'71 GS Total Front Suspension Rebuild: How Difficult for the DIY'er at Home?

'71 GS w/~98K original miles.

Running Repop Buick 15" Rally wheels on BFG 255/60/15 all around.

New Year One 360S & 360SM front & rear springs (pretty sure these are made by Eaton Detroit). Ride height is perfect, no complaints there.

Bilstein HD shocks

Front 1.25" sway bar w/urethane bushings (although I think the end link bushings are rubber)

Rear 1" sway bar & boxed lower control arms.

Car tracks great & rides well. Just a little too mushy/old lady-like for my personal taste when cornering (I'm being picky here, Folks. It's light years away from the original stock set up).

Want to do some type of steering box swap, and am thinking about a complete front suspension rebuild while I'm on my back getting dirty.

I don't feel anything obviously wrong with the front suspension when driving. Besides the springs, shocks, & brakes, I have no idea if anything has ever been replaced. To my untrained eye, all the parts look 45 years old.

I'm pretty committed to the steering box swap. Should I do the complete front suspension rebuild (which appears to work fine), or stop at the steering box?

Thanks

 

From my perspective, not that difficult. That said I'm an ex (reformed?) car mechanic. If you're a first timer at front end work, treat a compressed spring with respect. Even if you've done a hundred, treat it with respect. There's a lot of energy stored there.......
I'm not familar with the springs you've got, so I'll pass there. No issues with the sway bars- I run the same sizes on my '69 Skylark.

As suggested above, I'd check the ball joints/tie rods/ and bushes for wear/splits/etc. If you're happy with them, leave them. Perhaps a shock upgrade and urethane bushes on the sway bar ends.

Another option is to get a decent wheel alignment (easier said than done) and dial in as much postive castor and negative camber as safely possible. I went to offset upper control arm pivots to improve camber & castor. Not sure what figures I'm running ATM.

 

I've never heard anyone suggest 'upgrading' a Bilstein shock. It's my understanding they might even be overkill for this application (I think they're mostly geared toward the Euro/Jap crowd).

I gave the car a basic, cursory suspension test: jacked up each front tire, shook it at 6 & 12 O'clock, shook it again at 9 & 3 O'clock. Didn't see or feel anything obvious. Should I be doing anything else?

Control arm bushings look 45 years old, but seem to be intact. I'd probably find some cracks if I looked closer. Again, nothing obvious jumps out at me.

What could I do to firm up the residual old-lady feel? What should I be considering first, a firmer spring, or firmer shock (shocks are already pretty firm).

Will the steering box swap help this condition?

If I were to go with offset upper control arm pivots, aren't I now halfway to a full front suspension rebuild?


Thanks

 

I have everything you listed, except an air chisel.

Should I bother to strip, paint, & detail all the suspension components, or just replace the the wearing parts and bolt it back up?

Thanks

 

That's clever planning.

There's no disadvantage with respect to the car now not being 'original' if I replace my original control arms, is there?

Do any of the other parts I'll be replacing typically get detailed?

Thanks

 

I have done this twice in the last few years. One was a full-on resto-mod and the other was from the previous experience and just as effective with less parts.

First, I'd either do new tubular uppers with delrin bushings. It will do 2 things, 1) firm up the ride and 2) give you several degrees of positive caster.

Next, install some tall proforged ball joints in the new upper control arms. I went with the .5" but they also make .9" if you want more. The .5" is working well for me.

Then get it aligned with as much positive caster as they can safely do, minimum of +5 caster and -1 camber to really plant the front end.

I did lower control arms on my 70 and did not on the 71. The lower tubulars are heavier than stock and do nothing for geometry but will firm it up with delrin bushings over rubber. Not a have-to.

I'm assuming you've already got polyurethane sway bar bushings in the front. That will stiffen up your side-to-side roll considerably.

As for quick ratio steering boxes, I've done 2 as well. One was a 1987 GN box and the other was a 1969 Chevelle box. Both are 2.6-ish turns lock to lock and bolt to the frame without issue. However, the GN box that went on my 70 required hose modifications or adapter fittings and a truck rag joint. It gives a very firm feel and is still power but more modern feeling with road feel. The 1969 Chevelle box went on the 71 and was a direct bolt-on with nothing else to change. Hoses and rag joint were stock but it is a one finger easy steering car. Not bad but you can certainly tell them apart.

Both of my cars will go where you point them and the rear is as likely to drift as the front is to push. Very balanced and stable feeling without burning the outer edges off your tires like the factory setup is prone to do when driven into hard corners.

 

Looks like you've done everything you can to the suspension and steering.
In my opinion the biggest improvement in cornering would be to switch to
17 inch rims and tires. I know some won't agree with the looks, not being
original looking. But the 15 inch tire sidewalls sway a whole bunch when cornering compared
to 17 inch with performance type tires. That's where most of the mushy feel comes from.
If you like what you got leave alone. Some won't agree, but that's my opinion.
Have had both, big difference. Trade off really, you get harsher ride with 17s also.
More comfort with 15s.o No:

 

Opps. My badou: Missed the Bilsteins in the OP.

 

air chisels cost nothing but you don't have to have one pickle fork and the bfh still work. now a pitman arm puller you might need.

 

All great suggestions, with respect to the advanced suspension components.

However, my main goal with this particular car is to keep everything stock, at least stock looking. So, I'm limited to how far I can take these improvements (ex. need to keep the look of the 15" wheels).

While we're on the subject, this car came from the factory in '71 with five 14" Rally wheels. When I bought the car, I immediately bought five new 15" Repop Rally wheels, just because I liked the look of the larger size rim & tire.

Are my set of five original 14" Rally wheels worth anything? While I'm happy with the Repop 15' wheels, would it be foolish to part with the original 14" set of five?

Thanks

 

Here is my advice.

Watch some videos on u-tube, so you know what to expect, if you have never done it.. any 68-72 A body (Chevelle, GTO, GS, 442) or the base models of those cars will do. Should be something out there.

AS was mentioned, be very careful when working with the coil springs. A little common sense goes a long way.

I would strongly recommend the following, to firm up the ride and change the "feel".

1. Replace all the bushings in the control arms with new rubber ones. If you want to spend some money, then the Del-a-lum bushings from global west are very nice, and won't squeek or ride like a truck. But just new rubber makes a world of difference, for normal driving. Stay far away from normal Urethane bushings, unless you want it to ride like a dump truck.

2. Replace the steering box with one for a 69 Chevelle SS396.. from Napa.. this is the 2.5 turn lock to lock box.. I have had one that was a defective reman, but for the price (180 or so) I will take that chance.. It's a direct bolt in, no screwing around with fittings and rag joints, and it looks exactly stock..

3. Big front sway bar, with urethane bushings and end links.. one of the many 2 1/8 bars out there would be fine, and urethane on the sway bar does not hurt the ride.

Those three things will make a big difference.

Good luck.

JW

 

Use this box?: https://www.napaonline.com/napa/en/p/PNB391073/PNB391073_0211834409

When searching the NAPA web site, it would not allow me to refine my search to 'SS396', just a base Chevelle.

The description reads that the above box is 2.5-3.0 turns lock to lock.

Thanks

 

If you are not sure what is needed, take the car to a shop that does alignments. First check and see if they work on old cars..... They can inspect all the joints and bushings and give you a list of whats good and what is not. If everything is OK, I would wait. As Larry said above, a lot of the new stuff, even MOOG, is made in Mexico or over seas. Personally, when parts are worn I replace it all at once with MOOG OEM when I do a front end.

Don't forget the rear end. There are many bushings in the back that can wear out.

Lastly, run a heavy rope or chain through the springs and frame. If the springs let loose during compression or release you do not want them flying in your face!