[80TA]

Lately I have done some stuff to my 80 ,put in new springs,Moog 8002 I think they were supposed to be big block pontiac 455 springs for cars with no air.I have taken air out of my car.
My back leafs appear to have been replaced once for sure and are still 5 leaf but don't sag at all.I just replaced all four ball joints and tie rods and have just ordered polygraphite control arm bushings,sway bar bushings,links,rear sway bar bushings,leaf pads,and have polygraphite bodymounts waiting to go in as soon as I take off my fenders to get to the darn screwed up cage nuts.
Oh I also have draglites and newer kumo tires at 30psi. The car seems to handle good but it rides terrible on rougher roads.I do have some subframe connectors ,bolt in ce's but was waiting to fix the body mount bushings before
installing those.
I haven't touched the shocks yet and they could be original for all I know.Do these cars really ride terrible and will shocks really make a difference.
I am thinking of edelbrock or adjustable qa1's.
I am leaning to the qa1's since plan on some track use with this car and haven't heard of anyone running the edelbrock at the track.
So do you guys think shocks will make a big difference?? I like the handling and the power but the rough ride and rattles in this old ta are driving me up a wall.It doesn't help that I have a newer 99ta and it handles great,rides great even dropped an inch with lots of suspension mods and has almost no rattles.
I have spent a lot of time going thru this car but it just seems to be a rattle trap.
Sorry for ranting here guys.I am keeping the car but just need some encouragement maybe.

80TAWS6,400,edelbrock carb,accel wires,dual exhaust,dynomax mufflers,3.42 strange gears, draglites.
14.33 at 99.5mph 2.34 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.
15.03 at 93.95 with 2.63 60ft at local track uncorrected.

99TAWS6 ..lots of mods.13.35 at
109 2.27 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.

[80TA]

Lately I have done some stuff to my 80 ,put in new springs,Moog 8002 I think they were supposed to be big block pontiac 455 springs for cars with no air.I have taken air out of my car.
My back leafs appear to have been replaced once for sure and are still 5 leaf but don't sag at all.I just replaced all four ball joints and tie rods and have just ordered polygraphite control arm bushings,sway bar bushings,links,rear sway bar bushings,leaf pads,and have polygraphite bodymounts waiting to go in as soon as I take off my fenders to get to the darn screwed up cage nuts.
Oh I also have draglites and newer kumo tires at 30psi. The car seems to handle good but it rides terrible on rougher roads.I do have some subframe connectors ,bolt in ce's but was waiting to fix the body mount bushings before
installing those.
I haven't touched the shocks yet and they could be original for all I know.Do these cars really ride terrible and will shocks really make a difference.
I am thinking of edelbrock or adjustable qa1's.
I am leaning to the qa1's since plan on some track use with this car and haven't heard of anyone running the edelbrock at the track.
So do you guys think shocks will make a big difference?? I like the handling and the power but the rough ride and rattles in this old ta are driving me up a wall.It doesn't help that I have a newer 99ta and it handles great,rides great even dropped an inch with lots of suspension mods and has almost no rattles.
I have spent a lot of time going thru this car but it just seems to be a rattle trap.
Sorry for ranting here guys.I am keeping the car but just need some encouragement maybe.

80TAWS6,400,edelbrock carb,accel wires,dual exhaust,dynomax mufflers,3.42 strange gears, draglites.
14.33 at 99.5mph 2.34 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.
15.03 at 93.95 with 2.63 60ft at local track uncorrected.

99TAWS6 ..lots of mods.13.35 at
109 2.27 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.

[LouisianaGuy]

Is it a T-Top car?? They rattle worse than anything :P
The ride is not that great on bumpy roads, suspension is made for handling not ride comfort in my opinion, it aint a Cadillac you know :P
Mike

[Brian Baker]

A 2nd gen. T/A will ride "harsh", much harsher than a '99 'bird.

Big Block Pontiac 455?

[LouisianaGuy]

I think people just Say Big Block Pontiac out of habbit now days LOL.
Called a fella at a Turbo shop the other day and was looking for some advice and i told him i was building a system for my 455 Pontiac and the first words out of his mouth were ahhh a Big Block Pontiac huh :P I tried to explain to him that there was no such thing, but he keps saying well its got close to the same dimensions and displacement as a BB chevy, so that makes it a big block :/ But pontiac never made a small block did they?? so maby a 455 is their version of a small block, who knows :P
Mike

[80TA]

Oops..fell into that trap..no such thing as pontiac big block.
Anyway yeah its a t top car.Thats one big reason I did get the subframe connectors for it.
And yeah I know the old ones don't ride as good as the new ones.It just seemed that my other second gens and have had a 77 bandit ta 400 in 78,79 formula and a 78 400 ta around 12 years ago and now my 80 ,anyway it just seemed that the other ones rode better.Course that was still several years ago for the other ones and this one may simply have 23 year old shocks.They are seriously dirty and old looking and might be stockers.The only thing stopping me from throwing in some new monroes or gabriels was simply wanting some type of adjustables in case I needed to firm things up when I put headers on.I have adjustable kyb on my 99 and they work pretty good.But kyb don't make the adjustable agx for our cars yet.So that leaves companies like qa1 which are big bucks .
I have been talking to calvert racing and they are recommending the rancho 9000 9 way adjustable for our cars and carrera 90/10 in the front.Of course calvert is mostly a pure race company and my car is street driven but will see the track maybe 4 times a year.I still want good track performance but if possible a decent ride.And yeah I don't expect it to be a cadillac.
I have also heard those new edelbrocks work great ,just wish they were adjustable.They are not that cheap either so a guy doesn't want to make wrong decisions.
I wonder if putting the battery in trunk will help ride some.I was planning on doing that anyway.

80TAWS6,400,edelbrock carb,accel wires,dual exhaust,dynomax mufflers,3.42 strange gears, draglites.
14.33 at 99.5mph 2.34 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.
15.03 at 93.95 with 2.63 60ft at local track uncorrected.

99TAWS6 ..lots of mods.13.35 at
109 2.27 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.

[olds]

My 79 T/A has KYB shocks. It is a stiff ride. Yes...You feel every bump. Just like mu 2500HD. These cars are rattle boxes. It will not ride like a new one.

olds

[Aeolian-X]

Not sure which you want to fix? The harsh ride, or the rattling. Fixing the harsh ride - get a new car. It's fixed. I personally like the stiff ride of the 2nd gens. Fixing the rattle- just go through the car and fix all of the rattles. Not too difficult, but takes a lot of time and patience. Most rattles come from the doors. New weatherstrip and a tweak here and there will help a lot. Some sound deadening padding will also help out.

- AX
77 Trans Am Restoration Journal

[stu]

I remember in the late 70s riding with people that had brand new T/As and them making excuses about the rattling, so you may be stuck with a certain level no matter what. Mine are pretty good but a washboard will get the doors shaking, even with all new rubber stops, weather strips, etc.

[coldZ28]

Well for one sub-frame connectors will help. The idea is to get the suspension to react to the bumps and not the car(which by nature some unibody cars do). Shocks can make a big difference in ride. You will have to experiment. If the springs you have are stiff right know then do not go with the KYB gas-a-just. That will make it worse. The poly bushings in the a-arms add to some of the harshness as well. The Global West del-a-lums are much better for the a-arms, but are spendy. As mentioned sound deadener will help out as well and give you the allusion of a tighter/quieter ride. You might have to think about some softer springs if the ride bothers you that much. I would say start with some new shocks and go from there. One more thing I might mention for the rear leaf springs is maybe going to the Vette Brakes composite springs. I know from experience how these springs are. I bought a set back in 90 for my 72 Camaro and it was a night and day difference. I had a set of replacement steel springs on the car, but the ride was still a little harsh in some of the roads here in the winter. So the next season I put on the composite springs and was amazed how much better the car rode. The springs actually absorbed the shock of the bump instead of transfering it like steel springs do. I used them for about 6 years behind a 380 hp motor through 20 below zero days and the still work great. I had to retire the 72 but I put the springs on the 81 Nascar and the still sit just like stock. Anyway it's just an option.

81 Turbo Trans AM (nascar edition)
71 Camaro

[Brian Baker]

You think you have 23 year old shocks and you're asking us how to fix the rattling or harsh ride?

I like the KISS method (keep it simple stupid).

Go over the basics (replace shocks, replace bushings, replace or rebalance tires, replace springs if needed, have the front end alignment checked, replace the door hinge pins and bushings as well as the lock striker if needed, etc.)

If the car is still creaking and rattling, install the subframe connectors.

If you think it rides harsh now with all of the worn out parts on it, wait until you replace everything and install subframe connectors.

[Brian Baker]

For street driving, Herb Adams 3-way adjustables are the ticket for shocks. They're WAY cheaper than Edelbrocks and they work great.

[coldZ28]

Have to agree with Brain. 23 year old suspension and bushings then you are comparing it to a new car. Get the stuff replaced (if you already haven't) then go from there.

81 Turbo Trans AM (nascar edition)
71 Camaro

[80TA]

Ok guys,I know shocks are probably a good place to start its just I have my mind pretty much made up on the qa1's and they are just so darn pricey.But I do remember my old 77 ta which I bought in 78 and for sure didn't have worn out suspension did used to slam the headers way too much so a good set of adjustables seem like the way to go.The completely cured my header bottoming in my 99.Like I said I have just installed brand new moog 8002 springs and they were the springs in the book for the 400 -455 with no air.And my car has no air now.And I just did put in the
new ball joints and tie rods.I have also gone thru the car and tried to get rid of most of the rattles and squeaks and have been somewhat successful but I do think the doors are rattle prone no matter what you do but the subframe connectors should help that.
My main thing for the squeaking groaning is to get my new polygraphite body bushings in but the middle bushing on the passenger side broke off the cage nut so now likely will have to take off fenders.I didn't try the back ones yet either but know you can dremel out the floor to get to those.Any tips or tricks to do these darn bushings.??
I am also sure the new polygraphite stuff I have ordered will help the handling quite a bit.
I guess just bite the bullet and order those qa1s.
And where and how much are those vette springs??
I was thinking the split monos from calvert racing and caltracs too.This car will still see track use a few times a year,that is one of the main reasons I bought it so don't have to take the 99 to the track and buy a rollbar and all that for the 99.
Oh and calvert really recommeneds the rancho 9 way adjustables for the back and they are way cheaper than the qa1s its just the qa1 have such a good reputation.And calvert recommends the 90/10 carrerra shocks for the front and they are also much cheaper than qa1 but not sure if they are adjustable.And I know the summit or ce or herb adams shocks have some adjustablilty just not as quick and easy as the qa1 or ranchos.
So who has qa1 all around and how happy are you with them for the street and track..

80TAWS6,400,edelbrock carb,accel wires,dual exhaust,dynomax mufflers,3.42 strange gears, draglites.
14.33 at 99.5mph 2.34 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.
15.03 at 93.95 with 2.63 60ft at local track uncorrected.

99TAWS6 ..lots of mods.13.35 at
109 2.27 60ft uncorrected tazzo vpc.
1900 ft altitude.

[Brian Baker]

Ken Keefer (Pontiacdude) has QA1's on the back. He sez you really need them to tune a stock chassis F-body, and I believe him.

Keep in mind that he is knocking on the 8 second zone and running over 150-MPH with a stock chassis F-body and 10.5" drag radials. The QA1's are needed for his application, but may be overkill for a typical 11 or 12 second street/strip car.

If the car will see more street duty than track duty, I would set it up that way.

Forget the split monoleafs and get the Landrum springs (or equivalent). I have Landrum 250 lb. springs in mine, and they are 4-leaf. Cal-Trac's are nice, and probably the ultimate traction device for a stock chassis leaf sprung car. Keep in mind however that ground clearance with them will be an issue (but no worse than having 4-tube full length headers on the car).

I've read about the Rancho adjustable truck shocks, and they sound appealing, but I don't know of anyone that has tested them on a street/strip car.

The Herb Adams require that you remove the shock to adjust them, but they are gas charged and 3-way adjustable. Personally, I like the way a gas charged shock rides on the street.

Replace the hinge pins and bushings on your door hinges and realign the doors (if needed). You may also need to replace the door strikers if they are worn. My doors used to rattle like the devil when going over bumps until I did this.

You may not need to remove the fenders to get to those front cage nuts. Remove the inner fender wells first, this should give you enough room. The rear ones will require you to cut a hole in the floorpans to gain access.

[OneTaLuvr]

80TA Im on your side and going thru the same thing. I think I get tired of people saying the ride is what it is and deal with it. I just spent about 2000.00 on ALL front end parts, replaced everything including new Monroe shocks, made no difference. I was told it was my springs since they were Hotchkis springs they would be stiff, so far I have tried 3 different sets of springs and NONE made any difference to the ride, if you hit a crack in the road it feels like you just hit an open manhole cover. Now, not trying to be a jerk here, but for people to say if you want a cadillac then go buy a cadillac. Let me start off by saying that this is an insane thing to say. If every car would have riden like mine does after replacing everyhing Pontiac wouldnt have sold any of these TA's. Theres got to be a remedy for this, doesnt anyone here know there Sh*t? The only part I havent changed is Body Bushings. I personally am not asking for this to ride like a Caddy, but I would like it to be somewhat capable of handling a bump. I would appreciate anyone that could help here. Spending a ton of money and not getting Restoration results is insane. I to have had 2 other TA's one with Ttops and one without and this car rides like a sherman tank, as if it has ZERO suspension.My Resto Project

[Brian Baker]

T/A lover:

Why, yes, I am insane...just ask anybody.

Yes, I know my *****. It's mostly brown.

You're dealing with a 25+ year old car for Chris' sake. It's going to have rattles and squeaks and shakes when going over bumps. Unless you perform a "frame off" restoration and replace all springs, bushings, etc. along with the sound deadener, window/door seals, door hinge pins/bushings, etc. it will still have a rattle or squeak somewhere, and even the retoration may not cure it.

[OneTaLuvr]

Well not trying to say you dont know your sh*t just saying that Ive done just about everything you mentioned and the suspension Im talking about seems as if I havent done any of it. The reason I replaced everything in the first place is because it rode this stiff, and Im not talking stiff, Im talking this thing acts like its sitting on the frame with no shocks or springs period. My doors rattle that Im aware of, but what Im talking about has nothing to do with the doors or those type of rattles, it just acts like it has no absorbtion period.

This is why I restarted an old topic because Im going thru the exact same thing as 80TA and cant believe theres nothing I can do to fix it.

[Brian Baker]

No absorbtion would imply that the car is bottoming out over bumps. Is it?

What kind of rims/tires are on it?

[OneTaLuvr]

They are the stock 7 inch Snowflakes with NEW BFG TA Radials, I will be adding the WS6 8 inch rims once the car is done, but this wouldnt seem to be the cause of the hard ride?? I guess the reason Im so concerned is all the money Ive dropped into this car. Ive also ridden in much older cars IE.. 1969 Firebird, 55 Ford Tbird, and 1966 Corvette and NONE of those cars seemed to ride at all like this thing is, Im very discouraged.

Could body bushings be creating this at all, they are still originals. thanks Brian for the help man, Im just desperate to find out how to improve this. TA suspensions I know are stiff but they usually have some flexability, mine is stiff beyond words! The only reason I havent changed the Body Bushings is because I was told this wouldnt cause the problem Im feeling.

How could it be bottoming out? I think first order of business for me is to change Body Bushings, if that doesnt solve the issue Im screwed because that will mean Ive replaced EVERYTHING.

[This message was edited by OneTaLuvr on October 23, 2003 at 12:30 AM.]