suspension advice

[59imp]

ok, so i'd like to improve the handling in my impala. it's about 4400 lbs, and coils all way around, i've already installed new nitrogen shocks, which helped, so other than baggin' it, whats the best bang for the buck??
i've read that boxing the rear trailing arms might help. what about new springs?? or bigger sway bars front and rear(small one right now on the front, nothing on the rear). i just want to improve it some, it'll never be a drifter i know, it's just a handfull in the twisties....

any thoughts?????

 

[RoddingRon]

Stiffer springs and sway bars will help. So will polyurethane bushings for all of the piviot points (A arms, rear control arms, etc).

Good luck...and as always, take lots of pictures to share here

 

[donsrods]

Looks like you have already lowered it a little and are running radials? Those two things should help somewhat.

Don

 

[59imp]

Looks like you have already lowered it a little and are running radials? Those two things should help somewhat.

Don

hey Don, no it's not lowered, it's bone stock. i am running radials, 245/50 15's on the back, 235/60 15 on the front, they're actually a bit taller than the stock 14 bias that were on it.... maybe the springs are just sagged out??

mo

 

[Unkl Ian]

Bigger sway bar will help.
And add a rear bar.
Dropping it down will help.

Don't bother with real stiff springs and shocks,they just kill the ride.

Disc brakes on front would be a good idea.

 

[gassersgarage]

When I was building my 65' Biscayne, Hotckis had come out with a complete rear suspension kit for the full size chevys. Boxed upper and lower trailing arms, poly bushings and a sway bar. I added the complete rear suspension and added their front sway bar. What a different.........I could take turns twice as fast and the car didn't porpoise on the freeway. Also cured wheel hop as I was running a BBC with a 6 speed.

 

[59imp]

When I was building my 65' Biscayne, Hotckis had come out with a complete rear suspension kit for the full size chevys. Boxed upper and lower trailing arms, poly bushings and a sway bar. I added the complete rear suspension and added their front sway bar. What a different.........I could take turns twice as fast and the car didn't porpoise on the freeway. Also cured wheel hop as I was running a BBC with a 6 speed.

thanks for the info, i'll check out Hotckis, but i heard Poly bushings tend to squeak after a while, have you had this problem??

mo

 

[shizzy]

try tossing poly bushings and endlinks on the stock sway bar. I have done that on a few of my beaters over the years. it really tightens up the action of the sway bar. that and a better set of tires has always been money well spent.

 

[R Pope]

Those ol' GM luxobarges weren't intended for high-G cornering. The X frame twists all over the place. Lowering and good tires will make it a bit better, but it's best low, slow, and cool.

 

[Unkl Ian]

The Convertable frames were a little heavier,but the X-frame isn't real stiff.

 

[59imp]

ya i never thought about how much the frame twists, but it makes sense.

i'm not trying to build a rally rocket either, just trying to improve things a bit and stay on a budget, so i'm gonna try a few things, maybe poly bushings and check the scrap yard to see if a truck sway bar will fit, and lastly price out a new set of coils.

thanks for all the tips guys...

mo

 

[gassersgarage]

thanks for the info, i'll check out Hotckis, but i heard Poly bushings tend to squeak after a while, have you had this problem??

mo

3 years with no problems. Zerks fittings on all the bushed ends.