I'm ready to BUY! Lets make this TA CORNER!
 

OK, I'm ready to spend some cash and get on with the next step on my TA. Please respond in numerical order with your suggestions and comments.

1. Who sells a complete set of soild bushings that are direct replacements for stock, front and rear?
2. I only want to unbolt and replace springs, sway bars, etc. Would a good upgrade be the WS6 package?
3. Who sells a good complete bolt on disk brakes (drilled and slotted), front and rear, for this application.
4. Who makes a good, resonably priced, posi unit, C-clip eliminators, and axles for the 10bolt I have in this.

Thank you for your help/suggestions/comments, :)

If you want the solid bushings, see what Speedway motors might have since they cater to the oval track racers. They also have resonably priced tubular a-arms
With solid bushings, I would go with aggressive springs, then really big sway bars. Too big of spring with solid bushings would cause the bolts of the car to start falling out along with your fillings.
WS-6 is so soft compared to what is out there now from Global west and Hotchkiss and others.
For the brakes and rear, I defer to others.
Hope this helps

1; Look to proturing F-body, or VSE. Also there are body mounts. Bushings can range from Very hard rubber, to polyurethane, to nylon, to hardcore sphericals and machined steel. I have a set of energy suspension fronts that is collecting dust.

2; Yes, WS-6 is good, but you can go farther, coner better, and sacrifice even more of your ride comfort. Also if your grabbing factory WS-6 stuff, the sway bars, braces, and steering boxes are OK, but GM gets pretty detailed with it's spring selecton on the front with engines and accessories that are installed - probably don't want pull springs from another car, get them new. I also parted a WS-6 car for parts - both rear springs were cracked, so you probably want to source them elswhere, new also. There are ways/sources for better springs, shocks, steering boxes, brakes, and sway bars than the WS-6 offered.

3; Don't know, probably Bear. But you can swap to 12" 1LE brakes in the front, 79 up WS-6 cars have 11" rear discs.

4; Don't know, never looked.

Consider chassis stiffness also, big springs and bars only go so far if a car flexes through the body alot. And unsprung weight matters - try to avoid big heavy wheels unless they are wide and give a massive contact patch from a fatter tire.

Thanks for the input guys. :)

Springs:
My input is to get more spring rate then you think. 2 years ago I replaced my stock springs in my 75 Formula with springs I speced from Coil Spring Specialties. I did a lot of reading and felt that Ws-6 specs at 430 lbs was a good place to be. I speced the drop I wanted.
The springs gave me exactly the stance I wanted so they nailed that. But the car still felt a bit floaty with new Monroe shocks..Not their fault It was my number. Just not that big a change from stock.

I recently bought the PTFB GT kit with some Koni 1017's that I bought elsewhere.
I've only put the 630 lb GT springs in front only so far with the Konis.
I also have the Solid bushings from RamAir Resto (PTFB parts)
The car isnt dead stiff like I feared. In fact I would got higher if I did it again.

Pro touring f body has some really nice solid bushings. You can adjust the height with them. I installed them in my car in about 2 1/2 hours no problems. I also have their subframe connectors and the quality appears excellent. Have not installed them yet though. Here is a link.

http://www.pro-touringf-body.com/cha...omponents.html

Thanks guys. I wrote PTFB and I'm looking at the Comp Kit and the higher end disc break kit and new bushings. I'm also sticking a Detroit Truetrac in the rear with C-clip eliminators and stronger axles. With the 2.73's and the 4-spd it should be a lot of fun on the straights AND the canyon roads!

Yes, the Solid bushings area easy to install. I put them in in the "Wedged" position.
The GT springs are perfect for the street. but Dave will tell you that they run "loooow". The stance is "even more perfect" with these..

They brought the front fender down to about 1/2 ich from the top of the tire. Problem was I put also put new 255/60/15 Firehawks on stock rallys, to replace the 245/60/15 T/A Radials, and it rubbed the very inside of the fender lip on the top edge of the tread. All I needed was about 1/2 inch darn it! 245's would have been the call. They are just over 1/2' narrower. But I wanted Firehawks and they dont make 245's.

I just finished putting in .750 poly spacers on the bottoms this weekend. Sits perfect now. 1 1/2 inch above the tire. Turned the Koni's 1/2 turn from Full Tight. Handles great.

The "wedged" position - that brings the subframe closer to the body, correct? My carb - shaker is already tight against the hood, that would make that worse as well?

Thanks..

solid bushings
 

Also with lower bushings, watch out for fan to fan shroud contact

Yes this can happen from what I understand
You can easily flip them back over.

From what I remember, nobody makes a c clip eliminator for use with disc brakes. And really, you wouldn't really need them in that instance.

Ah... Just to clarify... I won't need the C-clip eliminators, correct? Do the eliminators interfere with the rear disc break mounting?

I'm not sure I want to lower the car too much. I have 3.5" collectors and I don't want them dragging anymore then they have to. If I leave the bushings in the "standard" position will this add a little clearance? By the way, I have electric fans so I won't have any clearance problem there. I'm just worried about rubbing the tires shown and dragging the exhaust too much.

No you won't need them. They are to keep your axles from flying out because of a broken c clip. With disc brakes, the thinking is the calipers and rotors would keep them from falling out.

If you aren't going crazy with power, your stock 10 bolt would be fine. Weld up the axle tubes, stock axles would be fine as long as they are in good condition, put an aluminum support cover on, and enjoy.

Here is a picture of my car with the comp kit and solid bushings from PTFB.
It lowered the car about 1.5"-2". I have 295/50x15 out back and 235/60x15 in front.
I have QA1 coil overs in front.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...70/Formula.jpg

dont waste your money/time/effort on drilled rotors....for all practical purposes they offer no benefit, and in all actuality are a potential detriment, as stress cracks can form at the holes, and you know what happens after that.....

another forum i'm on, one in which the cars are regularly autocrossed and track rats, NEVER use drilled rotors, as there's been far too many times theyve exploded on the track. if theyre not using stock brake parts, theyre using slotted rotors only.

slotted rotors, no problem, but look for the ones in which the slots do not extend all the way to the edge of the rotor. IIRC, nascar no longer uses drilled rotors, they use ones that are "slotted", but rather than one straight slot they're like a bunch of "Cs" machined on the friction surface.

My .02

Who sells a complete set of soild bushings that are direct replacements for stock, front and rear?

I only want to unbolt and replace springs, sway bars, etc. Would a good upgrade be the WS6 package?

Here is what I'm doing, the 2nd gens already handle well just usually need refreshing an better upper control arms that allow for better suspension geometry. One area I would never skip on from prior experience is shocks and tires. Both are extremely important and with an good condition otherwise stock setup are a big improvement alone.

After researching quite a bit and working with Custom works and L and H Kustoms I have the following:

- Front and rear Hotchkis springs
- Front Hotchkis shocks\rear Koni
- Front WS6 sway bar new bushings
- Steering rebuild kit from PTFB
- Lee 670 power steering gear box
- PTFB upper control arms with tall ball joints
- Lower control arm is reinforced with Global Del u Lam bushings
- Detroit Speed Subframe Connectors (EXPENSIVE install) PTFB is supposed to be a decent alternative
- PTFB Solid body bushings




Who sells a good complete bolt on disk brakes (drilled and slotted), front and rear, for this application.

For brakes I used Custom Works front C5 conversion and rear L and H Kustoms setup with stock corvette parking brake and Lokar cables. I also have a Wilwood tandem and adjustable prop valve.

If I could do it again I would consider Right Stuff brakes they have a new big brake kit line that includes everything for the DIY.



Who makes a good, resonably priced, posi unit, C-clip eliminators, and axles for the 10bolt I have in this.

Eaton Posi is what I would run, like others have said you don't need, can't use c clip elims.

Hope that helps :)

Good post. If you go with the C5 setup u can buy lifetime Autozone rotors and abuse them with no worries. Alot of autocross guys do this...Just get a good pad like Hawk.

C5 conversion is the way to go but only if you are going to use 17" or bigger wheels. Otherwise, you can do the S10 conversion for the rear or a 79-81 disc rear form a firebird or a kit from many places.