Narrowing track on a subbed car?

[chopolds]

I remember a while back, someone posted that you could effectively narrow the track on an older Camaro subframe, by using "metric" rotors? The sub in question is in a 54 Plymouth I am building (1980 Camaro donor), and even with wheels with LOTS of negative offset, the track is still a bit wide. Instead of paying out the ass for narrowed A frames, can I use later model rotors? What year and model car? How much clearance can I expect to gain?
Thanks!

[old beet]

Someone makes short "A" frames, roundy round guys?....OLDBEET

[james]

If you haven't already subbed it, I would just find something else to use. I subbed my 54' belvedere using an 86 mazda pickup. The width was perfect, and the frame width matched perfect about 6" past the firewall, so it looked factory. They're also torsion bar, so adjusting the height is easy. My only problem was I didn't inspect the rest of the frame close enough, and later, when I was grinding paint on the rest of the frame I found it loaded full of rot. So I tossed it and am cutting out the floors and doing a full chassis swap with an old. The only downside with the mazda is six lug wheel.

[38Chevy454]

Is the sub already in place in the car? If not, then you can narrow the crossmember and drag link to get the wheels in closer. But then the frame rails may or may not line up with your existing frame on the car. You will have to relocate the engine mounts, assuming you are running the Camaro engine.

Or get an S-10 sub, it's narrower to begin with.

I don't recall the specifics, but I think the metric rotors are the 78-87 GM midsize cars, like Malibu, Cutlass,etc.

[Killer]

I haven't tried this yet but this is the info I have:

S10 or Monte Carlo metric rotors
Wagner #cr98884, cr98883 calipers (79 chev 1/2 ton pu)
Wagner style 52 pads
Federal Mogul A-2 outer bearing and race.
Requires some grinding at the caliper mount area.
The dust cover will stick out an addition inch,(actually the wheel mounting surface is moved in 1 inch) so you may have center cap clearance problems.

[12packo94s]

ubm makes a frames in a lot of varying lengths and they are inexpensive

worth taking a look

ubm aka urbine bros. machine

[moondisc]

Killers info is correct.
No clearance problems with the centrer cap using chrome smoothies.
I used 76 Nova calipers.
This will gain you 1" per side, 2" total.

[Rocky]

When we subframed my kid's shubox, we used a late camaro front-steer unit and took 4" out of the center. Had to relocate motormount brackets and use block hugger headers on the 406 sbc to clear.
If I was working with one already installed like yours, I'd go with the metric stuff to gain 2" if that was all I needed. If that's not enough, one of the above suggestions should work. I like the sound of the s-10 sub and I know some guys have used the Toyota pickup unit. Gives you factory 4.5" bolt pattern.