Our Classic IFS system is designed for the ’28-33 era larger cars such as Buick, Cadillac, Packard, Chrysler, etc with 120" or greater wheelbase and weight in the 4000# and larger class. Their fender line requires a short upper control arm to clear the fender, and a rear steer rack and pinion which will not interfere with the lower grill shell pan. Super heavy tubular control arms and crossmember will take the weight of these fine automobiles. Dropped spindles from the ’73-87 Chevy pickup put the center of the wheel 1" above the bottom of the frame rail for a nice drop, while stock spindles will raise the car 2", with the spindle 1" below the frame for a stance close to stock.
The Chevy pickup spindles feature both large ball joints and a 12" diameter rotor with a 5 on 5" bolt pattern for superior braking performance. Replacement parts are easily obtained from any professional auto parts store. We suggest using a narrowed Lincoln 9" rear for its matching 5 on 5" bolt pattern, large brakes and bearings to handle the mass when underway. Since early Cadillac, Buick Skylark, and Chrysler wire wheels (either original or repro) are also 5 on 5", classic wire wheels are easily fitted and designed for this weight class.
A 60" hub to hub track width will fit under these fenders well in most cases. Some cars like Brent’s 1930 Buick could stand to be a little narrower, but are OK when used with a 4" backspace 6½" rim, like the stock Skylarks shown in the catalog photo. A power rack from ’82-85 Citation makes for easy steering, but realize that a 120"+ wheelbase car will not turn like a short Model A. We find the turning radius acceptable for any normal driving.
A simple shim system allows alignment without scarring or disassembly to keep your alignment man happy. This very positive system is also designed to handle the loads imposed by these large cars. We think of these cars as ¾ ton trucks with pretty bodies, and accordingly use components and design well suited to their needs. Although the total weight is high, most of the weight is carried by the rear suspension. A V-8 spring will handle most small blocks, while larger engines will require a stronger one we have made to our specs. We have had the best success with reworking the original rear leaf suspension by adding tube shocks (usually ’73-87 Chevy PU fronts) and an anti-roll bar. Lowering is handled by removing 2-3 of the shortest leafs for a flatter spring arch and softer ride, and possibly a lowering block to fine tune the rear axle position.
Fat Man Fabrication's mission is to develop parts that allow you to bring the handling and ride quality of your vintage hot rod or muscle car up to the safety and comfort standards of today.. Our standards, performance scientific analysis and road testing all lead to quality driving solutions. Known for the Fat Man's New chassis, Independent suspension kits, Muscle car Tubular control arms and dropped spindles. We cover a vast variety of vehicles from the late 1920's to the 1980's. Check out the "G-Tech" line of products for the '55-87 Chevy, Camaro, Nova, Chevelle, Malibu, Monte Carlo, and the Ford Mustangs, Falcons, Fairlanes and Torinos. The G-Tech line is all about giving these fine vehicles the chassis performance in keeping with the vastly upgraded power plants and tires of today.
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