I want a great handling ride. Not drag strip stuff, but a real canyon carver. I've got an 84 Z 28, and want to beef up my suspension. Where should I start?

 

First thing would be to get a subframe connector then a strut tower brace. Replace the cheap rear lower control arm (See SPOHN website for rear replacement parts) and replace all rubber bushings with polyurethane.

 

Next thing would be to upgrade the shocks, springs, sway bars, tires and wheels.

In addition to the Strut tower brace, get a wonderbar, Spohn makes them, I think..

If he doesn't find an IROC in the junkyard and get it.

The Wonderbar is basically a frame tie, right behind the radiator.


I'm doing the same thing you are, the things i've done so far: tires, SFC's, and springs. The Springs made the biggest difference.

[This message has been edited by Macgyver (edited February 03, 2001).]

 

Macgyver, What type of springs did you go with?

------------------
'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

I went with BZX WS6 springs.

Long story short, you wanna look for the spring code tags, IROCs and WS6 cars got the heaviest front springs.

I got:
6ZX
7ZX

and
9NN
8NN rear springs.

Both are among the heaviest of the thirdgen springs, 1LE's got the heaviest and shortest of all.

 

Whoops, I have the 8-9NB rear springs..

 

Where do I locate those springs? Did you say they were lower? Where I live, lower is a bad thing, a very bad thing. I'm already too low.

 

I'm with you about canyon carving. Ive been into road cars since the day's of Carrol Shelby's Cobras and Grand Sport Corvettes.

All of the above suggestions will make a pretty good handling car, regardless of which springs you might have. In my opinion, stiffer is not necessarily better. Race cars run on race tracks, which have a far better surface than many streets. From your description, the roads in your area are not very good. If so, a softer spring may good.

Racers also change spring rates and sway bar diameters to accomodate varying track conditions. Perhaps a larger sway bar combined with softer spring would be a good combo for your road conditions.

If you read the posts from road racers over in the racing section, you will find that shorter is not necessarily better either. Tire clearance is at a premium in 3rd Gens. Lowering deprives your suspension of needed clearence.

All that said, I very much respect Macgyver's
opinions. I have learned alot from his posts.


------------------
Nor Cal Mike
Red 84 Z28 HO, stock L82 350, L69 carb, intake, and air cleaner.
5 Spd, 3:73 Posi, 1 5/8" SLP headers, 3"cat connected to
stock L69 exhaust, KYB's, homemade SFC's,STB and wonderbar
Some are faster but mine's fast enough.

 

Wow, thanks man

I'm with you gruve, I can't lower my car either. The springs I got were shorter than the stock F41 RS springs, but they are also thicker so the end result was no change in ride height, and a MUCH firmer suspension, those with RS's that have driven WS6 cars know what I mean.

With the stock RS springs, I've bottmed out taking some strong dips at high speed. An I don't mean sudden dips, G-force pushed the car to the ground. That isn't gonna happen anymore.

The 1LE's got the shortest stiffest springs, but those springs were so short and stiff they actually did lower the car a good deal.

Locating WS6 components is the hard part, You'll just have to roam the junkyards and bring some notes with you.

Oh, and the NNB rear springs were BARELY stiffer than the NNL's they replaced, they were the same length too.

 

I'm new to the whole camaro thing. My "car" experience in the past has been with doing minor repairs, and fixing up some old bugs. I was a deisel mech. for four years, but when you say WS6 car, I have no clue what you're saying, and I'd love to know......

Can you enlighten me a bit more.

Thanks again for all of the info you've already given me.

 

So would 1LE springs w/ 3/4" drop work on my Z? I have a guy in my club selling them, but when he bought them it was for 93 up.



------------------
91 Z28 305 tpi
plans for 383
flowmaster cat-back
Ram air to K&N cone
http://www.fbodyeurope.cz28.com

 

gregz28,

I would buy any 1LE parts that I could get my hands on.

Mike

 

my 89 WS6 got softer front springs. CBW's. cerntainly not as stiff as the Irocs or 1LE's

 

I suppose I could be wrong, but 93+ front springs should be different than 92-.

If you can find 1LE thirdgen springs, you're good to go, but if you can't, the WS6 (Pontiac's version of the IROC suspension) springs are nearly as stiff.

WS6 is an RPO (Regular Production Order?) code. Every option on a car is designated an an RPO code, T-tops are CC1, Aluminum driveshaft is JG1, WS6 is an FE2 suspension with large sway bars.

FE2 is the level 3 suspension, IROC's got it and so did Pontiacs, but adding WS6 is what made the pontiac different, the sway bars.

Just for completeness, the IROC FE2 included a wonderbar (frame tie behind the radiator) But the bar wasn't labeled as an RPO, it's an IROC standard part.

The hot ticket is heavy FE2 springs (they used alot of different springs on FE2 cars, you want BZY or BZX), WS6 sway bars (36mm front 24mm rear), and the IROC wonderbar.

With that setup, you'll have a very close to stock ride height, and killer handling.


And for even more completeness, the F41 (SC's RS's base model cars) suspension has soft springs, and small sway bars, V6 cars are the only ones that got solely got FE1, REALLY light springs. Some F41 cars got some FE1 components.

Then there is the LT suspension, the luxury ride, I have no clue on those cars

 

Macgyver,
Now ya went and done it again! Just when I figured that I have my car dialed, now I hafta crawl back under it and figure out what kind of springs that are under there. My wife is gonna kill me!

My car is an 84 Z28 "G" code car. Except for standard brakes, it came with most of the performance options of it's day, L69, 3:73 posi, 5spd.and big sway bars. Do you have any inclination about what springs I might have? If the codes are stamped on the springs, where do I find them?

Mike

[This message has been edited by Nor Cal Mike (edited February 06, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Nor Cal Mike (edited February 06, 2001).]

 

The codes aren't stamped, they are printed on little yellow labels attched to each spring about mid-way.

I cannot say for sure the older cars had those however. I know that all the newer cars do.

 

They are also listed on your RPO sheet

 

The springs are 1LE from a 99 T/A WS6. I really want to pick them up, but Im still not clear if they will work...

------------------
91 Z28 305 tpi
plans for 383
flowmaster cat-back
Ram air to K&N cone
http://www.fbodyeurope.cz28.com

 

Rear will, Front Wont...




------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

 

I checked the RPO's for springs on my car. I came up with 6XY, 22X (orZZX, I can't read my writing) ,8NL and 9NL.I couldn't find a stabilizer RPO that matched any of my numbers.

Mike