REAR END - CENTERING
The rearend is not centered in the Impala SS! It is in forward offset. Possibly
this is because it didn't matter when
this generation B-body started as Caprice with rear wheel body panels which
covered this ugly fact. But Impala SS
has no covering panels so many owners want to move the rearend backwards to
make it look better. There is a
wide selection of different 3/4" longer control arms kits to choose from
and I chose the BMR's out of Tampa,
Florida because of low weight and price. They can also be adjusted while in
place which is very convenient.
However, my main reason to move the rear end backwards was to make space for
largest possible racing tires
which became Mickey Thompson ET Street DOT 12.5 x 28 x 15". And it looks
better too...
While at it I changed the old bushings to new polyrethane ones. The more you
can change from
rubber to polyrethane the stiffer the car gets and handles better.
Normally you just mount the new longer control arms and then it's done. However,
I
wanted more modifications to be made to be really happy. Since the rear end
will be
moved backwards 3/4" we relocated the spring seats - 3/4" forward
- to keep the springs
as straight as before. A way to keep the good handling dynamics of the Impala
SS.
Especially since I use the short ST springs.
The seats are factory welded on the housing tubes and easy to remove with
two straight cuts. And the photos are so fun to look at, don't you think?
3/4" = 19 mm. Just a minor work with the sledgehammer on the two seats
is
necessary. And a little grinding, just for the sound of it.
The new location for the spring seat is also a better one,
more in the middle on top of the tubes.
Yep, the shock mounts too.
There is a wide selection
of different 3/4" longer kits of control arms to choose from, but there
are
no 3/4" longer lower mounting studs for the shock absorbers to find, which
will compensate
for the mod! But my friend Jörgen "Jöjje" Sandén
made me such a pair in stainless steel.
No extra cost for the Chevy Bowtie =)
My friend Ola chose the Hotchkis X-tend kit for his 96 DCM. You'll need to unbolt
one end when
adjusting the upper control arm. It is a very very heavy kit, it must last forever?
As you can see,
Ola didn't care much about changing the spring seats location.