Suspension Setup for 68 Olds 442

[Wingviper]

Hey fellas! New around here but heard this was the place to go for answers. So thanks in advance!

I got a 68 Olds 442 I am building up. My first car buildup ever. Its gonna mostly see road but I want to try out this autox stuff and I want a car that will handle. Now, the normal "but". I am also not made of money and I demand quality for what I DO pay alot for. And stuff I get for cheap, haha. But a buddy of mine has been talking about suspension setups by DSE and Speedtech, etc, with AFX spindles and all sorts of stuff. I was originally just going to slap a Hotchkis kit on it and call it a day, since I see them in all the magazines and buildups and people seem to like them. I wanted to get what the real G-guys are doing and what they would recommend for the good handling, weekend warrior buildup. So that I don't go overboard OR underboard with the build. So please, enlighten me!

My thoughts were to at least put QA1 coilovers in the front for adjustability, an adjustable 4-link in the back, and front and rear swaybars. I was thinkin about staying away from the tubular A-arms, they seem a little much for my build maybe? I thought Speedtech's Rear Coilover Conversion was kinda cool too, but hadn't put too much thought into it. Sorry I don't have much in the way of pictures, I am currently deployed. Thanks again!

[exwestracer]

That "A body" chassis has some well known handling characteristics. Keep reading build (and TUNING) threads on Chevelles, etc. and you'll find there are some pretty simple fixes for a lot of the common problems.

I would start with a set of stock size racing springs that will get the lower control arms level (front and rear). If you can work on it yourself, align the front LCA bushing holes with a long drill and put a set of urethane bushings in. IF you were just looking for ultimate handling and no street manners I'd go with delrin or sphericals. Add a set of adjustable tubular upper arms (easier to reset alignment for track days) and tall upper ball joints to improve the camber curve. Spend some bucks on double adjustable shocks to allow you to fine tune the ride and handling. Run the biggest tire you can fit under the fenders.

In the rear, I'd box the lower arms and upgrade the bushings. DO NOT use urethane or delrin bushings in the rear upper control arms. Just replace the old uppers with new high quality rubber bushings. Don't worry about a rear sway bar until you're SURE you need it. Once you get the front working better, you may find the balance of the car is fine without one.

These simple fixes should allow you to reach your performance goal without pouring a ton of money into the car...

[UMI Tech]

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Thanks

-- Ramey