Making a G-Body handle...

J Banning

Quench my thirst with C16
Joined
May 25, 2001
Yes, you read that correctly. I'm looking for info on how to make a g-body Buick handle.

More specifically, I'm looking for the issue of the GSXtra (I think that's where it was) that had the article about setting up a g-body to handle on a road course/auto-x.

Can anyone tell me which issue it was... or even better if anyone has it in PDF format?

Any info online (www) about this subject??

P.S. I'm looking to do this on a LOW BUDGET... with as many free/junk yard mods as possible (i.e.: Possible late entry into the
$2005 grassroots challenge )

Word up!
-Banning.
 
Look in the Chasis and Brake section for a thread titlted"how can we make our cars handle like these imports"Lots of limks and such in there,or try MCSS sites.
 
yeah look there, i started that thread and it turned out to get alot of attention, theres alot of kick ass info in it
 
$2005 challenge.....

Hows it going Banning? What kind of car are you entering into the challenge? Ill be there again in my 84 Ttype so it will be nice to have some company if you do attend. Im also working to achieve decent handling from my T so here is a list of some low cost things that ive done and others that would help as well.

Bilstein shocks--220 from autozone for a set, but if your worried about cash the KYBs should do well for the money. Last event this was my only suspension modification and with Eric Fisher driving it managed to get 26th place in the autocross/road course.

Tires/wheels--Use Iroc Camaro 16" wheels with the best tires you can find. A set can be bought for as little as 50 bucks compared to 250 plus for the GTA rims. I used stock 87GN rims, but you can save alot of unsprung weight with the GTA or Iroc rims which is beneficial. I competed with Yokohama AVS intermediates purchased for $44 dollars a piece. Look on ebay for cheap sticky tires such as the AVS or Dunlop SP sport 8000 etc.

Use moog springs or springs removed from a 3rd gen F body in the yard. Z28s/GTAs and Irocs use stiffer springs than the standard Fbody. Cut the springs to lower the car to get your center of gravity down.

I just installed moog 5658 front springs clipped 3/4 of a coil resulting in a 24.5 inch ride height in the front. Handling was greatly improved over stock.

Get new sway bar end links. This also helps a good bit for the price.

Stiffening--Cutlasses and Grand Prix came with "triangulation" braces up front. I use the cutlass braces that connect the crossmember to the frame rails. GP's came with a brace connecting the frame rails only or a combination of the two.
Body bushings would certainly firm up the handling of the car as well. Get rid of any flex you can.

Unsprung weight--Remove as much unsprung weight as possible. The easy things to do here are to add on aluminum rear brake drums and aluminum rims from the f bodys. If you upgrade your brakes, look at weight readings as well when making decisions. Al. calipers from other vehicles could be added using adapter brackets which would remove maybe 4 pounds per side. Old 2nd gen RX7s often came with 4 piston aluminum calipers, as well as late model 300zxs(switched to cast iron later) and various porsches found in the yards.

Other weight---This is the easy part. Try and get closer to a 50/50 weight distribution on the vehicle. Relocating the battery to the rear removes quite a bit of weight from in front of the front wheels. Use export braces on the front bumper in place of the original steel reinforcement. This removes close to 20 pounds of dead weight from the farthest forward point on the car. I got a entire bumper for 20 bucks or so. Aluminum rear bumper reinforcment or the export braces also remove weight cheaply and easily.

Aluminum core supports found on earlier buick century's(79-83 or somewhere around there) remove about 15 pounds more from the front end. If you happen to find a GTA or Z28 camaro in the yard, remove the aluminum/composite radiator for another 10 pound weight loss off the nose as well as better cooling. 9C1 cop cars use practically the same radiator but incorporate oil coolers in them as well so you can retain the oil cooler if your car is a TR. Hollow 36MM sway bars fit and and can be found on the same F bodys. I think the loss there is about 12 pounds again. Plastic headlights from some cars in the yard can be used to lose another 5 off the nose.

Weight can be removed to the tune of about 100 pounds by gutting the interior. I run full interior with sound deadening and all since the car is my daily driver as well, but it would certainly be beneficial to remove that weight. The front passenger seat is the heaviest single item that is removable from the interior. mine weighs 46 pounds.

UB machine control arms drop 10 pounds off the front end and its in suspension mass so there are more gains there. They cost about 100 bucks, and if your going to spend half that on new bushings for your upper control arms, why not jump for the UB's.

Box the rear control arms to add rigidity to the rear suspension. You can use 1LE bushings i think to replace the stockers which are a stiffer rubber.

Use camaro rear springs in place of double pigtailed springs to give you the ability to custom tune your ride height for the best handling by trimming the springs.

Alignment with more negative camber, as much caster as you can get, and about 1/16 inch of toe in works well for me. I have obvious frame issues since i can only get 1.6 degrees caster on one side with .25 deg. neg camber.

One thing that really helps,although its not a suspension piece, is to swap the drivers seat out for one with better side bolsters. I slide in stock seats just turning at a stop light, and when your driving aggressively its like your not even connected and is more or less a battle to hold on to the wheel. I swapped in a BMW recaro sport seat like those found on the first generation M3's, and they hold you in much better. 35 dollars a pair at the junkyard and it weighs 10 pounds less than the stock seat. Bolt pattern is the same lengthwise, but is narrower so you need to make some 1.5 inch long brackets for the inboard seat rail. Now you can stay glued in the seat around turns, and feel what the car is doing at the same time. Biggest difference in overall feel for the car ive noticed.

You can use a taller lower and upper ball joint if you want in the front when you switch to the UB control arms if i remember. It gives you the benefit of a taller spindle like the B body unit, without the added mass and allows you to retain the original brake setup for less mass as well.

The course that they use in gainsville is a BMW test track and has several long straights where you can somewhat make up for less than perfect handling around the turns.

Lots of little things to look at without spending much money at all.

Any other suggestions? Since ill be competing im open to any new ideas as well.

Later
 
"""More specifically, I'm looking for the issue of the GSXtra (I think that's where it was) that had the article about setting up a g-body to handle on a road course/auto-x."""


Just saw this part of your post. The guy who wrote that article is Eric Fisher. He is an active poster on the board under Turbofish38 and lives in Deltona, FL. I have the article your talking about at home somewhere, but dont know for sure which issue it was in. Private message Eric and he will help you out, hes a great guy and has helped me a lot.
 
Hey GS70350 I'm here in Athens AL where are you at(I know you're in Huntsville but where specifically)
Maybe we could meet and you could teach me a thing or two about tuning these things!
 
Guys,
Thanks a LOT for all the info in the last 24 hours. I really appreciate it. I'm leaving tomorrow for Seattle, but will print it all out to read on the flight, and post any questions when I get back.

-Banning.
 
Originally posted by GS70350
"""More specifically, I'm looking for the issue of the GSXtra (I think that's where it was) that had the article about setting up a g-body to handle on a road course/auto-x."""


Just saw this part of your post. The guy who wrote that article is Eric Fisher. He is an active poster on the board under Turbofish38 and lives in Deltona, FL. I have the article your talking about at home somewhere, but dont know for sure which issue it was in. Private message Eric and he will help you out, hes a great guy and has helped me a lot.


I found the article:

Auto X GN
- Eric Fisher
May/June 1999 issue of the GS X-tra, page #7.



I have it in a PDF version if anyone is interested.
 
I live in the Hampton Cove area of Huntsville just off of 431 after you cross over Monte Sano mountain. Email me at GS70350@aol.com or IM me at GS70350 and we can meet up sometime. Im sure we can both help each other out a bit.

I hope the info i provided is sufficient enough to get a good start on things. Good luck and let me know how it goes, im very interested in your progress.

Later
 
Originally posted by J Banning
I found the article:

Auto X GN
- Eric Fisher
May/June 1999 issue of the GS X-tra, page #7.



I have it in a PDF version if anyone is interested.

Can you send it my way?

Thanks,


Steve.
 
savage6 said:
Hey GS70350 I'm here in Athens AL where are you at(I know you're in Huntsville but where specifically)
Maybe we could meet and you could teach me a thing or two about tuning these things!

There's a few more TR's in the area like one in Lacey's Spring. :)
 
I met savage6 at the huntsville dragstrip recently. Maybe we can arrange a day to all go to the track and chit chat about cars and stuff. Id like to see yours Aminga.
 
GS70350 said:
I met savage6 at the huntsville dragstrip recently. Maybe we can arrange a day to all go to the track and chit chat about cars and stuff. Id like to see yours Aminga.


I'm waiting for cooler weather and more charge air density.

But back on topic. My T is sporting Eibach Pro Kit Springs, PST Urethane bushings, boxed LCA's and UCA's and Bilstein shocks. My consession to style was stock T-Wheels. Handles pretty good almost like a 4th Gen F-Body but not as harsh.
 
Great write up....

I'd like the electronic version of the GS article if its available too....Thanx
 
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