Rear Axle: Coil overs for Avanti

[Whlnut]

Anyone here built a 4-link with coil overs for an Avanti or Lark? This will be for a street car.
I'm also looking for info on adding Wilwood front brakes.
Thanks for any help. Ed

[PackardV8]

Wilwood makes good stuff, but there's also a couple of bolt on kits for the Studebaker. Turner Brakes is one of the best.

Your car, your money, your decision. FWIW, just know the four-link a more difficult conversion than it might at first appear. I just drove a Ford with a similar setup and was underwhelmed. The money and effort spent didn't produce commensurate results. A solid rear axle with coil-overs is still a solid rear axle.

Just to complete your research, look into fiberglass rear leaf springs, poly bushings for the traction bars and anti-roll bar with best-quality shocks. Those are less-expensive and will do anything the four-link will do.

Your opinions and results may differ.

jack vines

[Mike Van Veghten]

Ed -

ALL the Stude spindles are the same (VERY similar), so you can do exactly what I did for front brakes.
https://public.fotki.com/-Mike-/my_studebakers/
See photos 10 thru 16 to put Wilwood brakes on my 54 Conestoga.

As for the four link / coil over setup...why ? Really, why ? Are you going drag racing ? It's NOT a good suspension for normal street driving.
If you look at the pictures of the coil over setup that I did on the same set of pictures, you can sort of see what I did. I welded the stock cross member to the frame rails. The made a closeout plate for the bottom and welded it to the frame and the cross member.
The ONLY reason I put the coil over shocks/springs on it because of using the Chevy truck arms to install the Quick Change axle.
Then you know that you'll need some sort of centering device to keep the axle under the car.

Unless I was installing a four link for "RACING" purposes, I'd never use a chassis setup like that for the street. I'd also not use coil over shocks on a pure street car.

Here's my "Drag Racer" that I did (retirement project) maybe what you are talking about. While still street legal it's a drag race/Solo 1-2 car, not a regular street car.
https://public.fotki.com/-Mike-/60_lark/

Unless you are going racing, I'd leave the leaf springs on. You are barking up a tree that doesn't have very many branches for you to lean on. You'll need to build your own branches. And forgive me...but since you asked the question here vs. just doing the work, this might be a tree left alone for now.

Mike

P.s - You can go a more simple method for Wilwood front brakes, Buy the "Hot Rods and Brakes" caliper bracket kit that uses the big GM cast iron caliper. Wilwood makes an aluminum replacement caliper that is much lighter than the GM copy, but uses the same large pads that can be bought at most "any parts house".
https://hotrodsandbrakes.com/

[SScopelli]

If you are going to that extent, and easier route is C4 Corvette option.