5-inch set of wheels with Nitto NT555 275/35/ZR18 tires on all four corners. Our little F-body went from a mild mannered slop machine to a road ready street bruiser, if you're not believin' it, check out the numbers!

The next step requires removing...        read full caption The next step requires removing the rear quarter access panels. While there is a small patch that can be removed to access the upper shock mount, we recommend spending the extra 5 minutes and going beneath the carpet. This requires two people, one to loosen the upper nut and one to keep the shock from rotating during removal.	Next, we installed the Bilstein...        read full caption Next, we installed the Bilstein BTS shock/spring combo. The mounting hardware was included with the packaging.	The new beefier boxed rear...        read full caption The new beefier boxed rear control arms were outfitted with greaseable urethane bushings.
The stock lower panhard bar...        read full caption The stock lower panhard bar was removed. Due to the lower ride height, an adjustable panhard is required.	While there are many options...        read full caption While there are many options for an adjustable panhard, we thought it would be best to use a dual adjustable bar from RK Sport. After installation, the bar must be lengthened or shortened to insure proper tracking of the rear tires. The adjustment is made from the center of the bar by turning the threaded stud either clockwise or counterclockwise.	With the rear end complete,...        read full caption With the rear end complete, we moved to the front and began by loosening the master cylinder and ABS unit. Due to the positioning of the driver's side struts, the master cylinder must be pushed aside to reach two of the mounting bolts.
The front sway bay must be...        read full caption The front sway bay must be removed to give access to the upper control arm. In our case the sway bar will be replaced, so no time was lost.	The bottom of the strut can...        read full caption The bottom of the strut can be loosened from the lower control arm.	The four upper strut mounts...        read full caption The four upper strut mounts can be removed, two of which are torx.
After removing the spindle...        read full caption After removing the spindle from the upper arm, the entire strut unit along with the upper control arm is ready for removal.	Once removed, take the entire...        read full caption Once removed, take the entire strut assembly to your mechanic or friendly neighborhood auto parts store and have a professional install the new strut and spring. Spring compressing can be very dangerous and must be done with the proper equipment.	Set the upper control arm...        read full caption Set the upper control arm onto the top of the strut and check for fitment. Once you're sure you've got the correct strut for a give side, insert the strut top end first.
This was also our opportunity...        read full caption This was also our opportunity to install the SLP strut tower brace as the hardware is incorporated into the upper strut mounts.	At this point connect the...        read full caption At this point connect the upper arm to the spindle while also connecting the bottom of the strut to the lower control arm. It sounds like a handful, so grab a second set of hands.	With the front end mostly...        read full caption With the front end mostly complete, take a moment to snug up the master cylinder and ABS unit.
The larger 1LE sway bar configuration...        read full caption The larger 1LE sway bar configuration uses all the OE hardware with the exception of larger inner diameter bushings, which are supplied.	With the suspension complete...        read full caption With the suspension complete we thought it would be best to tie everything together with SLP bolt-in sub-frame connectors. No additional drilling or cutting is required with these trick connectors. As a precaution, we tack welded a small spot on each connection point. While this is not required by the supplied instructions, it's cheap security.	Our tricked out F-body g-machine...        read full caption Our tricked out F-body g-machine wouldn't be complete without a set of Weld Evo Mecham 18s and Nitto NT 555 tires. In addition to a cool look, the combo provides a wider track and more aggressive rubber compound.
	We tossed a coin and decided...        read full caption We tossed a coin and decided to start at the back of the F-body. Loosening the rear sway bar was the first step.	After supporting the rear...        read full caption After supporting the rear end, we removed the lower mounting bolt to the OE shocks.
The rear springs can now be...        read full caption The rear springs can now be removed.	With the shock loose and the...        read full caption With the shock loose and the springs removed, we loosened both bolts holding the rear control arms in place.