Rear shock crossmember. What would you do?
 

I currently have a CA G-Link setup installed in my build. I like the setup but there are couple small issues that I have that I need to resolve. They are:

- At full bump the Fab9 filler cap just touches the crossmember. CA does have a fix for this and it involves a modified crossmember. It seems to only impact the Fab 9 setup as well. Mention that to not discourage anyone considering the G-link.

- I want full 3" exhaust ran out the back of the car. The shock crossmember takes up valuable space between the housing and the trunk pan leaving too little clearance. Note I think the design of the Fab 9 does contribute to this some as well. Some have suggested going below the housing but I have the splined swaybar so that pretty much rules that option out as well.

Here is a pic showing the out of the box mounting on Joe's (frojoe) car.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/attachment...972-nova-1.jpg

So, what to do? Raise or remove the crossmember I think. Frojoe raised his crossmember by modding the G-Link crossmember brackets. Doing that you can move the crossmember up ~1.5" or so. Basically take the crossmember brackets up flush with the top of the rails. However it also requires you to mod the trunk pan and create a filler panel.

I had been considering the same and once I saw Joe pull it off I had the confidence to try it. Almost... Off I went to fab up some new brackets to raise the mounting location. Here are the brackets I have made. They are long because I'll contour them to the rails once I cutout the old ones. In order to leave enough "meat" where they wrap around teh bottom of the rails I relocated the set of shock holes .5" to the inside. I will also have to rebuild the bolt-in bar so that it is shorter.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d6...ps78d1a84a.jpg

So that's all good until it hit me that if I'm gonna have to mod the trunk pan anyway, why not just install a DSE crossmember like you'd use with a QuadraLink? That would yield even more clearance, increase distances to where I could running a longer travel shock (not really necessary I dont think but...), and should I ever decide to go to a QuadraLink I wouldn't have to do visible fab to the completed car.

Anybody think of a reason why going with the DSE style crossmember would be a bad idea?

I just noticed that the first pic is a little deceiving. It would appear in that pic that you may have interference between the spring and the framerail if you recessed the coilover mount deeper into the trunk as would be the case with the DSE style crossmember. When I just now noticed that I initially thought I answered my own question :).

I do think the Quadralink has the shocks mounted more in-board and in vertical position.

Here is another G-link pic that isn't so deceiving. It also happens to be of a Fab9 setup which will illustrate the exhaust routing challenge I'm dealing with.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/a.../IMG_67462.jpg

Here is another pic of Joe's modified brackets to make the general idea clearer. Unlike me he was smart enough to realize this and account for it before installing it...

http://ls1tech.com/forums/attachment...972-nova-9.jpg

John,
3" is a big tube to route out the back but it's still possible. Yes, it's a little more work with the FAB9™ but if you have a talented exhaust guy it shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you need more room, raising the crossmember is an option. That will lower the car but you will be able to compensate with the adjustable lower shock mounts.

Here's a Camaro with the exhaust run out over the top of a 12-bolt. I can't seem to dig up the FAB9™ equipped car.

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hpho...57123286_n.jpg