Working on multi-year long project. Going to swap the 305 to 350 and other engine train. What do you guys recommend as far as upgrading suspension, rear, brakes ets.? It's an 86 Iroc.

Thanks for all the input!

 

How about some UMI?!

http://www.umiperformance.com/catalo...=index&cPath=6

 

I have an 86 too. Lots of mods..

To know what to do you have to know,

1) What you want the car to do (street, drag, track, autox, etc.)
2) Do you daily drive the car or weekends only
3) Budget
4) How much time are you willing to invest in this? 1 year, 3 years, etc.?

 

Well, what are you looking to achieve with the car overall when you're done? We have a full suspension line for the 3rd Gens that will improve the car greatly.

 

If you dont want to spend an arm and a leg take a look at Founders Performance

 

We just completed a 1985 Camaro build this spring.

It's pretty sweet.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...1448642&type=3

http://s1118.photobucket.com/albums/...cpZZ1QQtppZZ24

Let me know if you can or can't see the photos.

We can help you cruise, corner or launch with the proper combination of parts and nothing you don't need.

Hit me at ramey@umiperformance.com for a custom quote.

thanks

ramey

 

Thanks for the feed back guys.. Looking for it to be a street daily driver type car. I'm wanting to have the pep and pop a 350-400 horse can provide but I want it to handle and not torque the T-Tops. So, I know it'll need some stability. As of now, the car waves as if it's floating on air and I hate that!

 

Oh, the budget is not very big. This isn't going to be a restoration.. Guess, just a fixer upper maybe.

 

Well, there are a ton of things you can do to these cars.. The most basic mod that will improve the chassis and that I would say is required for any thirdgen (even MORE for TTOP and convertible models) are subframe connectors. This way you will not 'tweak' your frame and t-tops will remain in tact.

But there is tons of info on these boards regarding suspension mods just look at the stickies at the top of the suspension section. But you gotta read tho

 

This reminds me of when I first drove down (from Mpls) to TPIS in '95-6. "I wanna go faster!"
Owner Myron Cotrell would not take my money. He said, get some sub-frame connectors, headers & cat-back, then come on back. I drove away wondering why he wouldn't take my money. Did he not want to deal w/me, or was he serious? Or did he doubt that I was serious?
After the stiffy and the enema, I came back for better lungs. Then he says, if you ever want to just come down, hang out, and drink some beers.....

 

Founders performance has great products at a very cheap price!

 

I have nearly all UMI suspension (still missing a few parts). they took vary good care of me! I'm sold 4 life.... Will be using on my chevelle too!

 

FYI - if you don't plan to lower the car, you can save a bit of money by not getting adj suspension.

 

We can help you in stages. A solid foundation with subframe connectors and LCA and PHB is a nice starting point.

A quality torque arm or at least a relocation off the trans and onto a good bracket (along with a poly bushing) will do wonders.

Just let us know what you need and we're happy to help.

ramey

 

Things to do list on suspension upgrades- (My short version of my old Ultimate suspension guide)/ If I bought a car, this is the order I would do things as money came in.

*assuming already that the car has decent tires- iif it needs tires, then I spend money for the absolute best there is because tire grip is on a high priority to me- I do not put them on though unless the balljoints and tierods are in good shape, otherwise I go budget tires until they are fixed

1) Shock and struts- perferably Konis (although my next car would go custom built Koni strut cartriges with double adjustable digressive valving) Why this first? because this is what controls the chassis weight, this is what helps prevent tire wear, this is what helps keep the tires on the ground for safety, this is what limits the movement of suspension and steering parts so they do not wear as fast, etc.

2)Soild bearing strut mounts- to be installed with the new struts. This takes out unwanted steering deflection and unwanted suspenion travel slop that is undampered with worn rubber bushing strut mounts.

3)Wonderbar- protect that frame

4) Rear panhard rod- Urethane bushings are ok here. Don't like rodends here because of wear and noise The Delsphere type joints (aka JohnnyJoints are great but more pricy option) ...oh yeah, EVERYTHING ADJUSTABLE WHEN BUYING PARTS. you'll need it later

5) rear LCAs - Poly on the chassis, rodends on the axle

6) to be done with 45 LCA relocation brackets (If going very low in future. Stock hight not needed- but why modify a stock height car? So may, but not my thing- I like a lower cg)

7) Subframe connectors- Now I would consider strengthening the frame since most all of the bushings and steering componants are in good working order

8) panhard bar Relocation bracket- From Jegs. It works wonders, buy it and use it. Once a car is lowered, this comes into play bigtime in handling. You don;;t need to waste money on a panhard rod brace, the stock one works plenty fine for now. Put the adjustment in the the highest setting- one hle down for the top for now- It will drop one more hole on average when the car is lowered later

9)Now we go to springs. THis is a long novel so I will spare the details. Once car is at desired rate and ride height, make adjustments of other parts to regain geometry lost in ride height alterations.

10) at the same time as 9) new front A-arm bushings AND extended ball joints

11) Now we go to swaybar fitment to fine tune the handling and body roll.

12)- then you start with other chassis bracing like STB, KB brace, etc roll cage and adjust the rear swaybar mounts in and out to further fine tune chassis balance.

 

Thanks for all the help guys!