I'm planning to rebuild my front suspension and have the following questions for you 2nd gen suspension guru's. Let me know what you run and what you would have done differently!
Currently stock A arms with poly bushings. Planning to go with aftermarket arms on top and new bushing on the lower. Any reccommendations on arms, bushings, tall balljoints?
Need new balljoints, inner & outer tie rod ends ect. Best type & source?
Currently running stock springs, stock sway bar/poly end links with KYB shock. Stick with stock springs as ride height is where I want it? New shocks? New sway bar needed?
Stock brake calipers with stock rotors & pads. Reasonable upgrades for these parts?
Car is street driven with 1/4 mile and autocross track time. Want it to handle well with reasonable budget. I know the sky is the limit!
I've heard lots of good things about the SC&C adjustable upper arms and the Howe tall balljoints. They allow lots of caster and great geometry. Delalum bushings seem to be the best performing bushings for the lower arms. You can also box in your lower arms for more rigidity.
Pick up Hotchkis front springs (didnt lower my car hardly at all) and the Hotchkis front bar. I'm also running KYB shocks.
For brakes, I went with the 12" 1LE upgrade. 92 IROC rotors on 80s B-body spindles with the stock calipers and Caprice D61 police pads. I can get you a bunch of part numbers if you want them. It's a cheap upgrade that still fits inside 15" wheels.
I personally like the Global West arms, del-a-lum, and like their' springs over Hotchkis. Lots of reasons.
On my A-Body, I did the ATS spindles, all GW (uppers & lowers, springs) and the C5 brake upgrade, and would have gone that route on the F-body were they available at the time. Swear by it...
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1971 Lemans Sport 461 bottle fed daily driver
1971 Trans Am 474 blown EFI pro tour car
1972 442 W-30 clone
Although I currently have Fat Man Fab components on my 2nd gen, I'm going to go with DSE on the rebuild here next year probably. DSE has much more to offer for adjustabillity and performance.