71 Skylark, best upgrades but needs to look close to original.

Discussion in 'The whoa and the sway.' started by Chevelle_68, Nov 30, 2013.

  1. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member

    I have a 1971 Skylark that I want to do some upgrades to. But there is ha catch. Because of the wird ruls and laws in the country I live in, the car needs to look "close to original". This means that I can use tubular controll arms, coilovers or anything like that. The upgrades must be close to what it came with from the factory.
    My goals are to get the best ride I can :)

    So what should I cange, upgrade or modify to my ride?

    Helge

    Shopping list:
    -UMI performance 1.250" front and 1" rear solid sway bars Done
    -boxed lower rear controlarms Done
    -F41 rear suspension frame stiffener rods Done
    -Moog upper control arm offset shafts
    -tall upper ball joints Done
    -hotchkis 1" front and rear lowering springs Done
    -read koni shocks Done
    -Jeep GC steering box Done
    -255/60-15 front tires on 15x7 rims Done
    -295/50-15 rear tires on 15x9,2 Done
    -front disk brake kit
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2014
  2. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Basically, you have to stealth it? Sounds like you meant you can't use tubular control arms. What are your intentions and budget? You want better handling?

    For handling, I'd go with some tall upper ball joints and some offset upper A-arm shafts, a 70-81 Trans Am front sway bar with urethane bushings, quick ratio steering. That will gain positive caster, negative camber and quicker steering.

    Out back I'd brace the rear control arms like a GS has and box the lower control arms with a sway bar. A good set of shocks will go a long way too.

    From there, you are going to be spending more money to hide anything else.
     
  3. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member

    I have not made any real budget yet. I just want to explore my options first :)

    In Norway we have to many curves, turns and ****ty roads. So it would be nice to get the car to handel them better.

    So fare I have put 1" hotchkis spring and read Koni shocks on all cornere. I have also upgraded the front steering joints with all new moog parts.

    I have a steering box from a 96 Jeep GC that I pland to use on my Chevelle, but I don't think that car will be road read any soon. Has anyone tryed to put a Jeep GC box on a Skylark?

    I did not think about offset upper a-arm shaft. Who sels them and who sels good tall upper baljoints?

    I think it will be hard to find and any TA sway bars in Norway. I have already been looking for them. So I might just buy new ones. I have been looking at the UMI ones and hav them in black and remove the UMI stikker. Then they should hopefuly look like something from the factory.
    Anyone have any experience whit the UMI bars?

    I already have a set of boxed lower control arm redy for it :)

    I also plan to find som original framme braces for the car.

    What should I use for control arm bushings, rubber, poly, delerin(or what it is called) or is there any other options?

    For wheels and tiers I plan to use 15x7 in the front whit 255/60 (245/60 if I can find any) and 15x9.2 in the back whit 295/50. Hopefuly they want rub. I had this setup on my Chevelle also. The biggest isue I had on that car was rubbing on the framme in the rear in hard turns. Is there big diferes betwen the wheel wells on a 68 Chevelle and a 71 Skylark?
    I did not have any rubbing problems in the front whit 255s on that car, maybe it was because I had a steering box from early 90 Camaro. The steering was good but the steering radius was ****.

    Helge

    PS. Sorry for all the wrong spelling. I don't have a dictionary on my Ipad.
     
  4. Premier 350

    Premier 350 Chris (aka Webby)

    Thanks Greg for that. Sounds just the ticket for me- stock looking but big improvements at a modest price.

    Cheers,

    Chris
     
  5. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    Good shocks would be by fox
    either Ridetech Q-series or Hotchkis 1.5 SPS

    so you're saying you have to keep only exterior looking stock, or everything as in you cant go tubulararms, only say box factory arms?
    just a note, I wouldnt use tall balljoints with stock control arms
    http://scandc.com/new/node/626
     
  6. gsla72

    gsla72 Well-Known Member

    The GC box works the same in the Skylark as it does in the Chevelle. It takes the same modifications to fit either A-body chassis.
     
  7. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Looks like that quote is for tall spindles in combination with tall ball joints. They are only slightly taller and the tolerances on the front end are not so tight that the additional 12mm will cause an issue if tall ball joints are the only change in that part of the geometry.

    As for bushings, if your roads are as nasty as you say, you'd be better served with OEM style rubber bushings. Poly or delrin will handle better but the ride over rough roads will certainly be very harsh and will reveal every little rattle in a 43 year old car, sucking all the fun out of your hard work.

    The specs I see on the UMI sway bar make me think it is a Trans Am clone so that should be a perfect match. Completely stealth other than the obvious size difference. Most won't notice.

    Moog sells the offset control arm shafts, http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mog-k6146?seid=srese1&gclid=CLTErdutnrsCFQrxOgodhEMAqA, order it at the same time you order the sway bar.
     
  8. Premier 350

    Premier 350 Chris (aka Webby)

    Are the offset control arm shafts reversible to get negative camber/positive castor? Reason for the question is that the vendors websites talk about positive camber. That's the last thing I need.


    Cheers,

    Chris
     
  9. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member


    Yes I cant use tubular arms on anything. The whole car has to looke "close" to original. Not that I think that the people would know what it lookes like new, but they know the diferent between tubular and stock arms. I cant use adj shocks either. I might have to paint my Konies black to make them looke original.

    HD

    ---------- Post added at 11:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 PM ----------

    So are you saying I should go for tall spindles and ball joints, or just tall ball joints?
    Do I want tall ball joint onely on the topp or on the lower also?
    Where should I buy ball joint? I have seen them whit diferent hight also, like tall and extra tall.

    What I mean whit bad rods, is that they are curvey, going up and down and som places there is a lot of deep tire tracks. i am not saying that it is dirt roads with hools everywere (but one might find them).

    HD

    ---------- Post added at 11:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:00 PM ----------

    I have already bought the parts from Lee-Powersteering to make it fit :)
     
  10. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Here's two places you can get the tall upper ball joints. I'd only use the upper ones unless you want to lower the car with the lower ones.

    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Proforged-101...=8-1&keywords=chevelle+tall+upper+ball+joints
    Jegs: http://www.jegs.com/i/Proforged/469...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CNW9mOLapLsCFS4aOgodqlkA_A

    I would not do tall spindles as they do the same as the tall ball joints and you don't want to do too much at once until you see how it acts in your instance.

    I think the offset control arm shafts are reversible. I have not used them personally but if you rotate them 180 degrees, they should shift the control arm in instead of out to get more negative camber vs out of more positive camber. This should help with caster as well. I've looked at factory control arms and theorized if you swapped sides, you get a LOT of positive caster but I've never tried it. I went with tubular arms from the get go.
     
  11. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member

    I was looking at the diferent proforged parts, espesaly the tie rod ends. Is there a diference on the tie rod ends from 68/69/70 towards the ends for 71/72?
    I lookes at the moog application guid, and it says the same for the moog ends.
    The reason for me asking, is the moog parts I put on the buick where bought for the 68 chevelle. I thought 68 to 72 was equal.

    HD
     
  12. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    64/70 are 5/8
    71/72 are 11/16
    That's what the tierod sleeves are
    Front end rebuild kit correspond to year same with tierod sleeves
    Willing to bet you can just pit the 71 72 kit on any year a body if you get complete kit for that size
     
  13. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member

    Ok, so it has nothing to do whit the bal joint itself?
    I should be good to go then. I am using UMI tie rod sleeve :)

    HD
     
  14. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    Yeah nothing to do with the ball joints those go I to control arms

    As long as tierod ends match sleeve your good

    Hotchkiss has part numbers for everything
    That's where I got the 5/8 and 11/16 figures
     
  15. Chevelle_68

    Chevelle_68 Well-Known Member

    So if I put on taler lower ball joints, the onely gain will be 0.5" more drop?
    I need my car more down in the front. I have been thinking about using drop spindles, but I am worried that it will be to much.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    The taller lower ball joints will lower the car about 1/2" and also improve the geometry. Dial in as much positive caster as you can get and it will translate into improved camber gain in corners.

    I wouldn't use dropped spindles unless you absolutely have to.
     
  17. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    to answer your other question, you either use tall balljoints w/ stock spindles or drop spindles with stock balljoints, not both..too much of a good thing = bad kind of deal
    as for tall lower balll joint.. if its a .5 taller balljoint you will get .1/2" drop..if its a .9 taller BJ you'll drop .9" which is essentially 1in drop
     
  18. sean Buick 76

    sean Buick 76 Buick Nut

    Just cut a bit off the springs if you find the car sitting a bot too high and then have an alignment done.

    There is more room in the rear wheel wells of the 71 compared to your old 68, you can fit a 295/50 no problem as long as your wheel has about 5.5" backspace.
     
  19. Nothingface5384

    Nothingface5384 Detail To Oil - Car Care

    a pain to uninstall and reinstall, but is the cheapest route vs coil-overs or air-ride..

    My suggestion i you go this route..cut half a coil..if still not to your liking..cut the other half of coil off..

    also before any of this perhaps ask spring manufacture if the spring is pre settled or if you need to put miles on it to settle spring :-D
     
  20. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    To be sure, if you are cutting new springs, be certain they have had a chance to settle in. They are taller when first installed and settle after a few weeks to a few months.

    If you are cutting old springs, I agree with the above, 1/2 coil at a time until appropriate.
     

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