whats the single best suspension upgrade for an 87 z28 350 tpi?

i'm on a budget so i want something good, just curious to know what will provide the most.

 

Subframe connectors.

 

 

Agree its SFC's as long as you weld then in. Forget about the bolt on ones, next to useless.

 

Since you're on a budget, you may be tempted to get bolt-on Alston style subframe connectors (these directly connect the front and rear subframe rails and run under the floorpans). But I highly recommend saving your money and having perimeter style SFCs welded on (these run along the sides of the car under the doors).

Like so: http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1309

 

what do the sfc do exactly?

and do they make a noticeable difference?

 

While I like SFCs I'd say shocks/struts or tires.

 

Start reading: https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sea...der=descending
http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1309

 

If you are on a budget- it may be years before you can afford the upgrades that will render SFC's a noticible help in performance.

The songle best upgrade you can do alone is good shocks & struts. This will help your car handle everyday control.

SFC's a nil and useless if the shocks are dibbling you over every bump.

 

I know where you stand on these boards as far as suspension setup goes... But I have to disagree 100%. Of the 3 Thirdgens I've got experience with as far as suspension modifications goes, quality SFCs made more of a difference than anything else I've done. The difference from just SFCs was more noticable on my car back when it was the only suspension work done than with a friends 85 IROC. The IROC went through a suspension overhaul which included a front end rebuild kit, Eibach springs, Bilsteins, WS6 sway bars, all urethane bushings, and 17x9" wheels with 275/40r17 BFG KD tires. Even he agreed my car felt better all stock, with balloon like 15" tires. SFCs cured that problem.

You need to reinforce the known weak chassis before adding any additional stress to it.

 

I am going to hold my tongue and await an explanation, cause I know you always have solid proof before making a statement, but in the face of my own personal experience, I'm really skeptical that you can back this one up.

 

Easy as pie.

Take the same car-

1) add only SFC's to it, run it in autocross to check "normal street driving speeds" performance (that is basically what AutoX is).

2) take back off the subframe connectors -and now just add Koni "yellows shocks & struts. Run it again in a Autox test course.

# 2 will beat the crap out of #1. End of subject.
Its the best peformance mod you can do to improve handling, by merely adding good roadrace shocks.

Thank you for respecting the thought that I always try to post facts to what opinions I give. I try not to give my opinion, I try and give factual opinions. SFC's will help take out rattles and stifffen the chassis, but the car is still going to roll and exert massive weight transfer with crappy shocks. Good shocks are the #1 thing you should buy the very best you can afford- they are what truely make a car perform or not.

 

I'm mnot saying they don't make an improvement. They infact do improve the way the car rides, but not performs.

List of people that have the same opinion as myself- Chickenman, Hunter Motorsports, Dewey to name three quickly that I know in fact do race and know these cars inside and out. All three of them will tell you the same thing- Good shocks.

 

Who cares about your BS quote about racing. I think the original question was about SFC's for suspension upgrade, and the answer should be YES for a street driven car. They should be the number one MOD. I know they made a difference on my car.

 

No one is aguing that SFC's are a nice upgrade. BUT Dean is correct, from a performance standpoint, they will not make the car handle. Shocks/struts are KEY in any suspension build-up. If you are going to do anything to a car, to try to make it handle, shock/struts are where it is at. (besides of course, sticky tires).

Now, I am a fan of SFC's. I do recomend them to many people as one of the first mods to do, if you plan on doing a full build up (in less of course, you are building say an ESP car, in which SFCs are not allowed). The extra rigidity you get is a bonus, and makes the car feel and drive better, that doesn't equal better performance. He specificly said he is on a budget, and wants a good upgrade, the best thing he can do is shocks/struts. The money spent on them, will give him a nice gain now, and only compound as he does more mods. Now, if he had say $1200 he was going to be spending, then yes, I would suggest SFCs be on that list. But if you are doing ONE modification, shocks/struts is what will give him the most bang for his buck.

 

What would make a more noticeable difference a good set or tires or the performance shocks/struts? just curious?

 

I looked up your history of posting around here and noticed a pattern of you shooting you mouth off at me every time you post after me- Whats you problem?

 

Take it to PMs.

The reason I questioned your judgement, vsixtoy, is because 87orangez28blaz asked what is the "single best suspension upgrade," not what is the best upgrade for performance. In my opinion, it would be SFCs, because these cars are just too flexible after 12-22 years.

 

Keep in mind, too, that when someone starts with an untouched 82-92 and wants a suspension upgrade- they've got parts that are 12 to 22 years old!

So in that case, I agree w/V6toy- new shocks and struts. I bet the ones on that car are the originals, and if they're the originals, they're shot.

But best suspension upgrade on a budget? C'mon, guys. Two $15 sets of polyurethane end-links, one set for the front anti-sway bar, one set for the rear sway bar. After you do shocks and struts, that'll improve your handling noticably.

And $30 is easier to find than $250.

Oh and it makes no sense to put polyurethane end links on a car that still has it's original worn-out shocks and struts.

Actually it doesn't make sense to do anything upgrade-related until shocks & struts are replaced, with even just "stock" units!! You don't need $500 Bilsteins, $50 KYB's are fine.

 

i have recently replaced all 34 shocks/struts on the car, monroes i believe, not the best, but the old ones were going out

as for tires, i have comp t/a radials

 

oops, 4 shocks/struts,

 

CaysE, I am just fed up with this clown ridding my *** and he offers no facts in his posts. He's been doing this crap even when I was Agood2.8. his posts are 80% needless and problematic around here- check for yourself.

As for the SFC's, all I can say is what happens when he installs them with bad shocks stil on the car, he then goes fast around a corner, hits a bump, shocks dribble, car goes sideways into a pole, car is wasted- the SFC's do him no good at this point. Better shocks will allow the car to remain in better traction in wet roads dry road, swerving to avoid debris in the road or an accident ahead, I could go on and on. The shocks will allow better traction and control for all around safety.

You need to realise who you are debating with (yes this sounds very arrogant- I'm sorry-however) I have every modification known to man on my car and have the knowledge of function on them to play with the adjustments to alter the cars charateristics in the correct fashion. I have experience and hands on knowledge of what parts do what- what the car is doing when 1 certain part goes astry (bad rodend, or link causing sudden unwanted play in suspension movement, even a torn shock mount bushing) I can feel this stuff immediately without even getting under the car to look. There are a few others in here that have this knowledge also, I have listed a few. This guy above that has asked this question is (I can Gaurantee) looking to make his car faster, not looking for a more Cadillac ride. SFC's on a car like yours (meaning CaysE) is merely going to give you a quiter Cadillac ride inside and mask any rattling. It is not going to make your car handle any better at all or make it safer to drive when it comes to control. Your car is not at the level suspension wise to even feel a difference in handling with SFC's. Your springs are too soft, your bars are too soft, your strut bushings are too soft, your shocks & struts are too soft, and your tires do not have the grip needed- all these will absorb the weight transfer effects of the chassis and the chassis will not be loaded with enough stiffness against it to render SFC's to help in safety for control purposes. Shocks will.

These final comments of mine I am sure will most likely render you not a big fan of me/ I am sorry for that- not my intentions. You need to understand I am merely pointing out factual evidence on what a car does with what and how so this guy above that has asked this question and is looking for positive advice to base his purchase on- he wanted facts and understandings as to what he is about to spend his hard earned money on. I try to do that here.

 

Believe me, I recognize your knowledge, and you are teaching me things.

It looks like he already has shocks and struts though.

 

Cool, glad to hear you replaced the shocks&struts! Any new shock & strut will be better than the old original stuff. I run "original-equipment replacements" (normal shocks & struts) because the roads around me are full of holes/bumps. If I were to spend $500 on a set of shocks & struts, they'd go to hell in a few years.

Definately go hit http://www.summitracing.com and order yourself up two of # ENS-9-8117G . (Type that into their website, on the left side of the page.) Install 'em and you'll notice the difference in the turns right away! (They're on my "favorite cheap mod list")

 

I order to give you furture advice, let me ask you honestly what are your realistic intentions long term with your car?
Examples-
Are you in school and just using it to pass time?
Will you be selling it when you get a career type income?
Is it a second car, meaning a toy yopu are starting to build?
How mcuh do you really honestly think you are going to invest in upgrades over the next 5 years?

Reason I ask is - casr are the worst investment anyone can make. If you paln on keeping this car for a long time, then we can progress futher on what you might want to do next. Otherwise, it is my recommendation that you do not spend anymore money on it unless it is general maintinace. The level of money needed to marraige modification componants into a car to make any one good componant justifiable is very high. If you do not intend on going to the level financially to match everything then I would not even begin going any further.

Now if a part goes bad- say a panhard rod is bent or the bushings in it are sevrely worn, then I say buy a decent aftermarket replacement part in its place. The cost of stock versus aftermarket on componants like this are about direct wash when you are buying new of each.

 

If he wanted to improve the car I am still suggesting that he get rid of the Monroes (even though they are new) and buy some better shock. Koni's or Bilstein's alone will make the car safer and better handling than would Monroe's and SFC's

tomP has the best advice though, replace those other $30 bushing first. The car may feel good to him at that point and he may be hapopy with it- then not need to spend anymore money on it.

 

the car will be a daily driver come december, the plans are for a 383 in it next summer. i want to do all i can do to this car, i plan on keeping this car for a LONG time, and later getting another car to put the miles on(definitely not an import)

 

Vsixtoy
With your line of BS no wonder you had to change from agood2.8, because of your know it all attitude wore thin with that name.:lala: I think you are the big Clown.

 

Didn't I just say to take it to PMs?

From the rules you agreed to when joining this site:
Furthermore:
Consider that the warning.

 

nevermind

 

i got the polyurethane sway bar end links, any other things that need to be done?

 

For cheap? Poly sway bar bushings.

 

they were 18 dollars for the both of them, the same ones tomp reccomended

 

i haven't gotten any for the rear, do i need to replace those too?

 

Sway bar bushings are different from the endlinks. If you're talking about endlinks and you haven't gotten any for the rear yet, you can get a rear sway bar bushings and end links kit from spohn.net. You just have to know the thickness of your rear sway bar. Find out the front swaybar size and get front sway bar bushings as well.

When you crawl under the car, you'll see how the sway bar works. It's basically a squarish letter "U" with the endlinks at the ends, and the bushings hold the bar up in the middle.

 

This is what I found with my 83TA when I added suspension stuff to it after 20 years with original shocks and springs. The car had about 95K miles on it at the time.

Added:

Prokit, Yellows, Poly Bushings & Links, GW Steering Brace, Relo Brackets, Spohn Adj. LCAs., Adj. Panhard, 17x9.5 with KDW 275/40/17s.

Result :

Was a huge improvement.

I later added Spohn SFCs which was also an improvement but nowhere near as much as all the aforemetentioned suspension stuff.

I would suggest adding SFCs early on in the process particularly if the car has a lot of power but I don't think that merely adding SFCs to my car at the outset would have made as much difference as all the other stuff that I've mentioned.

The SFCs brought it all together and were essential for what I do with the car but it kickedass without them.

 

ok, i got the polyurethane end link set, i'll probably order the bushing for it soon

as for the rear, should i replace the end links and the bushings?

 

Yes, do front and back at the same time.