My Suspension Upgrades and DIY Experience - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Airmaster · 08-29-2015, 12:37 PM

Hello everyone, I went ahead and finally got my suspension parts on and boy what a nice difference it has made. The car is more solid, steers on a dime, and does not roll like a fat pig any more!

Installed Parts:

-JPSS Solid Rear Sway Bar
-JPSS Front Radius Arm Delrin Bushing Insert
-BMR Front Sway Bar SB016
-BMR End Links ELK011 (First had the ELK005, more on this issue later)
-BMR Strut Tower Brace STB017
-BMR Trailing Arms TCA026
-BMR Toe Rods TR002
-BMR Full Poly Rear Cradle Bushings BK024
-BMR Rear Upper Control Arm Bushings BK017
-BMR Rear Trailing Arm Bushings BK006

My Install Experience:

*I used blue thread-locker on EVERY bolt
*I lubed every bushing w/ grease

Front
The front end of the car was by far the easier end to deal with. I did run into an issue with the front sway end links, ELK005. Since my Camaro is a 2013 it has the updated suspension with a larger bolt hole for the top of the end links. The ELK005 bolt was too small and made a loud knocking sound when diriving (as the bolt bounced up and down in the enlarged hole).

Older V6's 2010-2011 can use the ELK005 and SB016 combo with no issue. For 2012 and newer V6's you NEED the ELK011 end links and you MUST enlarge the holes in the SB016 sway bar to account for the thicker bolts that the ELK011 end links have.

I notified BMR of the issue so hopefully they will make an edit to their website with some updated information. BMR quickly exchanged my end link for me and the return process was very smooth.

The only minor install difficulty I had was routing the sway bar through the side of the car. Once routed and in place the end link and sway install were a breeze.

The JPSS front inserts were also a breeze, quite frankly, the easiest part I installed other than maybe the strut tower brace (which is ridiculously easy).

Rear
The rear of the car took some time.... a total of 3 days to be exact. And with much guidance from Peter @ JPSS.

I started with removing the old cradle bushing inserts. MAJOR TIP: Use the Propane torch and weight of the car method!!! They fell out very easily. To do this, put the car on jack stands. Remove the wheels. Use a jack to hold up the differential. Loosen all of the cradle bolts. Do one side at a time. Heat up the metal surrounding the bushings with the propane torch until the bushings begin melting out. Now place a large socket on top of the bushing. Use a 2nd jack to jack up the cradle into the weight of the car. Continue heating if necessary. The stock bushing will slide out. Took me about 45 minutes (could have been faster but I took my sweet time).

Remember to remove the bottom washer from the stock bushings. Use a combo of a vise, torch, pry bar, and hammer/punch to get these off.

I then removed the toe rods and trailing arms. Ensure to mark the toe rods bolt/washer with a paint marker to keep the alignment proper (although if you are doing as many mods as I am you will/should get an alignment).

The removal of the trailing arm bushing in the wheel hub was a PITA. Use some sharp utility blades to cut the sides away. Now comes the even harder part. Propane torch and a two jaw puller helped me on this one. I rented the puller from Autozone for $30. Out came the bushing after nearly melting it. I did come across another successful way that I used on the other side of the car. Use a long pry bar or breaker bar and a socket and pry the bushing out after applying a good amount of heat from a propane torch. It works, trust me.

In went the new trailing arms and toe rods. The toe rods were simple, but the trailing arms required some help from a pry bar. Once I got the bolt holes close I used a screwdriver to get the bolt just in. Then I hit the bolt with a dead blow mallet and threw the nut on it.

Next I removed the upper control arm bushing. NOTE: You DO NOT need to remove the entire arm, simply drop the cradle some and loosen the two bolts holding the round assy onto the cradle and remove the one bolt holding the bushing assy in the round assy. Mark the sides with a paint marker to allow you to put it back in the same way. Remove the entire round assy with the bushing in it. YOU NEED A PRESS TO PUSH THESE OUT. A hydraulic press makes things VERY EASY. Luckily a neighbor had one in his shop and made the process simple as pie. Lube it up and push the new bushing in and you are good to go. Reinstall it with the provided washer. Torque it back down to specs.

After this I attempted to get the cradle bushings in but did not have enough clearance. Thus, I removed some more parts to drop the cradle further and make things easier.

I removed the back end of my Magnaflow system (was just two clamps... really happy I didn't weld my exhaust together). I removed the drive shaft to differential bolts, removed the brake calipers, parking brake line, and the necessary electrical plugs.

Upon dropping the cradle further I still had to use a pry bar to get the cradle bushings in but it wasn't bad at all. If you remove enough they will go in pretty easily. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REMOVE THE CRADLE FROM THE CAR.

Having the mufflers off made the rear sway bar easy to get in and installed. NOTE: The down bend of the JPSS sway bar points DOWN to be properly installed.

I bolted everything in, put all the parts back on, and put the car back on the ground.

First drive was a joy, the body roll seemed to be non existent compared to my stock ride.

Great Success.

Peter @ JPSS
There's no way I could show enough gratitude to Pete. I called and he provided me help at all hours of the day and night! Even Sunday! This guy deserves the most credit in getting my upgrades finished. There were a few times I was freaking out during the install and Pete was there to calm me and direct me. His knowledge bank on Camaro's is infinite.

And while his parts are a tad pricier than the competition they are certainly worth the extra cost. The quality is top notch and the support is, as obviously explained above, incomparable.

Thanks again Pete.

Sorry I didn't take pictures guys but pictures were the last thing on my mind when I was struggling through this install. I'll see if I can go back and find pics online to help explain what I wrote. Let me know if you have questions or are confused with any particular part of the write-up

Ventmaster · 08-29-2015, 01:17 PM

Congrats on the fine work Airmaster!

You'll never regret those mods- until you realize that now you're addicted and you've spent $15,000 modifying your car from one end to the other...

Have fun!

Airmaster · 08-29-2015, 09:10 PM

Thanks Ventmaster, I'm having fun! Oh and I've spent quite a bit up to this point. I'm going to stop for now until I am out of school. Of course, I've said that before.

Nighthawk89 · 08-30-2015, 01:46 AM

I remember these jobs all to well. Regretted not upgrading my pump at the same time. Had to shimmy the tank out without dropping the rear end. Was interesting to say the least lol. Also, Hopefully you didn't cut corners on the alignment job!!! Hate seeing people do a bunch of great suspension mods and then taking it to a cookie cutter wheel,tire & "alignment" shop that does a half assed job..

Orange 2010 Camaro · 08-30-2015, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nighthawk89

I remember these jobs all to well. Regretted not upgrading my pump at the same time. Had to shimmy the tank out without dropping the rear end. Was interesting to say the least lol. Also, Hopefully you didn't cut corners on the alignment job!!! Hate seeing people do a bunch of great suspension mods and then taking it to a cookie cutter wheel,tire & "alignment" shop that does a half assed job..

Great job on the new suspension upgrades! My only concern here is the amount of heat that you had to use to remove the OEM bushings & inserts.

My father was a metallurgist & was reminded more than once that to much heat can & will reduce the strength & structural integrity of the steel.

After spending $40,000.00 on my 2010 2SS/RS Camaro I am not willing to take that risk.

Also you might want to give the heated areas a good coat of rustoleum to prevent corrosion if have not already done so.

All the best,

Orange 2010 Camaro

Airmaster · 08-31-2015, 07:23 PM

Thanks for tip Orange. I primed up some of the missing paint areas but may go back under and spray some more.

As far as the heat, I don't think the limited time I heated the parts will affect them much. If anything I heated the steal enough to recrystallise the structure and form new ferrite grains, which actually would improve the steal's properties. I'm no metallurgist either but I did have a pretty intense materials class in my engineering curriculum.

JusticePete · 08-31-2015, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orange 2010 Camaro

Great job on the new suspension upgrades! My only concern here is the amount of heat that you had to use to remove the OEM bushings & inserts.

My father was a metallurgist & was reminded more than once that to much heat can & will reduce the strength & structural integrity of the steel.

After spending $40,000.00 on my 2010 2SS/RS Camaro I am not willing to take that risk.

Also you might want to give the heated areas a good coat of rustoleum to prevent corrosion if have not already done so.

All the best,

Orange 2010 Camaro

The heat is used to soften the blue goo glue on the nylon jacket of the sub-frame bushings. It need to be about 400 degrees. Enough to soften the glue, but not enough heat to damage the sub-frame.

JusticePete · 08-31-2015, 08:18 PM

Airmaster,

Thank you for choosing JPSS for your Camaro. We appreciate your business. Welcome to the JPSS family.

08-29-2015, 12:37 PM	#1
Airmaster Go Gators! Drives: Camaro Jeep Abarth 944 325i Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: CT Posts: 844	My Suspension Upgrades and DIY Experience Hello everyone, I went ahead and finally got my suspension parts on and boy what a nice difference it has made. The car is more solid, steers on a dime, and does not roll like a fat pig any more! Installed Parts: -JPSS Solid Rear Sway Bar -JPSS Front Radius Arm Delrin Bushing Insert -BMR Front Sway Bar SB016 -BMR End Links ELK011 (First had the ELK005, more on this issue later) -BMR Strut Tower Brace STB017 -BMR Trailing Arms TCA026 -BMR Toe Rods TR002 -BMR Full Poly Rear Cradle Bushings BK024 -BMR Rear Upper Control Arm Bushings BK017 -BMR Rear Trailing Arm Bushings BK006 My Install Experience: I used blue thread-locker on EVERY bolt I lubed every bushing w/ grease Front The front end of the car was by far the easier end to deal with. I did run into an issue with the front sway end links, ELK005. Since my Camaro is a 2013 it has the updated suspension with a larger bolt hole for the top of the end links. The ELK005 bolt was too small and made a loud knocking sound when diriving (as the bolt bounced up and down in the enlarged hole). Older V6's 2010-2011 can use the ELK005 and SB016 combo with no issue. For 2012 and newer V6's you NEED the ELK011 end links and you MUST enlarge the holes in the SB016 sway bar to account for the thicker bolts that the ELK011 end links have. I notified BMR of the issue so hopefully they will make an edit to their website with some updated information. BMR quickly exchanged my end link for me and the return process was very smooth. The only minor install difficulty I had was routing the sway bar through the side of the car. Once routed and in place the end link and sway install were a breeze. The JPSS front inserts were also a breeze, quite frankly, the easiest part I installed other than maybe the strut tower brace (which is ridiculously easy). Rear The rear of the car took some time.... a total of 3 days to be exact. And with much guidance from Peter @ JPSS. I started with removing the old cradle bushing inserts. MAJOR TIP: Use the Propane torch and weight of the car method!!! They fell out very easily. To do this, put the car on jack stands. Remove the wheels. Use a jack to hold up the differential. Loosen all of the cradle bolts. Do one side at a time. Heat up the metal surrounding the bushings with the propane torch until the bushings begin melting out. Now place a large socket on top of the bushing. Use a 2nd jack to jack up the cradle into the weight of the car. Continue heating if necessary. The stock bushing will slide out. Took me about 45 minutes (could have been faster but I took my sweet time). Remember to remove the bottom washer from the stock bushings. Use a combo of a vise, torch, pry bar, and hammer/punch to get these off. I then removed the toe rods and trailing arms. Ensure to mark the toe rods bolt/washer with a paint marker to keep the alignment proper (although if you are doing as many mods as I am you will/should get an alignment). The removal of the trailing arm bushing in the wheel hub was a PITA. Use some sharp utility blades to cut the sides away. Now comes the even harder part. Propane torch and a two jaw puller helped me on this one. I rented the puller from Autozone for $30. Out came the bushing after nearly melting it. I did come across another successful way that I used on the other side of the car. Use a long pry bar or breaker bar and a socket and pry the bushing out after applying a good amount of heat from a propane torch. It works, trust me. In went the new trailing arms and toe rods. The toe rods were simple, but the trailing arms required some help from a pry bar. Once I got the bolt holes close I used a screwdriver to get the bolt just in. Then I hit the bolt with a dead blow mallet and threw the nut on it. Next I removed the upper control arm bushing. NOTE: You DO NOT need to remove the entire arm, simply drop the cradle some and loosen the two bolts holding the round assy onto the cradle and remove the one bolt holding the bushing assy in the round assy. Mark the sides with a paint marker to allow you to put it back in the same way. Remove the entire round assy with the bushing in it. YOU NEED A PRESS TO PUSH THESE OUT. A hydraulic press makes things VERY EASY. Luckily a neighbor had one in his shop and made the process simple as pie. Lube it up and push the new bushing in and you are good to go. Reinstall it with the provided washer. Torque it back down to specs. After this I attempted to get the cradle bushings in but did not have enough clearance. Thus, I removed some more parts to drop the cradle further and make things easier. I removed the back end of my Magnaflow system (was just two clamps... really happy I didn't weld my exhaust together). I removed the drive shaft to differential bolts, removed the brake calipers, parking brake line, and the necessary electrical plugs. Upon dropping the cradle further I still had to use a pry bar to get the cradle bushings in but it wasn't bad at all. If you remove enough they will go in pretty easily. YOU DO NOT NEED TO REMOVE THE CRADLE FROM THE CAR. Having the mufflers off made the rear sway bar easy to get in and installed. NOTE: The down bend of the JPSS sway bar points DOWN to be properly installed. I bolted everything in, put all the parts back on, and put the car back on the ground. First drive was a joy, the body roll seemed to be non existent compared to my stock ride. Great Success. Peter @ JPSS There's no way I could show enough gratitude to Pete. I called and he provided me help at all hours of the day and night! Even Sunday! This guy deserves the most credit in getting my upgrades finished. There were a few times I was freaking out during the install and Pete was there to calm me and direct me. His knowledge bank on Camaro's is infinite. And while his parts are a tad pricier than the competition they are certainly worth the extra cost. The quality is top notch and the support is, as obviously explained above, incomparable. Thanks again Pete. Sorry I didn't take pictures guys but pictures were the last thing on my mind when I was struggling through this install. I'll see if I can go back and find pics online to help explain what I wrote. Let me know if you have questions or are confused with any particular part of the write-up __________________ '13 Camaro, '97 Wrangler, '12 500 Abarth, '85.5 944, '06 325i Suspension Mods: BMR and JPSS Sways, BMR Poly Bushings, BMR strut tower brace, BMR control arms, BMR toe arms, stock springs and struts Engine Mods: All bolt ons (haha) Brake Mods: Brembo SS caliper swap front and rear

08-29-2015, 09:10 PM	#3
Airmaster Go Gators! Drives: Camaro Jeep Abarth 944 325i Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: CT Posts: 844	Thanks Ventmaster, I'm having fun! Oh and I've spent quite a bit up to this point. I'm going to stop for now until I am out of school. Of course, I've said that before. __________________ '13 Camaro, '97 Wrangler, '12 500 Abarth, '85.5 944, '06 325i Suspension Mods: BMR and JPSS Sways, BMR Poly Bushings, BMR strut tower brace, BMR control arms, BMR toe arms, stock springs and struts Engine Mods: All bolt ons (haha) Brake Mods: Brembo SS caliper swap front and rear

08-31-2015, 07:23 PM	#6
Airmaster Go Gators! Drives: Camaro Jeep Abarth 944 325i Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: CT Posts: 844	Thanks for tip Orange. I primed up some of the missing paint areas but may go back under and spray some more. As far as the heat, I don't think the limited time I heated the parts will affect them much. If anything I heated the steal enough to recrystallise the structure and form new ferrite grains, which actually would improve the steal's properties. I'm no metallurgist either but I did have a pretty intense materials class in my engineering curriculum. __________________ '13 Camaro, '97 Wrangler, '12 500 Abarth, '85.5 944, '06 325i Suspension Mods: BMR and JPSS Sways, BMR Poly Bushings, BMR strut tower brace, BMR control arms, BMR toe arms, stock springs and struts Engine Mods: All bolt ons (haha) Brake Mods: Brembo SS caliper swap front and rear

08-29-2015, 01:17 PM	#2
Ventmaster Drives: 2017 1SS 6spd Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Utah Posts: 2,869	Congrats on the fine work Airmaster! You'll never regret those mods- until you realize that now you're addicted and you've spent $15,000 modifying your car from one end to the other... Have fun!

08-30-2015, 01:46 AM	#4
Nighthawk89 Drives: 2011 Camaro 2Ss M6 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Southern California Posts: 4,013	I remember these jobs all to well. Regretted not upgrading my pump at the same time. Had to shimmy the tank out without dropping the rear end. Was interesting to say the least lol. Also, Hopefully you didn't cut corners on the alignment job!!! Hate seeing people do a bunch of great suspension mods and then taking it to a cookie cutter wheel,tire & "alignment" shop that does a half assed job..

08-31-2015, 08:18 PM	#8
JusticePete Drives: Camaro Justice Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 20,174	Airmaster, Thank you for choosing JPSS for your Camaro. We appreciate your business. Welcome to the JPSS family.