[Mark R]

Originally Posted by GreenZLE

So, I give this a thumbs up. I was pleased that everything didnt add a lot of roadnoise. Maybe just a little bit, but its a 1LE with 888R's so that was the least of my worries. I have an 02 Camaro SS with all the UMI heim end suspension which is noisy and loud, so I expected a LOT of additional noise.



The shop that installed them bought all new bolts due to liability concerns. Labor was about $1600 for everything including the installation of the bearings in the LCA inner mount and alignment. The car feels noticeable crisper in the steering. I didnt realize it before, but the suspension must have a little wind up when turning as if there was flex in the rear before it followed. Thats gone. Mind you, it isnt night and day, but its definitely noticeable and adds additional confidence that its going exactly where you want it to. The rear of the car also used to track across ruts in the highway when doing lane changes. That isnt all gone, but its diminished, maybe by 1/3rd or 1/2.


The only diversion from BMR instructions is the shop used the factory toe adjuster bolts instead of the hardware provided. They said the factory bolts fit tighter and there's a tad bit of slop in the aftermarket bolts BMR provides. You might ask why do the toe rods then. Because they wont deflect as much as the factory bars.

Since you have a 1LE, it's understandable that the upgrade is not as pronounced as I felt on my regular ZL-1 with the cradle lock-out kit. The solid bushings on the 1LE are one of the main reasons the car is so good on the track. The rear wind-up on mine is 95% gone also, which is fine by me, as the car is not for the track in my case.

Regarding the toe rods: I was completely underwhelmed by the slop in the conical spacers on the toe rod ends, so I had a friend machine some new ones with much tighter internal dimensions for the BMR supplied bolts. I also used rubber covers over the heim joints, per a recommendation by BMR.

[Harry76]

Last fall I installed the BMR non adjustable control and trailing arms as well as the cradle lockout, I was making 700 plus hp, they helped control the rear end but I still had some wandering side to side under hard acceleration but it was manageable.
This summer I installed a cam, lifters and low side fuel kit and boosted the power to 900 plus and the wandering side to side became almost uncontrollable.
As long as the tires were slipping it would track ok but when they hooked up it would immediately pull the rear end to the left and then back to the right repeatedly.
Working with my suspension guy we determined the toe in was changing drastically under hard acceleration causing the issue.
Upon examination we found the rubber bushings in the stock flimsy toe rod to be very soft allowing the movement.
I ordered the Toe rods from BMR and had them in two days, installed and they completely cured the issue.

[RDBill]

Originally Posted by Harry76

Last fall I installed the BMR non adjustable control and trailing arms as well as the cradle lockout, I was making 700 plus hp, they helped control the rear end but I still had some wandering side to side under hard acceleration but it was manageable.
This summer I installed a cam, lifters and low side fuel kit and boosted the power to 900 plus and the wandering side to side became almost uncontrollable.
As long as the tires were slipping it would track ok but when they hooked up it would immediately pull the rear end to the left and then back to the right repeatedly.
Working with my suspension guy we determined the toe in was changing drastically under hard acceleration causing the issue.
Upon examination we found the rubber bushings in the stock flimsy toe rod to be very soft allowing the movement.
I ordered the Toe rods from BMR and had them in two days, installed and they completely cured the issue.

Are you talking about these toe rods on the rear?

https://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=...628&superpro=0

[Mark R]

Originally Posted by Harry76

Last fall I installed the BMR non adjustable control and trailing arms as well as the cradle lockout, I was making 700 plus hp, they helped control the rear end but I still had some wandering side to side under hard acceleration but it was manageable.
This summer I installed a cam, lifters and low side fuel kit and boosted the power to 900 plus and the wandering side to side became almost uncontrollable.
As long as the tires were slipping it would track ok but when they hooked up it would immediately pull the rear end to the left and then back to the right repeatedly.
Working with my suspension guy we determined the toe in was changing drastically under hard acceleration causing the issue.
Upon examination we found the rubber bushings in the stock flimsy toe rod to be very soft allowing the movement.
I ordered the Toe rods from BMR and had them in two days, installed and they completely cured the issue.

To be cometely blunt, I think the stock rear suspension overall design is excellent, but the execution was total shit when it came to the details. There are 4 astonishly sub-par members on each side of the rear suspension, made out of stamped sheet metal, with wobbly rubber bushings, all held together by throwaway bolts that clamp eccentric adjusters, held to a cradle that has soft rubber bushings with holes in them.

The BMR stuff addresses all this by firming up the cradle bushings, and replacing all that sheet metal with stout suspension members with stiff plastic bushings, and eliminating eccentric adjusters. Like you discovered, the toe rods are as essential to replace as the others.

I went full BMR and did the mid chassis brace, strut tower brace and cradle braces too, though I powdercoted the strut tower brace semi gloss black, because I don't like BMR's powdercoating choices. I got hammertone elsewhere.

The car handles so much more responsively. It is bit stiffer in ride quality than stock. Overall, I think this is the best mod for a ZL-1, stock or not.

[Harry76]

Originally Posted by RDBill

Are you talking about these toe rods on the rear?

https://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=...628&superpro=0

Yes, those are the ones.

[nicktechla]

boom, installed!

[driven2exceSS]

Originally Posted by nicktechla

boom, installed!

Haha, Nice! That's what i did yesterday... but none adjustable (except toe rods). Hopefully mine settle in a bit, or the grease gets worked in, because the bushings currently do squeak

[nicktechla]

Originally Posted by driven2exceSS

Haha, Nice! That's what i did yesterday... but none adjustable (except toe rods). Hopefully mine settle in a bit, or the grease gets worked in, because the bushings currently do squeak

ahh mine are dead silent so far. I found some speed bumps and stuff today to test them out.

[driven2exceSS]

Originally Posted by nicktechla

ahh mine are dead silent so far. I found some speed bumps and stuff today to test them out.

That's what I did too, found speed bumps. Want the suspension to settle back before the alignment on Weds. Jealous of the on-car adjustable though!!

[nicktechla]

Originally Posted by driven2exceSS

That's what I did too, found speed bumps. Want the suspension to settle back before the alignment on Weds. Jealous of the on-car adjustable though!!

I messed up the alignment a bit.. first drive it was steering to the left but we took it back in the garage, re-measured, adjusted the right rear wheel, then it was good. I'm going to take it in for alignment this week.

[Markoz28]

I just had the Cradle Lockout, upper and lower trailing arms, and upper control arms installed. While doing the job we found a leak in the diff coming from the passenger flange seal. So now we need to take the passenger side suspension off again to change that out. What a PITA!

[Firecaptain]

Going all non-adjust in the rear.....cradle lockout and no toe rods.......will the alignment be that far off?


Thanks

[JonDaddy82]

Originally Posted by Firecaptain

Going all non-adjust in the rear.....cradle lockout and no toe rods.......will the alignment be that far off?


Thanks

I did the same setup, mine drove just fine to the alignment shop, nothing crazy.

[Mark R]

Originally Posted by Firecaptain

Going all non-adjust in the rear.....cradle lockout and no toe rods.......will the alignment be that far off?


Thanks

Alignment will be fine. Get the toe rods if you can. Eventually you will get them.