I want to upgrade the suspension on my 92RS 305tbi t-top car (in preparation for an engine upgrade). But, I have a few questions:

1. Are aftermarket antisway bars better (e.g. stiffer, larger diameter) than the factory Z28 or IROC components?

2. What brands (of trailing arms, panhard bars, strut tower braces, etc.) have y'all (yeah, it's a southern thing!) had the best luck with? I would like to use the same brand throughout so all of the components match and work well together.

3. For the most immediate, cost effective improvements in handling (as opposed to straight-line launching), should I concentrate on the rear suspension, or stiffening the chassis (with tower braces, subframe connectors, etc.)?

I appreciate any input you can give.

 

Well aftermarket stuff is usually better than stock stuff. But if you can find 1LE swaybars then I'm sure that will be good enough. Problem is the 1LE stuff is rare so its hard to find. For my 90 RS I put on the rearswaybar from a 90 IROC and its way better. for the front I have a 1LE swaybar comming in. I used to own a 92 B4C 1LE car so I know the front swaybar is huge. As for what companies are good, Spohn, Global West, and Kenny Brown are pretty well respected. I went with Global West and Kenny Brown for my chassis parts. The rest will be Spohn components with Tokiko Illumina shocks/struts and Ground Control springs. When you upgrade your suspension I say that stiffening the chassis should be the first move. You might not notice a change right away but doing suspension is a process. Chassis strength is the first building block. A set of SFC's, a wonderbar, and a STB will stiffen stuff up right away. Doing bushings is a pretty cheap ($130) good mod that makes a big difference in the way the car feels. Once you've got a good base for the suspension parts you already have, you can upgrade stuff from there.

 

what's your budget........?

 

The car will go in the shop next summer (after graduation) I can really spend whatever is necessary, and take as long as I need (read "no longer the daily driver"). But, there's so much out there, I don't know where to begin! I don't mind tracking down Z28 antisway bars (or other parts), or even bars from a particular year, if they're better than what's in the aftermarket. The same applies to brakes and the like. For instance, I've heard a great deal about the 1LE brakes, but are they better than what's available in the aftermarket? You see where I'm going with this...? It's IROC this, and Z28 that, and I love them both, but in terms of performance, why go through all of the trouble of getting the best of the factory stuff, if it's been rendered obsolete by the aftermarket? But on the other hand, how do you know if it's obsolete?...Hence, the initial question: Z28 vs. aftermarket. If the factory stuff is still better, I may just get rid of the RS and start with a Z28 platform.

 

dont forget to tighten up that chassis with subframe connectors and a wonderbar, inconjunction with the strut tower bar..

i would get the sfcs from sophn
get the stb from edlebrock
and get the wonderbar from global west

 

From your initial post:

#1: Probably the BEST sway bars out there are the 36mm/24mm sizes. There's few if any better than that...period. At the same time, install a wonderbar or lower frame brace from Global West or (support one of our own here-->) Lon at Top Down Solutions. These pieces are said to be better than a wonderbar. My wonderbar made a noticable difference on my '91 RS.

#2: I have BMR LCAs and panhard rod and I think they're great pieces. Look at Spohn, BMR, Grantelli (sp), Hotchkis, and others. They're all good pieces.

#3: First thing you should do having a T-top car is subframe connectors. I wish I had done them already. I have a set waiting to go in tho. Then move on to a STB, etc. Also, as stated already, replace bushings with poly pieces. In addition to the wonderbar I installed, changing out my swaybar bushings really helped out my RS.

Then you can move on to the brakes, engine, rearend, interior.....

As far as getting rid of your RS, I have both an '88 Iroc and a '91 RS. I like the RS better than the Iroc (looks, interior,etc.), but the Iroc will walk all over the RS performance wise. If the RS had a 350, there would be no comparison...RS hands down.

Ed

 

Ok, I see where you are going. For the best in handling you will want to get mostly everything from the aftermarket. The only stock stuff that can compare to aftermarket is 1LE/WS6 stuff. But even then, I think only the 1LE swaybars are worth the $$.

First start off with the chassis. Aftermarket has way more chassis equipment than anything stock (RS or Z28/IROC). So do the SFC's (aftermarket), the STB (aftermarket) and a lower chassis support/wonderbar (aftermarket or Z28/IROC). Then for the swaybars, look for 1LE parts (stock on 1LE Z28's or IROCS) front and back, but also do the bushings (aftermarket poly bushings). They do make aftermarket swaybars but I doubt you'd notice a difference from 1LE stuff (not worth the cost difference). For brakes I say dont bother with 1LE. They are great being dual piston caliper and 11 and 1/2 inch rotors and all, but for $850?? For $100 more you can get a Baer setup with 13" rotors and Baer dual piston calipers. I would say the only instance you would want 1LE over aftermarket for brakes would be if you want to keep the 16" wheels (Baer kit would require at least 17" wheels) or if you found the 1LE brakes at a junkyard for less than $600 or something. For the rest of the car you will want aftermarket. Aftermarket springs, shocks/struts, LCA's, LCA relocation brackets, Panhard bar, Torque Arm, front end suspension Moog rebuilt parts, Baer bumpsteer kit, A-Arms, K-member, it can go on for days. The aftermarket is way better than stock. Parts get stronger and lighter .... and alot more expensive

 

Sounds like great advice! I'm going to go ahead and start accumulating parts so I can do as much of this as possible at one time (for example, so I don't have to disassemble the front end several different times). On thing though, in the Year One Next Generation catalog, they offer a set of "oversized" lower ball joints to "use with worn spindles." How can I tell if I need these? My car has 185,000 miles on it. Should I just assume I need them? Has anyone installed these before? Will I need to machine my spindles for a proper fit? Until I replace the bushings, struts, etc., it's hard to tell how much of the play in my front end is due to the lower ball joints. Alternatively, would aftermarket adjustable lower A-arms be a better way to go? Has anyone used these (and if so, what brand)?