7" on all 4

 

Stuck!

Please keep us updated on the front LCAs. Most tubular LCAs don't do well under daily street driving. Also, the trailing arms answered a question for me. I don't think they would fit at all with my 245s on an 8" wheel. But the relocation seems plausible.

Great writeup! How is understeer now?

 

AlabamaGuy - Thanks for the sticky. I spent 2 days putting that post together. The front LCA's have 40,000+ miles on them now and seem to be doing well. I had new tires and an alignment done a few months ago and everything checked out ok. The front heim joints are not resistant to corrosion and the red coating by where the heim joints screw in was chipping so I painted those areas black to seal them from the elements. Understeer is reduced. I notice that when pushed to the limit the rear of the car wants to come out, but letting off the gas snaps it back in place. For it being a big heavy car with most of the weight hanging over the front wheels it does well considering.

 

That is interesting. Throttle tends to induce understeer where trail braking or mid corner lift will rotate the back end.

 

Well to be bluntly honest considering all the parts I put on and how much I enjoy spirited driving I probably don't know what I'm talking about in regard to understeer and oversteer etc. Let me tell you what prompted me to do all that work:

1) I hit the stock brakes from speed and the car felt like it wanted to shake apart and the speed didn't come down quick as I would like. So I thought: "Stock brakes are worn out and they suck". Didn't want to put new "suck" brakes on, so I found the GXP brakes idea and went with it. Problem solved!

2) Went to pass a slow poke (with stock suspension) from 30-50 MPH and as I came around I almost sideswiped them because the car see sawed side to side and tried to torque steer right into them. Scary! So I thought: "stock suspension sucks and cannot manage the power this car puts down". For every car problem there are plenty of spendy solutions! LoL So I did all the other work and now I can pass slow pokes without worry of trading paint with them.

I think you are correct if memory serves. The couple times the back end of the car swung out on me was after lifting the throttle and then too much steering input. But thankfully is snapped right back in line. More so than I think it would have in stock form.

I really don't know the cars handling limits. I'm afraid to push it because it's my only car and I don't want to find out it's limits the hard way.

Oh, and here is a random bit of info. Before all the upgrades I was previously running the Eibach springs with the stock struts and it's not a good combo. The stock struts simply are not able to dampen the stiffer springs properly. Car bounced around and did all kinds of weird stuff with that combo.

 

That's a good thing that it came out like that! Good to hear from someone who has already done what I plan on doing. Right now, on mostly stock suspension, I have to make the car oversteer when it begins to understeer. Usually a pulsing foot on the brakes and sometimes Sharp have to the throttle will u.settle the back end and push me on around the corner. If I could make it do that on its own, predictably....I would be a happy camper.

 

I have a Impala SS also, I want to do the GXP brake swap. I saw from the pix that you had a pedal is this needed to improve pedal feel? It would be awesome if you could post or pm a list of parts to take off of the GXP to make it work properly. Thanks.

 

All I'm using from the GXP brake system are the: calipers, brackets, rotors, pads, and hoses. I'm uncertain if the GXP master cylinder or any other components are unique to the GXP system. Anyone out there know? I never swapped the brake pedal out either. I'm curious to know if the pedals are different between the 2 cars. Anyone know if the pedals have different part numbers? The GXP brakes work much better then the stock Impala brakes. Pedal feel is not the greatest. Not sure why. Could be due to not swapping the brake pedals out. I did thoroughly bleed the system. Pedal just isn't as firm or high as I'd like. But as stated above the brakes work great.

 

Thanks that helps alot.

 

O8RedSS: Was I surprised as heck to see my car used as an example in your suspension build, I am honored. If you don't know it yet with all the upgrades you and I did - our cars will stay flat when taking corners at higher speeds. Something you will definitely like.

 

Very helpful write up! Glad I waited to start on mine. I have a few long shot questions to ask.
1) Do you run negative camber in the front - if so how much?
2) How do you stay in place with the flat bucket seat?
3) Have you any concern about oil starvation on an extended lateral G turn?

BTW if you want to test the limits why not try some autocross. I prefer road courses but I think less risk on autocross.

 

Nice thread right here, work looks great. I'm thinking of going with the Bilstein's paired with lowering springs on my Monte when the time comes to replace the factory struts. Don't know who I want to go with for springs yet. I've had Eibach's lowering springs in the past but I've heard good things about SSC's also.

 

Will the Eibach work on the Monte I want to order them this week???

 

Eibach does not make springs for our cars anymore, not even the 2000-05 Monte. SSC, CM (Canuck Motorsports), and Vogtland are the three I can think of off hand that manufacture springs for the 2006-07 Monte.

 

Are all these parts needed to lower a impala ss? Lol Im looking to drop mine a inch all around

 

[QUOTE=08RedSS;15277948]Rear Suspension Images:





























[/QUOTES?

So everything lined up perfectly except the trailing arms? I was about order from summit they insisted that no of this stuff would fit my impala but i told the ive seen it done so i was just wondering again i have a late 07

 

What are you trying to order exactly? And yes everything will swap over. But before you order let is know what you plan on getting

 

Well i have done everything except the rear suspension i already have the addco rear sway bar i wanna do the trailing arms and control arms i also have bilstiens all around

 

Holy **** I didn't read your sig but yea the bmr setup will work lateral arms and trailing arms. You can also Check in with ht motorsports formerly know as west coast fabricators. They make them as well.

 

orderd the the whole rear setup besdies the sway bar last night for 509 from summit shipped cant wait i already got the addco bar thanks so much to 08 red ss for this write up