I just re-acquired my 91 Formula after another guy owned it for 7 years and 25k miles and I'm getting re-acquainted with it and looking into things that need replacement, modification, or upgrade. The ride is more brittle than I remember. I replaced the shocks with KYB gas-adjust shocks at around 90-95k miles, and now it has 171k. The only other suspension component I ever replaced was the idler arm, maybe around 100k.

it's like riding in a shopping cart. Everything rattles badly on even moderate roads. The first time I replaced the shocks, the car was floating and bouncing with the original shocks (I bought with 87k on it the first time). The tire pressure is about 30-32psi.

I don't drag race it and only plan on doing some light mods like exhaust and some chassis upgrades to improve the driving experience. It's more just something to cruise around town in, look cool, sound cool, and have a little fun whipping around some corners and booking it on the freeway ramps. It may see a trip or two to a drag strip just to do it. I just want it to be something I could take a road trip in and not hate life.

Questions:

1. I'm assuming the shocks are getting to the end of their life?

2. Anything else I should just replace while this is being done, considering everything is pretty much original?

3. If it is shocks, I'm looking for suggestions for a quality shock that will give me a fairly stock ride, but still have enough firmness for some fun on some twisty roads now and then. Adjustable shocks sound interesting to me, so I'm considering the KYB AGX. But maybe that's overkill.

Thanks so much for your advice. Hopefully, I'll have a new thread up soon about the best exhaust/intake mods for what I'm looking for.

 

Those KYB AGX adjustable shocks could be adding to your hard ride. The lowers setting on those shocks are equal to stock shocks and they only get harder as you adjust them from the lowest setting. As far as rattles go, find them and fix them one at a time till you get rid of them all. If the doors have worn pins Hawks and TDS sell replacement pins which will help and def replace the weather striping that goes around the door, make a huge difference.

 

You have to get some rear lower control arms. When my brother got aftermarket control arms for the camaro before I bought it from him, the ride was noticeably improved.

I think the top threads are called stickys; suspension 101 said that sub-frame connectors will stiffen the chassis for those back road blasts and get rid of some squeaks.

 

You could replace everything on the car if you want, it's a performance car ultimately... it's not going to drive or feel like anything else. But there are some things you can do to help.

- adjust your shox/struts
- check your springs
- SFCs will make a huge improvement, a lot less flex and vibration

 

I've read several times about the subframe connectors helping a lot. That is high on my list.

Any idea for a shock that is pretty much stock ride? I think the KYBs I have now were supposed to be an equivalent. I just feel like the ride has gotten more brittle. I didn't own it for the last 7 years, and when I got it back, it didn't feel how I remembered it. I drove it from MN to IN once and, though it wasn't like riding on air, it wasn't punishing either. Like I said, 80k miles on a set of shocks seems like a lot.

The AGX shocks may be more than I want, then. The stock ride is plenty firm, and I'm not going to be racing it. I just thought maybe they could be softened a little more than stock, which would be perfect since it's mostly going to be a cruiser.

It seems to me that the driver door was sagging a bit before I sold it, but I haven't noticed it since I got it back. The passenger door was rarely opened, so that one should be good.

The rubber seals on the outer edge of the t-tops are toast and catch wind pretty bad, but I think the inner seals are all relatively good. Maybe a whole new set of seals would do me well. The t-tops themselves need to go, as they are pretty scratched up and seemed to have developed a spider-webbing in the plastic that I don't remember being there before I sold it.

 

You could be needing new on all those bushings and your steering parts. The stuff wears out and the car will drive like it.
My take on the KYB Gas Adjusts was they were good, if that was the only thing you did. They got harsh when you did other upgrades.
I bet you would like what you get with the AGXs, the few upgrades you are talking about, and replacing the worn bushings and steering parts.
BTW, I have a stock length Panhard upgrade for cheap. I went to an adjustable one when I lowered my car.
Go with a STB, too.

 

I'd suggest after market strut mounts before adding an STB.

JamesC

 

It has been awhile since I was buried in all this stuff when i first owned the car. I had no kids, and now I have three! I appreciate all the comments.

I seem to remember that there are certain bushings that are an upgrade from stock. Do you have any suggestions?

I will keep your panhard bar in mind. It is probably lower on the list at this point. What do you need for it, in case I want to replace that? And, what brand/model is it?

At this point, the order of mods may look like this:

- driver seat- it's pretty loose and the back doesn't lock in the top position. The cloth is in great shape, but the foam is toast.
- shocks, bushings, and maybe any other parts that are easier to do if the car is already jacked up
- exhaust: Magnaflow, and may just go right through and do headers, y-pipe and maybe cats as long as it doesn't get to loud for cruising
- remove front plate, have the holes filled and the nose repainted. I went with collector plates in MN, which aren't required on the front and I want the original nose back

Right there, I'm probably looking at $2500+ already. I need another job!

 

Just take it slow, especially if this isn't your daily driver. An aftermarket torque arm will not help the ride, but the power transfer will feel much better.

Polyurethane bushings are upgrades from rubber, but since your car is a cruiser, it might make the ride a little harsher. If you're going to keep this car for a long time, you should eventually look into an air ride suspension. It's pricey, but they may fit your driving purposes.

Be glad you're not building an autocross/road race car like me, since almost everything you can think of needs to be replaced with a high performance item.

 

for the rattles, start with the door's pull them apart clean, apply lots sound deadener and wrap the actuator rods, new plastic clips, & springs to stop things moving.

 

$20.00 + shipping
Rancho
Decent shape
Get poly bushings for your sway bars
Get stb

 

If your have the suspension apart to replace the struts, I would probably replace the ball joints & bushings etc might as well address all of the items at once. Ten years ago did that my RS & the improvement was amazing.