Shorten the Control Arms?

[Hotchkis]

Originally Posted by Mrfixit

Hey guys,

I just received my wheels and tires for my 68 and am concerned that I didn't specify enough back spacing for the front wheels. I've been pondering my options and was wondering if anyone knows what the results would be if I shortened my upper and lower control arms by 3/8" to 1/2"? Has anyone tried this? Results?

Thanks in advance,

Mrfixit - Solving your fitment problems with shorter control arms isn’t a great fix. Changing the length of the control arm will adversely affect your handling by changing camber curve geometry and shorter arms will change the leverage of the suspension causing the spring rates to increase exponentially as the arms get shorter. Another problem with the shorter control arms is possible interference between the wheel and the control arm due to steeper angles of the tubing to compensate for the shorter arms and decreased turning radius due to interference.