where to start?

[Amphilophus]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could give me some guidance as to where I could find some good info to start learnong about suspension and how to modify my car? I am needing to start from the very basics. I currently have a 1968 firebird that I would like to modify. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

[zbugger]

Well, you came to the right place. You may want to really spend some time reading in this forum. There is lots of info in here. I really couldn't tell you where you'd want to start, but that's because you'd be getting lost rather easily. Try reading up on many of the old threads and you can pick up on a lot of information that way. The info is here for the research. In reality, there are no real quick answers. We are all still learning new things all the time.

[Andrew McBride]

http://www.detroitspeed.com/ProTouringBook10.html

I recommend this book. The forum is great place to ask questions,
I recommend the book as a way to get familiar. good luck, and welcome.

Andrew

[Nova-Mann]

Ditto to the PT book. I just got mine last week, and I can see there are about a million ways it can all be done. I just got turned onto this site last week by awr-68 (we met on a job site) and it has rejuvinated all the testosterone that has laid dormant for decades. I turn 57 next month, but I feel 18 again. My experience from past "experiments" has been to find an engineered package that works together, and try not to get lost in a lot of untested opinions and cost-cutting adventures. If time is worth money then redoing a chassis is WAY expensive. So much for my first post. Oh ya, my project is a 70 Nova SS that I bought new and has survived 2 divorces and 17 years of storage (including a mouse infestation). I just started to PT it yesterday by purchasing a cowl induction hood. I'm really pumped!!!

[wally8]

Well, I'm certainly no expert but I've learned a lot over the last 8 or 9 years. I didn't know squat when I started racing.

Start with some good books. I like the one that's out there by Don Alexander (can't remember the title right now). I actually got that info from him personally but the book is good too. He does a really good job of explaining things in a reasonable way. This will give you a basic understanding of how things work. I also like Van Valkenburgh's Race Car Engineering and Mechanics. I have a several more but those are good.

A lot of people will recommend Herb Adams. I think because it's easy to read. I'll throw in my two cents and say I don't think his stuff is very good. He's a stiffer is better guy and that has been disproved in the last decade. Maybe he's a good source for the basic understanding but I wouldn't do the things he recommends.

The next thing to do is study some proven combos for the car you have. Try to understand the problems these upgrades are solving and why.

After that, do something to your car and see what happens. Nothing like practical experience to speed the learning curve.

Good luck and get ready for the crack-like addiction that you'll soon be experiencing. One mod leads to another, and another, and another........

Later....

Wally

[David Pozzi]

wally8,
Adams is not a stiffer is better guy, he recomends softer spring rates than anyone. He even says the IROC springs are too stiff and he recomends stock springs for high perf street use. He does use larger antiroll bars along with his softer springs.

Amphilophus,
check my web page for first gen Camaro info, most of it works on a Firebird.

[Amphilophus]

thanks alot for all the responses.they are all very helpfull. thanks again.


Ok I have just started reading some things and I already have a question. how much can a stock subframe car be modified? i am looking to make my car handle the same or better than my 1996 v6 camaro(handles very well I think) can this be done with a stock subframe?thanks.

[wally8]

David,

Stiffer springs, stiffer sway bars, in a corner it's all the same to the wheel right? Point is he recommends overall stiffnesses (how's that for a technical term?) that are higher than most would use these days.

We find that flat cornering is not nearly as effective as letting the suspension use some of its movement to transfer the weight.

Maybe we'll have to agree to disagree on Adams. I'm not a fan.


Wally