Suspension, Front and Rear - Illustrations & Pictures

[Jason Edge]

Suspension Illustrations from Shop Manual
(Click on Pictures to Enlarge) 

1963-64 FRONT SUSPENSION

1963 Rear Suspension
(Note Difference in Control Links for 1964 below)

1964 Rear Suspension

Below Are More Front and Rear Suspension Component Pictures from the Shop Manual:

1963 Rear Lower Control Link
(again, Note difference from 1964 Rear Lower Control Link below)

1964 Rear Lower Control Link

[24ro8f5mbs2jc]

Must have been weird being Russ Austin from Austin...

[3n49omug8n28i]

Anyone with some fabrication skills can improve the control arms that came from the factory. Rare parts sells polyurethane bushings for the 64 and probably the 63 as well. Once the lower control arm is off weld a piece of flat stock in the flanged area making it a tubular arm. This will make it much stronger and less susceptible to flex along with the poly bushings. I've done this to two other cars and they looked great and factory when done neatly. 

[24ro8f5mbs2jc]

Rust will be an issue with tubular control arm. Maybe not a problem if using the car on shinny summer days though. The way the control arm works I don't think the u-shape is of any concern. Bending and twisting is not an issue.

[3n49omug8n28i]

Drain holes need to be drilled after welding the flat stock in. This is how the factory did it with super sport suspensions. The 63's have a propensity to rust out and snap the lower arm in half. The spring being loaded on the arm instead of the axle is the main culprit. If you look at the pictures of the '64 lower arm it appears they figured this out. My 65 impala had two out of the three control arms bent. I straightened the one bottom bent one and welded them solid. The upper one was a thin stamped steel unit. I discarded it and bought new round tubular ones with new axle brackets. I turned it from a weak flimsy three link with a panhard bar to a four link with an adjustable panhard.