I currently have a 70 SS 454 which is in dire need of a full set of new suspension bushings. I had planned on using Del-a-Lum bushings wherever I can and poly everywhere else except the frame side of the rear control arms. Looking at the Global West site there are plethora of possibilities which I am unprepared to deal with. The car has factory power disk brakes and F41 suspension options. Global West is talking about a "Taller Spindle" disk brake conversion.
Is this recommended for a factory equipped PDB car?
Is the conversion worth the money and time?
I would like to lower the car a bit but thought I could do this by installing tubular upper and lower control arms and coilovers with a 1" drop, while maintaining the stock disk brake setup.
Am I mistaken?
I don't really have any complaints with the stock system so far and have just had the entire setup refreshed. I would probably rather spend the money to convert the rear to disc but have no knowledge of the availability of quality parts for A-Bodies and again hadn't planned on doing so.
I have previously converted my 69 F-Body to 4 wheel disk with a Baer Brake set-up. The Firebird however had 4 wheel drum brakes and was nothing special from the factory, i.e. base model 350 with very few options. I have done extensive quality improvments to the suspension(Wayne Due subframe, motor, and just about everthing else.
The Chevelle is a 70 factory 396 SS which now has an LS-6 CRR crate engine, non-cowl induction which has been properly converted, bench seat column shift which now has factory buckets and console, idiot light SS gauges which I am trying to convert to full guages but have been unable to aquire a nice clean gauge pod, F41 suspension, A/C, PDB, and thats about it that matters for now.
My intentions were to replace all the suspension bushings, shocks, springs and install tubular control arms while things were disassembled, as well as installing a set of quality upper and lower rear control arms and spings. I would also like to get at the body mount bushings, this however tends to worry me since I've heard nasty rumors about the process.

If your still reading this what advice can you offer? and thanks for reading!

Jag,
What a loaded set of questions you have there http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif

Have you performed a search for the basics?

If I get more time I'll see if I can find some info for you.

Joe



------------------
The Chevelle Page (http://www.geocities.com/diels12000)

Absolutly do not put "tall spindles" on a original disc brake car, it will and I repeat will screw up the Ackermann and the bump steer, no matter what GW tells you they are in the business of making money not necessarly of giving you the best handling car. If this is a collector type car use stock stuff i.e. rubber bushings, with bigger sway bars 1.25 front off a 78 - 81 F-body and a .875 or 1.00 rear bar. If you want to get around corners better you can use the Del-alum bushing these will give a harsher ride, along with less deflection, use a good quality spring like the ones from Eibach and the same sway bars listed above. Step up and buy good quality shock like Edelbrock IAS or Bilsteins. I would not use ploy bushing they will squeek and bind up, this is personal experence, the only place to use ploy is the sway bar bushing.

The car is nice and clean and runs great. It is an original SS 396 with PDB, Bench/column, F41 susp. and a few other options. It is however non original is more ways than it is original. Non original LS-6, Non-original Cowl induction, Non-original Buckets, Non-original Console floor shift, Non-original full gauge package, Non-original vinyl top and rally stripe(originaly had painted top non stripe) and such. These changes have all been done properly with the right parts(GM) and attention to detail and in my opinion are more desirable than the stock configuration. I like to drive the car and do so frequently. I'm not sure I could do this with an all original LS-6 in good concience. I like to improve a cars comfort and drivability and still be able to convert everything back with original parts removed from the car or purchased if need be. Thats alot of the reason I'm reinstalling the original A/C, I would like to put a factory gauge pod with Oil, Amp, Temp and Tach rather than hack up the original SS dash to fit aftermarkets. The factory disks are in good shape and funtion perfectly so why change. The changes I want to make should all be reverseable but I want them to improve drivability, safety, and performance.

TTT

Boy oh boy what a set-up set of questions... :D

My personal experience with the bushings has been a very harsh ride with anything other than rubber. More of the little suspension vibrations get transmitted to the frame when you use either the poly or the del-alum bushings. THis might be OK for what you are doing though, if you don't mind a small sacrifice in harshness for the extra rigidty of the harder bushings.

The tall spindles have been done by many people and are currently a VERY hot topic around here. You might want to do a search for "Tall Spindle" or "11 inch brakes" or something to see what everybody (and their mothers :D ) have to say about it.
For the basics of the tall spindle conversion, part of what it does is change the angle of the upper a arm. Some say that this gives better handling through changing the roll center of the front end. If you already have 11" factory discs on the car, then changing the spindles and rotors will give you 12" rotors if you get the right parts. Not a huge difference in inches, but if you are looking for that leetle extra, (and aren't we all?) it might tune you up. Search here in B&S for more and better info on that deal.

If your body bushings are all old and hard, a new set could get rid of some of that "old car" feel.

Hth

K

Old, hard, cracked, you name they've got it. This issue of squeaking bothers me more than the harsh ride issue. I was under the impression that PST and other aftermarket companies had addressed this issue and remedied the problem? Is there perhaps another compuond available which would be a happy medium between these dfifferent issues?

Never really have ever found a Poly bushing that didn't squeek eventually. If you are will to put up with the harsh ride go with del-a-lum over poly.