How do our cars handle compared to a V8? Are many of the suspension components the same or is alot of stuff different? I know the springs are different

 

Dean? Pagin' Dean....

In a nutshell, stock, the high end V8s (Trans Am, IROC, Z28s) handle better than our V6s, STOCK.

Modded? The V6 will run circles around the V8s

 

Anyway we can get a better ride out of our suspensions?

 

so far as i know (and i have replaced just about everything exept shocks and sway bar bushings so far) is that is is all the same exept shocks and springs. and they handle sick with a 34MM sway bar i will be replacing my swaybar bushings when i install my WONDERBAR (thanks to lon at TDS ... only $50.)

also, if you realy want to go all out there is a tube steel k-member you can get, add the tube steel LCAs and you can convert to coil over! read it in march issue of camaro power magazine. it looks awsome.

 

i just put in rear shocks, 1 front strut and 1 front swaybar endlink bushing. tomorrow im doing the other side, and getting my balljoints and springs replaced.

ill post with pics and results.

after that ill be looking for a wonderbar from an iroc or gta, which is supposed to be mandatory when you upgrade to 16+" rims, to keep your steering box housing from cracking the frame. this bar bolts along the top of the swaybar and under where the swaybar bolts to the body.

i already have z28 rims on, and want to put on the 17" roh rims and 225/235 wide tires sitting in my basement.

after that ill be adding a rear sway bar, as my car didnt come with one. hopefully ill be able to find a matching set of z28's.

going a step further would be replacing the bushings the front a-arm have and the rear panhard bar. the tranny mount is a good idea as well as the torque arm bushings.

 

Install 2 Bilstein struts and 2 Bilstein shocks.

RBob.

 

From an IROC/Z28/TRANS AM
Score the steering box (keep pitman arm attached), sway bars & any other type of stuff like that.
Insert onto your current V6 platform.
Add new V6 F41 spec'd springs, bushings, struts/shocks.
Be prepared for a bitchin ride at a "fair price".
Then go get new tires & maybe wheels, too.
I have a F41 V6 Firebird and it handles smoother & better than my 1974 Corvette with all new suspension.

 

Just like the V8's, In stock form they all handle decent. However, a 20 year old car with 20 year old bushings needs to be replaced so at that point nothing is handling decent.

The only parts worth a darn off of a V8 car is swaybars (you'll need aftermarket new links and bushings thought) and maybe even a set of WS6 springs that you could trim down slightly and fit into the V6 so they are not 4x4ing you. But you'll need very good shocks to control them on such a lightweight front end car with our little 60* V6's.

Its terrible for me to brag and hard for me to explain just how night and day comparison this car handles as compared to say a stock performance IROC (one of the best handling in stock form). I have to honestly say arrogantly in order to decribe accurately that I literalry turn circles around one. There is only one member here on TGO that has ridden in and breifly drove my Camaro and that is George Laura (12secSS) and he has ridden in just about every members car here in So. Calif. George works for B&M.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/att...postid=2162232

RR & BB are supposedly the "handling" cars of the local group

 

Very Interesting
Please explain why passing on the IROC/Z28/Trans Am steering box as a wrecking yard score.

 

Hey Karl (How ya been), As for the steering boxes, they are for the most part pretty much identical. Its the control arm stops that make the difference between 2.25 turns lock to lock or 2.75 turns lock to lock. The 15" rim cars had wider stops on the a-arms because the tires can turn sharper without rubbing the inner fenderwells. The 16" rim cars had toenlarge the stops so the wider factory rims would not hit, thus making it harder to make a u-turn as sharp as a 15" rim car. No one to date has ever proven a part X or any kind of marking that distinguises a quick ratio box from the factory. My steering box stock in my car came with the exact markings the guys with the 16" "quick ratio" boxes claim to have.

edit: I should add to the list of swaybars and springs to also look for the "performance package brakes". They are aluminum PBR 2 piston calipers and the rotors are 11.65" dia. The stadard non-1LE brakes are what every V6 came with and are iron single piston Delco-Moraine calipers and 10.5" rotors.

 

That is a point I was very curious about.
I understood about the "stops" within the box.
And I had heard about markings, too.
As I want to change out my 1967 & 1968 F Body steering box & upgrade it one day, those "marked boxes" were what I was suggested to seek. I had heard about the "problem "U-Turn" by obtaining the "wrong box & just slapping it in the car".
You are a wealth of knowledge!
Been doing alright but soon to be very busy!

 

Polyeurathane. (Bushings that is) Its like candy, for cars.

 

well so far ive put 1le swaybars from a formula
and also 16" z28 rims i have the springs from that same formula
but havent put them on yet
ill tell you this much this car handels like a dream in corners
now if only i could get some more power out of the 6 to match the handeling lol