G body stocker suspension tips
 

Hello, I have a stock suspension 1986 Monte Carlo LS/CL. This is going to be an 1/8 mile foot brake car with a mild 400-450 hp 355 chevy with a 350 turbo transmission with an 8" Coan Maximum Performance 4500 stall converter and a 12 bolt chevy rear with spool and 4.88 gear.

Can anyone give me some tips on front and rear suspension mods for my car. What parts work well? I already have a set of adjustable upper and lower rear control arms with Competition Engineering 3 way adjustable drag shocks for the front and rear. I have a pair of 28x10 M/T drag slicks for the rear. What front tire size would you suggest? 28" ?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Is it an aftermarket 12 bolt? How do you plan on adapting it to the MC chassis?

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

12 bolt is out of a 68' to 72' Chevelle with Ford ends for Ford style 33 spline axels and brakes. I used to have this rear end in a former stock eliminator car I have - 1978 Malibu Wagon.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

So how did you adapt it to fit?

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Iceman rear arms , CE shocks will do. Front , Global west bushings, Moroso springs and Calvert shocks.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, the rear upper and lower control arms I have heim joints and the bars I bought are made specifically for a 12 bolt swap in a g body.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Bud, Do I need any kind of special ball joints? I bought Moog stock replacement ball joints for the front.

Calvert shocks, who has these for sale? Seems like I saw a website advertising these at one time but can't remember where.

Bud, I'm sure you know how A body and G body like to twist when they leave. I noticed your pictures of your Malibu and it looked like you were using air bags. I had air bags in my 78 Malibu wagon stocker years ago but had trouble with pinching the one on the passenger side of the car. Have you or anyone you know ever tried to run a stock style sway bar to keep the car from twisting or used an anti roll bar for this?

Thanks for your help - Jeff:)

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

I use the www.hrpartsnstuff.com bolt-in antiroll bar. Works great!!

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Okay, so you are using heim joints to make up for the misalignment of the brackets. In that case ,I can't see how you could use a factory type sway bar with those arms.
The original point I was getting at; Can you use no hop bars to raise the upper pivot point on the housing?
That extra amount of separation is really beneficial, especially on a 2dr car.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, what are "no hop" bars as you call these so that I have an understanding of what you mean. Thank you for your help - Jeff

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

They are used to raise the pivot point on the housing. This in turn ,changes the instant center ,which causes separation on launch.
That's why I asked about an aftermarket rear. They usually come with the upper ear already moved up.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...a%3DN%26um%3D1

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

72' Malibu - do you run air bags or just the sway bar? Thank you for the link also. Jeff

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, no I don't have any "no hop" bars. Never realized what the purpose of these were maybe until now. Do you feel that these are a must with the factory 12 bolt rear in a g body?

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

I do, on that style body, because you can't get the rear low enough to get any kind of (projected) instant center point. That is,with stock wheels tubs.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, so I need the no hop bars in the rear with the 12 bolt installed. How about sway bar or anti roll bar system and shocks for the rear.

Your suggestions on the front suspension also? Thanks

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, I just noticed all of the cars you have had and driven in the pictures here on the site over several decades. Nice.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Mark, would these relocation brackets do the same thing for me the Lakewood No Hop bars would do also? Here's a link to the relocation brackets: http://www.umiperformance.com/3010?category_id=60

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Thanks.
I've always had good luck with Air Lift bags with a preload, and heavy duty shocks.Someone else will have to comment on the rear bar deal.
In the front, you can use Moroso springs (always go with a lighter rate than recommended), or V 6 springs from the U Pull it yard.
Front shocks; You can go with a Summit 3 way uplock type , or something more expensive that'll allow the front to settle. It's just a matter of how much you want to spend on a bracket car.
My way of thinking,..little as possible.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Just the antiroll bar, with Moog oem replacement springs, and QA1 single adjustable rear shocks. I used to run an air bag in the left rear until the power output went up.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

I have a g-body stocker that I have raced for about 12 years now. I have gone through alot of different suspension setups since I started. ihave had the stock arms with ce 3-way adjustable shocks and air bags. It was ok, still a good amount of twist. Then I added a larger aftermarket sway bar. It still would twist and every so often blow the tires off. I went to no-hop bars and adjustable uppers, no big difference. I then went all in. I changed just about everything. It now has solid lowers, adjustable upper bars with heim joints.qa1adjustable shocks and anti-roll bar. The anti-roll bar seemed to make the biggest difference, it also allowed me to take the sway bar off the front which saved about 25 lbs. off the front. The car has only spun the tires 3 times in the last 5 years and it leaves very flat now.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

J. Gardiner, thanks for your reply. I actually have upper and lower rear adjustable (heim joint style) control arms with an anti roll bat and CE 3 way adjustable shocks right now for the rear. Just wondered if anything worked any better or if I had what would work the best. I also have the relocation brackets for the lower control arms to adjust the IC.

How about your front suspension? Right now I have stock front control arms with new Moog bushings. I ground the teeth off the upper control arm bushings so that the upper arms would be free to travel. I have adjustable CE front shocks and have stock small block springs right now but thought about buying the Moroso trick front springs. I have new Moog upper and lower stock ball joints also. Any suggestions here? Thanks:)

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

I have the afco solid bushings, qa1 shocks and stock ball joints. I am not sure what the springs are. They are probably 6 cyl. springs.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Nothing special on the ball joints. Calvert shocks can be bought from Alex at

http://www.moneymakerracing.com/

http://calvertracing.com/frontshocks.php

I have an air bag in the right rear. As for the rear sway bar, my opinion is it depends on the car and HP. Knowing more about your car / engine could help some.

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

I have a G-body car that I have been considering building as a stocker and although I haven't taken any actual measurements, at a glance, the rear suspension geometry on this car looks hideous. Instant center looks like it must be somewhere behind the car and to get the upper arms at a workable angle it seems the rear attachment point would almost have to be in the trunk.

There have been a number discussions here in the past about GM coil spring cars and there are seemingly an infinite number of theories and opinions as to what will or won't work. In addition, all of these cars were not created equal. Different body styles appear to have slightly different geometry, even though they are all of the same basic design. Many of you obviously have it figured out because when these cars work, they work very well.

Sure would be nice to just bolt on a set of Caltracs and go!

Re: G body stocker suspension tips
 

Gentleman,
I am interested in putting a 12-bolt in a 1983 olds custom cruiser replacing as 9" that is in the car now. Who makes the kit or necessary housing to make the swap. Thanks much