Tuning out just a little roll over

Everett Vassar · 07-19-2011, 04:54 PM

Started out trying to remove some weight from my 81 Buick Century (Malibu) wagon.
After removing the front sway bar I had a real un level problem.Wound up solving this problem by softening up the pass side front coil spring.But for the first couple weeks I was working on the back and not the front So I wound up tossing the old stock springs,90/10 shocks and airbag for a set of Afco non adj coilovers in the stock location with 150lb springs.These were their recomendations not mine.anyway the car cranked over hard on the pass side rear tire and no amount of preload would fix it.so Afco recomended a 200lb spring on the pass side.That still wasnt enough till I adj in about 25% more preload on the pass side.Now the car leaves pretty good ...but still cranks over on that pass rear somewhat and I have learned to keep a little pressure to the left on the steering wheel.Some times it will make a pretty good move to the right at the hit but not every time...SO how do I get it leaving perfectly straight.a 250lb spring on the pass rear? a anti-roll bar? Rear sway bar? Tire pressure? Maybe I can re install the stock coil spring on that side to help out..I talked to Afco today and they suggested going to adjustable shocks.Well Hell I just bought 500 dollars worth of shocks and springs from them.so I should toss my brand new shocks under the bed and spend another 600 for new ones?..I thought about buying just one adjustable shock for the pass rear so i could run it stiffer than the drivers side.Just like putting a air bag on the pass side.Afco thought it was a bad idea.

Richard Grant · 07-19-2011, 05:57 PM

The car needs to be scaled. Before having it scaled, you need new front springs to be sure that they are the same height. By having it scaled the conner weights will be adjusted to balance everything. Then the car will leave straight.

Tom Goldman · 07-19-2011, 06:28 PM

G body racers have been using a right side air bag to tune the suspension since the start of time !
Not the most sophisticated suspension ,but it's cheap and it works.
An antiroll bar or staggered spring rates may help fine tune the setup ,but a look under many good working G body cars will reveal a simple air bag and no hop upper bar setup.

Re read your post, did'nt see you had used the coil over setup.
Head to the scales.

j gardiner · 07-20-2011, 03:19 PM

If you don't have anything on the back ie: anti-roll or antis-way it's going to roll especially since you took the bar off the front. The anti-roll works really well, that is what I have on my g-body. I have also seen the big anti-sway bar work well. The anti-roll requires a little fabrication while the anti-sway should be a bolt on deal.

doorguy · 07-20-2011, 03:52 PM

Hi

The anti-rollbar is the best for g-body cars .
I race a g-body car in k/sa ,my best 60 foot has been 1.46 . Adjustable rear shocks are a must . Trying to set up my car with scales was a waste of time for me . No air-bags or as i say the 2 x 4 setup . Stock rear springs are best on both sides . Front moroso springs are a must but do not cut . There is a lot more but every thing counts i have raced this car for 20 years and i am still finding things out . THis story never ends . The front end is another story . And the the rear end requres more .

peter boslovitch

Terry Cain · 07-20-2011, 07:01 PM

Like Tom said.
Put air bag in pass rear spring and adjust til it suit ya.

K Stubbs · 07-20-2011, 07:18 PM

Anti roll bar is the only way to fix this problem right. An air bag is just a band aid and who wants their car sitting up on that side, plus it throws the whole geometry of the rear suspension off.....The problem is that the rear control arms are moving at different rates when you launch the car; The right side is planting harder so it wants to try to "roll" the body to that side causing the separation on the left side. An anti roll bar will correct this so that both sides have to move at the same rate. Some people use a straight sway bar that ties the two rear lower control arms together and it works, if you did not want to invest in an anti roll bar.

j gardiner · 07-20-2011, 09:21 PM

I agree with K Stubbs, the anti-roll is the best. I have tried the air bag in the right rear, that is just a band-aid it will never get all the roll out. The big rear anti-sway bar works better, if you also use the front bar I have had every one of these setups in my car at one time or another. The anti-roll was the only one that made it exactly how I wanted it. It only took me seven yrs. to figure it out.

Greg Barsamian · 07-21-2011, 11:18 AM

Products > 1978-1987 G-Body > Suspension > Xtreme Anti-Roll Bar Kits
Buick: Grand National,Regal Chevy: Malibu Oldsmobile: Cutlass Pontiac: Grand Prix

1978 - 1987 G-Body Xtreme Anti-Roll Bar Kits

1987 G-Body - XSB009
Part#: XSB009
Xtreme Anti-roll Bar Kit, Rear, Solid 1.375", 2.75" Axles
XSB009 - Xtreme Anti-roll Bar Kit, Rear, Solid 1.375

Part#: XSB009
Manufacturer: BMR Suspension
Price: $399.95

http://www.bmrsuspension.com
Check out they're web site for your application & "axle tube" size
Sold many of these to A & G body users with sucessful results!
G

Everett Vassar · 07-22-2011, 04:23 PM

O.K So my only decision now is Sway bar or Anti-roll The anti-roll set up requires welding......Legal for stock?

07-19-2011, 04:54 PM	#1
Everett Vassar Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Kennedale,Tx Posts: 227 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Tuning out just a little roll over Started out trying to remove some weight from my 81 Buick Century (Malibu) wagon. After removing the front sway bar I had a real un level problem.Wound up solving this problem by softening up the pass side front coil spring.But for the first couple weeks I was working on the back and not the front So I wound up tossing the old stock springs,90/10 shocks and airbag for a set of Afco non adj coilovers in the stock location with 150lb springs.These were their recomendations not mine.anyway the car cranked over hard on the pass side rear tire and no amount of preload would fix it.so Afco recomended a 200lb spring on the pass side.That still wasnt enough till I adj in about 25% more preload on the pass side.Now the car leaves pretty good ...but still cranks over on that pass rear somewhat and I have learned to keep a little pressure to the left on the steering wheel.Some times it will make a pretty good move to the right at the hit but not every time...SO how do I get it leaving perfectly straight.a 250lb spring on the pass rear? a anti-roll bar? Rear sway bar? Tire pressure? Maybe I can re install the stock coil spring on that side to help out..I talked to Afco today and they suggested going to adjustable shocks.Well Hell I just bought 500 dollars worth of shocks and springs from them.so I should toss my brand new shocks under the bed and spend another 600 for new ones?..I thought about buying just one adjustable shock for the pass rear so i could run it stiffer than the drivers side.Just like putting a air bag on the pass side.Afco thought it was a bad idea. Last edited by Everett Vassar; 07-19-2011 at 04:56 PM.

07-19-2011, 05:57 PM	#2
Richard Grant Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: West Monroe, La. Posts: 301 Likes: 9 Liked 13 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over The car needs to be scaled. Before having it scaled, you need new front springs to be sure that they are the same height. By having it scaled the conner weights will be adjusted to balance everything. Then the car will leave straight. __________________ Richard Grant 4988 STK

07-19-2011, 06:28 PM	#3
Tom Goldman VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Allentown,PA Posts: 2,468 Likes: 874 Liked 838 Times in 232 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over G body racers have been using a right side air bag to tune the suspension since the start of time ! Not the most sophisticated suspension ,but it's cheap and it works. An antiroll bar or staggered spring rates may help fine tune the setup ,but a look under many good working G body cars will reveal a simple air bag and no hop upper bar setup. Re read your post, did'nt see you had used the coil over setup. Head to the scales. __________________ Tom Goldman 1500 SG , 1506 STK Last edited by Tom Goldman; 07-19-2011 at 06:31 PM.

07-20-2011, 03:19 PM	#4
j gardiner Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: waldorf Posts: 220 Likes: 14 Liked 53 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over If you don't have anything on the back ie: anti-roll or antis-way it's going to roll especially since you took the bar off the front. The anti-roll works really well, that is what I have on my g-body. I have also seen the big anti-sway bar work well. The anti-roll requires a little fabrication while the anti-sway should be a bolt on deal.

07-20-2011, 03:52 PM	#5
doorguy Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 9 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over Hi The anti-rollbar is the best for g-body cars . I race a g-body car in k/sa ,my best 60 foot has been 1.46 . Adjustable rear shocks are a must . Trying to set up my car with scales was a waste of time for me . No air-bags or as i say the 2 x 4 setup . Stock rear springs are best on both sides . Front moroso springs are a must but do not cut . There is a lot more but every thing counts i have raced this car for 20 years and i am still finding things out . THis story never ends . The front end is another story . And the the rear end requres more . peter boslovitch

07-20-2011, 07:01 PM	#6
Terry Cain Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Georgetown, Indiana (close to Louisville, KY) Posts: 773 Likes: 530 Liked 228 Times in 105 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over Like Tom said. Put air bag in pass rear spring and adjust til it suit ya. __________________ Terry Cain ???? STK tcain19689585@gmail.com

07-20-2011, 07:18 PM	#7
K Stubbs Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Benton, Arkansas Posts: 402 Likes: 0 Liked 20 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over Anti roll bar is the only way to fix this problem right. An air bag is just a band aid and who wants their car sitting up on that side, plus it throws the whole geometry of the rear suspension off.....The problem is that the rear control arms are moving at different rates when you launch the car; The right side is planting harder so it wants to try to "roll" the body to that side causing the separation on the left side. An anti roll bar will correct this so that both sides have to move at the same rate. Some people use a straight sway bar that ties the two rear lower control arms together and it works, if you did not want to invest in an anti roll bar.

07-20-2011, 09:21 PM	#8
j gardiner Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: waldorf Posts: 220 Likes: 14 Liked 53 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over I agree with K Stubbs, the anti-roll is the best. I have tried the air bag in the right rear, that is just a band-aid it will never get all the roll out. The big rear anti-sway bar works better, if you also use the front bar I have had every one of these setups in my car at one time or another. The anti-roll was the only one that made it exactly how I wanted it. It only took me seven yrs. to figure it out.

07-21-2011, 11:18 AM	#9
Greg Barsamian VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Central Massachusetts Posts: 1,397 Likes: 684 Liked 402 Times in 93 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over Products > 1978-1987 G-Body > Suspension > Xtreme Anti-Roll Bar Kits Buick: Grand National,Regal Chevy: Malibu Oldsmobile: Cutlass Pontiac: Grand Prix 1978 - 1987 G-Body Xtreme Anti-Roll Bar Kits 1987 G-Body - XSB009 Part#: XSB009 Xtreme Anti-roll Bar Kit, Rear, Solid 1.375", 2.75" Axles XSB009 - Xtreme Anti-roll Bar Kit, Rear, Solid 1.375 Part#: XSB009 Manufacturer: BMR Suspension Price: $399.95 http://www.bmrsuspension.com Check out they're web site for your application & "axle tube" size Sold many of these to A & G body users with sucessful results! G Last edited by Greg Barsamian; 07-21-2011 at 11:24 AM.

07-22-2011, 04:23 PM	#10
Everett Vassar Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Kennedale,Tx Posts: 227 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Tuning out just a little roll over O.K So my only decision now is Sway bar or Anti-roll The anti-roll set up requires welding......Legal for stock?