Suspension setup for 74 Firebird.

[cjmech]

Well I have been lurking here for some time now and have admired alot of rides. So now is the time that I need some help with some decisions on my old bird. A little on the history, I bought the car for $1800 in 95 after highschool with the original 250 straight 6 and 3spd sag. with the intentions of swapping to a 350.....well I joind the army a few months later and put the car in storage. Thats where shes been for the last 10 years. I finally got her to my house now, so here is the plan:

Hopefully soon I will have the LS2 and 6spd in it. Once the bugs are worked out of the EFI I plan on twin charging it, but this is a whole other affair....lol.

The suspension is where I am not sure on what to get. I want the car to handle like its on rails as well as really be able to hook at the track as it will see plenty of track time, and not be a kidney crusher on the street. I know this might be asking a bit much but I figured this is the best place to find out what works and what doesnt.

I am currently on my second tour here in Iraq so I have had nothing but time to think about finally getting my bird back on the road. So any and all advise from the members here is greatly appreciated.

Cj

[almcbri]

Welcome to lateral-g!

Here are a few links of suspension dealers. I am sure some some 2nd gen guys will chime in to help you out. Nice project

www.hotchkis.net

www.speedtech-performance.com

http://www.globalwest.net/1970-81%20...components.htm

[Tony@AirRideTech]

you said a couple of key words...... "performance" and "Kidney Crusher"... I am sure after being over in Iraq you have had your fair share of excellent ride quality in the H-1's....... Undoubtedly a properly designed air system can get you when you need and there are also alot of other options as well. Unfortunately suspensions are about like building a motor. The nicer the stuff the more money you are spending " Generally speaking". What kind of budget are on for the suspension and are you wanting to lower the car at the same time? What kind of fab skills do you have and or do you even want to cut on the car? all of that would be good info so we can help you with a direction.

[cjmech]

Tony,

After my first post I got to thinking about some info that would probably be a bit more useful..

The wheel combo that I would like to go with are a 18x8 front and 18x10 rear, staying under the fenders of course.

Lowering the car is going to be a must just the amount is unknown at this time, but probably about 2" is a good start (untill I get the wheels and brake mods completed).

My fab skills are good.

Honestly, I dont want to cut up the car, but thats all based on what its going to take.

My budget....I didnt join the army to get rich so if it is something I can piece together fairly easily over a bit of time then thats good.

And yes the H1 suspension is killer on the kidneys, but the heavier they make them the more comfortable they get......and if it rode like a stryker it would feel like a boat...lol

Cj

[cjmech]

So I am leaning toward the TVS system but am curious to how it will turn out with the lighter LSx engine/trans combo...anyone?

Cj

[Marcus SC&C]

I know you asked about suspension but my first step would be subframe connectors and solid aluminum or at least poly subframe bushings. That`ll give you a solid foundation for everything else. Hotchkis TVS springs are a fine choice,as are DSE or GW. Just make sure you get front and rear from the same source. Stock RTS or WS6 TA swaybars would be a nice addition and pretty easy to find used. The TA steering boxes are also faster ratio and have more road feel,especially the WS6 boxes. You`ll want a good set of shocks,don`t skimp here! Bilstein or Koni are both fine for non adj. but adj. shocks give you the ability to tune the car to suit you. We`ve had great luck with Alston Varishocks. Next step is alignment,these cars like more + caster and - camber than they had stock. Some aftermarket arms will help you get that,some don`t do anything at all so caveat emptor. Naturally I`d recomend our adj. tubular upper arms. You can combine them with tall upper ball joints for more negative camber gain and slightly higher roll center for less body roll. Overall these cars were actually designed better than most cars of the era (from a performance standpoint) so you don`t have to get wild to get impressive performance out of them. Mark SC&C