Springer's LT4

I want to start working towards improving the handling on my 95 (base suspension) The car is already lowered and I run 285/40/17 Firestones all the way around. What will give me the most improvement to start off with... Z51 shocks, bigger sway bars or ??? (Don't want to do coil overs)


Thxs!

stuntman

Stiffening the suspension is the key, and in my opinion, if I were to pick only one modification, installing larger anti-sway bars would be it.

Give Bobby (parts manager) a call over at Guldstrand in Burbank, CA, or whoever you feel is qualified to answer suspension questions, and you'll probably get the same answer.

BBA

Bigger sway bars. The way to do it is determine the over/understeer characteristics...if the rear slides out first, correct the oversteer by using a bigger front sway bar.

I say sway bars because I think a soft spring/stiff sway bar will give the best road handling. Stiffer springs are ok for skidpads, but when you consider running over potholes in the turns, a stiff spring will make the tirebounce off the road.

Plus, soft springs make the car hook better.

2012 coupe

I started with bigger sway bars. 30mm front and 26mm rear. Then all Poly bushings. (These make a big difference also. Get the Black ones). Next I put in a Cross bar inside then a Chamber-Brace in the front. The Chamber-brace made the most difference in handling. IMHO.
:flag


[Modified by Danah92LT-1, 5:35 PM 3/17/2002]

Springer's LT4

Forgot to mention I had a Crossbar already :)

Thanks for the input guys, keep it coming!!

okinawa86vette

On my car, I replaced the swaybars, front spring, lower control arms, and steering rack with Z51 spec equip from my parts car and a Vette Brakes sport rear spring all at once, so on this car, I couldn't tell you which part made the most difference. The complete package is just awesome though.
In other vehicles, I have started with the swaybars and these make a big difference without affecting the ride quality. I would go for the Z51or Z07 bars, as they are both solid, as opposed to the hollow front bar on the base suspension. I would look for a 30mm front and 26mm rear. This seems to give pretty neutral handling, but if you want more understeer, go with a 24mm rear, which is what is on your car.
Nobody's really mentioned it, but the solid bars are a lot stiffer than the hollow ones, but weight a whole lot more. If you're going for handling, go with the solid. For better quarter mile times, go with the hollow.

Springer's LT4

I was looking at the Vettebrakes 32mm front and 26mm rear... they are right in my back yard so I can go down there on lunch to get them.. any thoughts on them?

M2001

The best bang for the buck I got for improving the suspension on my car was replacing the soft rubber suspension bushings with poly bushings. If you wrench your own car, I can't think of a cheaper mod to perform on the suspension. Starting out with the poly suspension bushings is also a good foundation to work with. I think all other suspension mods after the poly bushing installation will be more meaningful. You'll be surprised how effective stock sized sway bars and shocks are once you take the slop out of the suspension. Before you go nuts with changing major components on your suspension, try the poly bushings. Changing just the rear diff carrier bushings to poly units tighten the rear dramatically. I think those poly carrier bushings cost somewhere around $25-$30. In my opinion, it does not get any cheaper than that to improve suspension control. Just an option you should consider before making a decision.


[Modified by M2001, 9:45 PM 3/17/2002]

Springer's LT4

I do work on my own car, but limited to what I can do because of living in a complex that doesn't allow major work. Something that can get done in a day I can do over at a friends house.

M2001

I changed all the bushings except for the steering rack on my car in one day. Then again, I also has use of a shop with a lift. If you're going to work on your car at a friends house, do the suspension in sections. First replace one of the front suspension bushings. Then do the other front suspension. Then set aside the weekend to tackle the rear all in one shot. Make sure you have some handy mechanic friends to help you drop the rear diff. It's not as light as you think by the looks of it. One word of advice if you do go the poly bushing route, make sure you buy a small tub of grease from who ever you buy you bushings from. The little packs of grease that is supplied is not worth squat. Load the poly bushing with a lot of extra grease, it will keep the suspension from sqeaking. I think a 6 or 8 oz. tub of that really sticky suspension grease cost about $10 or $15. It's worth buying it, trust me on this one.

scorp508

Tires. :)

Springer's LT4

My tires are great... the Firestones SZ50's hook wet or dry, you can feel the body roll in heavy turns while the tires are still planted.

ToniH

> I was looking at the Vettebrakes 32mm front and 26mm rear...any thoughts on them?

I do have the VB front bar and I suspect I also have the rear bar (bought it from elsewhere but it looks 100% like VB bar). They work very nicely in my car, very slight oversteer when driving hard - just the way i like it.

Remember it is the whole that counts, not just individual components. Adding one part at the time might bring you some nice results (or the opposite) but you really can't know before you try. I recommend that you start with a good, basic suspension rebuild to get a good baseline and then continue from there. If you are adding high perf. parts to tired suspension it will be more difficult to get good results for sure.

Good luck.

ToniH

85 Dave

Absolutely the best way to make the car handle better. I've raced in hundreds of autocrosses, and can say with no hesitation that the single best improvement is tires, especially DOT legal race tires. The second best improvement is shocks. After that, its kinda a toss up between springs, sway bars, and bushings, depending on how worn your bushings and suspension are.

scorp508

I'm willing to bet that maybe 5 out of 100 us can drive our car to it's full potential even in stock form. I know I'm not one of them.

Springer's LT4

I don't disagree with that at all... but doesn't mean I don't like the way my car handles... 95 suspension is very soft, would rather have the car feeling like a vette and not a caddy :)

scorp508

Dear lord more of you exist?? :eek: :jester

Springer's LT4

:rolleyes:

85 Dave

If that's the case, then stiffer shocks and/or springs will make it feel like a Vette. Tires, bushings, and sway bars won't help the soft feeling.

Springer's LT4

I think I'm going to do a combination of Z51 Bilsteins and the larger sway bars to start off with.

my only complaints with the way the car handles is it's tendency to roll in heavy corners and it floats going town the road.