Hey guys I have a 69 skylark custom with the sbb 350 and it appears to have been lowered quite a bit. I do like the stance but the rear tires 275's rub the fenders when i go into a driveway at and angle. the bottom hits on hard bumps/ speed bumps if i dont slow to a crawl. Would raising the car be nicer or would the car handle a bit better lowered as it is? I noticed the front sway bar bushings are coming out.....what are the symptoms of that? I do notice that the car follows every crack on the road and sometimes i feel the rear move around as if it foows the road too. Last night after work i was driving to home from work and a car sped and cut me off and i had to brake somewhat hard, and i turned a slight bit to avoid a hit and the car just fishtailed and the steering when all crazy from side to side but i was able to regain contol after having the car make an almost 90 degree turn. It has manual drums with a new master cylinder. What causes the car to follow cracks on the road soo easily? And does anyone have any coil springs for sale since im on a budget but would prefer the car to clear all bumps and not bottom out
As far as when that person cut you off, it sounds like your brakes locked up. I currently have the same braking setup, and i've had it happen to me before. It's not a pleasant feeling, but I'm not sure what's to be done about it as far as a solution goes.
When it fishtails in a hard stop, that usually means the rears are locking up, maybe before the fronts. I'd first adjust the fronts to make sure they are in good shape. Failing that, I'd maybe back the rears off a 1/4 turn until you get it evened out. You might also make sure the shoes are clean. Any contaminant, like oil or grease will make them grabby a lot of the time. As for the ride, getting it closer to factory ride height should not hurt handling and they way you describe it is what I used to call spooky alignment. I'd guess the front end has some worn parts or is out of alignment. Following the cracks like you describe is a sign of all of the things I mentioned. I can't speak to the 275s in the rear but I'd expect them to fit if the backspacing isn't pretty close to 0. If you have Buick 15x7 standard wheels, that's what I have on my 70 with the 275 tires.
The control arm bushing look pretty old and have begun cracking, the sawy bar bushings are broken and sticking out, that what i was going to replace, i havent checked for worn ball joints, i was considering buying a bushing kit for the front but idk where i can get a good deal on rubber ones. I was also looking into swapping out the springs to raise the height, i will look into it as for alignment, i just hope the tires fit the rear when i raise the car
I wouldn't get an alignment until after you replace the bushings and other worn parts. Same thing with the springs. Otherwise, you'll be getting another aligment after you replace the parts. I don't know where you can find a bushing kit for your car, but I got a complete front end kit (bushings, ball joints, tie rods) from OldBuickParts.com for my Riviera. You may want to price a kit there as well.
I don't see a mention of the type of tires you have, but the wrong kind can nibble (read, track on every deviation in the road) pretty badly. However, from what I've gleaned out of the rest of your responses, I'd say that probably a front end rebuild is in order. These cars don't compare to some other brands when it comes to ride and handling. My middle son has a '70 Dodge Dart, and I wish my '68 Skylark rode and handled like. Then again, EVERY time I work on it, I get cut (I even named the car "Christine", which makes my new daughter-in-law a little defensive), and Dodge does a lot of other stuff really weird. If someone can correct me and tell me the way to make these cars ride and handle really well, I'm willing to listen.
I've seen slant-6 Darts with worn out front ends that can't be fixed without some serious welding to correct wallowed out mount points. The unibody and k-member front end is not as sturdy as our frame/body arrangement. What does the Dart do that you wish our cars would do? Frankly, I think my car rides better than my wife's Honda Pilot, my Tundra and my brother's late model LeSabre. Good bushing, just rubber, and nice swaybars make a world of difference. Also, I think I can pull more lateral G loads than anything my contemporary after I put the SPC upper control arms and tall ball joints on it. The front end geometry needs to be rectified to have some positive caster and a hair of negative camber. Mine is nearly neutral and barely under steers any more with induced over steer just a blip of the throttle away in a near the limit situation. I've driven Vettes, Miatas, S2000s, Subbie WRXs and a ton of other sports/sporty vehicles and I bet none of them in stock trim can shake me off their tail in my Buick unless speeds exceed 120MPH for a long time. My brother driving a turbo T could leave me on the long straights but I could read his license sticker in every curve. I had a 70 340 4speed Cuda and it was darned spooky at high speed with good 60 series radials all the way around.
Hey guys I was at work, The tires are BF Goodrich Radial TA, I will change them as I swww that the front tires are beginning to crack :shock: I will look into a front suspension rebuild i will take some pictures and post them. I thought I could get away with it by replacing the bushings, centerlink and shocks and springs, along with getting new tires before aligning it. The problem is that this car is what usually gets me around, and it will take time and $, about time, I can most likely do the work in a weekend, it's just that $ is tight especially being a college kid and working a part time, that takes up all of my days. I need to gather funds to tackle this project. What should be the first thing I order? or just save and order all at once? PS I had a 68 Rivi, I had redone the upper control arm bushings and I also got new shocks and tires and a new center link, an That boat handled well on corners but I sold it : \ well im keeping the skylark for sure
If your tires are cracking, I would definately start there first. I would then collect all of the parts for the front/rear suspension, and then do it all at once, rather than replacing part by part as you go. You can do the front end one day, and the rear suspension another day if you're short on time. Plus, it's just easier to only have to take it apart and put it back together one time. You really cannot go wrong with this front end kit for a daily driver: http://www.oldbuickparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=38_53&products_id=19376 Do you have a ball joint press? It's a very helpful tool that can also be used to do the control arm bushings. Saves alot of time and makes the job sooo much easier. If you want a cheap set of shocks that ride great, I suggest the Monroe SensaTracks. They are fluid filled instead of gas and they really make the ride quality smooth on rough roads. I have been very pleased with them on my Riviera. You can get them for about $20.00 a piece through rockauto.com
Hey thanks! Will do, Tires were my priority, But I know I would have the suspensions up to date to be able to align the car, but new tires are safer, That kits sounds very reasonable! Will order from them on firday! payday :grin: As for the shocks I'll order them with the coil springs. Any recommendation on springs? I have a local guy that usually parts old cars and buicks, im sure i can pick some up but used o No: Oh I was thinking of going to my local yard and looking for a 1.25 sway bar, I will measure the one in the car because I know for a fact that the previous owner was into modifying the car quite a bit, To measure the bar I just pretty much measure the circumference right? I do need those Bushings and I have heard that using poly on that and rubber elsewhere helps out a bunch. Looks like im going to be shopping for some BF-GoodRich Tires, Any other nice affordable ones out there? OH and last thing Here is a picture of the car Black sidewalls with black steelies and dog dishes? Or should I do the Raised letters with dog dishes? I love this car looks like a sleeper :bglasses:
I found my rear springs at napaonline.com for around $80.00 for the pair. I believe the brand I have is Moog. I would think that you'd be taking a chance with used springs, because you don't know how worn or sagging they currently are. That's a question that will generate many different responses and opinions. It all comes down to what you like in the end. Me personally, I love raised white letters (my car is also white), but others will say to keep the black sidewalls facing out. This is one that only you can answer. Your car looks good. Definately a great project. :TU:
Swaybars are measured by diameter. The easiest way to measure the sway bar if you have a set of open ended wrenches that large is to see which one fits the snuggest on it. If a 15/16 fits it, it is that. If you have a crescent wrench with markings for size, you can use it to get an idea. Polyurethane on the sway bar is good. It doesn't move enough to squeak in my experience. You can get the end links and support bushing from most auto parts stores in their accessories area. I know advance has them. Here's a representative set of parts that should work: 1 1/4" Bushings End Links
