GM G-Body Performance Upgrades: Control Arm Installation

RideTech’s StrongArm control arms are made from .219-inch-wall DOM round tubing, and come with a black powdercoat finish. The lower control arms have front and rear urethane bushings; the uppers are equipped with a rod end to allow some adjustment and eliminate binding. The arms bolt up just like the factory ones, using the factory hardware, and have a mounting provision for the sway bar just like the originals. Once both lower arms are installed, the uppers are replaced in the same manner.

Similar to the front, we are installing RideTech parts on the rear suspension of the GNXcess. The following series of photos show the rear suspension being fitted to the GNXcess. We plan to media blast the entire chassis, add some much needed reinforcement to the rear control arm mounting points, and permanently mate it (and the welded-in 14-point roll cage from Chris Alston ChassisWorks) to the body. Finally, all components will be powdercoated in semi-gloss black.

These are the new RideTech uppers. For now, we have adjusted them to the same length as the stock arms. We’ll experiment with other settings later.

The lower control arms and Musclebar sway bar, also from RideTech, have been installed. The bar installs just like a stock one; it is bolted to the inside edge of the lower control arms, with two bolts per side. There are no end links attaching it to the body, nor any direct attachment to the rear end.

The RideTech coil-overs bolt into the stock shock location, using supplied adapters. The adapters are bolted into the original shock mounting points on the body and on the lower control arm. The coil-over attaches to the adapters. This eliminates any need for fabrication, and makes it a simple bolt-on modification.

The supplied lower brackets bolt up to the rear LCA mounting point. Essentially, the rearmost LCA mounting bolt is inserted through the bracket and the LCA.

Written by Joe Hinds and posted with permission of CarTech Books