handling mods that wont hurt straight line

[DragCamaro]

hey everyone, im coming from a ls1 camaro to a grand national so im gonna miss the way my car takes corners a little bit. Is there anything i can do to help the handeling and also help or at least not hurt at the straight track.

thanks, Mark

 

[DailyDrifter]

Add some negative camber in it. + positive Caster for straight line performance and stability. Hollow Sway bar, and front braces. Good tires (the only thing that touches the road) Sould be a good starting point, then upgrade the brakes to "B" body or something of that caliber.

 

[DragCamaro]

ive got a set of ls1 brakes... a couple actually haha, those can be made to fit cant they?

what about lowering? i know that stiffer springs hurt weight transfer, but are there any springs out that will help both ways?

 

[DailyDrifter]

I'm pretty sure they can be made to fit but you need aftermarket upper control arms and different spindles. Your asking a whierd question, do you want it to handle good on the street or at the track? Its hard to get both, almost like building an 8 sec car with 13 sec funds. I would rather have my car handle well on the street because thats where it is primarily driven. As far as springs go, lowering the car with stiffer springs will make it handle good on the street, but like you said with weight transfer for the track they wont be the best. At the track you could also disconnect the sway bar to help get the front up. Or you could build a decent street machine that goes to tear up the track on occasion, with a simple change of the rear tires.

 

[DragCamaro]

what i was wanting to know is how can i make it handle better, but while i make it handle better, i dont want it to launch worse.

youve pretty much answered it
thanks, Mark

 

[Blazer406]

IMHO.... the HR Parts anti-roll bar does both... help in handling and help at the strip....

Also... the normal GNX seat braces... and front end braces from regular regals...and replace body bushings (some were missing from the factory).... as well as boxing the rear upper and lower control arms.... and installing HR parts greasable bushings.... I think all these should help in both areas....

HTH

 

["Turbo-T"]

What about tubular control arms on the front? What about polyurethane bushings? Wont these help with both street and strip performance?

 

[DailyDrifter]

What about tubular control arms on the front? What about polyurethane bushings? Wont these help with both street and strip performance?

Sometimes I forget the obvious, and I even have these on my car

 

["Turbo-T"]

Sometimes I forget the obvious, and I even have these on my car

So are you saying they "dont" work?

 

[UNGN]

ive got a set of ls1 brakes... a couple actually haha, those can be made to fit cant they?

what about lowering? i know that stiffer springs hurt weight transfer, but are there any springs out that will help both ways?

Lowering the back won't hurt and if you lower the front with taller Howe lower ball joints, that won't hurt either.

A big rear sway bar will help handling and straight line performance, and a hollow F-body bar will save at least 10lbs off the front end vs the stock swaybar.

LS1 brakes can be made to work, you just need brackets and to make hubs.

Do a search and there should be a bunch of threads.

 

[DailyDrifter]

So are you saying they "dont" work?

Absolutly not. Although the car has not been to the track since I owned it, it takes corners like a wet dream. I scared the hell outta a kid one time when I took a very tight 90 degree corner at about 35 MPH (doesnt sound fast, but the corner was TIGHT) with almost no body roll. As far as I know it has 95 impala SS front brakes and rims, poly bushings up front, Global wast Upper control arms, and the front brace that ties the front together (connects engine cradle to ? (frame)), and Hollow front swaybar. The rear I belive is still stock with blown airbags. And it has a nice look because the front is about 1" lower than the rear for a raked look. For a 21 year old car it handles awsome, but have not been able to take it to the track yet.

 

["Turbo-T"]

What kind of lower arms are you using? And where did you get a hollow front sway bar?

I'd one day like to make my Buick a corner carver and a straight shooter. I figure new bushings are a must followed by new tubular upper/lower control arms and then redo the rear suspension with boxed upper and lowers. Unless there's something I'm missing.

 

[t-typex1]

Big sway bar in the back makes a BIG difference...:biggrin:

 

[DailyDrifter]

What kind of lower arms are you using? And where did you get a hollow front sway bar?

I'd one day like to make my Buick a corner carver and a straight shooter. I figure new bushings are a must followed by new tubular upper/lower control arms and then redo the rear suspension with boxed upper and lowers. Unless there's something I'm missing.

I ASSume your asking me. When I bought the car it had all of this stuff on it. I know that the Upper control arms are GlobalWest, and not sure of the swaybar, or springs? Dont worry I might end up parting this POS out soon enough so I'll keep you in mind for sure.