Hey all,

I have a 91RS LO3 that will soon be getting an L98. So I was just wondering, what would be a good order for misc suspension parts? I know everyone recommends SFCs, LCAs, Panhard Bars, etc... But my question is what would be the best order to do them in (assuming only 1 mod at a time)

Thanks in advance for your help.

-Tim-

 

SFCs def 1st

 

SFC and the steering brace will give you the most change that you can "feel"

 

I agree, orderwise I would prob go something like this... ( assuming stock suspension is in good tight working order) (if not do that first)
1) SFCs
2) Wonderbar (If you dont have it stock already)
3) LCA relocation brackets
4) Spring, Shocks and Struts (coilovers??)
5) LCAs
6) Panhard bar
7) Strut Tower Brace
8) Torque Arm and Tranny crossmember
9) TIRES



Thats the basics and the order that I would do mine... although I would prob just save up money and do it all at the same time. Have fun

 

Thanks for the help. I dont have the wonderbar, its only an RS. I think that I like ur idea about saving up and doing it all at once, but that is why i said assuming only one at a time, just so i can get a good priority listing and all

-Tim-

 

Shocks and struts first and foremost.

And I will even bacck my comment with why I suggest this.

The shocks control the chassis. You can put all the other parts in the world onto the car WITH crappy shocks and you'll still not handle worth crap.
-OR-
You can just put on very good shocks (I recommend Koni Yellow for a good decent over the counter performance valved shock) and good decent tires and bet the snot out of the car with erverything else and so-so shocks.

Put up identical cars and a $1000 dollar budget and I guarantee I will win with my choices. I would spend every penny of that $1000 on shocks and tires and not spend a peny on anything else until I had the best of those two covered.

Matter of fact, If I wanted to make my Camaro even better today(and their is nothing under their unmodified, I mean nothing) the best thing I could do to improve handlling is change my Koni Yellows to custom valved shocks and struts or better yet Penske 4-ways with the valving in the ranges I desire.

 

First off, divide your efforts into 2 halves: renewal, and modifications.

It's BEYOND pointless to attempt to modify a worn-out car. Make sure all your steering parts are tight (rod ends, center link, idler arm, rag joint, steering gear adjustment), ball joints are tight, and so on. Put in new sway bar bushings and end-links, both front and rear. If any of the suspension bushings are worn, replace them, or replace the thing they go in which especially on the rear (LCAs, Panhard bar) is easier and not much more expensive than trying to change the bushing itself. Check ALL the welds along the joints between the parts of the car, as much as you can; make sure that the place the steering gear bolts to on the "frame" isn't cracked; and otherwise fix whatever is broken. Once you've taken all the defects and worn-out stuff out of it, move toward mods.

Springs and shocks might be considered in either category. Stock springs do not last forever, and yours are the bottom of the line for the V8 weight, and over 15 years old besides. Stock shocks aren't designed for "high performance" of any kind, and last AT BEST 10,000 miles or so even in their limited "ride comfort" role.

I agree with the SFCs first as a mod. You can't "control" a chassis that's bending and flexing like a rubber band, no matter what you use it for or how much you spend on shocks or anything else.

After that, other general stiffness mods; "wonderbar", strut tower brace, and so forth.

After that, any "corrections" to the suspension design, to upgrade its inadequacies that it has in stock form. That might include a torque arm that relocates the front attachment point off of the engine mass and onto the chassis; LCA lowering brackets, if the LCAs angle upwards from their "frame" end to their "rear end" end; an adjustable Panhard bar, if the rear end is off-center at whatever ride height the car is set up at; possibly even a "Panhard bar lowering bracket", if the ride height is such that the Panhard bar is not parallel to the ground.

Springs are the most important "soft" part of the suspension. They control ride height, how far the suspension deflects according to how much force is applied, and so on. Shocks are farther down the list but still important.

Pick a goal and a budget. Suspension stuff is just like engine stuff; it adds up QUICK. The shocks & struts Dean recommended, the Koni yellows (argualby the best "over-the-counter" type choice), are about $800 a set just by themselves. If you want a good street ride, you'll do something different from an all-out "hadling" car, or a drag racer, or whatever. They all have some things in comon (SFCs in particular), but again like an engine, make up your mind in advance what you expect and what you're willing to pay, and pick parts that all work TOGETHER as a package. Don't pick ONE thing that's all out of proportion to all the other parts, you'll either end up wasting money, or leaving in some one glaring deficiency, or otherwise be victimzed by poor planning. Understand what each part does and what it contributes to the total package.

 

Thanks a lot for all your help!!!

My goal is a street car, daily driver, just looking to get a little extra grab out of it.

I will denifatly keep all your recommendations in mind

-Tim-