Trying to build a "low budget" suspension. I'm not sure about stuff like coilovers and air-ride an that such... am going frnt & rear sway bars: 1" back 1 1/4" front not going for autoxross but not straight up drag car either, daily driver be fun to use stock like stuff... been advised that going BB springs all round will do the trick????? want 1. muscle car stance- rake to the front-not scrape frnt 2. good clearance upfront 3. able to stick nice amount of meat under the rear-wide tire-tall rubber 4. old school look 5. like 16" rims 6. Not run a cookie cutter rims upfront
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding but I'm just not clear about what you are trying to accomplish. 1) Do you want the front to sit higher or lower than the rear? 2) Do you want to accomplish this by raising the rear higher or by lowering the front more than it is right now?
If you really want a firm ride add a set of Bilstein shocks (instead of coil overs) to your shopping list.
X2 on the bilsteins, but for my money KYB has done me right for less $ I'm not really feelin' the big block springs on a small block car unless you like the nose way up. Or plan on cutting the coils and raising the spring rate even more. Also I believe the 36mm Fbody front sway bar bolts on but will need large bushings where it attaches to the frame. Hollow too so I beleive it weighs less or is very close to the stocker.. Maybe someone knows for sure. If you have skillz or know someone who does a hr parts n stuff bar for the rear makes cars I have seen launch quite level. Though in addition to the skillz it requires some coin. http://www.hrpartsandstuff.com/products/rearend/swaybar.htm
First off, what car/motor/trans/ are you running? A/C or non? How new is your current suspension? Are you currently using stock rubber bushings or poly?
yes i want the front sitting lower than the rear right now i've got 340 w sw300 /66 buick skylark/ a/c car/front bushings and rear have been rebuilt with OPGI kits stock type bushings.... going to drop in a 454 w th400 later on down road the springs i have no idea how old they are or if they are the origs
i don't want to slam the front down to the ground or use drop spindles front has already been converted over to disc using chevelle spindles
I would not bother changing the springs until you get the heavy 454 in there. At that point use all 4 springs for a 66 Chevelle with a big block. The chevy engine is heavier than the Buicks so go with the springs designed to handle the weight. Start looking for the frame pads for a 66 chevelle with a BBC as well as you will need those. First start with the wheels and tires you want, as well as the BBC and new springs.. Drive it for a bit and then decide if you want to remove the front springs and trim the coils to lower the front or if you like the stance then leave it alone. You can not set your stance properly without the right wheel diameter you want or without the heavy engine and trans.
before there was an aftermarket like now, we used to build pretty scarey corner carvers, with pretty much stock GM parts 74 up trans am front sway bar with the absolute hardest bushings you can find...we used to wrap the bars with steel beleted tire strips where it bolts to the frame... from wore out tires that had the wires almost sticking out...lol..(seems bad now), and waaay back then you could find urethane end link bushings..you want no defection.. stock rear sawy bar with boxed control arms there where no poly bushings, so we used brand new bushings and drove nails in the rubbers to firm it up...about 1/8 apart..they drive right in,car drives good, no deflection.. it really worked..very well at that..seems bad now..lol and the f41/4 speed triangulation bars 74-76 trans am firm feel fast ratio box..its a bolt on (ws6) KONI 3 way adjusted firm best disc brake pads we could get..stock factory discs...cuz thats all there was..with good rotors and pads, i mean really good pads...they are tuff to beat for the money... and 15x8 wheels..with a medium to low profile in all corners bbc front springs with 1 1/2 coils cut off and wore out station wagon springs, the ones where the car was tail draggin... the a-bodys handle well to begin with, with these cheap practically free things, i could scare the F' out of anybody that would seat belt in...and i pushed it hard.. one neg thing...ya gotta get the BBC out of the front, if you dont, you have to knock weight off..put the battery in the trunk, use all the alum engine componets you can...i mean really knock the weight off..it can be done..use an alum radiator, but dont get a huge one, get on that will barely work..otherwise it will plow the front all day long and you will spin the car on a clover leaf..the weight..once its pointed in a certain direction...thats where it wants to go... Ive bought a ton of used suspension stuff, like lowering springs, boxed control arms, sway bars etc...stuff kinda new, but 5 or 6 years old thats out of style...CHEAP, i just look at every forum and ebay..i bought a ton of cool stuff off team chevelle...i mean a lot... the best money back then i spent was on an H/O racing specialties sway bar, was pretty much the first big bar and was built for GTO guys..they are avail new,,,they are big, i mean wrist thick but heavy..i gotta link Bruce at 818 222-6725 one thing on sway bars and old car geometry,,,dont get the sway bars front and rear too close to the same size...one must be moderately larger or they wont work together and its ugly, when ya throw a car in the corner the butt swings wide..so...id invest in a bigger rear like the H/O bar..i think they are less than $200 and they work well... if you put brand new BB springs in without doing anything, it will look like a 4 wheel drive...cutting that 1 1/2 coils it will be nose down just a touch...ive built a dozen 65 and 66s with BBCs just some opinions from some one that never had money and we made things work :3gears:
eactically.... that's my point.... back than u guys had to make due & learn "tricks" that made what you had better... it's gotten so bad with all the aftermarket crap that there is no longer a real budget build or budget parts and everyone seems to think they ahve to go with all this major expensive stuff & that's what all the dam magazines and shows and sites tell us all yes that stuff is definatly bad ass, but if ur not looking to handle like a new camaro or run race courses Just make a street car safer & handle better and more enjoyable & safe is there really a NEED or HAVE to go with all that high end stuff that is why i ask... I will NOT & can NOT compromise on saftey taht's not an option... But COME ON..... feel like i'm being told that i'm SOL unless i go with coilovers and air ride and tubular & the such... just wanna know.... is there stock type suspension components or budget freindly aftermarket stuff that will do this....???????????????
you mean to tell me with all you old timer car guys & die hard all age car guys that no one knows or used or heard bout other year or model parts workign from other cars to improve the stock stuff????????????
sure we do..but you want low budget....make up your mind..ive done these myself and they are easy.. 98-02 camaro disck brakes are a bolt on with a bracket..you can use 12 or 13 inch rotors and aluminum calipers..this is for a camaro, but its the same for a chevelle.... http://www.pozziracing.com/12_corvette_brakes_on_fgen.htm 90s jeep cherokee steering boxes are the fastes boxes you can put on an a-body...and it a bolt on... http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=334534&highlight=jeep+steering+box 02 z 28s have a huge front bar thats hollow and they work with some fab skills dodge ram trucks use a huge rear bar thats hollow and with some work they work what else ya wanna know...
awesome..that's the type of advice & stuff i was hoping to hear bout... sweet... once again u the man mark what are u using on urs Mark? what about springs? those i don't mind spending a bit on or getting new if that's best same with shocks
i have KONIs on mine and i bought a set of 1 1/2 lowering springs...1 gotta look at the box i bought them new off a couple websites i bought a set of new on one place and the others at another that they bought them and then didnt use them, less than half price
do any of these look lowered in the rear to anyone???? REALLY TRULY love this combo.... car color and rim sizes & set
