Time to upgrade some parts!

[MarPar]

Ok guys and gals, it's time to replace pretty much the whole (front for now) suspension on the olde GTXer.

t-bars, sway bar, strut rods, shocks, uca's, lca's and all the boots n bushings. yes, ALL of it is going to be done at once. It's going to be pretty much all apart, so might as well.

She's not a track car, nor a strip car. She's a cruiser. I drive the hell out of it whenever i can. I want her to be solid, not mushy like she is now.

i like to take corners relatively fast and also stomp on the loud petal and have the fart-can crowd eat my rubber light to light. :3gears:
SO

this is what im thinking...

1-poly(?) poly-graphite(?) bushings all around

2-keep(?) same size torsion bar- I'm assuming .96, ill measure them later tonight and report back

3-keep(?) same size sway bar- no clue on size, ill measure them too

4-keeping UCA's and LCA's- the stock ones there now. (want stock look) just clean 'em up and re-use them if they are ok.

5-shocks- kinda open on this one...QA1? KYB? Bilstein? Monroe? 2-way, 12-way, gas, magnetic???? SO many choices!!!lol :dontknow:

6-bushings and boots kits- PST? FFI? ESPO? Mancini? (would like to get a nice kit that has EVERYTHING no F*ckin around here!:banana

i think that covers it...:eusa_think:

anyways..looking for ideas, opinions, suggestions, whatever...throw it on the wall and see if it sticks!!!

:cheers2:

 

[Kern Dog]

I thought that I remember seeing that "Just Suspension" had a full kit that they called.."The Works".

 

[MarPar]

Thanks Gregory...that kit has everything!!!

it's a perfect starting point for me to brain-storm and figure out exactly what i want

 

[Kern Dog]

I have only seen the ads, so I don't know the specific sizes of the T bars and sway bars. One good thing... they may be engineered as a package that works well together. I hope that it works out for you!:headbang:

 

[68sportsatelliteragtop]

Good time to do it all now, check out this info from Firm Feel re: nylon/urethane LCA bushings. http://www.firmfeel.com/adjstrut.htm I experieced this issue and just purchased adjustable front strut rods to hopefully correct the problem. If I had to do it over again, I would probably go w/ Moog LCA bushings and not have to deal with the toe issues. PST will put together a kit however you want it, don't forget your 10% discount when you order from them. While its apart, blast and powdercoat your control arms for a lasting finish. Good luck and hope it all comes apart easy for you.

 

[tpodwdog]

HEAR YEEEEE....HEAR YEEEEEE....THIS IS ONLY A SUGGESTIONNNNNNNNNNN...

I USED THIS ( THESE)..AND ALL WENT SMOOTHLY.. so its only a suggestion.

i replaced my ENTIRE front end just like you're about to do about 4 months ago. i got all the parts (MOOG) from rock auto....they were here in 3 days...and i got 6 cool as hell magnets !

new UCA bushings....LCA bushings...tie rod ends....tie rod sleeves... torsion bar boots and clips.... all new upper and lower ball joints...new idler arm ,,,,new pitman arm strut rod bushings.....I MEAN EVERYTHING !. I WENT WITH RUBBER AND NOT POLY FOR THIS REASON.

my buddy used poly and the damn car rides like a truck....i used rubber and it glides on the pavement like a magic carpet. and all the parts were around 350.00 and took 3 days to do thats....:

totally dissembling everything,,,,degreasing....primering and painting everything....and not busting my *** in a hurry to get it done.....doing it right.

took the LCA's to a shop to press out the bushings,,,and press new ones in..( i dont have the tools for that here)

put it all back together ( measuring the tie rod assembly and duplicating it before i ripped it apart)..greased it . threw the tires on it and drove it for a day without incident.....THENNNNNNNN. took it to get aligned.

*** make sure you MARK your cam bolts before removing them ( i used a center punch at the very top...so when you paint it,,,,if you do...you wont lose the mark and youll know how to put it back together and SOMEWHAT keep your alignment until you align it after youre done...and DONT MIX THEM UP )......and take the tie rods off as a unit....measure them...and duplicate them( measure grease fitting to grease fitting CENTERS )....its a HELL of alot easier than measuring this to that ,,,and that to this,,,,minus the sum of the square root of the icoseles triangle,,,bla bla bla....)

 

[Cranky]

And make sure you get the right side upper control arm on the right and the left on the left. They are NOT the same. I've seen them wrong so many times.....just don't get it why people don't pay attention lol

 

[ga66mopar]

C-body tie rods end is a good upgrade for a b-body that doesn't cost anything. I used them on my 66 belv and I was amazed how much bigger they were. The bigger C-body tie rod ends appear to be cheaper

http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-ES319R

http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-ES352R-Passenger

 

[Kern Dog]

I can see the value of the C body tie rod gear if you race or live on a bumpy dirt road. The added beef would certainly help resist deflection.
Otherwise, They seem overkill for a street driver. If they cost the same, what the heck, do it anyway.

 

[moparstuart]

get the new steering gear box too , go with a Steer and Gear firm feel Stage II box they are amazing you will love it .

http://www.steerandgear.com/

 

[MarPar]

thanks for all the response guys!!! helluva good info!!

quikie update...sway bar is 1" and t-bars are .96.

 

[Kern Dog]

If you want better handling, check my thread.."For those that like to turn corners". My car handles well but isn't bone jarring. I used poly bushings in the upper control arms and strut rods, but I used a rubber bushing in each lower control arm. The KYB shocks are considered too stiff by many. I may switch to Bilstiens when I find an extra $425 laying around.