Next Level Performance
October 1, 2026 • 9 min read
Installing coilovers on a 1967-1969 Camaro is the single biggest handling upgrade you can make to a first-generation F-body, and winter is the ideal off-season window to do it. A first-gen Camaro or Firebird leaves the factory with coil springs sitting on the front lower control arms and a leaf-sprung live axle out back — 1960s geometry that trades away ride quality, body control, and stance. A modern bolt-on coilover conversion fixes all three at once. This step-by-step guide walks through how we install the Ridetech 67-69 Camaro & Firebird HQ Coil-Over System in our Tampa, FL shop, what each component does, the tools you need, and how to set ride height so the car is ready to drive the day the salt washes off the roads.
Our Verdict
The Ridetech HQ Coil-Over System (rid11160202) is the cleanest full front-and-rear coilover conversion for a 1967-1969 Camaro or Firebird.
At around $5,975 it bundles tubular StrongArms, tall spindles, rebound-adjustable monotube coilovers front and rear, a bolt-on 4-link, and a front sway bar into one engineered package — no spring compressor, no fabrication beyond four small 4-link tabs. It is the kit we reach for when a customer wants a lowered stance with genuinely modern drivability.
Shop Our Top Pick →Why Winter Is the Best Time for a Camaro Coilover Build
Winter is the smartest time to install coilovers on a classic Camaro because the car is already off the road. First-generation F-bodies are fair-weather cars — almost nobody drives a 1967-1969 Camaro through road salt, slush, and freezing rain. That three-to-four month storage window is exactly when a full suspension conversion should happen: the car is up on jack stands anyway, parts have time to ship, and you are not rushing to make a weekend cruise. Pull the project into December and January and the car rolls out in spring sitting lower, cornering flatter, and riding better than it ever did from the factory.
There is a practical reason too. A complete coilover conversion is not a one-evening job — between teardown, welding the 4-link tabs, setting ride height, and a corner-balance and alignment, most DIY builders set aside two to three weekends. Doing it in the off-season means no downtime during driving season. In our Tampa shop we book the bulk of our classic-muscle suspension installs between November and February for exactly this reason.
The complete Ridetech HQ Coil-Over System for the 67-69 Camaro and Firebird.
What You Are Replacing on a 1967-1969 F-Body
The 1967-1969 Camaro and Firebird share a GM F-body chassis with a front subframe. From the factory the front suspension is a short/long-arm (SLA) design with a coil spring seated on the lower control arm, and the rear is a live axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs. That layout is simple and durable, but the stamped-steel control arms flex, the rubber bushings deflect under load, and leaf springs allow axle wrap and a harsh, bouncy ride. The Ridetech conversion addresses every one of those weak points:
- Front coil springs → HQ coilovers. Threaded-body monotube coilovers replace the stock coil-on-lower-arm setup, so ride height is adjustable and damping is tunable.
- Stamped control arms → tubular StrongArms. Ridetech lower and upper StrongArms use injection-molded Delrin bushings with 13% Teflon to cut deflection and stiction, and they relocate the ball-joint angles for the taller spindles.
- Stock spindles → tall spindles. The taller spindles let you lower the car without running out of suspension travel and add positive caster for better high-speed stability.
- Rear leaf springs → bolt-on 4-link + coilovers. The 4-link locates the axle properly and kills axle wrap, while rear HQ coilovers replace the leaf springs entirely.
Tubular StrongArms with 13% Teflon Delrin bushings replace flex-prone stamped arms.
Ridetech HQ System — Key Specifications
Tools, Parts, and Prep Before You Start
Before the wrenches come out, gather the right tools and read the Ridetech instructions end to end. A full coilover conversion needs more than a basic socket set. Here is what we keep on the bench for a first-gen Camaro install:
- A two-post lift, or a floor jack and four rated jack stands — the body and the bare subframe both need to be supported.
- Metric and SAE sockets, combination wrenches, a torque wrench, and a ball-joint/tie-rod separator.
- A MIG welder (or a trip to a welder) for the four small 4-link mounting tabs.
- The included Ridetech CoilOver Spanner Wrench (part rid85000000) for setting ride height.
- Penetrating oil — 55-plus-year-old fasteners fight back.
- Angle finder and a tape measure for setting and checking ride height corner to corner.
One real advantage of a coilover conversion over refreshing the stock suspension: because the HQ coilovers arrive assembled, you do not need a dangerous coil-spring compressor to pull the factory front springs the way a stock rebuild requires. That alone removes the scariest step of a first-gen F-body front-end job.
How to Install Ridetech Coilovers on a 67-69 Camaro: Step by Step
The install breaks into five stages. Allow a long weekend for the front and a second for the rear and setup. Always follow the torque specs and sequence in the Ridetech instruction sheet — the overview below explains what each stage accomplishes.
Step 1 — Support the car and strip the front suspension
Raise the car, support the frame rails on stands, and remove the wheels. Disconnect the brakes, sway bar, shocks, and tie-rod ends, then separate the upper and lower ball joints and remove the factory coil spring, spindle, and both control arms. Because the HQ kit includes new StrongArms and spindles, the entire factory front corner comes off — there is no need to compress or save the old coil spring.
Step 2 — Install the StrongArms, tall spindles, and front coilovers
Bolt the lower and upper tubular StrongArms into the subframe, fit the tall spindles, then mount the front HQ coilovers between the lower StrongArm and the stock upper shock mount. Ridetech corrects the ball-joint angles and arm positions for the tall spindles, which is what keeps the wheel centered in the opening while adding caster. Snug everything, but save final torque for when the car is back at ride height.
Front HQ coilover mounted on the lower StrongArm with the tall spindle in place.
Step 3 — Weld the 4-link tabs and convert the rear
Move to the rear. The Ridetech Bolt-On 4-Link mounts to the factory leaf-spring pockets and requires only four small tabs to be welded to the axle — no frame cutting and no fabrication. Remove the leaf springs, bolt the 4-link to the OEM mounts, weld the axle tabs per the template, and set the pinion angle. This stage is why the car needs to be solidly supported and why a welder is on the tool list.
Step 4 — Hang the rear coilovers and sway bar
Install the rear HQ coilovers into the 4-link, then fit the front MuscleBar sway bar that ships with the system. The rear coilovers carry the full load that the leaf springs used to, so double-check that the lower mounts and crossmember hardware are torqued to spec before the car comes down.
Step 5 — Set ride height, corner-balance, and align
With the car back on the ground and rolled to settle the suspension, use the included spanner wrench to thread the coilover bodies up or down until you reach your target ride height, measuring at all four corners. Most builders drop a first-gen Camaro one to three inches below stock; the tall spindles give you that drop without running out of travel. Dial the rebound knobs to taste, then set final torque. The job is not finished until a professional alignment sets caster, camber, and toe — the extra caster the tall spindles allow is a big part of the modern-car feel.
Ridetech 67-69 Camaro Coilover Kit Options
You can buy the complete HQ Coil-Over System as one package, or build toward it a stage at a time over the winter. Below are the core components we feature in our first-gen Camaro suspension builds, from the full system down to the individual front and rear coilovers.
Which 67-69 Camaro Coilover Path Fits Your Build?
The complete HQ system is the best value and the no-guesswork option because Ridetech matched the spring rates and geometry for you. But if you are spreading the build across the off-season, this table shows what each piece covers, how it adjusts, and whether it needs welding.
| Kit | Coverage | Adjustability | Welding | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridetech HQ Coil-Over SystemTop Pick | Full front + rear | Rebound + ride height | 4 small 4-link tabs | $5,975.00 |
| Bolt-On 4-Link System | Rear axle only | Fixed 4-link geometry | 4 small tabs | $1,915.00 |
| Front HQ CoilOvers (Pair) | Front only | Rebound + ride height | None | $890.00 |
| Rear HQ CoilOvers (Pair) | Rear only | Rebound + ride height | Via 4-link | $840.00 |
| Front Lower StrongArms | Front control arms | Delrin / 13% Teflon | None | $845.00 |
Ridetech HQ Coil-Over System: Pros and Cons
What We Like
- + Engineered spring rates and geometry — no guesswork matching parts
- + Adjustable ride height and rebound damping, front and rear
- + Bolt-on 4-link needs only four welded tabs — no frame cutting
- + No coil-spring compressor required for the front
Things to Consider
- – Premium price — around $5,975 for the complete system
- – Requires welding the 4-link tabs and a professional alignment
- – Multi-weekend install — plan it for the off-season
Monotube HQ coilover body with threaded ride-height adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put coilovers on a 1967-1969 Camaro?
Yes. The Ridetech 67-69 Camaro & Firebird HQ Coil-Over System (part rid11160202) is a complete bolt-on conversion that replaces the factory front coil springs and rear leaf springs with threaded-body monotube coilovers. It includes tubular StrongArms, tall spindles, front and rear HQ coilovers, a bolt-on 4-link, and a front sway bar, so you get adjustable ride height and tunable damping at all four corners.
Does the Ridetech 4-link require cutting or welding?
The Ridetech Bolt-On 4-Link mounts to the factory leaf-spring pockets and requires only four small tabs to be welded to the rear axle — there is no frame cutting or fabrication. You do need a MIG welder or a quick trip to a welding shop for those four tabs, but the rest of the system bolts on with hand tools.
How much does a first-gen Camaro coilover conversion cost?
A complete Ridetech HQ Coil-Over System runs around $5,975. If you build it up a stage at a time, the rear bolt-on 4-link is about $1,915, front HQ coilovers about $890, rear HQ coilovers about $840, and front lower StrongArms about $845. Buying the full system is the better value because the spring rates and geometry are matched for you.
How low will the Ridetech HQ system drop my Camaro?
The threaded coilover bodies let you set any ride height within the kit's range, and most builders lower a 1967-1969 Camaro roughly one to three inches below stock. The included tall spindles are what let you drop the car that far without running out of suspension travel, and you set the height with the included spanner wrench.
Do I need an alignment after installing coilovers?
Yes. Any suspension change alters camber, caster, and toe, so a professional alignment is required after the install. On this kit it is especially important because the tall spindles add positive caster — dialing that caster in is a big part of what gives the car its modern, stable highway feel.
Why is winter the best time to install Camaro coilovers?
Winter is the ideal off-season window because first-generation Camaros are rarely driven through salt and snow, so the car is already parked. A full coilover conversion is a multi-weekend job, and doing it during storage months means the build is finished and aligned before driving season starts — no downtime when the weather turns nice.
Will these coilovers fit a 1967-1969 Pontiac Firebird?
Yes. The 1967-1969 Camaro and Firebird share the GM F-body platform, and the Ridetech HQ system is engineered for both. Fitment covers 1967-1969 Firebird models including the 326, 350, 350 HO, 400, Sprint, and Trans Am, as well as all 1967-1969 Camaro Base, RS, and SS cars.
Build Your First-Gen Camaro This Off-Season
Shop Ridetech coilovers and complete suspension systems for the 1967-1969 Camaro and Firebird at NLP Performance.
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