Ok guys, I have a ? and I think I know what to do but would like your input. Yesterday my nephew decided he wanted a big screen tv and he didn't have a way of getting it home. I was at his house visiting and I told him he could use my sprint to go get it. Now I don't let everybody and their brother drive it but I have never heard my exhaust with someone else driving it and I wanted to hear how loud it was with me following him in his colbalt ss (which is a lot of fun to drive by the way).

Anyway getting back to my original question, I noticed quite a bit of body roll with him driving it. My springs are stock, Which after 36 years probably needs replacing. I have new air shocks which I am going to keep for hauling little stuff. And keep it stock appearing. The front shocks are generic repalcements. And I have never replaced the suspension bushings. Will changing springs and bushings tighten it up?

Brian

I'm guessing the stupid ?'s I'm asking are yes but is there anything I'm missing?

Sway bars help. But yes. By all means change the bushings out, it's a good idea anyway. It is a little work but worth the effort. Springs and shocks are very important to ride quality and handling/steering. After this long those things have changed their characteristics.

Put a plan together go from front to back replacing and or upgrading. Dump the Air Shocks! Go to J.C. Whitney and get a set of Air Bags to install in the springs. You loose only the harsh ride. Your hauling capabilities will remain there. Way, way better than Air Shocks. I think you can get them at J.C. Whitney for like 69 or $79.00 a set. Get some quality Shocks front and back, no generic stuff. You get everything you pay for and less in some cases.

Good Luck


FYI the Air Bags are 76.99 at J.C. Whitney

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/ItemBrowse/c-10101/s-10101/p-100000229561/mediaCode-ZX/appId-10614794/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:10000022956110614794

Interesting subject Brian, I have a 1 1/8" bar up front and the F41 setup in the rear with a 1" bar along with a few other replacements. You can hammer it into a corner pretty good without feeling like you are on two wheels. BUT.. remember Dennis, he would always say that you are covering up other problems by adding larger bars. He refered to them as stay bars, short for the more correct, stabilizer bar. I always respected what he had to say and in a recent Chevy Hi Per. article, there seems to be some back up to what he had to say. The article is about a beautiful 70 El Camino that not only knocks down 11.85@118 on the strip but is a beast on the racetrack as well. To make this monster corner, there are not any stock control arms on it, front or rear. The front has a QA1 coilover set up. The rear using some OPGI drop springs and QA1 shocks. Here is the kicker, a stock 15/16 bar up front and no rear bar. The aftermarket control arms and that coilover set up, I'm sure is a chunk of change though. Hey you never did say how you liked the sound of your car.

Thanks for the replys guys and I do like the sound. My nephew barely mashed the pedal and I could here my exhaust from 40,50 feet away and the windows rolled up.

As with the air shocks, they are about 1 1/2 years old and my dad got them for me as a birthday present. And in my eyes he's the greatest man I've ever known. I know the air shocks are a harsh ride but I can't bring myself to replace them after he bought em. I almost lost my old man in August. He had 2 heart attacks in one day. The dr. fixed him up and he was a smoker for 70 years!!! Hasn't touched one since the heart attacks.

I wish I had the kind of will he has. But I guess if it came to brass tacks I could quit too!!

Brian

P.S. sorry about going in another direction with my Dad.