How Rekudo’s Suspension System Can Upgrade The Handling Of Your Second-Gen F-Body Without Reinventing The Look

02/21/2022
10 min read

How Rekudo’s Suspension System Can Upgrade The Handling Of Your Second-Gen F-Body Without Reinventing The Look

02/21/2022
10 min read

Itโ€™s no secret that suspension design has evolved dramatically over the past fifty years. No matter how well-equipped an old school muscle car might have originally been from the factory, the technology used a half-century ago pales in comparison to the sophisticated engineering that has become widely available today.


With everything from production-style tubular chassis to independent rear suspension systems now just a few clicks away, enthusiasts have a lot of different options at their disposal when it comes to incorporating these advances into a restomod build. But for those whoโ€™re looking to get modern handling performance without reinventing the wheel (or obliterating the piggy bank), Rekudo has developed solutions that can dramatically improve the surefootedness of your second-gen Camaro or Firebird with direct bolt-on components.


โ€œThe idea here was to create a system that would provide good street manners as well as the capability to take on track days and autocross events with more aggressive suspension geometry,โ€ explains Greg Whittle of Rekudo. โ€œWhile there are options out there for those who want to go really hardcore, weโ€™re looking at this more from the perspective of someone who wants their suspension to look fairly similar to OE, but also get that improved geometry so the car will deliver much better handling performance without the need for fabricated chassis components and things like that. In a way, itโ€™s almost like a new sub-section of pro touring.โ€


Rekudo VK070000 1970-1981 F-Body Suspension

The Rekudo 1970-1981 Camaro/Firebird Suspension System (p/n VK070000) will give your second-generation F-Body improved handling without taking away from that stock, muscular look these cars are known for.


Along with lowering the car and delivering a more performance-focused ride, Rekudoโ€™s new suspension kit addresses two key shortcomings inherent to cars built from that era โ€“ the inability to really dial in and balance caster on both sides of the car, and the lack of negative camber available to improve turn-in response and cornering grip. โ€œWhat you discover with a lot of cars that were built in the 70s is that, even if theyโ€™ve never been in an accident or anything like that, you donโ€™t always have the same caster angles from left to right,โ€ Whittle says. โ€œSo we incorporated multiple caster pills into the kit which allow you to make those adjustments and balance out your caster. And because of the geometry we used with our control arm, you can go anywhere from zero degrees of camber all the way to a very aggressive negative two degrees, depending on the shim pack you decide to use.โ€

Working In Concert


Rekudoโ€™s second-gen F-body suspension components can be purchased as a full kit or a la carte, but Whittle points out that while these parts are direct bolt-on factory replacements, the parts that make up the kit have been developed to work together as a holistic solution. Hereโ€™s what it consists of:

  • Control arms: E-coated to protect against corrosion and outfitted with greaseable ball joints for long service life, these control arms have been engineered to deliver more aggressive suspension geometry while still utilizing the factory mounting points. โ€œThese upper and lower arms come loaded with rubber bushings, which provides nice ride quality,โ€ Whittle tells us. โ€œBut if youโ€™re looking for even more response and you donโ€™t mind a slightly stiffer ride, we offer Delrin bushings for these as well. These Delrin bushings will reduce deflection when the suspension is working to deliver even more handling precision.โ€


  • Front anti-roll bar: Larger in diameter than the factory sway bar but outfitted with OE-style end links, this bar will help reduce body roll and deflection while increasing torsional stiffness.


  • Shocks and springs: Equipped with single-adjustable Koni performance shocks at all four corners, Rekudoโ€™s kit includes rear leaf springs that will drop the back end of the car by two inches. Progressive rate springs are supplied for the front end to deliver solid ride quality around town and enhanced capability during spirited driving, and these springs are available in two different ride heights. โ€œOne is similar to stock, and the other one that we offer is an inch lower,โ€ says Whittle. โ€œBut itโ€™s important to keep in mind that the resulting ride height is also affected by the drop spindle that we include in the kit, which lowers the front end by an additional inch on its own. These options allow you to kind of dial in how you want the front of your car to sit.โ€


  • Spindles: Made from forged chromoly and equipped with an induction-hardened pin for the hub bearings in order to reduce wear, these spindles are an inch taller than stock to improve the camber curve. โ€œWeโ€™ve lowered the spindle as well,โ€ says Whittle. โ€œAnd that in turn drops the vehicle an additional inch at the front to match the two-inch drop in the rear if youโ€™re using the one-inch lowering springs. This approach provides better suspension articulation and more spring travel versus simply installing a two-inch lowering spring.โ€


Second-gen, first instar Chevrolet Camaro


For those whoโ€™d prefer to purchase these components individually, Whittle suggests starting with the springs, shocks, and anti-roll bar first. โ€œSince the control arms and spindles are going to affect the suspension geometry, you would want to do those upgrades after the other suspension components from this kit have been installed.โ€ And to help support your F-bodyโ€™s newfound handling prowess, Rekudo is currently putting the finishing touches on a big brake kit that employs a similar factory-style approach as well.


The system utilizes four-piston calipers and mill balanced 11.75-inch rotors at all four corners, and the rear calipers use different pistons in order to yield the appropriate front-to-rear brake bias. And while the factory calipers were made from cast iron, the Rekudo calipers are made from forged 7075 aluminum.


โ€œAnd that means that theyโ€™re very strong and very light weight,โ€ says Whittle. โ€œThese calipers are about half of the weight of a factory C3 caliper.โ€ Rekudo also utilizes a modern seal design thatโ€™s similar to what youโ€™ll find on a contemporary Brembo brake caliper in order to enhance durability, and the rear rotor incorporates a clever emergency brake adjuster design that is accessible without taking anything apart.


โ€œThe suspension kitโ€™s spindle also has the brake caliper and steering arm mounting forged right into it for additional strength,โ€ Whittle says. โ€œThose elements tend to be bolt-on pieces with generic spindles โ€“ a company will create a single spindle design that can be used for both sides of the vehicle and then the mounting hardware bolts to it to configure it for a given side of the car. These Rekudo spindles are specific to the left and right sides of the car.โ€


Rekudoโ€™s suspension kit for the second-generation Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird will be available in early 2022, while the big brake kit is expected to hit the shelves later in the year. Whittle notes that Rekudo has more F-body stuff on the way further down the line as well. โ€œWe just put the finishing touches on our development work for the first-generation F-body, and that system should be available toward the end of next year.โ€

Rekudo 1970-1981 Camaro/Firebird Suspension Kit Components

Part NumberDescription
RK100-21LFront Control Arms, Lower, Pair
RK100-21UFront Control Arms, Upper, Pair
RK600-02Front Spindles, Pair
RK200-11Performance Front Lowering Spring Set, 1-inch drop
RK600-01Front Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly
RK400-17Front Disc Brake Dust Shields
RK400-06Front Disc Brake Rotors
RK300-03Adjustable Front Shock
RK500-02Front Anti-Roll Bar, 1-3/8 Inch Diameter
RK300-04Adjustable Rear Shock
RK200-08Heavy Duty Polyurethane Shackle Kit
RK200-02AHigh Performance 2-inch Drop Rear Leaf Spring
RK400-09Rear Disc Brake Caliper Adapters
RK400-16Rear Disc Brake Dust Shields
RK400-07Rear Disc Brake Rotors

author

248 Posts