In the beginning (well, many, many years ago, anyway) there was the Jaguar independent rear suspension. It was considered high tech before the term was ever applied to rods and customs. Next came the Corvette IRS, which soon became equally sought after by car builders seeking great handling and cornering ability, not to mention rod run bragging rights.
While few will question the performance capabilities of either rear suspension in its original application, each has its limitations when adapted elsewhere. Let's consider the Vette unit. It's designed for a two-seat sports car with a wide track width, low center of gravity, specific weight distribution, and very particular space issues. It does not always fit well or perform so admirably when taken out of its element and stuffed into a foreign chassis, especially if it needs to be altered to fit.
That's one of the reasons Gary Heidt designed his SupeRide IRS a few years back. He wanted something that would be adaptable to a wide variety of frame and chassis configurations, and that would work well in each. Several SupeRide design elements make this possible. For starters, it uses coilover shocks, allowing spring rate and shock valving to be properly selected and easily changed to suit the application. Additionally, frame mount locations for the forward struts and pinion support arms can be determined by the installer to best suit the parameters of the chassis. And finally, this IRS can be had in several standard track widths ranging from 55 to 62 inches--not to mention custom widths--allowing a more precise fit and a lot more flexibility in tire and wheel selection.
It's nice to know function is a priority, but it's easy to speculate that some people will like the SupeRide IRS simply because the aluminum center housing looks ultra-trick, especially when it's fully polished. Heck, if shine is your thing, you can get polished stainless lower control arms (plain steel versions are standard), chrome half shafts, and other appearance options that require sunglasses for viewing. And in this era of large-diameter wheels with big windows, people are bound to dig the clean, open look provided by inboard-mounted disc brakes.
It's pretty safe to say that the crew at Stitz Street Rods appreciates all of the SupeRide's aforementioned features, and the suspension's adaptability makes it a natural choice for the shop's over-the-top Nova roadster project (see Across 49th Street for details). But these guys have another motive, too. You see, Stitz has developed a line of '62-67 Nova rear suspension packages using an innovative subframe design that simply slips over and welds to the stock Nova subframe rails. With leaf spring and coilover/four-link setups already in the bag, the next logical step was to team up with Heidt's to create an easy-to-install SupeRide IRS package for Chevy's popular compact cruiser.We caught up with the Stitz crew and peered over their shoulders as they prototyped the new setup. The production version may differ slightly from what you see here, but should be just as straightforward to install. Take a look and see what it takes to declare your independence.
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 It's tough to beat a polished...  It's tough to beat a polished independent rear suspension for appearance and performance, and Stitz Street Rods makes it easy to plug a Heidt's SupeRide IRS into an early Nova. |
 Stitz offers several rear...  Stitz offers several rear suspension packages (leaf spring, coilover, and IRS) for early Novas. The keys to each are these subframe sleeves that slip over--and weld to--the original Nova subframe rails. |
 Here is the Stitz IRS subframe...  Here is the Stitz IRS subframe (bottom) compared with the coilover/four-link subframe. |
 This should give you an idea...  This should give you an idea of how the IRS attaches to the subframe; it's basically a bolt-on affair once the subframe is installed. |
 Like we said before, the Stitz...  Like we said before, the Stitz subframe assembly simply slips over the Nova's original subframe rails... |
 ...Okay, sometimes it needs...  ...Okay, sometimes it needs a little coercion with a mallet, but it's still pretty easy to locate. Notches on the inner rails fit against the floor brace and ensure proper placement. |
 One neat thing about the Stitz...  One neat thing about the Stitz subframe assemblies is that they can be temporarily bolted in place if needed. This is a big help if you lack a welder (or welding skills) and need to take the car somewhere to have the final subframe welding done. |
 With the new subframe welded...  With the new subframe welded in, the IRS was ready to install. At Stitz they put the car on a hoist and lifted the rearend up with a transmission jack. Without a lift, you could easily jack the car up, place the IRS underneath on jackstands, and lower the car back into place. |
 Four bolts secure the center...  Four bolts secure the center housing to the crossmember. |
 Next, the coilover shocks...  Next, the coilover shocks can be bolted on. The use of coilovers means the SupeRide's ride quality and handling are easily adjusted and adapted to a wide variety of applications. |
 Looking pretty good, aren't...  Looking pretty good, aren't we? |
 The final steps involve attaching...  The final steps involve attaching four links--two forward struts and two pinion support arms. The pinion arms attach to another crossmember on the subframe, while the forward struts (shown) connect to brackets on the subframe connectors (which also come with the Stitz kits). |
 Yes, we realize a high-tech...  Yes, we realize a high-tech IRS may be over the top (and beyond the budget) for many people. That's why Stitz offers Nova owners other easy-to-install options, including a basic leaf-spring setup and this slick four-bar system. |