Suspension Help... What To Do??? Where Do I Spend The $$$

[soonercrew]

looking for suggestions on what to do with my suspension... 71 Camaro RS ... the car will be built as a pro-touring car ... more and likely will have a big block (502 or 454)... this car will probably only be driven on weekend drives... looking for opinions for front and rear! my budget: 2500-3000 (+/- a tad)????

[ProdigyCustoms]

We can do Hotchkis TVS, Shocks, frame Connectors and Speedtech upper and lower control arms,

$2750

Add a fast ratio later model steering box from the local parts store and some fresh tie rods and idler arm, about $300, and you have everything covered.

[soonercrew]

frank,
can you throw in the speed tech bushings
i would also be purchasing wheel/tire set among other items!!!

[ProdigyCustoms]

I am in a very good mood tonight. If you buy it all, yup, I will throw them in.

[Marcus SC&C]

Frank, Billy Mays is gone and you`re in Fla. already... maybe you should look up Anthony Sullivan for a job as his new Pitchmen sidekick?

Sooner, are you going mainly for looks or real performance? If it`s mainly looks almost any parts will do. If serious performance gains are your goal you`ll need to pick your parts carefully. The 2nd gen is a pretty good platform already but it can be improved upon. Subframe connectors and solid aluminum body bushings are a hgood start to get a rigid platform to build on. The front end geometry isn`t bad but it is very mild. Best cornering performance requires hardcore racing alignment specs and resulting rapid tire wear. Tweaking the geometry by moving suspension pickup points can give you better dynamic gain and let you achieve the same performance with street alignment specs and better tire wear. This type of change requires more than just A arms are capable of doing though. The rear suspension is antiquated (circa 1865 or so) but okay. An adj. rear bar is a really good move, my preference would be Hellwig there. If you`re not running a transverse muffler a frame mounted watts link is a great option to reduce unwanted lateral axle movement and make the car really feel planted and linear. It lets you have super accurate axle and roll center location while running soft spring and shackle bushings to provide a smooth ride and minimum NVH (noise, vibrations and harshness). Using this type of approach you can do a much more effective system than the typical springs and bars and still stay in or at least very near your budget. I`d be happy to chat with you about it and explain the tech behind it all if you like. Just give a call. Mark SC&C

[soonercrew]

mark... the purpose would be mostly for looks, but will also appreciate the performance increase as well!

frank...
after seeing my response to mark, is your suggestion the same?
or
is there any advantage at all to doing a dse rear quadra link set-up and a speed kit on the front??? besides the price going up, although it may not be too much more???

[formula]

Just to throw my two cents in--I'm nowhere near as tuned in as either of these maestros are, but do have experience with 2nd gen suspensions, having done my own and helped a few others...

That being said, you really need to decide what level of performance you're looking for. I know we all dream of being track stars, but if you're not going to actually be out on the track more than a few times a year, and will be mostly just driving hard on backroads and having a good time on the street, you can save a lot of time and money by not letting the green eyed monster guide your suspension purchases!

I honestly don't have enough seat time to pass judgement on which of the link-style rear suspensions are the best, but I'm running a triangulated 4 link and love it--upgrading to a different rear setup completely does give great results--BUT--a dialed-in traditional leaf setup will be pretty darn close for much less cash! I HAVE had the opportunity to compare my car's handling against a TVS setup, and for street use and spirited driving, you have to push it HARD to really feel that much of a difference.

Just my two cents--hope I'm not stepping on any toes, and I'm not trying to discourage you from pulling the trigger, just think long and hard about if you really need a cannon when a rifle will do!

Edit: Just wanted to add, after thinking a bit more, that the things I would call absolute necessities, no matter what you decide to do, are motion control and chassis rigidity! Quality bushings all around, subframe connectors and g-braces (or a cage, if you want to), aluminum body bushings, and fresh steering gear are the strong links you simply must do to keep the chain together, no matter what you end up running!

[soonercrew]

wes,
i really appreciate your input! im really in no need of a rear link set-up at all... as you said, i will mostly just be roaming the streets on the weekends... waiting for some young future star to pull up next to me at the light ;)
i really think that frank has a great set-up at a great price... and i will probably end-up there, along with some more goodies!!!

[ProdigyCustoms]

frank...
after seeing my response to mark, is your suggestion the same?
or
is there any advantage at all to doing a dse rear quadra link set-up and a speed kit on the front??? besides the price going up, although it may not be too much more???

My suggestion remains the same. Stay with a proven budget package with many happy customers served. Sure there is a great ride and improved handling doing a full DSE treatment. But as the wise young man above (Fomula) mentioned, it is not at all required for what your doing. I never heard "I have unlimited money or fab skills and need the best".

And as for the Hotchkis and how it works.........just go to a autocross and watch Mary Pozzi beat up on the boys with her Hotchkis equiped 2nd gen!

[Lowend]

I would say your single most important thing is bracing the chassis. You can have all of the coolest suspension stuff on earth and if the chassis is squirming around it doesn't mean squat.
The best chassis package I have seen is from ProTouring F body
Their 3 piece stopflex kit is awesome
http://www.pro-touringf-body.com/cha...omponents.html
From there, I'd start looking at hard-parts. Tierods, pitman arm ect...
Frank's proposed package from there is a good place to go for a street car.