Battenrunner

Hello Team,

This is all on our 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass build.

We were going with big CTS-V/ ZL1 Brembo brakes, but plans changed and we can't afford the custom wheels required to fit the car (since we narrowed the 12 Bolt rearend to put the big Ford Bearing housing ends on with GM 10/12 bolt pattern to make it a bolt in axle setup with no c-clips) so we are selling the Brembo brake setup and going to some Wilwood or other aftermarket setup that will work with smaller wheels. Our differential is 52.5 from housing end to housing end, and 58.125 total width from axle flange to axle flange. The 12 bolt 67 Chevelle rearend was originally 59.875 from axle flange to axle flange, so ours is 1.75 inches narrower, or roughly .900 of an inch narrower per side. I cannot find what the original 67 Olds differential width was from axle flange to flange. We have it set up with Mark Williams Master line axles, 3.73 gears, an Eaton Truetrac limited slip differential, an LPW housing cover, and a forged 1350 series pinion yoke.

We have a well built 400 trans, and we are working on a Gear Vendors overdrive to hook to it for easy high speed cruising. We are moving to a 3,000+ PTC 10 or 9.5 inch converter once we get closer to install.





So, currently, we have bought PST graphite suspension bushings and Proforged .5 tall upper and lower ball joints, and all new ProForged Inner and outer tie rod ends and center drag link, as well as a 12.7:1 GM Grand National steering box. We are going to try and run the stock control arms upper and lower with these bushings and tall ball joints if we can without binding. We have already purchased BMR 2 inch drop springs for the front and rear. We have a 1.25 front sway bar and 1 inch rear bar, running adjustable upper rear control arms with sperical rod ends and poly bushings, and boxed lower arms with spherical bushings and poly bushings mixed. We haven't yet purchased the shocks, and we are looking at the Hotchkis 1.5 Fox shocks for now, but that is still undecided.


My concern is having enough wheel clearance for the front suspension while running 8 inch wide 15 or 17 inch wheels.

We are currently debating between Weld ProStars and Billet Specialties Street Lites, in 15's or, if we go to 17's, we like the Billet Specialties Street Lite model.

We also still need to figure out the backspacing needs for the rear wheels and front wheels as well. We would like to go with 10's or 11's in the back, and 6 to 8 inch width wheels in the front, but we have to be able to clear the tie rod ends and anything else that might hit, so another reason I am contemplating 17's.

We are trying for 26-27 inch tall tires in the front with the 2 inch drop springs and 28-29 inch tall tires in the back, up to 13 inches wide hopefully with stock wheel wells.


We can't afford pro-touring, but, I think we can make the car handle darn well compared to stock if we have some nice tires on it and dial in the alignment. I am thinking that we will either do some Drag radials on the back, no matter what size tires we use. I am afraid we won't be able to hook it otherwise.

Does anyone have any advice or personal experiences after going through a similar build?