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My suspension recipe.

greenmachine

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Hey guys
I need help with my suspension recipe. I'm a dad on a budget so no altercation for me. I'm thinking
: stock k member but welded up and reinforced with firm feel plates.
: upgraded torsion bars
: dr diff disk brake conversion
: pst poly rebuild kit.
: us car tool sub frame connectors.
:super stock springs with a couple leaves removed to hunker it down.
:not sure on shocks yet. Brand wise
Was thinking of 1.5 dropped spindles but Cass said stay away. Opinions? I think this will be best bang for the buck.

Thanks. Erik.
 
Can your budget afford CalTrac mono leafs, and Caltrac traction bars?
I'm not certain about removing a couple leafs from the S/S springs... If you go with the S/S setup, I recommend taking a very close look at the weight of your car and matching the correct spring...
I'm looking to remove S/S springs and change to a Mono Leaf setup, with Sliders to attach the rear segment. I want the back of my car to squat and transfer weight rearwards.
If you're looking for more of a street corner carving setup, I would find a leaf spring that has the stiffer rates but low arch... Sliders would still be a good idea to prevent binding, and allow the spring to arch and de-arch as they were intended..
In any case, a good shock to fit the application is a must...

Good luck with it!!
 
You are on the right track. No need to spend $5000 for any aftermarket coil over setup unless you just want the newest, shiny stuff.
If you intend to replace the bushings with Urethane you should still use an OEM rubber bushing in the lower control arms. The Urethane transmits more harshness by a noticeable amount.
 
what car?

before you buy anything reinforce what you got to get the most out of your suspension, first that means subframe braces, lower rad brace, inner fender braces, torque boxes, stitch weld the body panels, welded kframe, LCA plates.

you don't need drop spindles unless you were going to really big torsion bars and you can't get your car low enough, save this money for something else. Drop spindles mess with your bumpsteer, so do not buy them unless you plan on correcting the bump steer as well.

Front and rear sway bars, hollow, cheapest I found are Hellwigs from here:http://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10105

shocks, lowest I'd run are bilsteins, but these only work really good for more beefed up stock setups. But a good shock nevertheless.

torsion bars, min 1" or bigger (I wouldn't even run less than the 1.14" but the deals seem to be always on the 1.02" bars")

SS rear leafs are pretty cheap, when you plan on making the bigger jump you can go fiberglass leaf springs with the high rates (up to 250lbs) to compare hotchkis leafs are 170 lbs, superstock is around 140lbs

not sure how crazy you want to go I can go on and on but need to know more about what your plan is for the car and how much you want to spend. I can go on but the reinforcing the chassis should be your first goal.
 
Shoot me a pm with your email and I'll send you a bunch of pictures I took of the reinforcing I did on my k-frame. I added 100+ spot welds to go with the 30 or so factory ones plus added in other reinforcing plates/welds/ etc. To do the spot/rosette welds I used a Rota Broach from Blair Ind to punch the holes. Easy to do but takes some time. Got a MIG unit at your disposal for the welding? You will also need to clean the k before any welding gets done. I had mine tanked twice, took a torch to the unit to burn off any residual and there was still crud lurking which showed up when welding.
 
Working on a budget also so I can relate to your plight. I did subframe tie in's, auburn "posi", green bearings/crush sleeve eliminator and new bearings, SS springs, new/stiffer .102 torsion bars and will be rebuilding the front end and adding tubular A arms. Talked to Cass/ Dr. Diff extensively and will be doing his disc brakes all around. He informed me that geometry gets wacked with dropped spindles (bump steer and clearance for tires) and that ALL Dropped made now are cast pieces, several incidents of breaking already! He suggested I just drop by adjusting my torsion bars and changing the A arm bumper height. I respect what he says because of the reputation he has gained through the comments I read by members I read on this site.
 
Got underneath her today ( just fun to say), K member does not look all that difficult to remove. Studying u tube videos on sequence of bolt removal. My car had no front sway bar so I will have to add that. Everything's media blasted to at least it's clean. Piece at a time.
 
Alright guys. I am getting ready to get that k member and other front suspension out for surgery. I plan on I bolting everything then lifting the front of the car with a strong tow strap and cherry picker so I can raise it up high enough to clear engine, trans bolted to k member. I'm searching k member removal right now. Can I ask for help with the process from beginning to end. Just don't to die by torsion bar. Lol. Thanks. Erik.
 
One step closer!
image.jpg
 
I pulled the trigger yesterday with PST. I got the polygraphite front end kit with LCA stiffening plates, bilsteins, 1.03 torsion bars, C body tie rod ends and steel tie rod ends. Will post pics up. I plan on hellwig sway bars front and rear and frame connectors.
 
Get all the stuff you are re-using de slimed. Oven cleaner works well if you are a DIY type like me. Just keep away from other items as the mist travels, if its breezy, and does not get along with paint. Tough on skin too if you don't glove up.
 
Pics suck but you can see the ones that have been trimmed and solid welded. You have to trim and weld in sections to keep warpage at a minimum. You can weld without trimming it but imo, you end up with a better product if you do trim off the spot weld flange...and it does remove some weight.

 
I appreciate the info and pics. Will start prepping the K for welding over the next little bit. Gonna buy the ff k member reinforcement kit.
 
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