Will - Clearance for other components on the car and, especially the road, is why I was asking. Judging by your experience, it sounds like maybe it might be adding headaches.
Bill,
It would be an easier application if done during construction. I've had a car with them and a car without them (an IM in 1978). I sold the IM in 1979 because of squirrelly handling. I don't think camber compensators had been invented yet. They are under $100 each and I would think Kirk would throw in the labor. Believe me, you want them.
Bill, Kirk generally wants to see happy customers.
He'd much rather do any after sale fixes in his own shop where he can control costs.
If you're out of his area, he will work with you to have other shops do the work, but with third parties involved, life can get complicated.
Send me a PM if you want to discuss this further.
Would it not be safer and cheaper to get full IRS (independent susp) in the back end from Kirk. I am not a VS owner so I don't know the offerings but would that not make more sense to have done when your building it new? Ray
Are there any rear disc kits for IRS that don't increase rear track? I've got about 1/4" clearance on the driver's side.
My car is a JPS, and JPS and VS are very similar. The two shops work together on a number of things, as I hear it. I wanted a car that would handle as well as possible, as I like spirited driving. So my package was pretty simple to spec out: IRS, 4x disc brakes, sway bars front and rear. As to sway bars, they come in at least two styles, regular and HD. I went HD. You might like regular. HD does make the ride a little stiffer. I think my car handles very well. Stops promptly, straight and true, no fade, corners flat and feels properly attached to the ground. As far as all of that is concerned, have had no problems whatsoever.
VS prefers swing axle over IRS since it gives a narrower rear track - so more rear wheel clearance. I think all the rear disc kits increase rear track - I'd love to find one that decreases rear stance 1/2"!
WOLFGANG posted:VS prefers swing axle over IRS since it gives a narrower rear track - so more rear wheel clearance. I think all the rear disc kits increase rear track - I'd love to find one that decreases rear stance 1/2"!
Yup - I have rear drums for that reason. I also have to have 2 degrees of negative camber for everything to fit properly. It all works out just right actually as I prefer IRS to swing axle except I would prefer rear discs! Some day Wilwood will surely come up with zero offset rear discs but more than likely it will be EMPI or AC Industries.
You could check out Airkewld rear discs. Not sure if they're any narrower.
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You'd have to ask the people who sell them, Michael. The earliest kits (which used 914 rotors and calipers) used modified type 3 rear hubs, which add about 5/8" track to each side, and I'm of the understanding that at least some of the present rear disc offerings are built the same. To counteract this you can (if your car is swingaxle) check which axles your car has- early ('61-'66, 26 11/16" long), late (68 and newer, 28 7/16") or '67 only, 27 13/16". I know it's not easy to measure axle length with them installed in the tubes, so- if your car has type 1 5x205 drums and there isn't a 5/8" spacer under the castle nut you probably have to '66 or '67 axles (and tubes). If your car has 4x130 drums, it's approx 1 3/8" from the wheel mounting surface to the end of the snout (where the castle nut butts up to) then you have late axles, and if it's 5/8" less then you have earlier axles. It's a little involved, but you can put earlier axles (and tubes) on a trans originally with the later/longer axles for more fenderwell clearance.
If your car has irs it's a little more complicated, but the trailing arms can be narrowed. The metal around the cast part that holds the axle shaft bearings has to be cut away, the bearing housing moved inward, and the arm rebuilt with metal around it. Typically they are narrowed 1" (each side) but I've heard of someone going as much as 34mm (1.338"). Of course, you now have to watch that the inside of the tire/wheel doesn't hit the springplate or the top of the shock mount. Al
Tom Blankinship posted:You could check out Airkewld rear discs. Not sure if they're any narrower.
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Those might work for me if the calipers are mounted at 12 o'clock. The standard 9 o'clock position would hit the muffler.
Rusty S posted:Tom Blankinship posted:You could check out Airkewld rear discs. Not sure if they're any narrower.
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>Those might work for me if the calipers are mounted at 12 o'clock. The standard 9 o'clock position would hit the muffler.
The only issue with the calipers up top, Rusty, might be that the bleeder valves are no longer at the top. Can the muffler be repositioned? I realize that would involve cutting and re-welding. Al
Yoda, I fear you have gone TMI. I have an inkling of what all goes on at the rear, and I'm not sure I followed all of that. In any event, my rear tires are indeed VERY close to the body. Most folks look at this and say, doesn't that rub? and I take out a dollar bill and slide it freely between the tire and the body at point of closest appraoch. Now mind you, if I tried that with two bills, it would not work, so it is REAL close. But close only counts in horseshoes, and a miss here is as good as a mile. When the suspension flexes the tire moves up and down and does not touch the body.
PS my donor car was a '72, if that has anything to do with it.
El Frazoo posted:Yoda, I fear you have gone TMI... But close only counts in horseshoes, and a miss here is as good as a mile. When the suspension flexes the tire moves up and down and does not touch the body.
You don't have to worry, Kelly, because yours clears.