I was wondering what the best suspension upgrades would be? (Keep in mind, Budget)

I was thinking Poly urethan bushings, and wider tires, lower profiled... what do you guys recommend?

 

how many times is this ? gonna be asked...

first off pickup any magazine, read any of the technical artices on the site here.

First is always subframes
then LCA's and re-locator brackets
Springs and shocks

That will take care of the suspension for the average street car. Once you get there you'll need STB cage Spherical bearings and sticky tires

 

What is an STB cage?

 

1) STB = Strut Tower Brace
2) Roll cage
3) Sperical Rod bearings on suspension parts
4) Sticky Tires

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13.2 @ 102.6MPH 60 degrees w/ still no tuning on motor

raven

Custom EFI Intake Setup

[This message has been edited by raven350 (edited November 08, 2001).]

 

Don't forget about upgraded bushings and stablizer bars/end links. I personally like the PST bushings over straight polyurethane pieces and I've been very satisfied with their performance over the last two years.

I do like Energy Suspension (ES) engine mounts though as they leave no margin for droop unlike stock pieces. If only replacing these pieces weren't such a P.I.T.A. I am also using ES tranny mount and torque arm bushing. Again, they're really solid pieces.

I have yet to do SFC's or relocator brackets on either of my cars. My '83 has over 222K+ on its hardtop chassis and it's one of the few third gen.'s I've seen that doesn't have the usual crack/fatigue of the roof adjacent to the upper corner of the door glass.

Just my $.02.

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'88 Formula (now) 355/T-5 w/120K
'83 Firebird (now) 305 H.O. & 4 speed slush box w/222K+ and looking for 300K with a MAJOR attitude

 

Don't go for those rod end suspension parts. Read this post I put up on this board called something like ANYONE GETTING LCAs READ THIS FIRST. It's an email I got back from BMR after explaining why rod end parts are the best for drag and autox, but you'll be replacing them every year if they are on your street car. Also, they recommend which LCAs (I think it also applies to panhard) to get. It's not the standard quote off a premade list of replies you sometimes get. I'd read if I were you.

 

Um, BMR might be a little misleading. I believe there are people on this board that have been running "rod end parts" as you put it, even spherical for about 2 or 3 years with no trouble at all.

 

Hey, if you can run pieces with rod ends and they don't wear out, that's great. I am about to upgrade my rear suspension and I would love to use rod ends--bind free, supposedly. I am just passing on info that BMR gave to me. If you can run rod ends, though, then like I just said, great, I'll buy them. I'll do a search for them in a little bit.

And what do you want me to call them? Shall I say LCAs with rod ends with spherical aircraft bearings everytime I want to refer to them?

 

It probably depends on driving conditions really. And no, you don't have to say lcas with rod ends with spherical aircraft bearings everytime, lol. Relax. Rod end parts was just a little too general for me, lol. Dang college; they're turing me into a politically correct, proper speaking person. I would have been fine with performance rod ends, btw.

 

Cort351 is not saying that the spherical ends are bad products and that people are having problems with them. You need to go read the post that he refrenced above for more details. The people that have had the spherical ends for 2-3 years and I gurantee, have a very loud, noisey, and loose interior. Think about that all it involves is common sense. Metal on metal(no lubricants) or poly/ruber on metal? Think about that and then you may change your opinion.

 

What about rod ends with grease fittings? No one has mentioned them, but they do exist. Would this solve the problem of metal on metal? Soulbounder, I'm in college, too. I'm a freshman at TCU. I don't have very much timet to work on my car. I have been trying to get the exhaust manifolds off to put my headers on for two weeks. I got the driver's side off in about five hours, but the passenger side is killing me. I have to drive my mom's astro van to school until I get my car ready. I'll probably just drive it as soon as I get the headers on. It will take me some more time to put my dual exhaust on, but I'll drive with open (shorty) headers for a couple days. I do love the sound right now with one manifold off and one on with one bolt.


STUB25, what do you mean by a loose interior? Plus, like I was asking above, what do you think about rod ends with grease fittings? On another post, though, someone was concerned with rod end failure. Do you know if this is a big enough threat in itself?

Also, how do make those little faces in your posts?

Thanks

 

cort, gimme an e'mail. I'll see if I can't give you a hand on those headers man.

To make "smiley's" click on the left when you post. the link that says "smiley's legend" It'll tell you how

 

My first suspension mod was the anti-sway-bar end-link kits (get one per bar) from Energy Suspension. Ask for a kit with a "2 5/8 inch sleeve length". I think they cost me $20/kit (bought 'em locally, not thru Summit Racing, like I should have). They resulted in a very noticable improvement to my car's cornering ability.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

Start with new shocks and struts if you haven't changed them. Then Poly bushings up front. Kits from Performance Suspension Technology are nice. Reasonably priced.

www.p-s-t.com

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87 TA, 305 TPI, Custom CAI, K&N, ACCEL 8mm wires,ACCEL Super-coil, ACCEL Plugs, JET TPI Airfoil, Cherry Bomb Muffler, 160* thermostat
The Phoenix Project..click to see my project car
Trans Am stuff and GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS!!!!!

 

Tom's got a point. Either go to Summit, or to O'riley's they sell Poly in the MOOG line. Good point.

 

I meant that everything rattles and therfore is loose. The roads here are CRAP so I have a lot of this with only 67K. Also about the greasable they would be great but once again are at some point going to wear out do to the grease breakdown from water getting in, which is going to happen. poly/Rubber combos are the best and provide great handling upgrade, unless you are a VERY serious autocrosser

 

ok, I don't want to beat this to death, but couldn't you just regrease the rod ends periodically? I will probably buy poly, but I would like to know still. Maybe I'll post this question so more people will see it.

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91 formula WS6 305 tpi, T-5, cyclone headers, true dual exhaust

 

I think this would be a great topic to post. Yea I supose you could just grease them but you still have metal on metal and that is always going to provide a stiffer ride than with the poly/ruber bushings.

 

I learned a little trick....

Use Marine Grade Grease in LCA's and swaybars. Lasts about twice as long.

 

definately wider tires and low profile.

she'll ride like a dream.