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View Full Version : gm a-body budget build



dusterbd13
02-22-2013, 09:23 AM
so im building my 64 el camino.....

plans are a compenatnt dailoy driver. not planning autocross or open track, i have the duster for that.
the suspension is slap work out, with some scary characteristics. wheels will be 17X9.5 with 275/40/17 tires. brakes will be corvette 4 wheel disc.
power steering will be a jeep grand cherokee 12:1 fast ratio firm feel box.

on the front suspension, i have a huge swaybar (1.5 inch maybe?), and not much else. im thinking of boxing the LCA's, and going with some AFCO steel bushings. planned on running proforged tall upper ball joints, but unsure of what i need to do with the UCA's. i have a connection at UB machine that can make me a straight armed tube uca for ~50 each in whatever specs i need.
for the LBJ, im unsure wether or not to go with a tall lower. what are the camber gain specs either way? bumpsteer specs?
im thinking fo finding some bilsteins for thefront shocks as well. ride height will be set by making the LCA parallell with the ground. that way i can maximise negative camber gain with whatever i have.

on the rear, i really have no idea. thoughts are to box the control arms, and use poly bushings. but then ill have binding issues per internet research. i can jo with johnny jointed uppers and boxed lowers, and i think i can get where i want to be. whiat would you do and why?
im also planning on dropping the rear to where its level with the front, whatever drop amount that might be. i still need to e able to use it as a truck though, and ive seen where there are drag bags that go inside the springs. would thius work? ive also seen products that change the rear LCA angle tof traction, etc. so i need to go here?

so anyway, im looking for ultimate bang for the buck. sweat equity is free. money is tight. where would you spend it and why?

silvermonte
02-22-2013, 04:57 PM
I cant give you any good answers but i can back up some of what you have read. With your rear i was going to do the same thing with my g-body, i was going to box the arms and then go with good bushings, i also read that will cause alot of binding so i didnt end up doing that, i ended up going with poly graphite bushings, and leaving the boxes open. Drove with it that way for prolly 1500 miles and they never sqeaked and i have also used the air bags inside the coil springs, they would work perfect for what you want to do, take air out of them for a softer ride and then when you put something in the bed put some air in them, i just hooked the two air bags to one line and then ran the line up inside the trunk of my car to let air in and out, you could runs yours inside the frame so the line pops out right behind your rear bumper, would be pretty easy to get to and would be hidden.