# need options on suspension rebuild?!



## MR70GTO (May 2, 2015)

Ok guys so first my car needs is the front end to be redone the original owner heated the springs to lower the car and the ride quality is horrible!! So I'd rather change out the bushing n what not so it's all fresh down there buuuut not sure what upgrades I should do since I'll have apart! 

Important to me is I would like a better ride then stock, I don't like the body roll classic cars normally have. A nice one inch drop would be nice my front end is sitting waaay to loW. Pics of your car with one inch drop would help and much appreciated  

I want to still keep the value And don't want to hurt the kill the pocket book either but want it done right..

Also if any one know a good site that has packages , kits ect that would help..eBay doesn't have a great selection lol 

thanks guy 

D


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

I used components from these guys, they make it all really. Many options and quality stuff. 

PST | Car & Truck Suspension Parts | Performance Suspension


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

It is hard to get a specific recommendation as we probably all have our favorite brand parts or simply prefer one source supplier over another.

I can't comment much on a "better ride than stock" as you have a car that's over 40 years old and doesn't compare with todays designs or rides. Does not mean you can't get a better ride, but it may require some major redesign and parts replacement. Here is a kit for $4,000 that would probably do what you want http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/271709815275?lpid=82&chn=ps

Another offering can be found here, and it gives a Q&A on the parts http://www.hotchkis.net/gm-a-body-faq/

Here is a Hotrod article on a complete conversion how-to using QA1 brand parts http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chassis-suspension/1501-step-by-upgrade-gm-a-body-suspension/

Another article step-by-step and uses Global West products http://www.chevydiy.com/how-to-upgrade-chassis-in-your-chevelle-step-by-step/

The major GTO/Pontiac parts restoration suppliers also offer upgrade suspension parts as well.

As you can read, you can achieve a more "modern ride" if your budget allows. (BTW, the GTO is a GM "A" body which includes Chevy, Buick,Olds). But, you lose originality and fall more into the "resto-mod" type car -which is not a bad thing and can always be returned back to original as long as you don't start welding or doing major alterations.


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## jbrenner (Apr 15, 2013)

I restored a 66 recently and it was basically just a shell when I bought it. At this point I've replaced about every part on it. Originally I went with stock Moog replacement parts for the front end including stock springs. Once completed the car drove well and as expected, however soon after I too wanted to improve upon the ride in both quality and responsiveness. I ended up putting QA1 coil over shocks on all four corners. Let me tell you, speaking from first hand experience the improvement in ride quality is unbelievable. The pillowy roll and float that you get in old cars is no longer present and the car responds and drives like a modern car. The coilovers themselves are easy to install and 100% bolt on. The shock body is threaded allowing you to adjust the stance up or down to exactly the way you want it. Additionally there is an adjustment knob on the base of the shock that offers 18 positions that adjust the softness of the ride. The lower the number the softer the ride. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I would have gone this route from the get go. I've got a 69 skylark that I recently did the same upgrade too as well with the same results. Again, the upgrade in ride quality is unbelievable. The ride height and quality adjustments are icing on the cake. They're made by Spohn Performsnce, by the way. So they're constructed of very high quality materials. And no, I don't work for them. Haha. Just that impressed with their product.


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## MR70GTO (May 2, 2015)

19681972 GM ABody UMI Performance Handling Kit 2 1968 1972 GM A Body Umi Performance Handling Kit 2" Drop Coil Stage 2 Suspension | eBay http://r.ebay.com/YJUyWt

i found this on ebay a lil more in my budgit but not sure if you guys think its a good set up??? need your opinions


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

UMI makes good stuff. However, if you're going to go with a non-factory suspension, I strongly recommend that you use rear upper and lower control arms that have sphereical, fully articulating joints on the ends instead of the 'traditional' rubber or (worse) stiff urethane bushings. The reason is because of how everything in the rear suspension has to move when the car is in a hard corner or any other situation where one wheel "wants" to be higher than the other wheel. With the way the rear control arms are set up, the only way the axle can rotate like that with respect to the rest of the car is for the bushings to deform/deflect (what the factory set up does), or for the arms and suspension mounting points to twist/bend. This motion puts a lot of stress and strain on everything, and if you replace the soft rubber bushings with hard urethane ones, you can actually wind up bending/breaking suspension parts. Control arms with sphereical bushings allow the axle housing to rotate in this direction freely without stressing anything. That's what you want. The way to control this rolling motion then is with a good sway bar that is designed to do that, not by putting all that stress/strain on the control arms and the mount points.
I'm running these uppers/lowers on my car:
http://www.spohn.net/shop/1968-1972...-Adjustable-with-Del-Sphere-Pivot-Joints.html
http://www.spohn.net/shop/1968-1972...-with-Del-Sphere-Pivot-Joints-Adjustable.html

and this sway bar:
http://www.spohn.net/shop/1968-1972...stable-Rear-Sway-Bar-1968-1972-GM-A-Body.html


But there are good parts like this available from other vendors also.
I'm also running these UMI control arm mount braces:
1968-1972 GM A-Body Control Arm Reinforcements/Frame Braces [4028] - $129.99 : UMI Performance, Inc.

On the front of the car, I'm running the factory control arms with hard urethane bushings.
My shocks are Strange double-adjustables in the rear, single adjustables in the front. I also had the guy at powersteering.com rebuilt my factory steering box and convert it into a quick ratio unit. I think my car handles great. It's not at all mushy or floaty, responds instantly to steering inputs, and is a ball to drive.

Oh yeah, I also have a pair of AirLift drag bags inside the rear springs.
I put those in just before the 2013 Power Tour to keep the car from bottoming out from the added weight of all the tools, luggage, and spare supplies we took with us 

Bear


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## MR70GTO (May 2, 2015)

BearGFR said:


> UMI makes good stuff. However, if you're going to go with a non-factory suspension, I strongly recommend that you use rear upper and lower control arms that have sphereical, fully articulating joints on the ends instead of the 'traditional' rubber or (worse) stiff urethane bushings. The reason is because of how everything in the rear suspension has to move when the car is in a hard corner or any other situation where one wheel "wants" to be higher than the other wheel. With the way the rear control arms are set up, the only way the axle can rotate like that with respect to the rest of the car is for the bushings to deform/deflect (what the factory set up does), or for the arms and suspension mounting points to twist/bend. This motion puts a lot of stress and strain on everything, and if you replace the soft rubber bushings with hard urethane ones, you can actually wind up bending/breaking suspension parts. Control arms with sphereical bushings allow the axle housing to rotate in this direction freely without stressing anything. That's what you want. The way to control this rolling motion then is with a good sway bar that is designed to do that, not by putting all that stress/strain on the control arms and the mount points.
> I'm running these uppers/lowers on my car:
> http://www.spohn.net/shop/1968-1972...-Adjustable-with-Del-Sphere-Pivot-Joints.html
> http://www.spohn.net/shop/1968-1972...-with-Del-Sphere-Pivot-Joints-Adjustable.html
> ...


HMMM...ssoo heres the thing im more of a cruiser, dostill think that set up wont work for what i want? do i really need upgraded tub arms? im not going to drag this car or take tight turns around corners. but do want a better ride then stock..my buddy keeps saying just change your bushing and stick with stock original because the ride is still a nice ride stock. my car isnt riding stack due to the original owner before me heated the shock in the front to lower it and the ride is horrible ?? guess that was somthing they did waaaay back in the day?:00/o: i was also thnking of just putting 1inch lowering spring and shock changing the bushing to a poly and calling it a day...kinda curious what a 1' drop looks like ....anybody have pics they can show me 
thanks


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

My .02... would make a few trips to local parts stores and see what is avail for ball joints and tie rod ends for your '70 GTO. Start with NAPA and also examine MOOG ball joints, whoever locally stocks them. Advanced, is always offering internet discounts, they are worth cking with if stores are local. Personally have installed a lot of MOOG (and some of their subline AutoDrive) over the years & have always been happy, and I'm very picky on F/E parts. 

The only PST front suspension kits have ever had hands on, my customer's ordered them, and I ended up sending them back, as the ujoints were Asian junk, same as cheapest I could source locally. Their front springs were not marked right or left, just the same length and coil spring, and there is a difference between left and right. 

Over the years, have had quite a few buddies that are circle track car builders. Their cars are hard on frontend parts, esp balljoints, and all of these guys have swore by MOOG. Many times, I've had one roundyround buddy with me at O'Reillys or NAPA, as one of us were friends with the manager. We then went through box after box of suspensions parts. Two of us have also got into many old parts store stocks & have gone through literally thousands of lbs of boxed or skinpacked NORS suspension parts from the '70's and early 80's; ie, Repco, TRW, Precision, buying what we could for often penny's on the dollar. Wish I could find more, as such pieces are for the most part, very high quality better than much of wha is avail today.

As you have a 1 1/8" front bar and 7/8" rear bar on boxed rear control arms, personally I wouldnt waste $$$$ on any expensive deluxe style kit that includes an 1/8" larger front and rear sway bars than what your car already has, not goin to see that much of a difference. For control arm bushings, if your car is loud, you won't hear the squeaking of poly bushings, otherwise you may want to stick with new rubber bushings. Bilsteens are a great upgrade for shocks, have ran several pair as well as Konis.

On coil springs, in the late 90's there was only two coil spring mfg'ers in the US. I usually order from Coil Spring Specialties in KS, they know the specs to the car & can make correct springs, whether the car is stock or has been significantly lightened in the front. Considering lowering, would first consider what tire/ wheel combo you are going to run up front, then do some research. On my first TransAm (autocrossed it), I pulled the stock WS6 coils and ran stock '79 301 V8 AC Firebird springs that I had cut 3/8 coil each side. Previously I had removed nearly 160 lbs from the front of the car, and swapping coils and cutting the Bird coils 3/8" gave the perfect slight drop, and was still able to run 255 60R 15's on 8" wheels. Anymore of a coil cut, and would have to go with smaller 245 60's up front, not something I wanted to do. Realize, not conversing about the same chassis car, but the same reasoning holds true today, with lowering, need to pinpoint the limitations of the wheelwells and turn radius, and if running headers, how much ground clearance.


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