I put a 1979 Nova clip in my 1949 truck but the principle would be the same
as yours. First, don't worry about the caster, camber, and toe until you
have the clip welded in and the engine and transmission installed so that
everything is sitting the way it will be when you drive it. You do want to
install the clip level so that you have the proper caster when you are
finished. The part that you level is the rear "arms" of the clip that used
to bolt to the floor of the Camaro. The reason some people get into trouble
here is that when the clip is level it may be lower than the truck frame
when you have the truck set at the ride height you want and some people just
raise up the clip to the frame making a situation where the caster won't be
able to be set properly. To correct this you must use some additional
material (i.e. channel, square tubing, anything strong) to fill the void
between the clip and the frame. This is assuming that you leave the clip
intact, as I did, but I have seen in magazines where they cut off the clip
and do a merge with the old frame. Mine isn't as pretty but I thought it
would be stronger since I wasn't building a show truck. After the clip,
engine, and transmission are in you can eyeball the camber and toe close
enough to drive it somewhere to get it aligned properly. I don't have a
clue how you would set the caster by eye. I just made sure mine was the
same on both sides until I got it aligned.
Terry Stellman
1949 3600
Missouri City, Texas
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