Front suspension & Steering (Parts List)

[Raga138]

Hi. I need some help with finding all the rubber parts from the front suspension and the ends from the steering. Could anyone check summitracing for a whole set? I dont really know how to find them cause my bad english 🙁 its for a 78 malibu but I think that there has nothing change thru years

 

[UNGN]

PST bushings are great for a driver. You need 4 upper control arm bushings and 4 lower control arm bushings. They have Tie Rods, too.

For the rest of the suspension, I would recommend for a "Daily Driver" to make it drive more like a modern car:

In Front you'll need:
Springs (AL LS1 or V6): Moog 5658 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Springs (Iron SB/AL head Big Block): Moog 5660 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Springs (Iron BB): Moog 5662 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Shocks: Bilsteins
Control Arm bushings: PST polygraphite Lower Control Arm bushings (4) (uppers, too (4) if you re-use stock upper control arms)
Maybe Upper Control Arms: G-body parts UB Machine Tubular will work fine with 17X8's, could have interference with smaller diameter 8" wheels and tall ball joints.
Bump stop: ZQ8 GM 15956547, Dorman 31064
ball joints: Proforged 1/2" taller Lower 101-10048 and Upper 101-10020 (Summit Racing)
sway bar and Sway bar bushing: Hollow 3rd gen F-body - Junkyard (34-36mm doesn't matter)
steering improvements: fast ratio box, u-joint steering shaft: 12.7 Ratio Steering box (from F41 car)(Rockauto), '93-95 Jeep Grand Cherokee steering shaft or modified Astro Van Shaft (Junkyard or G-bodyForum Members), New Inner/out tie rods if more than 60K miles (P-S-T).
Front End Alignment: Target .5 Degree Negative Camber, 5 degree Caster (or as much as can be done) and 1/16 - 1/8" Toe in.

If you want bigger brakes in front:
Spindles: 1998-2003 2wd Blazer - Junkyard
Brakes: 1998-2003 2wd Blazer dual piston 11" - Junkyard

For the frame:
Jounce bars From a Cutlass: Junkyard.
Grand Prix bar: Junkyard
adding the missing lower Frame mounts: Replace any Flat washers with 457915 Pink Lower Bushings

In Back:
springs: I would leave the stock and see how it handles
sway bar: A "pro touring" style rear sway bar
shocks: Bilsteins
control arms: Stock, with new bushings if needed

This would be for a driver. For something tracked I would do some things differently (like stiffer springs, solid lower control arm bushings, etc), but the above wish list will make the car drive/handle good (better than every stock "classic muscle car I have ever driven) and with good tires, not be embarrassing at an autocross.

A '78 will have SAE lugs unless they have been swapped so if you go to Blazer brakes in front, you may want to swap the studs in the rear axle to M12-1.5 so you don't have 2 different lug nuts

 

[Raga138]

PST bushings are great for a driver. You need 4 upper control arm bushings and 4 lower control arm bushings. They have Tie Rods, too.

For the rest of the suspension, I would recommend for a "Daily Driver" to make it drive more like a modern car:

In Front you'll need:
Springs (AL LS1 or V6): Moog 5658 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Springs (Iron SB/AL head Big Block): Moog 5660 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Springs (Iron BB): Moog 5662 (put in first measure ride height, then removed and cut to perfect ride height after everything else put on)
Shocks: Bilsteins
Control Arm bushings: PST polygraphite Lower Control Arm bushings (4) (uppers, too (4) if you re-use stock upper control arms)
Maybe Upper Control Arms: G-body parts UB Machine Tubular will work fine with 17X8's, could have interference with smaller diameter 8" wheels and tall ball joints.
Bump stop: ZQ8 GM 15956547, Dorman 31064
ball joints: Proforged 1/2" taller Lower 101-10048 and Upper 101-10020
sway bar and Sway bar bushing: Hollow 3rd gen F-body - Junkyard (34-36mm doesn't matter)
steering improvements: fast ratio box, u-joint steering shaft: 12.7 Ratio Steering box (from F41 car), '93-95 Jeep Grand Cherokee steering shaft or modified Astro Van Shaft, New Inner/out tie rods if more than 60K miles.
Front End Alignment: Target .5 Degree Negative Camber, 5 degree Caster (or as much as can be done) and 1/16 - 1/8" Toe in.

If you want bigger brakes in front:
Spindles: 1998-2003 2wd Blazer - Junkyard
Brakes: 1998-2003 2wd Blazer dual piston 11" - Junkyard

For the frame:
Jounce bars From a Cutlass: Junkyard.
Grand Prix bar: Junkyard
adding the missing lower Frame mounts: Replace any Flat washers with 457915 Pink Lower Bushings

In Back:
springs: I would leave the stock and see how it handles
sway bar: A "pro touring" style rear sway bar
shocks: Bilsteins
control arms: Stock, with new bushings if needed

This would be for a driver. For something tracked I would do some things differently (like stiffer springs, solid lower control arm bushings, etc), but the above wish list will make the car drive/handle good (better than every stock "classic muscle car I have ever driven) and with good tires, not be embarrassing at an autocross.

A '78 will have SAE lugs unless they have been swapped so if you go to Blazer brakes in front, you may want to swap the studs in the rear axle to M12-1.5 so you don't have 2 different lug nuts

Wow. Very very very thank you 🙂 I have new shocks (rear pumped) and now searching for the rest. Once again thanks 🙂

 

[Nic99]

Question regarding front suspension.. will coilovers bolt right in or is there fabrication required? Thank you!
1986 cutlass

 

[UNGN]

Question regarding front suspension.. will coilovers bolt right in or is there fabrication required? Thank you!
1986 cutlass

The lower control arm shock mounting points need to be significantly strengthened. The shock bolt area is in no way designed to support the weight of the car. On a lowered car and using the stock shock mounting points, there isn't much room for a coilover to operate. The spring would have to be shorter and have a higher spring rate than stock. Modifying the mounts (raising the upper and lowering the lower) AND running drop spindles (so the spring can be longer) are really needed for coilovers to work successfully on a lowered G-body. If you are building a jacked up "Rally Cross/off road" G-body and want to lower it down to stock ride height, only stronger Lower control arms are needed. For a "slammed" G-body, the stock pickup points + coilovers = really sucky ride... but it looks cool, I guess. Shorter, stiffer springs on a lowered car will drive better than bolt in coilovers.

If you just want coil overs so you can raise/lower the front end, Circle track style "weight jacks" can be adapted to the spring pockets and tabs for external shocks be welded to the frame/LCA. This is how NASCAR handled raising/lowering the nose "back in the day".

 

[Gremlinsteve]

That parts list should be a pinned post. Easily available

It's a true wealth of proven knowledge

 

[Nic99]

Thanks guy! The help is appreciated!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[oranGekrate]

A person could search for days. weeks, months to get all this info together. Here it is in one thread. Good stuff here.

 

[walshie]

UNGN - thanks so much for this list!
I just got mu 87 Monte running after last year's winter project - installing a T5 Tremec.
Love the car but the steering and suspension is sloppy.

Upgrading all of these parts is next winter's project for sure!
The only consideration I have is buying the complete kit with tie-rods, cross section, idle arm, ball joints, etc...but I will figure that out.

Again thanks for spending the time to post this.

 

[Opie Knievel]

A couple of people have suggested this thread should be a "Sticky". After reading through UNGN's posts, I agree. Good info. I'll make this a sticky.