2nd Gen rear suspension

[kevsbird]

I have been entrusted to set up a 2nd gen firebird read. The budget is approximately 1500 dollars. The guy wants an all around car. What are my options? DSE 4 bar is out. As is the Highland-Daytona kit.

[Takid455]

150-175# leafs. a set of koni or bilstie shocks. rubber bushings and a watt's link ( you can make one or get one from Fays2) or panhard bar. another option is GW delalum bushings. the sperical eye inserts are a race only item.

[Lowend]

You don't need any lateral control device in a 2nd gen

Order the Global West Cat V springs with a set of custom valved Bilstiens and you are done and under budget

[79T/Aman]

or you can go and get a whole kit with that budget and do chassis improvment along with it http://www.pro-touringf-body.com/Suspension_kits.html

[ks71z28]

Or you can get the Moog catalog and order the stiffest springs offered for a 2nd gen, some cutting may be required for ride height on the coils. I run 450# fronts and 140# rear springs with large sway bars. The car is still quite stiff and rides ruff, shocks can cause the ruff ride as well, be sure you are getting them what they want. Also super stiff springs don't alow our cars to weight transfer in the corners, 2nd gens push by nature. I have been using less front bar (softening the front) and the initial turn in bite is much better. let the car work. Drift cars run Hotchkis like stiff springs, which gives poor traction, Dave (Pro-touring F-body) has ALL the stuff you will need to set up a nice street car, that may be worthy of an autocross. I gave you my specs and I autocross and track my car often with race slicks, and it is livable on the street. Alignment is also very important. 2nd gens are good cars and really the late 70's trans am have all the good pieces to grab.

good luck

Keith

[johnsma22]

Listen to 79T/Aman. You will not regret it! I bought and installed just about everything he sells for a 2nd gen F-body. The quality and price of his parts is second to none. He also freely gives expert advice to help you meet your goals. The only suspension parts that I didn't get from him were the front control arms. I decided to go with DSE's upper/lower tubular controls arms that just became available this past September. They are very nice pieces, but they are very pricey. Pro-Touring F-bodies upper control arms can't be beat for the price though.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2007/10/DSC02543-1.jpg

[Marcus SC&C]

A stated above you can get pretty good performance out of a good set of leaf springs and shocks. You can go one better with adj. rate shocks and or a watts link. Yes,it`s true that leaf spring cars don`t need one but they do benefit from one. Don`t knock it till you`ve tried it! :) If you want to loose the heavy leaf spring altogether your choices are limited but you still have one very good choice a Chassisworks G-Bar. It`s a nice complete converging 4 link system complete with Varishock QS1 adj. coil overs and springs (which gives you adj. rear ride height) for $1599 The structure that mounts the upper links and coilovers also serves to triangulate and reinforce the back half of the uni body which is also a good thing. We`ve had really good feedback from our clients who`re running it. Mark SC&C

[kevsbird]

79T/Aman, the rear super duty kit looks like a winner.