Best shock to use on my 87 T for driving on MASS crappy roadways.

[SLZ]

I did some searching on shocks here and I have an inquiry:

I have a 1987 Regal Limited Turbo T that feels very harsh and about to crack over every defect in the quality MASS roads that we have here.

The car has KYB's all round. I have the Jounce Bars, Rad support bar, fender braces, rear seat braces, huge rear sway bar and rear frame rail brace so the body is pretty braced up (need to make a brace behind the dash The car is solid but I dont want it to become a rattletrap.

Due to the atrocious road conditions in MA, I would love the ride to feel like a Caddy: nice and smooth/cushy yet handle decently. I am not track racing and it is daily driven.

Any suggestions, please let me know. GRAMPZ and I Thank You

Steve Z

 

[Pronto]

I'm running KYBs, air bags and 36mm front sway bar. I don't mind the ride my car has.

 

[berserker6]

I know with different cars come different mods but if there was a way for you take a ride in a car with bilsteins you may be sold. and I don't think the roads are any better here in so. Jersey. I feel they give the best of both worlds handling and a nice comfortable ride. Hth

 

[GNRick]

Bilsteins really stiffened my ride up. I would go with whatever the stock equivalent is, maybe by Monroe.

 

[87gninpa]

Yea, I have Bilsteins and while I love them on smooth roads, they are definitely not what you would want for harsh broken asphalt. I would gho with GNRick's advice and get a stock replacement shock. Also, airbags will just make the car bounce more, definitely wont help the ride on rough asphalt.

 

[SLZ]

I am planning on upgrading to a 36mm front swaybar for the car since these roads pretty much loosened up my 1 1/2 year old endlinks and bar bushings.

Ill have to check out the stock replacements so the car and I will cruise smoothly

 

[cchilly]

I got Bilstein's on my car. I love them. We are close by if you want to meet up sometime and go for a ride. I'm near Leominster. Of coarse my car will not be on the road maybe for a few more weeks, depends on the weather.

Chris

 

[Turbo6inKY]

Due to the atrocious road conditions in MA, I would love the ride to feel like a Caddy: nice and smooth/cushy yet handle decently. I am not track racing and it is daily driven.

New set of stock rate springs, new rubber bushings all around, and some Monroe Sensatrac Shocks.

You may also want to replace your body bushings. All that stiffening will make the car rattle worse of the thing's bouncing around on the frame.

 

[jlat]

hello people; I'am a Mass hole myself and I don't know what would be the best set up for ruff roads. But I have bilsteins,GS club springs,old big ass rear sway bar,stiffener rods that Kirban sells for the front end, those stiffener rods the sell for behind the rear seat. And lower Hotckkis control arms and the thing rides like a buckboard.
I do believe a different tire choice could help if your running a large rim and lower profile tire. But would'nt that larger front sway bar stiffen it up even more?
In my case I got alot of stuff to make it handle better but took away alot of the everyday driver feeling. Maybe I'll go backwards.
IBBY

 

[Turbo6inKY]

hello people; I'am a Mass hole myself and I don't know what would be the best set up for ruff roads. But I have bilsteins,GS club springs,old big ass rear sway bar,stiffener rods that Kirban sells for the front end, those stiffener rods the sell for behind the rear seat. And lower Hotckkis control arms and the thing rides like a buckboard.
I do believe a different tire choice could help if your running a large rim and lower profile tire. But would'nt that larger front sway bar stiffen it up even more?
In my case I got alot of stuff to make it handle better but took away alot of the everyday driver feeling. Maybe I'll go backwards.
IBBY

A stiff swaybar will transmit shock to the opposite side. In your case, that's bad. In fact, with proper spring choice, the factory swaybars are more than adequate for autocross and track usage.

Put the factory swaybars back on and enjoy your newly re-independent front suspension.

 

[jlat]

hello people; Of the subject of this thread but how many of you Turbo Regal guys and dolls run all that front suspension stiffening that the aftermarket sell? And If you do how is it working out for you?
IBBY

 

[Turbo6inKY]

hello people; Of the subject of this thread but how many of you Turbo Regal guys and dolls run all that front suspension stiffening that the aftermarket sell? And If you do how is it working out for you?
IBBY

I have most of it. It works wonders. Cuts down cowl shake and strengthens the front end. Really cut down on rattles in the interior for me.

 

[101prf]

I don't think they make shocks for Mass roads. That state has claimed to many tires and rims from me. I now drive my truck when I go to Boston!

 

[SLZ]

I need the bigger front swaybar for all that constant weaving from all the pot holes

I got my 34mm greasable bushings, end links and monroe shocks. I just need to install them and report my status (Hopefully Good)!

 

[Dennis Kirban]

For sure buy all the available braces that fit your application. You having a Limited car had a different ride originally (heavier car plush interior)....

I run Bilsteins in every car/truck I can they are the best and actually created the gas shock.
I can't say for sure if that is the ride you want but this would provide the best ride related to not having a soft ride from bump to bump.

Adding to your ride issue may be weak body bushings or not having installed the 4 lower ones that Buick intentionally left out. All this would help.

Braces would be the rear seat, and front connecting and front frame braces available from us also G Body and probably others...they work and I doubt anyone would disagree with that assessment.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[GNRick]

For sure buy all the available braces that fit your application. You having a Limited car had a different ride originally (heavier car plush interior)....

I run Bilsteins in every car/truck I can they are the best and actually created the gas shock.
I can't say for sure if that is the ride you want but this would provide the best ride related to not having a soft ride from bump to bump.

Adding to your ride issue may be weak body bushings or not having installed the 4 lower ones that Buick intentionally left out. All this would help.

Braces would be the rear seat, and front connecting and front frame braces available from us also G Body and probably others...they work and I doubt anyone would disagree with that assessment.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

Dennis- I thought I read somewhere (maybe it was from an Eric Fisher post) that Buick left out those body bushings because they wanted the Buicks to ride more cushy than the other "sportier" G- bodys. Have you ever heard this? This would contradict your ideas, however.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Dennis- I thought I read somewhere (maybe it was from an Eric Fisher post) that Buick left out those body bushings because they wanted the Buicks to ride more cushy than the other "sportier" G- bodys. Have you ever heard this? This would contradict your ideas, however.

kirban 2 cents worth

Yes you are correct supposedily Buick did that so ride would be soft...however, that was for the 4 bushings over the years on the cars that have passed through my hands I have seen many 1986 ones also lacking the bottom #7 bushing.

Having a soft sloppy suspension when you have what is known as the fastest us production car in 1987 is not the ride you want. If you do not install the "missing" bushings the bolts can work themselves out...(I have seen this) Plus flatten the remaining ones.

Eventually, the original GM ones will become tough to get. ALong the same lines I think we can all agree with the power plant in the turbo cars makes little sense to have the same size brakes that a regular V6 had...I am certain all these issues would have been addressed had Buick continued the G body rear wheel drive platform....

Another weakness was the terrible dash layout. by weakness I mean lack of gauges..but that is another story...

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Turbo6inKY]

kirban 2 cents worth

Yes you are correct supposedily Buick did that so ride would be soft...however, that was for the 4 bushings over the years on the cars that have passed through my hands I have seen many 1986 ones also lacking the bottom #7 bushing.

Hey Dennis,
Just a data point for you, I have a 1987 GN that was built in September of 1987, one of the last cars to come off the line. I bought it with 16,000 miles on it in 2001, and it was completely unmolested.

It had, from the factory (as far as I can tell), every body bushing except the ones directly above the rear wheels.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Hey Dennis,
Just a data point for you, I have a 1987 GN that was built in September of 1987, one of the last cars to come off the line. I bought it with 16,000 miles on it in 2001, and it was completely unmolested.

It had, from the factory (as far as I can tell), every body bushing except the ones directly above the rear wheels.

Kirban

Its mostly 1986s we found that lacked the base cushion by the rear bumper....the upper one you refer to is the GNX one that the GNX received that is somewhat difficult to install unlike the lower missing ones that most turbo regals lack.

The way to verify what I am saying is base of each door locate that cushion mount see or feel with your hand if a gap exist between the body bolt and the frame rail.....if you got a gap (bottom) its missing that lower bushing.

The other one in question rests just in front of the axle assembly you have to put your finger in that frame hole and "feel" if a gap exists there or not.

I am betting you lack those lower bushings 4 in total as the other side would not have them either.

Has no bearing on where car fell in production....heck whoever was assigned to secure the base collar under the steering wheel (3 screws I think 7 mm screws) failed to tighten them in most cases.

A similar screw up occured on the early C5 Corvettes with the side terminal batteries...seems the person who was in charge of tightening the terminals to the battery overtightened them...battery case would crack and acid would leak down on the ecm unit and cause problems....took awhile before problem was realized....told to me by someone at the Corvette plant years ago....

Case in point.....everyone makes mistakes.......

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[SLZ]

For sure buy all the available braces that fit your application. You having a Limited car had a different ride originally (heavier car plush interior)....

I run Bilsteins in every car/truck I can they are the best and actually created the gas shock.
I can't say for sure if that is the ride you want but this would provide the best ride related to not having a soft ride from bump to bump.

Adding to your ride issue may be weak body bushings or not having installed the 4 lower ones that Buick intentionally left out. All this would help.

Braces would be the rear seat, and front connecting and front frame braces available from us also G Body and probably others...they work and I doubt anyone would disagree with that assessment.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

I had swapped out all the body bushings for a complete set about 2 years ago. Every body mount point has a bushing now (even the GNX ones). My car has rear seat braces, rear frame brace (ties both frames at the bumper mount area), two engine bay braces, huge rear sway bar, rad support brace and jounce bars to triangulate the front frame. I also made up a cowl brace that runs along the front of the upper cowling and mounts at the rear upper front fender points. I am planning on making a brace that runs behind the dash that ties in the left and right front pillars (last place where all the sweaks and creaks are happening) when I swap out my dash assy. So, the car is pretty braced up. Any other braces needed?

Once I have the new shocks on the car, hopefully, it will ride smooth over any Mass surface roads.