Heidts' Pro-G Front And Rear Suspension - Bottoms Up

Next, we installed the crossmember that not only adds strength to the rear end of the vehicle, but also provides a mounting point for the Panhard bar and sway bar that we will add later on. Sticking with our theme, the crossmember is bolted into place on the framerail bracket we just installed.

Now that we had all four links in place, we could pick up the rear housing and get it set at approximately the correct location. This is where a set of jack stands really come into play. We made life easy using a set of two-foot stands so we could work without it moving.

With the rear in place and all the components tightened down, it was now time to attack the axles, center section, and brakes. The center section goes up first and gets bolted to the pumpkin. Next, the axles slide into place. The axles are two different lengths so make sure you slide in the correct size before you start cursing the heavens.

With that, the front and rear suspension is almost complete. Just a note: Make sure to to lubricate and grease all metal-on-metal contacts, including the bearings. Also, it is important to follow the torque specifications and use locking pins and wire ties where they are called for. These are safety concerns that no one ever wants coming back to bite them and take a minimal amount of time to complete. We greased all bushings as well as the axle splines and bearings.

After assembling the coilover shocks the exact same way we did the front, they can be installed. Installing the coilovers at this point in time will support the rear end so you can do away with the jack stands. The coilovers mount to the framerail bracket up top and to the rearend down below. Now is also a good time to install the Panhard bar. Once the car gets road-ready, we can make the necessary changes to the static spring pressure using coilover wrenches and adjust the Panhard bar.

The caliber bracket goes on next and also acts to keep the axles in place. We could then bolt the rotor to the rear hub and set that in place. We took the same precautions as we did up front, making sure that the bolts were torqued to the specifications. Once up and running, we bolted on the rear calipers.

So, you have your front and rear suspensions assembled and you're almost ready for the road. Now, let's combine the two with subframe connectors to add more stiffness to the suspension. Heidts also takes care of you here. Its subframe connectors are simple to install. A stiff chassis helps your suspension do its job properly.

The front of the connectors attach to the rear body mount bolt for the front suspension. We had to remove the rear body mount bolt, set the connector in place and bolt it all back together. I was shocked to see how tightly everything fit together without having to grind, cut, or weld a single piece.

The Heidts second-generation Camaro was an awesome spectacle to see at the inaugural Super Chevy Suspension & Handling Challenge. It performed like a champion, drove like a brand new car, and destroyed a C5 Corvette around the autocross course, on the skidpad, and on the slalom. What more could you ask for?

The back of the connectors, facing the rearend assembly, bolt up to factory holes located directly in front of the spring perches. Two U-bolts hold it tightly together and squeeze the subframe connector to the body.

Last (but certainly not least), we installed a driveshaft loop. Required by most sanctioning bodies, a driveshaft loop is just a good idea anyway. Most people are throwing serious horsepower around nowadays, and the weak link nine times of the 10 is the driveshaft. I, for one, would not like to witness a broken driveshaft gone akimbo.