Upgrading from stock to BMR (need advice on my build so far)

[Jake90195]

Hello all. I was hoping to get some advice on my suspension and chassis build I'm doing for my 2010 ss. I track on course tracks mainly, sometimes drag, and daily drive the car and take it to car shows. I just recently finished upgrading the driveshaft and the connections to the transmission and the differential (kept throwing bolts out of them) and now I'm going to upgrade the suspension. My main goal is to get good stiff ride, correct understeer, maximize my handling and make a stiffer ride. I've never lowered a car so that's what's mainly throwing me and my build off. So far with the limited amount of research I have done here is what I plan to install...

1. BMR stage 1 handling kit w/ 1 inch lowering springs front and rear.

2. BMR upgraded rear trailing arms with spherical bearings

3. BmR bushing kit for the differential mounts, noticed my stock bushings are going bye bye

4. BMR lower control arms. What's throwing me off on this is some say you need these even on a 1inch lower some say you don't and others say you need to buy the adjustable lower control arms so im.not quite sure if I actually need these

5. Adjustable rear toe rods to go with the lower control arms

6. End link mounting brace to replace the weak GM ones

7. BMR driveshaft tunnel brace

8. AMD a 4 point BMR strut tower brace.

So far that is what I plan on purchasing and throwing into the car. I will probably install all the parts except for the lower springs and let my local tire shop do that and align it. What do you guys think of this build so far? Think I need the lowering control.arms and of.so should I stick with the standard ones or go with adjustable ones? Anything you guys think I'm missing to add on? Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by Jake90195

Hello all. I was hoping to get some advice on my suspension and chassis build I'm doing for my 2010 ss. I track on course tracks mainly, sometimes drag, and daily drive the car and take it to car shows. I just recently finished upgrading the driveshaft and the connections to the transmission and the differential (kept throwing bolts out of them) and now I'm going to upgrade the suspension. My main goal is to get good stiff ride, correct understeer, maximize my handling and make a stiffer ride. I've never lowered a car so that's what's mainly throwing me and my build off. So far with the limited amount of research I have done here is what I plan to install...

1. BMR stage 1 handling kit w/ 1 inch lowering springs front and rear.

2. BMR upgraded rear trailing arms with spherical bearings

3. BMR bushing kit for the differential mounts, noticed my stock bushings are going bye bye

4. BMR lower control arms. What's throwing me off on this is some say you need these even on a 1inch lower some say you don't and others say you need to buy the adjustable lower control arms so im.not quite sure if I actually need these

5. Adjustable rear toe rods to go with the lower control arms

6. End link mounting brace to replace the weak GM ones

7. BMR driveshaft tunnel brace

8. AMD a 4 point BMR strut tower brace.

So far that is what I plan on purchasing and throwing into the car. I will probably install all the parts except for the lower springs and let my local tire shop do that and align it. What do you guys think of this build so far? Think I need the lowering control.arms and of.so should I stick with the standard ones or go with adjustable ones? Anything you guys think I'm missing to add on? Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

BMR is a sponsor on here and you can either visit with them on here this weekend if they log on, or call them Monday to clear up the comments I've added below....The obvious, to me, choices I highlighted in red. The others, I put my thoughts or comments in italics... I'm not a suspension guy but I've learned a few things through trial and error. Compared to the stock pieces, the trailing arms and toe rods are the best first pieces to help with wheel hop. However, that was your second listed type of racing so other bits may be more beneficial for road racing.... Not my bag so I won't speak on that.... I race standing mile events... "Soft" launches and finally able to stand on it without spinning around the half mile mark.... I will state, if road racing or autocross is your bag... BRAKES BRAKES BRAKES.... Pads, rotors, lines and fluids..... There are some very knowledgeable folks on this forum related to those styles of racing.... I'm not one of them, other than Brakes... In my racing I have a 14 foot cloth brake.... I pray it never fails , for if it does, I'll be the pissed off guy in the wadded up sheet metal way off the end of the truck.... Call an



1. BMR stage 1 handling kit w/ 1 inch lowering springs front and rear.

2. BMR upgraded rear trailing arms with spherical bearings

3. BMR bushing kit for the differential mounts, noticed my stock bushings are going bye bye

4. BMR lower control arms. What's throwing me off on this is some say you need these even on a 1 inch lower, and some say you don't. Others say you need to buy the adjustable lower control arms so I'm not quite sure if I actually need these.

The BMR Lower control arms will certainly stiffen the suspension, not in ride stiffness but in suspension stiffness and stability s compared to the stamped steel lower control arms.... Talk to the BMR reps and determine based on your driving style which is the better option. Personally, I run the adjustable lower control arm. We wanted the adjustability to ensure we could get the traction we needed for my power level.

5. Adjustable rear toe rods to go with the lower control arms

6. End link mounting brace to replace the weak GM ones.

Check with BMR as these may be on the lower control arms you have listed above.

7. BMR driveshaft tunnel brace.

(I hope I don't catch any flack over this from BMR, but, I think you might be better served with a driveshaft loop for both road racing and for drag racing....or for the listed cost, get both) Even at my power level we long ago removed the tunnel brace and chucked it...I guess looking back, I need to add that we also have a ten point cage in my car, so the tunnel is re-enforced from the car interior... though I did run for several years with a four point bar and no tunnel brace... .

8. A 4 point BMR strut tower brace.

[LCPLPunk]

I don't see subframe bushings on there, so maybe those come with the BMR kit, but if not, grab those! Some go with poly, others go with solid.



Ok, so, you have a 2010 and the rear sway bar sucks. You need to grab a 2012+ rear bar, and newer 2012+ style rear lower control arms/end links. You can even grab a 1LE or ZL1 sway to make it better than just a stock 2012 bar.


I didn't see Upper Control Arm on there...


Front radius rod bushing?


Steering rack bushing?

[hrpiii]

Originally Posted by Jake90195

Hello all. I was hoping to get some advice on my suspension and chassis build I'm doing for my 2010 ss. I track on course tracks mainly, sometimes drag, and daily drive the car and take it to car shows. I just recently finished upgrading the driveshaft and the connections to the transmission and the differential (kept throwing bolts out of them) and now I'm going to upgrade the suspension. My main goal is to get good stiff ride, correct understeer, maximize my handling and make a stiffer ride. I've never lowered a car so that's what's mainly throwing me and my build off. So far with the limited amount of research I have done here is what I plan to install...

1. BMR stage 1 handling kit w/ 1 inch lowering springs front and rear.

2. BMR upgraded rear trailing arms with spherical bearings

3. BmR bushing kit for the differential mounts, noticed my stock bushings are going bye bye

4. BMR lower control arms. What's throwing me off on this is some say you need these even on a 1inch lower some say you don't and others say you need to buy the adjustable lower control arms so im.not quite sure if I actually need these

5. Adjustable rear toe rods to go with the lower control arms

6. End link mounting brace to replace the weak GM ones

7. BMR driveshaft tunnel brace

8. AMD a 4 point BMR strut tower brace.

So far that is what I plan on purchasing and throwing into the car. I will probably install all the parts except for the lower springs and let my local tire shop do that and align it. What do you guys think of this build so far? Think I need the lowering control.arms and of.so should I stick with the standard ones or go with adjustable ones? Anything you guys think I'm missing to add on? Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

I have a lowered, 1.5", 2010 Camaro with all the suspension replaced, along with Alum driveshaft and 1000hp halfshafts. I run the car on the drag strip and HPDE, along with driving it all over the US. The car is just fun to drive.

I have the BMR Rear Adjustable, heavy duty Toe Rods and Polyurethane bushings Trailing Arms. Worth every penny, really helped control the car.

I have the stock lower control arms and had no issues.

A heavy duty sway bar helps this car out A LOT, highly recommend it.

You will want heavy duty endlinks with the upgraded sway bar. This is a "fat" pig on the road course and you will need those endlinks to work and not snap.

I do have a tunnel brace and a driveshaft loop. wasn't a necessity, but more of a "while I'm down here with the driveshaft, let's get this firmed up a little more" kind of thing.

Definitely want the differential bushings, this helped the launching of the car a lot on the drag strip. Also I would recommend the front radius bushing too.

I have had nothing but great things to say about the BMR products, their shit don't break! And if you have questions or concerns... they respond.

These cars are pretty sturdy, and never really needed a 4 point strut tower brace. If there is a budget, this would probably be on the bottom of the list IMO.

I have had a couple instructors at HDPE events drive my car, and have talked highly about the handling and how balanced the car feels on a road course. At camarofest a couple weeks ago, we had about 25 runs down the drag strip and I played on the NCM road course... the car handled great all weekend, and then we drove back home to Indy.

[BMR Sales]

Originally Posted by Jake90195

Hello all. I was hoping to get some advice on my suspension and chassis build I'm doing for my 2010 ss. I track on course tracks mainly, sometimes drag, and daily drive the car and take it to car shows. I just recently finished upgrading the driveshaft and the connections to the transmission and the differential (kept throwing bolts out of them) and now I'm going to upgrade the suspension. My main goal is to get good stiff ride, correct understeer, maximize my handling and make a stiffer ride. I've never lowered a car so that's what's mainly throwing me and my build off. So far with the limited amount of research I have done here is what I plan to install...

1. BMR stage 1 handling kit w/ 1 inch lowering springs front and rear.

2. BMR upgraded rear trailing arms with spherical bearings

3. BmR bushing kit for the differential mounts, noticed my stock bushings are going bye bye

4. BMR lower control arms. What's throwing me off on this is some say you need these even on a 1inch lower some say you don't and others say you need to buy the adjustable lower control arms so im.not quite sure if I actually need these

5. Adjustable rear toe rods to go with the lower control arms

6. End link mounting brace to replace the weak GM ones

7. BMR driveshaft tunnel brace

8. AMD a 4 point BMR strut tower brace.

So far that is what I plan on purchasing and throwing into the car. I will probably install all the parts except for the lower springs and let my local tire shop do that and align it. What do you guys think of this build so far? Think I need the lowering control.arms and of.so should I stick with the standard ones or go with adjustable ones? Anything you guys think I'm missing to add on? Any help or advice would be appreciated! Thanks guys!

#1 - no Issues - Do It!
#2 - Bearings are nice for Racing, but not so much for Daily Driving. Bearings need to be kept clean so that Dirt & Grit don't get in the Bearing where they will tear up the Teflon Lining
#3 - Harder Diff Bushings will allow Noise & Vibration to be transmitted into the car - are you sure your Factory Bushings are Shot?
#4 - Our Non Adjustable LCA's are made for Lowered Cars and have a different length to make up for the Camber Loss. 1" is on the edge of whether you need Adjustable or Non Adjustable
#5 - Good Choice
#6 - Don't need it, if you are Ordering our Lower Control Arms
#7 - Good Choice
#8 - Good Choice

in Addition to those, I highly recommend Cradle Bushings

when you ready to Order these, let me know, so I can put together a Custom Package for you.

T.C.