Need advice on front end rebuild parts
 

Short story: bought 87 GTA. Direction is shot. been driving it (500Miles/y) for two years. Finally going to fix it. Ultimatly, I'll be upgrading all components of the direction and suspension.

Constraint: Yearly buget: 1000$

This years spending's goal is to make the control of the car (under normal usage, not extreme driving) as precises and predictable as possible.

Here is the list of things that I'm planning on upgrading (with aprox prices).

- 2 A-Arms : 495$
- Front end rebuilt kit: 395$
- 2 lower control arms : 175$
- 1 Pan Hard bar: 95$
- Steering brace: 95$
- Struct Tower Brace: 165$
- Fron Coil Over Kit: 595$
- Sub Fraem Connectors: 200$
- Spohn Sway Bars Set: 295$
- Upper Strut mounts: 164$
Total: 2425$


This blows the years budget, so for this summer it would be limited to:
- Front end rebuilt kit (spohn): 395$
- Steering brace (wonder bar): 95$
- Spohn Sway Bars Set: 295$
- Struct Tower Brace: 165$
total: 950$

I'm new to this shobby, so I dont know much. So is this the best way to spend this years 1k to attain the goal state above?

Thanks in advance,

-J

any one... I'm sure some of you have opinions...

If you have trouble driving in a straight line I would suggest the steering rebuild like you have, wonder bar and maybe the strut mounts if you think yours are shot. IMO I dont think the sway bars are going to help too much if you already have some on the car but if you dont I would say get them. If you do maybe just get new endlinks front and rear. Also you may consider changing the bushings in the A-arms and the ball joints. But if you plan on getting new A-arms maybe just kill 2 birds with one stone and get them instead

Unless your stock a-arms are rusted away, save the $500 and keep them and put in all new bushings (rubber for comfortable ride, polyurethane for performance). Also, I would save the $600 for the coilovers and stick with the modified mcpherson strut setup (what all thirdgen f-bodys use). Get new struts (kyb gr2 are popular for a simple, mild upgrade) and if your springs r shot, some new springs (moog as stock replacement, eibach for performance). I'm mentioning this because you said you are looking at normal driving conditions, and $2500 is alot in just parts for normal driving :2cents: .

I agree with the others and would recommend you pass on the Spohn sway bars and install the subframe connectors first. In my opinion, the subframe connectors will do more for you than any other part.

If you've got the smaller, RS style sway bars, you can pick up some larger JY bars for a third of the price of the new ones.

i'm with sully here, no point in going half way with super high end parts, if like you say, it's not a full on race car.

moog suspension parts are a lot better than 15-20yr old parts.

i'd say get a poly bushing kit for your car. get rear lcas, and a moog front end kit. new springs and kyb shocks. you'll be happy.

I've search this site a bit more on Coilover convertion and I'm going to forget that: looks like more trouble than it's worth realy for these cars.

The reason, correct if I'm wrong on this one, for planning to change the A-Arms to tubular ones is to shave off so un-sprung weight. And that's always good.

Little precision, when I mention no extreem driving, let's keep in mind that this is still a sports car and gets driven like one every once in a long while. :)

As for the sway bar vs the SBC, I was thinking that the sway bars would have a bigger impact on handling than the SBCs? Also I'm concerned that the SBC wont clear my current, installed last summer, exhaust (single 2.75" with cat). That exhaust tube takes a LOT of space under the car especialy under the front passenger side.

So, based on yours comments, here would be my revised list for this year:
- Front end rebuilt kit (spohn or moog)
- Steering brace (wonder bar)
- SBC
-Front End Links (16$)
- Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex Complete Bushing Set (150$)

So, will this get me closer to my goal?

Thanks
-J

SFC's should clear your exhaust. Most of them have a different design for the member on the pass side. I installed Global West SFC's and it made a tremedous difference in the amount of body flex. Eliminated tons of creaks, rattles and groans... lets the suspension react to road surface irregularities instead of the whole car.

You can also, sometimes, come out cheaper buying the front end rebuild parts separately rather than as a kit. NAPA, for example, sells most of the MOOG parts under one of their brands. Theres a thread here somewhere that gives their part numbers or you can go to the Federal-Mogul site and cross reference for their Moog parts. If you replace EVERYTHING, you'll need:
inner and outer tie rods (2 sets), Centerlink (aka drag link), ball joints (2), idler arm, solid adjuster sleeves and A-Arm bushings. You can get the solid sleeves from Coleman Racing for about $25 shipped or go for the good looking, logo sleeves form Hotchkiss for twice as much.

Before you install the front end pieces, you may want to paint them. The parts will rust up fast and look like your old stuff pretty quick.