GW offset shafts and other help needed 4 F body

[rohrt]

I was reading in the archives about the GW offset shafts. Does anyone know if these can be used with stock poly bushings?

My suspension was done by me before finding this site thus it is crap. I currently have poly used all the way around KYB shocks, Lee Power steering box and Addco front and rear bars the biggest they sell. I ordered springs from Classic Industries. I called them because the car is riding in the air ridding on the bump stops and almost fully assembled now. While talking to classic they suggested loosening all the a-arm bolts and bouncing it to come down(I will try that but havn't yet). While I was talking to them I found out my springs are 207 lbs/inch springs. ( I ordered them for a Convertible 400 with/air thinking they would be stiffer) I also have one a-arm shaft that has one bolt taped for a corse thread. Since I need to replace the shafts any way can any one give me advice on any other cheap mods I may want to do? I'm going thru the pains of divorce so money is tight. I can get the springs replaced by classic and they do sell Hotchkis. Should I do this or just see how it handles first? Since I have such big sway bars 1 1/8 front I think and the stiff KYB shocks would the light springs be a better combination? I want my firebird convertible to look stock for the most part but perform better then stock. I would love to do the gold strand mod but I have the engine in now.

http://community.webshots.com/user/trohrt

[David Pozzi]

What year F body do you have?
What engine?
What size wheels/tires will you use?

[rohrt]

68 firebird convert 455, Stockton wheels 8inch rally II's plan on using 235/60 front and 275/50 back. Tires have not been purchased yet.

[Marcus SC&C]

It`s not at all unusual for "correct restoration type" springs to be WAY off as far as ride height is concerned. I don`t know why many of them insist on making them improperly but they do. You can either cut them to set the ride height or send em back and get something else. I put a set of "factory rate 327 no AC" springs in a customer`s `65 Impala convertible last year that had the suspension nearly topped out. The company insisted they were correct. The customer needed the car back right away so I cut the springs 1/2 coil at a time until it sat at what he felt was stock ride height. It took 2 1/2 coils! Anyway, the rate of correct factory type springs for your car should be in the 350lb/in range, 202lbs/in is way too soft. Moog springs aren`t perfect either but they`re closer to stock than the springs from most resto outlets. Try `68 RAII w AC springs and cut them 1/2 coil. I used this combo on another customer`s `68 400/4spd. Bird with good results. With poly graphite bushings,KYBs and a 1" front bar it drove and handled pretty good. You can still do the G mod if you like,just pull the UCAs off and redrill the holes from the outside in. Go conservative and you shouldn`t have to reshape the top of the frame perches much to clear the UCAs (at least not much). The Moog Offset shafts are a good idea of you`re lowering the car much and or doing the G mod. *If* you don`t do the G mod *and* you don`t lower the car much you could also improve the geometry with our tall stud modular upper ball joints in the stock UCAs with the offset shafts. Lower or in combination with the G mod the tall joints require adj. UCAs. If the swaybars are already on the car try it and see how it works then just tune to taste. BTW mono leafs or mulitleaf? Marcus SC&C

[rohrt]

Multi leafs

From what I'm hearing It sounds like I have the following options I can do

1. The G-mod (I did some research and I see I can drill the holes from the outside) I would love to just cut the whole mount off but can't figure out how to do it without making a huge mess of everything.

"Go conservative and you shouldn`t have to reshape the top of the frame perches much to clear the UCAs " What do you mean by that?

2. Moog offset shafts (This give more caster right?)

3. tall stud modular upper ball joints (Gives added camber live the Gmod right?)

The 65 impala being toped out is the same problem I'm having right now. If I cut the springs I can't send them back. I can't for the life of me see how the springs are to soft, I had a hell of time getting them in. Even with me and my brother hanging on the front of the car(a extra 400lbs) it dosn't come down much at all. When I talked to Classic they gave me the specs of several springs they sell for the birds and they were around 327, 328. 337 and of course the 207 lbs/in. I know if the springs are cut that increases their stiffness. I could have them rated at a speed shop around hear. I just want to do it once and be done with it. Any mods I do I want them to be very Subtle. The simplist would be the offset shafts and the tall studes.

[derekf]

Good luck finding the Moog offset shafts (p/n K5250) - they're apparently on a national backorder.

[rohrt]

Good thing I have more time then Money. Does Moog have their own web site? I couldn't locate it using google?

[derekf]

You betcha - they're part of Federal-Mogul now:

http://www.federal-mogul.com/cda/content/front/0,2194,2442_7707,00.html

If you want to start collecting, when I called RockAuto last week or week before, they said they had *one* of the K5250s, then you'd only need one more (assuming they've still got it).. one would likely be easier to find than two.

[rohrt]

I never got any reply about

2. Moog offset shafts (This give more caster right?)

3. tall stud modular upper ball joints (Gives added camber live the Gmod right?)

Would this be my best option considering I want to keep the look as close to stock as I can. I might conside the G-mod if I could think of a way to cut the mount off while having a templated welded to the frame.