This is a worthy video if you are going to install a RideTech 4-link. I spent hours measuring to make sure mine was centered. At some point you need to chose what centered means because these cars were put together imperfectly when new. The issue is unless you have a jig or frame machine there aren’t any points side to side that are not at an angle front to back. So any deviation front to back on your point means a deviation on your side to side. The long and short of it is that I am making 14.5” bars and move on with my life! Thank you for the video.
Great info. Glad someone made the video. Now they also sell adjustable lower and upper links at an upcharge. Makes lining wheels up to the center of wheel well easier. Also Helps with alignment and correcting wheelbase when the car is not perfectly square with respect to the subframe.
I installed the cradle last week. Since I had ordered it last year already, I still had the kit with the self tapping bolts. But when trying to pull the cradle up to the frame, I spun a few of the bolts pretty easily so I ended up replacing them with the riv nuts. It sits perfectly tight now.
Now I’ve completed installation of my RideTech 4-link in my 1967 Camaro and have some additional observations that may help someone. Since the upper bars set at 10.150” are not welded to the axle yet they cannot be considered fixed points. Without those bars even with the 14.5” spacer bars setting ride height the rear assembly still free floats side to side. There needs to be an additional point to fully triangulate and center the rear. That is why you tack an 8.5” rod between the axle housing and just outside the frame as described in the RideTech installation instructions. This will then hold the axle level in reference to the frame which is essential. Another method is to measure the distance between the bars on the RideTech frame you bolted to the car and mark the center. Then measure the center of the axle use disc to disc and mark the center of the pumpkin. Then hang a plumb off the bar you marked and make sure it aligns with the mark on the center of the axle housing. Make sure you car body is level side to side or you will introduce a small error. If you were thinking about doing a RideTech 4-link and all this information is making you hesitate. Don’t! It is totally worth whatever you go through to get it installed. It’s a great system.
I've thought about what you said setting the upper dog ears for the rear end and upper arms not being a fixed point until welded in. I'll take your additional advice finding my 9in rear housing's center in relation to the axle flanges in my case and make measurements before tacking them in. Was gonna comment of the OP how the stuff is working for him but hasn't acknowledged anyone. So I have to ask, how's yours coming along as far as the 4 link kit? I bought mine years ago and I finally may have the time to do this this month lol😅.
@@squidusn71 Mine is done and sits low and straight. The best way to speed up the process is to measure a center point on your axle from wheel mount to wheel mount. Place a piece of tape on the diff pumpkin with a centerline marked. Then measure your RideTech frame you installed between the frame rails and mark the center on the bar behind and above the axle. Tie a plumb bob at that mark. This will give you a visual reference for axle center. Stand behind the car and look at the alignment using the plumb bob string against the axle centerline you drew earlier. Close one eye at a time to make sure your head is in-line to judge properly. You need three points to make a proper alignment. Your head (eyes), string on bob, and mark on diff pumpkin. Set your upper links to 10.150” center to center and use the provided mockup tool to lay the tabs onto the correct position on your axle housing. Trim, grind cut the tabs to make them sit vertical and flush so the welds can be made made tight. On mine I had to build up a little material on the front to get the best retention and most surface area. Make one final check looking down the car to see the relationship of the lower axle tabs to frame or other reference to see how the wheels will fit within the fenders. Your front to back distance is set by the lower rods that go to the old spring perch’. So you know that’s correct. The shock metal bars you made set the ride height. So if the axle is centered then that makes the shock metal bars hold the axle level (horizontal) side to side. You are all good to weld on the tabs. I just want to ad one motivational statement. The 4-link will transform your car into the best handling and riding car you’ve ever driven!
@@Automotive-Velocity thanks for the reply. I got my housing where it needs to be. I just found out that I have the original/old version of their 4 link. I bought it years ago lol. Apparently, they swapped the placements in the opposite angle/directions of the upper control arm mounting points. Also, the uca lengths are an inch+ shorter than the new version which led me to wonder and eventually found out that they came with a newer version along with the R joints. The new version better if the car is raced. I can buy the parts necessary to do the upgrade but I think I'll stick with this old version since it's a street car. The only bump that I've come across so far are the inboard mounting plates for the upper arms sits on the 9in housing pumpkin instead of on the axle tubes so it will raise the uca unless I grind it down or leave it and make a taller one for the outboard to match the height.
@@squidusn71 That is a dilemma. If I am picturing this correctly with your ears attached to the top of the pumpkin the ride height would need to be more? IMO If you go to the newer design it will be worth the time and money. My car has a stance that looks like it’s launching and the ride is amazingly soft under regular driving but has zero give under hard cornering. When I got my car the 4-link was already in the car, but poorly installed. They had also added a RideTech Panhard Bar which was fighting the 4-link. All the bracket welds were sloppy and amateur and the brackets were at odd angles on the axle stressing the upper bars. So I disassembled it all and started over with new brackets (axle tabs) and used the template tool to set the tabs correctly on the axle. I have a body tram and used the location points on my DSE subframe to check to make sure the front and rear were square. It was already in the correct position using the method outline previously. If I were to do another 4-link I would invest in the axle housing with the mounting points already attached. The time savings would easily pay for the extra cost.
There was one more thing I fixed while going through the rebuild. I checked the unsprung spring length and one of the springs was 1/2” shorter than the other and they were 250lbs springs. So, I bought a new set of 200 lbs springs and that straightened out the adjustment turns on the shocks. The 200lbs springs are a better ride and now the shock adjustments are even. That’s good because looking form the back of the car it’s symmetrical instead of looking like it’s set-up incorrectly. When I got the car the spring adjusters were cranked all the way up the shocks. The guy that originally assembled the 4-link didn’t follow the instructions.
This and your other video on the subject is a good explanation of the RideTech bolt-in four link suspension setup. It should be required viewing PRIOR to purchase or installation of the system in a 67-69 Camaro. A Quality setup, just has issues.
The drill bit they give you in the kit for the rivnuts is too big for the splines on the rivnuts anyway so it just spins in the hole. Self tapping and welding here i come
This is a worthy video if you are going to install a RideTech 4-link. I spent hours measuring to make sure mine was centered. At some point you need to chose what centered means because these cars were put together imperfectly when new. The issue is unless you have a jig or frame machine there aren’t any points side to side that are not at an angle front to back. So any deviation front to back on your point means a deviation on your side to side. The long and short of it is that I am making 14.5” bars and move on with my life! Thank you for the video.
Great info. Glad someone made the video. Now they also sell adjustable lower and upper links at an upcharge. Makes lining wheels up to the center of wheel well easier. Also Helps with alignment and correcting wheelbase when the car is not perfectly square with respect to the subframe.
I installed the cradle last week. Since I had ordered it last year already, I still had the kit with the self tapping bolts. But when trying to pull the cradle up to the frame, I spun a few of the bolts pretty easily so I ended up replacing them with the riv nuts. It sits perfectly tight now.
Excellent!
Now I’ve completed installation of my RideTech 4-link in my 1967 Camaro and have some additional observations that may help someone. Since the upper bars set at 10.150” are not welded to the axle yet they cannot be considered fixed points. Without those bars even with the 14.5” spacer bars setting ride height the rear assembly still free floats side to side. There needs to be an additional point to fully triangulate and center the rear. That is why you tack an 8.5” rod between the axle housing and just outside the frame as described in the RideTech installation instructions. This will then hold the axle level in reference to the frame which is essential. Another method is to measure the distance between the bars on the RideTech frame you bolted to the car and mark the center. Then measure the center of the axle use disc to disc and mark the center of the pumpkin. Then hang a plumb off the bar you marked and make sure it aligns with the mark on the center of the axle housing. Make sure you car body is level side to side or you will introduce a small error. If you were thinking about doing a RideTech 4-link and all this information is making you hesitate. Don’t! It is totally worth whatever you go through to get it installed. It’s a great system.
I've thought about what you said setting the upper dog ears for the rear end and upper arms not being a fixed point until welded in. I'll take your additional advice finding my 9in rear housing's center in relation to the axle flanges in my case and make measurements before tacking them in. Was gonna comment of the OP how the stuff is working for him but hasn't acknowledged anyone. So I have to ask, how's yours coming along as far as the 4 link kit?
I bought mine years ago and I finally may have the time to do this this month lol😅.
@@squidusn71 Mine is done and sits low and straight. The best way to speed up the process is to measure a center point on your axle from wheel mount to wheel mount. Place a piece of tape on the diff pumpkin with a centerline marked. Then measure your RideTech frame you installed between the frame rails and mark the center on the bar behind and above the axle. Tie a plumb bob at that mark. This will give you a visual reference for axle center.
Stand behind the car and look at the alignment using the plumb bob string against the axle centerline you drew earlier. Close one eye at a time to make sure your head is in-line to judge properly. You need three points to make a proper alignment. Your head (eyes), string on bob, and mark on diff pumpkin.
Set your upper links to 10.150” center to center and use the provided mockup tool to lay the tabs onto the correct position on your axle housing. Trim, grind cut the tabs to make them sit vertical and flush so the welds can be made made tight. On mine I had to build up a little material on the front to get the best retention and most surface area.
Make one final check looking down the car to see the relationship of the lower axle tabs to frame or other reference to see how the wheels will fit within the fenders.
Your front to back distance is set by the lower rods that go to the old spring perch’. So you know that’s correct. The shock metal bars you made set the ride height. So if the axle is centered then that makes the shock metal bars hold the axle level (horizontal) side to side. You are all good to weld on the tabs.
I just want to ad one motivational statement. The 4-link will transform your car into the best handling and riding car you’ve ever driven!
@@Automotive-Velocity thanks for the reply. I got my housing where it needs to be. I just found out that I have the original/old version of their 4 link. I bought it years ago lol. Apparently, they swapped the placements in the opposite angle/directions of the upper control arm mounting points. Also, the uca lengths are an inch+ shorter than the new version which led me to wonder and eventually found out that they came with a newer version along with the R joints. The new version better if the car is raced. I can buy the parts necessary to do the upgrade but I think I'll stick with this old version since it's a street car.
The only bump that I've come across so far are the inboard mounting plates for the upper arms sits on the 9in housing pumpkin instead of on the axle tubes so it will raise the uca unless I grind it down or leave it and make a taller one for the outboard to match the height.
@@squidusn71 That is a dilemma. If I am picturing this correctly with your ears attached to the top of the pumpkin the ride height would need to be more? IMO If you go to the newer design it will be worth the time and money. My car has a stance that looks like it’s launching and the ride is amazingly soft under regular driving but has zero give under hard cornering. When I got my car the 4-link was already in the car, but poorly installed. They had also added a RideTech Panhard Bar which was fighting the 4-link. All the bracket welds were sloppy and amateur and the brackets were at odd angles on the axle stressing the upper bars. So I disassembled it all and started over with new brackets (axle tabs) and used the template tool to set the tabs correctly on the axle. I have a body tram and used the location points on my DSE subframe to check to make sure the front and rear were square. It was already in the correct position using the method outline previously.
If I were to do another 4-link I would invest in the axle housing with the mounting points already attached. The time savings would easily pay for the extra cost.
There was one more thing I fixed while going through the rebuild. I checked the unsprung spring length and one of the springs was 1/2” shorter than the other and they were 250lbs springs. So, I bought a new set of 200 lbs springs and that straightened out the adjustment turns on the shocks. The 200lbs springs are a better ride and now the shock adjustments are even. That’s good because looking form the back of the car it’s symmetrical instead of looking like it’s set-up incorrectly. When I got the car the spring adjusters were cranked all the way up the shocks. The guy that originally assembled the 4-link didn’t follow the instructions.
This and your other video on the subject is a good explanation of the RideTech bolt-in four link suspension setup. It should be required viewing PRIOR to purchase or installation of the system in a 67-69 Camaro. A Quality setup, just has issues.
The drill bit they give you in the kit for the rivnuts is too big for the splines on the rivnuts anyway so it just spins in the hole. Self tapping and welding here i come