- Adjustable Panhard bar to control lateral movement and roll center height
- 1-1/4” x .125” wall DOM trailing arms with rebuildable and greaseable 2” Johnny Joints®
- Fabricated steel 9" Ford flanged housing
- 56” overall rear end width, hub face to hub face
- All hardware included
- Roll center adjustable by setting Panhard bar in one of three positions for a 1.75” adjustment at desired ride height
- Instant center adjustable using one of three lower arm positions for a 4” total movement
- Pinion angle adjustable with serrated hardware (4 degrees of total adjustment)
- Different sway bar rates available – 11 spring rates to choose from with 650 lb/in supplied
- Alignment capability for positive tracking and tire wear
- Subframe connectors reduces chassis flex and provide a rigid mount for the trailing arms
- Rearend housing has sway bar, trailing arm, Panhard bar, and torque arm mounts welded
- Kit works with both stock wheel wells and mini-tubs
- Kit allows room for both OEM fuel tanks or custom fuel cells
- Designed to complement the G-Comp front end kit
Bolt-In Modern Performance for your Classic Nova
When the Chevy II Nova rolled off the assembly line in the early 60’s, it had a lot going for it. Great looks, available power from a series of hot small blocks, and light weight. All the makings of an automotive legend. But they needed some serious work to hook up all that power and even more to handle the curve at the end of the straightaway. Many of us remember Novas from back in the day with lumpy idles and mean looks that would obliterate the skinny bias-plys with even the slightest application of throttle. While the smoke show may have been a good time, it didn’t really equate to blinding acceleration or cornering.
But times have changed. Suspension technology has improved and modern performance cars are capable of things that were unheard of fifty years ago. The performance aftermarket has created countless solutions designed to upgrade the leaf springs and leaky rearend under your Nova. But many of them require cutting up the floorboards or welding and custom fab work. The engineers at Speedway Motors set out to create a suspension system designed to put the power to the ground in straight line blasts and through the curves without having to break out the welder, and the result is the G-Comp Torque Arm Rear Suspension.
The G-Comp Torque Arm Rear suspension was designed, manufactured, and tested in Lincoln, Nebraska to deliver amazing performance without breaking the bank or cutting up the floorboards. In fact, the entire suspension bolts in with little more than a drill and hand tools. Not only does it bolt in, the G-Comp Torque Arm rear also adds subframe connectors that stiffen up your Nova and provide stout pickup points for the G-Comp control arms. It’s also a great complement to the G-Comp front suspension for ’62-’67 Chevy II Novas.
Lowered Ride Height and Optimized Geometry
The engineers paid extra attention to the geometry when they designed the Torque Arm rear suspension. The result is a suspension that plants the rear tires at launch, then remains neutral under deceleration and around corners. The 54” long torque arm creates an instant center that doesn’t change drastically through suspension travel like a 4-link. And since every car is different, roll center and instant center are adjustable on the G-Comp, allowing you to fine tune your Nova’s handling to match your setup and driving style. Pinion angle is adjustable with special serrated hardware and the splined sway bar is available in 11 different rates, with a 650-pound bar included in the kit.
The G-Comp suspension also adds coilovers to the mix. Out of the box, these suspensions lower the rear of your car about two inches. Add to that the adjustability available from the coilovers and you can precisely dial in your car’s stance and performance, then adjust it to suit different conditions. Add to that the availability of shocks with adjustable damping and the improvement over those stock leaf springs is almost infinite. Coilovers are not included with the G-Comp kit, allowing you to select the perfect setup to match your car.
Shock and spring rates and lengths will vary depending on your setup, but here's what we recommend as a starting point:
• Shocks - 5/8" Bolt, 4" Stroke Pro Touring Fixed Valve Coil-Over Shock
• Springs - 2-5/8" ID Springs such as AFCO 2-5/8" Coil-Over Springs We recommend 375lb springs for street driving, 500lb springs for competition
Ford 9-inch Housing to Handle the Horsepower
In addition to thoroughly modernizing the rear suspension of your Nova, the G-Comp Torque Arm kit includes a 56-inch wide pinion-centered Ford 9-inch housing designed to take the abuse from a high-horsepower modern powerplant. Speedway Motors also offers tough assembled Third Members with a variety of gear ratio and differential options that allow you to choose how that power gets to the wheels. Axles are not included with these kits since lengths will vary depending on what differential you choose. We recommend measuring after you assemble your third member to the housing. At the ends, the common Torino big-bearing flanges accept a wide variety of Ford 9-inch disc brake kits. Since brakes are not included with G-Comp rear suspensions, you choose the kit that will best suit your car and driving style. Be sure to choose a kit that matches the bolt pattern and axle offset of the axles chosen. 11-inch kits are generally sufficient for street driving, while road race or autocross cars will benefit from larger brakes like 12-inch or 14-inch disc brake kits.
For the ultimate in power handling and stability through the corners, check out our G-Comp Torque Arm kit with a floater-style housing.
No Cutting or Welding Required
Performance front suspension kits commonly bolt up with little fuss, but rear suspensions tend to be different. Floorboards and back seats tend to be in the way of where 4-bar links and axle housings want to live. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find rear performance suspension kits that require cutting, welding, and fabricating. The G-Comp Torque Arm design is completely bolt-in with no cutting or welding required. This rear suspension offers a complete high-performance transformation and can be handled in a home garage by anyone with a drill and hand tools.
