Suspension & Brakes Springs | Shocks | Handling | Rotors

need some advice...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 24, 2005 | 10:59 PM
  #1  
BLUE99T/A's Avatar
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Tx
Default need some advice...

Alright, my question may be a dumb one, but, How do I make my T/A handle better? I've spent the past year and a half makin it faster, learned every way possible to get it to go fast in a straight line but now I wanna turn. somebody help me out. Thanks.
Reply
Old May 24, 2005 | 11:04 PM
  #2  
felton316's Avatar
TECH Addict
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,593
Likes: 0
From: TEXAS
Default

What kind of driving are you planning on doing? AX, RR, or just street driving? Shocks, sway bars, and springs make a helluva difference.
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 08:04 AM
  #3  
BOOTYTA's Avatar
Teching In
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Miami, Florida
Default

Strut tower brace, sub frame connectors, shocks, springs, wider and stickier tires on all four corners. That is a good start.
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 09:54 AM
  #4  
Cal's Avatar
Cal
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,691
Likes: 3
From: Northern Utah
Default

Koni single adjustable shocks. That is the one thing that will make the most difference, closely followed by good tires. Then sway bars and springs. A little known fact is that strut tower braces are as useless as **** on a boar hog for a 4th gen. If you hang your wet shop rags on it, the motor will provide heat to dry them, rofl.
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 10:01 AM
  #5  
BOOTYTA's Avatar
Teching In
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Miami, Florida
Default

Originally Posted by Cal
Koni single adjustable shocks. That is the one thing that will make the most difference, closely followed by good tires. Then sway bars and springs. A little known fact is that strut tower braces are as useless as **** on a boar hog for a 4th gen. If you hang your wet shop rags on it, the motor will provide heat to dry them, rofl.

How did you come to that conclusion about the STB. I autocross and have tried with and without and noticed a big difference with it on. On the streets it makes a difference.
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 10:11 AM
  #6  
Cal's Avatar
Cal
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,691
Likes: 3
From: Northern Utah
Default

Originally Posted by BOOTYTA
How did you come to that conclusion about the STB. I autocross and have tried with and without and noticed a big difference with it on. On the streets it makes a difference.
I learned about it from Sam Strano, probably the best fbody AX driver in the world.

But we don't have to take his word for it. Take a close look at how the front suspension is designed. The front wheels are attached to almost the bottom end of the spindles. Most of the cornering force goes through the lower control arms and into the K-member. Very little force is absorbed into the upper control arms with that long, skinny spindle barely pushing sideways on them. Further, if you take the upper control arms off the car, you will see that they are rather small and weak, not even designed to take cornering loads.

Strut tower braces work on cars with real struts, like Mustangs and 3rd gen fbodies. For 4th owners, it's only a way to make their wallet lighter and car heavier.

Do what you want, but I'll see ya on the track, and my car's gonna be lighter!
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 11:58 AM
  #7  
BLUE99T/A's Avatar
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Tx
Default

I'm just lookin for better handling for street use. It's all stock and it's got 80k miles. It just feels spongy on turns and rides rough as hell on these crappy new orleans streets.
Reply
Old May 25, 2005 | 12:02 PM
  #8  
BLUE99T/A's Avatar
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Tx
Default

Oh yeah, the plastic on my dash and doors are cracking and I know it's from the roads because I watched it happen.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 25, 2005 | 01:34 PM
  #9  
Cal's Avatar
Cal
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,691
Likes: 3
From: Northern Utah
Default

Get some SLP sub frame connectors. That will keep your car from flexing on the rough roads and cracking the plastic.
Reply
Old May 27, 2005 | 10:55 AM
  #10  
JasonWW's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
20 Year Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,814
Likes: 3
From: Hou. TX.
Default

You have to think of the suspension as a whole. All the parts work together, so you have to plan things out in advance to make sure they will work nicely together. Just like matching a cam to the stall speed to the rear gear ratio. If everything works together, performance will be optimized. If one poorly choosen part is in the mix, it will not perforn at it's peak.

Some Bilstein shocks will smooth out the ride. On stock springs they will give you a cadillac ride. But who want's that, right? They will also help control the floaty body motions that the stock shocks can't control. So shocks will make the biggest changes, but don't get some cheap, crappy ones. Stick with Bilstein or the Koni SA's.
Stiffer springs will up the performance level again. The car will still ride better than the original suspension, but with less nose dive and better turn in.
Next, I would have to say a bigger front bar, like a solid 35mm and a performance alignment. Adding some negative camber to the front tires will help them stick in corners.

There is a lot more involved, like ride height and other things that need to be worked out in advance. It can cost some big money, so set up a budget to make sure you can cover all the stuff you will need.

Also, stickier front tires to go with your drag radials can make a big difference in braking and cornering. But you know that, right?
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:54 AM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE