Currently restoring 67 SS. Determined to upgrade the handling and suspension. Is Hotchkis TVS (Total Vehicle System), the best option on the market today? If not, what are my options? Thanks in advance.

No, it is not. Some of the Hotchkis parts work well while others do not. The rear control arms do not work well. The springs and shocks are OK, the sta-bars are not bad.

Search some of Dennis's past posts about poly bushings for the reasoning behind the rear control arms.

You'll be happy with this:

Front: www.scandc.com (http://www.scandc.com) Stage II package
Rear: www.wolferacecraft.com (http://www.wolferacecraft.com) LCAs & spherical axle bushings. UCAs from Edelbrock are slightly better.

Doesn't Umi Performance make lower arms with spherical bearings that also accept a rear swaybar? I knew the theory is you don't need a rear swaybar if you get still enough springs but my car will have one because I plan on seeing some roadcourse action and I just can't convince myself that a rear bar isn't needed.

You can also check out Currie's "Currec-Trac" lower control arms. They have the Johnny Joint in the front (which allows for articulation) and also mounts for a rear sway bar.

I have them on my 66 and they are very heavy duty and well-built. I am very happy with them.

-Curtis Hoovestol

Have you checked out Global West?

http://www.globalwest.net/

Have you checked out Global West?http://www.globalwest.net/Looks like they've been reading Team Chevelle :D I see they've started putting spherical bushings on the frame-end of their arms... There would still be a little bind with this, but not as bad as what they used to sell.

Before you go spending a ton of money on the whole package, I'd do a piece at a time and stop when the handling gets where you like it.

I have bigger sway bars, stiffer springs, bilstien shocks and poly bushings and my car handles like it's on rails. For me, it's enough. Springs and sway bars are hotchkis, by the way.

So is the rear sway bar really needed? I am looking at the wolfe lowers while they are still on sale. Will wheel hop be induced without changing the geometry (using SSM or relocated uppers)?

So is the rear sway bar really needed?That depends on what you use for springs. If you go stiff enough, you don't need it.

Will wheel hop be induced without changing the geometry (using SSM or relocated uppers)?If your car is lowered at all, I wouldn't worry about it. Even at stock height, I doubt it would... if it was jacked up, you'd probably have some hop.

Looks like they've been reading Team Chevelle :D I see they've started putting spherical bushings on the frame-end of their arms... There would still be a little bind with this, but not as bad as what they used to sell.

Nice to know somebody pays attention to us here! Don't want to speak for others, but that's more than I can say for opinions I offer at home! lol!!

I don't have any experience with them yet. Car won't be back on the road again until June, but hopefully suspension bind won't be an issue! The GW suspension came highly recommended.

No, it is not. Some of the Hotchkis parts work well while others do not. The rear control arms do not work well. The springs and shocks are OK, the sta-bars are not bad.


I run the Hotchkis upper and lower control arms with poly bushings and there big sway bar on the rear of my 65 and I love it. Cars never wheel hopped.

1.40 60' on a 10" slicks not too bad either. :beers:

I run the Hotchkis upper and lower control arms with poly bushings and there big sway bar on the rear of my 65 and I love it. Cars never wheel hopped.

1.40 60' on a 10" slicks not too bad either. :beers:Sounds like they work great for drag use :thumbsup:

For serious handling, though, they are not good at all. They don't allow the rear to articulate as it needs to for good cornering.

Looks like they've been reading Team Chevelle :D I see they've started putting spherical bushings on the frame-end of their arms... There would still be a little bind with this, but not as bad as what they used to sell.

On the lower rear arms? They have had those out for years with the spherical bearings (I have a set that has to be almost three years old)... They still don't offer the rear uppers, do they?

For the price they want for them, I assumed that was a set of 4 :eek:

I didn't realize they had the spherical on one end :clonk: I thought they only offered basically the same as what Hotchkis does, but with del-alums instead of poly. I guess their stuff isn't as bad as I thought :D

This next suggestion requires frame work...and is a bit pricy. Hotrods to Hell CenterDrive Truckarm kit; I continue to hear great things about these kits. I believe it is the same suspension design that has been used in NASCAR for many years. One of these kits, used with...lets say...Global West tubular Control Arms would make for an excellent handling package. I do like Hotchkis products, too.
http://www.hotrodstohell.net

Hotrods to Hell CenterDrive Truckarm kit; I continue to hear great things about these kits. I believe it is the same suspension design that has been used in NASCAR for many years.
From magazines who receive money from HTH in advertising dollars? Or do you know someone who actually has one? I know a couple guys running them, it is an improvement over the C4L but not that great. NASCAR teams use it because the rules state they have to....not out of choice. Arenas that allow the chassis builder some flexability all use a 3-link variation of some sort or IRS of course.

I have the full Global West package on my 72 454SS Elky and I love it. Front end might sit a bit low for some, but I think the new stance is bad-a**. Handles the turns like it's on the proverbial rails and no wheel hop with stock HP.

Peter

I'm doing Global West rear lowers to get the benefit of the frame side spheical bearing. For the upper rear control arms I'm using Hotchkis Adjustables to correct my pinion angle for a shortened driveshaft behind my new GearVendors unit. Swaybars, LCA Braces, Tie Rod connectors are Hotchkis as well. Shock will be Bilstien. Front coils are stock Big Block springs on 2" drop spindles and Stock rear springs.

For the upper rear control arms I'm using Hotchkis Adjustables to correct my pinion angle for a shortened driveshaft behind my new GearVendors unit.Those use poly bushings - bad idea, especially for an upper arm. If you haven't bought them yet, I'd recommend looking at adjustable uppers from Edelbrock, Wolfe Racecraft, etc with a spherical bearing/johnny joint on the frame-side, and using rubber bushings or Wolfe spherical on the axle housing.

From magazines who receive money from HTH in advertising dollars? Or do you know someone who actually has one? I know a couple guys running them, it is an improvement over the C4L but not that great. NASCAR teams use it because the rules state they have to....not out of choice. Arenas that allow the chassis builder some flexability all use a 3-link variation of some sort or IRS of course.

I wish some magazine would step up and do a multi-stage test... Maybe add new tires/wheels first, and keep everything else the same (driver, same road course, similar temps (reduce track variables), same springs/rates, shocks, ride height, etc). Road course AND skidpad, maybe braking and accelaration too...
Test the different typical systems available.
1) stock (worn), baseline.
2)stock (all new rubber bushings), maybe here there'd be a lowered ride height.
3)stock configuration (original arms) with poly
3A) same as 3, but rubber in upper rear position only
4)stock with spherical uppers
5) same as 4, but with the WolfCraft bearings in housing...
6) HTH setup
7) custom 3-link, etc...

Those use poly bushings - bad idea, especially for an upper arm. If you haven't bought them yet, I'd recommend looking at adjustable uppers from Edelbrock, Wolfe Racecraft, etc with a spherical bearing/johnny joint on the frame-side, and using rubber bushings or Wolfe spherical on the axle housing.

Thanks for clueing me in on the Wolfe products, I ordered a set of the spherical axle housing bushings. Unfortunately, I already ordered and recieved the Hotchkis uppers. But mixing in the sphericals should help with the binding.