Better Cornering ability....Help.

L

lalonde441

Guest
Well we all know the GN's go Fast fast in a straight line.....problem they handle like slugs in the corners compared to the new cars out there. What can i do to improve the over handling the my 87'GN and not suffer any negatives as far as overall ride and comfort. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thxs.:confused:
 
There are some articles on Gnttype.org on this subject...

For the most basic...decent tires, not BFG TAs, better shocks, stiffer springs, a larger rear sway bar but probaly a bit smaller than the ATR bar if going with stiffer springs, full set of of new body bushings, frame braces, good alignment

and on to Upper front control arms that provide better bump steer, del-a-lum bushings for bind elimination, a good, tight steering box, a cage to tighten up the frame further, better brakes...:)
 
I liked the addition of the ATR rear antisway bar. I was afraid the car would tend to oversteer more but it is actually still very neutral now and if the rearend gets out it comes back very solid now, no whipping weight xfer from side to side anymore.

This massive bar also helps correct the rear steer which is built into the A and G body rear 4 link suspension. You know that feeling when you turn into a right hand corner and you feel the back end PS lift and weight xfer to the left? The big bar helps stop this as well as the rear end turning left when this happens. Not exactly the fastest way around a corner :)

The factory front suspension is also totaly screwed up which doesn't help. Toe goes positive, camber goes positive and there's not enough caster.
 
The only problem with the massive bar is that it tends to tie the car together laterally...it's fine on smooth roads but when one wheel gets into a rough spot, it tends to transfer the problem to the other wheel. That's the reason I like maybe a 1 1/8" bar with stiffer springs rather than the ATR bar....I do have two ATR bars on cars, tho. :)
 
ok better shocks? what kind do you suggest?
what abouot lowering springs? would a 1 inch drop be ok?
how much for the ATR rear sway bar?
how about bigger tires? if so what size would be best for overall cornering and handling? thxs .
 
Well, I have the car dropped 2 inches in the front ( not my request see the coil spring thread ) polyurathane bushings all around and 265/50 up front and 295/50 on the rear.

The most noticable were the polyurathane bushings and lowered springs (did them at the same time) Wow, took the car on the off ramp and felt confident I was not going to be eating bark after it. And I was pushing it to just to see.

The next noticable improvement was the bigger tires, the car just hugs the ground. Makes sense, more surface area touching the street.

The bars are last in my opinion but are cheaper to do than the other mods so they usually get more attention.

But if your like me trying to hunt down scared imports on the road, do the bushing and springs. They look so surprised to see grandpas buick actually stay on them and then pass them asap after exiting the ramp. :eek: You do need lowering springs to get a better skidpad g. New porsche 911 GT 2 is 1.02 g, super.

I have photos if you want to check out my cars ride height, mike@spoolinup.com

It's those darn AWD talons/eclipses that are really hard to keep up with. I have one, wow, even better than in my buddies vette.
 
I was planning on the ATR bar, however HRpartsNstuff has a new bar in the development stage which paul will have at Bristol. I'm going to wait until it is on the market before I make a final decision.
 
First, I'd go with either KYB or Bilsteins shocks, along with a good front-end alignment. :)
 
Bilstiens work the best...of course, they cost about $210 for a set as opposed to about $110-120 for Kybs...

I don't like poly bushings but they are better than worn out bushings of any kind....

Eibach springs will drop the car an inch...my GN is just a hair over 25" to the center of the fender lips...my son
s T is about 2" higher but I am not sure what kind of springs it has on it.

Been a couple of on going threads on springs here.

I am interested to see what Paul comes up with. The ATR bar is crudely made but it does work. It's a bit too much with the stiffer Eibachs, I think...but it is good on my son's car with the softer springs....
 
No experience with shocks on GNs, but on my Corvette the Bilsteins were WAY better than the KYBs. I have new springs front and rear (stiffer) and bigger sway bars front and rear. The KYBs handled well, but were very stiff on bumps. You could feel every little expansion joint on the highway. Installed the Bilsteins, with no other changes to the car, and WOW, this thing handles as well or better, but rides great! I'd recommend spending the extra $$$ for the Bilsteins, that's what I'll be putting on my '87 GN when I get to that point.
Jeff
 
I dont know what you have planned or what your expectations are as far as handling. The taller b body spindles offer one of the most significant upgrades in handling for the money. Definitely take the advice of the others and go with the Bilsteins. You can get these from Autozone for $54@. Springs is a matter of personal preference. You can go with the Eibachs or Hotchkiss units, but those you would be looking at atleast $220 for the set.
A very nice, economical upgrade would be Moog/TRW front coils in the 5606,5660,5658, 5662, 5664. You can find a list over at www.montecarloss.com in their technical section. There are a few charts showing the different spring rates and how they affect ride height. For now, leave the stock sway bars alone. For handling, there wont be much gain. IMHO, the best way of controlling body roll would be with higher spring rates rather than larger sway bars. Poly bushings are not the way to go. You can utilize stock rubber bushings and gain tremedous handling improvements with the above mentioned items. If you have the loot, I can highly recommend the Del Alums that Global West sells. They are not cheap, but they are definitely the best.
 
does anyone know the spring rate #'s for eibachs? I'm thinking about getting them to put in with my new Bilsteins. Are they progresive rate, or whatever that's called, springs?

Are they any better than the moogs, I don't really care about the cost, I just want the best springs. Anyone have back to back inpressions of them?

Oh, and does anyone know of a better price than $219 from shox.com for eibachs?

Thanks in advance,
Jason
 
Jason,

Yes, the Eibach's are progressive rate, and they lower the G-body 1-2".

The price you quoted is the lowest price I've seen. :)
 
Originally posted by BlackBuickBeast
does anyone know the spring rate #'s for eibachs? I'm thinking about getting them to put in with my new Bilsteins. Are they progresive rate, or whatever that's called, springs?


Thanks in advance,
Jason

The fronts are 660#/"

The rears are progressive and I don't know what they are rated at....

The drop is supposed to be 1" front and 0.8" in the rear...but that is relative to a new car in theory...I think they do a bit different from car to car...

My car is about 25 1'8" in the front thru the center of the wheel and about 25 3/4" in the rear with about 8# in the airbags as I recall.
 
Jason,

If you have the Summit catalog, which is on newstands as "Street & Strip", you'll find Eibachs on pg.194...that was the source for the info I provided.

Summit's price on the Pro-Kit springs is 249.95. There are also 2 other "models" of Eibachs available, but one is purely for drags, & the other set is for the "Fast & Furious" look.

HTH :)
 
yeah, it's seems like shox.com has cornered the market in pricing. Last month I got my bilstiens for $204 shipped. I should of bought the springs at the same time.

Anyone know about how much I'm going to pay a shop to put in new spring, shocks and an alignment?
 
Originally posted by BlackBuickBeast

Anyone know about how much I'm going to pay a shop to put in new spring, shocks and an alignment?

Anyone have a guess? It's sunday and rainy so I'm not going to ask for a quote from a shop.
 
Probably $150-175 for the front end stuff, here in CT anyway.

Everyone does there own rear shocks and springs. :D
 
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