UMI Performance New Camaro Shock Relocation Kits

Caecey Killian September 23, 2026 5 min read 0

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Anyone shopping for a Camaro shock relocation kit already knows the problem it’s solving. The factory shock towers sit right where wider rubber wants to go, and the leaf spring setup underneath them wasn’t exactly engineered with modern tire sizes in mind.

Add a set of sticky rear tires and some real horsepower, and that same factory suspension starts winding up under hard acceleration, hopping the axle around and turning a good launch into a bad one. UMI Performance just answered both problems with not one but three new kits for the 1967-1969 GM F-Body, and picking the right one comes down to how far you’re taking the build.

Not only has UMI added the first-gen Camaro to their product line, but they’ve also added the sixth-gen. We covered that expansion in our look at UMI’s sixth-gen Camaro suspension upgrades, and this new lineup shows the company isn’t slowing down on either end of the Camaro timeline.

All three Camaro shock relocation kits are MIG-welded, powder-coated, and built in the USA at UMI’s Philipsburg, Pennsylvania shop. That tracks with the same manufacturing standard UMI holds across every other platform they build for. What’s useful here is that UMI didn’t build one universal kit and call it done. They built three distinct products that solve three distinct problems, and understanding what each one actually does under the car matters more than picking whichever one shows up first in a search.

Outboard Rear Shock Relocation Kit

Kit 272829 keeps the shocks in their factory outboard position. It doesn’t touch tire clearance at all, and that’s the point worth understanding before anything else about it.

What it fixes is the factory upper stud mount, which flexes and twists under load and robs the shock of the control it’s supposed to provide. UMI replaces that stud with a double shear setup, using upper mounts (2728DR and 2728PA) paired with 1/4-inch laser-cut lower leaf plates that resist twisting during hard cornering or a launch.

The kit is built around Viking poly bushing or bearing-end shocks and includes the sleeves and spacers needed to run them correctly. If your rear tire fitment is already where you want it and the complaint is a shock that feels vague or sloppy under load, this is the fix.

Inboard Shock Relocation, Rear Camaro Shock Relocation Kit

Step up to kit 273130, and the conversation changes entirely. This is where UMI actually moves the shock mounting points inboard of the leaf springs, which is the piece that opens up real wheel well space for wider rear tires.

The construction uses 1.25-inch OD, .120-wall DOM tubing with laser-cut steel plates and a double-shear lower mount running on Delrin bushings for smooth, consistent operation. The upper mount carries 5.5 inches of adjustment range. That adjustability matters more than it looks like on paper. Unibody cars from this era rarely measure identically from side to side after five decades on the road, and that same range also helps clear custom exhaust routing.

The kit handles both stud-mount and eye-end shock styles. What it doesn’t include is any traction control hardware, so if wheel hop under acceleration isn’t a problem you’re dealing with, this kit gets you the tire clearance without paying for bars you don’t need.

Inboard Shock Relocation, With Traction Bars

This is the full package. Kit 273124 does everything 273130 does and adds integrated traction bars built from that same 1.25-inch, .120-wall DOM tubing, engineered to control spring wrap and eliminate hop under hard throttle. It carries the identical 5.5 inches of upper mount adjustability. The upper mount is also coilover-ready for anyone running a mono-leaf setup who wants to dial in spring rate down the road instead of settling for whatever the factory spring rate gives them.

This is the kit built for a pro-touring build or a street/strip car that launches hard enough regularly to wind up the leaf springs and hop the rear end. For a car that sees real launches, the traction bars aren’t an accessory. They’re the part of the system that keeps the power going to the ground instead of into wheel hop.

Installation and Fit Across the Lineup

All three kits rate as moderate DIY, and none of them call for welding. Kit 272829 is the simplest installation of the group since it’s a straightforward mount swap: pull the factory upper stud shocks, bolt in the double shear mounts and leaf plates, and reinstall your shocks in the new hardware. Basic hand tools and a torque wrench get the job done in an afternoon.

The two inboard kits, 273130 and 273124, ask for more time in the garage since you’re relocating the actual mounting points rather than swapping hardware in place. Both require drilling for the upper subframe brackets, though UMI keeps that to minor drilling rather than any cutting or fabrication. Plan on pulling the rear shocks, leaf springs, and factory shock mounts before the new brackets go in.

Stock-length shocks will not work with either inboard setup once the mounts are relocated. UMI recommends measuring at ride height before ordering shocks, or sticking with their specified Viking or Koni units to avoid a mismatch that leaves you pulling everything back apart.

Why It Matters

We aren’t pushing UMI because we like the people behind it, though we do. We run their parts on our own cars, including the leaf spring swap we did on our Camaro with UMI parts. That’s why we trust what they build here.

Whether you need a stronger mount, more tire clearance, or a full traction bar setup, UMI built this lineup so you’re paying for exactly the problem you’re solving. That’s a smarter way to shop than grabbing a one-size-fits-all kit and hoping it covers what your car actually needs.

AboutCaecey Killian

Caecey Killian covers builds, installs, and product features for Car Junkie Magazine. He has spent years on the floor of the garage chasing horsepower across SBC, LS, and modern muscle platforms, and that shop time runs through every article he writes. His current CJM project is Project Street Reaper, a 1976 Camaro built around a fresh SBC 350. He is also known for Project Mighty Mouse, a 1977 Chevy Nova running a 1962 small-journal 327 SBC, with build coverage published across multiple online automotive magazines. His media background spans long-form build documentation, install coverage, and product features across the magazine and the Car Junkie Magazine YouTube channel. He writes the way he wrenches: specific, honest about the mistakes, and grounded in real garage work.

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