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Our Strut suspension kit for the ’62-’67 Nova is currently under a design update. The top side strut mounting and spindle/brake combination will remain as is, with MAJOR improvements on the bottom side. We are going to a more easily obtained rack & pinion, mounted to a 5/16” K member plate. That K member plate ties the original unibody together thru the original engine mount and lower control arms mounts, greatly increasing the rigidity of the entire structure. For a sneak peek at the idea, see our Ford strut suspension kits on page 37 and 38. The NEW Nova Strut IFS will be in full production by September 2009!

“We can now supply all the parts to complete the Nova Strut Suspension kit. We have rebuilt spindles, calipers, manual rack & pinion, with new tie rod ends, pads, hoses, rotors, and shock struts. Add $1500.00”

As the catalog text explains, the configuration of the floor on these cars does not allow the use of a 4 bar type rear suspension, without cutting the floor. Triangulated 4 bars don’t really work any better, since their effective length is as viewed from the side, having the same problem as above. There just isn’t much space under there! But what causes the wheel hop on acceleration/deceleration anyway?

In engineering design, stress and strain are measured in terms of pounds per square inch, or PSI. That is a simplified way of expressing the transfer of energy acting on any mechanism. When a car changes speed, that is an acceleration (be it positive or negative) and energy is transferred through the drivetrain. It finally acts on the rear suspension, adding additional stress to the leaf springs. The problem occurs when the force on the springs due to carrying the weight of the car has the additional stress of handling acceleration added. If the additional force is small, all is OK, as when the car is lightly accelerated. If the force is greater (more powerful engine) or traction is improved (bigger, better tires), the ability of the spring to absorb energy is exceeded. The extra energy not absorbed has to be converted into another form, coming out as kinetic energy in terms of Physics, and wheel hop in hot rod parlance.

The old way to improve this was to make the spring more stiff in order to be able to absorb more stress. However, that caused a rough ride, poor handling over rough roads, and lack of suspension compliance. The old under spring traction bars and slapper bars were an attempt to take force beyond what the spring normally could. They work reasonable well, but look pretty dated today. So now we’re back to trying to make 5 pound of 4 bar fit into a 3 pound space! How can we maintain ride quality and handling, absorb acceleration, and preserve ground clearance?

This is the point when Mike Craig, our install shop foreman with a background in heavy trucks, suggested we look at how it’s done in those heavy vehicles. Large loads and torquey diesel engines surely put a lot of stress on their rear suspensions too! The tapered monoleaf spring actually does not act as a spring any more. All it has to do is absorb the rear axle torque, and it has a lot of leverage to do that. Since it no longer has the weight of the car to handle (now taken by the coilovers or Shockwaves), the stress of the traction does not exceed its capacity to absorb stress, and no wheel hop occurs.

Our kit is truly a bolt in, with some final welding required to permanently mount the addles that mount the coilover crossmember to the frame. Your original axle will work just fine. Many other companies make Camaro rear suspension kits that require you to also change to a 9" Ford axle housing, causing more expense and effort. Ours will accept the 9", but doesn’t require it. Please call to get a complete illustrated instruction sheet and article reprint to really check out this trick suspension!

We have a ’68 Mustang convertible that we have run hard at the Airride Tech Track Day, getting great results even when at full 4 wheel braking coming into a hairpin turn. Nail the throttle at any speed and you can see the decklid rise a little. That supports the principle of Physics saying that every force has an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, when the deck goes up, the tires go down. We can’t even get this car to do a burnout anymore. It just hooks up and goes. Our ’67 Camaro and ’34 Ford Highboy sedan also use this suspension with superior handling. In fact, one of the reasons Brent named it “Wonderbar” is frankly that it works better than he anticipated. Sometimes simplicity really is the ultimate sophistication!