Upgrading suspension + stiffening the body need input.

[Adam Connell]

Ok, Im Christmas shopping for myself right now and my current concentration is stiffening up the body and getting the car to hook better. I already have a dual air bag kit that I have not installed, but it will be installed with all of my new parts.

I am planning on getting the Kirbans front,connecting and rear seat brace kit. Are all of those worth while upgrades on a hard top car? Im also going to put in All of the missing body bushings(including the upper "GNX" bushings).

For the suspension I was going to go with kirbans pinion snubber. I already have new bushings in my unboxed stock control arms. I will also install my air bags at the same time. Would new control arms be worth it?

Is there anything else I should look at getting? How much of an improvement should this stuff make? I can cut 1.93 60fts on my radial KDWS(regular radials) do you think this stuff will help me get into the lower 1.80s? My goal right now is to get the car to hook as best it can and prevent any more cracking in my pillars.

Also whats yalls opinion on disconnecting the front sway bar?

 

[1CleanT]

Ok, Im Christmas shopping for myself right now and my current concentration is stiffening up the body and getting the car to hook better. I already have a dual air bag kit that I have not installed, but it will be installed with all of my new parts.

I am planning on getting the Kirbans front,connecting and rear seat brace kit. Are all of those worth while upgrades on a hard top car? Im also going to put in All of the missing body bushings(including the upper "GNX" bushings).

For the suspension I was going to go with kirbans pinion snubber. I already have new bushings in my unboxed stock control arms. I will also install my air bags at the same time. Would new control arms be worth it?

Is there anything else I should look at getting? How much of an improvement should this stuff make? I can cut 1.93 60fts on my radial KDWS(regular radials) do you think this stuff will help me get into the lower 1.80s? My goal right now is to get the car to hook as best it can and prevent any more cracking in my pillars.

Also whats yalls opinion on disconnecting the front sway bar?

Get the front braces... save your money and make the rear seat brace..(made mine for about $5)

Pinion snubber?.. don't bother...

If you lowers are already boxed.. keep them..

The front sway bar? a 30lb pile of scrap iron.. put it in the nearest dumpster..:smile:

Hope that helps

 

[jdpolzin]

Adam, I sent you an email.

 

[88ZNX]

I have the body braces, body bushings, 90/10 front shocks, 50/50 rear shocks, boxed lowers, stock uppers, no front sway bar and was cutting 1.54 60fts! I JUST installed the HR Parts sway bar and can only 60ft 1.74 now guess It needs some adjusting. But yes, all of the suspension parts do work getting your 60's down. if you take your sway off of the front, you really need to have a heavy duty one on the rear, cause you'll put your car in a ditch really quick.

 

[eleanor68]

missing body mounts

I see a reference to the mising body mount bushings, what is that? More to the point, i can figure something is not where is should be, but how many and where. If it is helpful, I would like to know and get some of them ordered as well.

 

[Adam Connell]

There are several "missing" bushings and then one that only the GNX came with, but all regals have a spot for. Check Kirbans performance for more info.

 

[Boost231]

on most TR the # 4 and #3 lowers are missing. You can Get the #5's from kirbans they only came in the GNX's. Also 1 out of 7 TR are missing the #7's as well so you will have to check and see if yours is missing.

 

[eleanor68]

locations

is there a diagram somewhere to signify the numbers with the locations on the body/frame.

 

[Boost231]

is there a diagram somewhere to signify the numbers with the locations on the body/frame.

yes i have it at home. let me do a search and see if i can find it.

 

[Boost231]

eleanor68 email sent with a picture since i cant post it up at work.

 

[Boost231]

bushings

 

[Boost231]

haha i got it to work.

 

[eleanor68]

it works

i assume by adding all these missing mount bushings, it will also help the rigidity and strength?

 

[Gary Wells]

Yes, Adding and / or replacing the missing body bushings is the first step toward a stiffened suspension.
I am extremely happy with my suspension mods as nodet below, but this car is being set-up for all around handling performance and not drag race:

My Suspension Modifications to Date: (08/20/2007):
1) Bilsteins on all 4 corners
2) Kirban’s stock height replacement + 10%(?) stiffer front & rear springs
3) Replaced missing & / or added factory body & GNX bushings
4) Kirbans rear seat brace & lower frame braces (3). (Under hood braces reduce squeaks / rattles only)
5) BMR upper rear control arms, fully adjustable, spherical bearings in front & 1LE rubber in back
6) Global west (GW) lower rear control arms, spherical bearings in front & Del-A-Lum bushings in back
7) Global West 1” rear sway bar
8) Savitske Classic & Custom (SC&C) Street Comp II upper front control arms, lightweight & fully adjustable
9) GTA (GNX replica) honeycomb 16” X 8” aluminum rims mounting Michelin “Pilot 245/50R16 on all 4 corners (slight rub on right hand front at full tilt).
Next suspension mod that I am looking at is the Lee rebuilt steering box which is supposed to give the same amount of improvement as a rack & pinion set-up.
I really like the suspension improvements that I have done so far, and there is nothing that I have done on this car that I wouldn’t do again.
I see going back to the replica ATR solid 1 3/8" rear sway bar shortly.
I see Baer discs on all 4 corners down the road

 

[ITSNOTAGN]

I suggest if your going to go through the work of putting in the missing bushingss, you buy a complete polyurethane bushing set and do them all. The factory rubber bushings are garbage and are probably shot anyway, plus the poly ones will stiffen up your car more than every brace short of a roll bar. Been there, it works.
Gary

 

[topher455]

+1 on the whole set. I used energy suspension and it made my 86 feel like an 06 def. worth the work!

 

[Adam Connell]

So where would I pick up a new set of poly bushings?? Sounds like a good improvement to me! I am really going to try to do this right so when I finally get the thing into paint it will be the last time I have to do it, and it will ride a hell of a lot better. Also does the full urethane set include the "missing" bushings, and does the body have to come off the frame to do this??

 

[jdpolzin]

Adam, Kirbans has the extra 2 GNX bushings and JEGS High Performance - Your source for Edelbrock MSD Holley Mr. Gasket Moroso has the rest! You dont have to remove the entire body to replace them, once Turbo Regal Web Site is back up, there is a great write up about how to replace them. I just bought a set of bushings and plan to do all of them as well! -------Jeremy

 

[GoldHawg]

Anybody know if there are any harder durometer factory rubber body bushings to replace our stock ones or is polyurethane the only body bushing upgrade?

 

[scojack_2001]

I like this thread. Ive gotten a best 60' of 1.58 on a STOCK rear suspension, all original from 1986, except for Kirban cargo coils and KYB shocks. No airbags or boxed arms, and a stock swaybar. That was on a 28"x10.5" MT ET Drag.

Im planning on going to a H&R bar, BMR adjustable uppers and boxed lowers. Airbags as well.

For the front, Im planning on doing the LS1 front brake conversion with SS hoses, BMR tubular upper and lower A-arms, IROC coils with KYB shocks, and a SC&C frame brace. Also a new steering box and I already have a 36mm swaybar on the way (hopefully). I have 16x8 GTAs on my GN.

Hopefully this will help improve handling and braking on my GN. It already goes fast enough in a straight line...:biggrin:

Anything else I should consider guys?