Rear Suspension Upgrades

[Clone TIE Pilot]

A poster over on MCSS.com by the name of SSLance is testing a 3 point rear suspension setup on his Monte. You can view it on his build thread there.

A couple of less extreme methods for improving the rear suspension are a rear frame brace to reduce frame flexing. Cheapest is the DIY Jeff bar for the rear bumper mounts which you can google. GNS also,makes a rear brace kit fod the rear bumper mounts and UMI makes a brace for the rear suspension shock mounts.

Another good upgrade is to replace the stock LCA mounted rear sway bar with one that mounts to the axle instead. Options for this are using a 2WD Blazer rear sway bar of buying an aftermarket axle mounted sway bar.

 

[1KWIKSIX]

A poster over on MCSS.com by the name of SSLance built a custom 3 point rear suspension for his Monte. You can view it on his build thread there.

A couple of less extreme methods for improving the rear suspension are a rear frame brace to reduce frame flexing. Cheapest is the DIY Jeff bar for the rear bumper mounts which you can google. GNS also,makes a rear brace kit fod the rear bumper mounts and UMI makes a brace for the rear suspension shock mounts.

Another good upgrade is to replace the stock LCA mounted rear sway bar with one that mounts to the axle instead. Options for this are using a 2WD Blazer rear sway bar of buying an aftermarket axle mounted sway bar.

As mentioned above, Here’s a pic of the rear frame rail brace from GNS Performance. Really helps reduce rear frame rail flexing

 

[Streetbu]

A poster over on MCSS.com by the name of SSLance built a custom 3 point rear suspension for his Monte. You can view it on his build thread there.

A couple of less extreme methods for improving the rear suspension are a rear frame brace to reduce frame flexing. Cheapest is the DIY Jeff bar for the rear bumper mounts which you can google. GNS also,makes a rear brace kit fod the rear bumper mounts and UMI makes a brace for the rear suspension shock mounts.

Another good upgrade is to replace the stock LCA mounted rear sway bar with one that mounts to the axle instead. Options for this are using a 2WD Blazer rear sway bar of buying an aftermarket axle mounted sway bar.

He did not build it. Bernie Duplan designed and built it. Lance is the tester for it. If it's anything like his "bolt in" six speed swap pedal, it'll be hit or miss if it actually works on different vehicles.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

He did not build it. Bernie Duplan designed and built it. Lance is the tester for it. If it's anything like his "bolt in" six speed swap pedal, it'll be hit or miss if it actually works on different vehicles.

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't read his entire build thread and assumed he built it as it is very homemade looking.

 

[scoti]

Thanks for the clarification. I didn't read his entire build thread and assumed he built it as it is very homemade looking.

From what I read, they worked together on it but Bernie was the designer/fabricator. Lance did the general install effort.

Lance is uber good @ detailing changes made as far as tracking the results. I'm really surprised a company like Speedtech doesn't offer a Torque Arm set-up for the G-body platform. They have them for their A/G body full-frame set-ups. The lower links are already in place courtesy of GM. A trans x-member & T/A front mount combo seems like it could be done.

Another guy up North w/a Malibu had a similar set-up. I don't remember who it was but I read a FB link & results posted from a UMI track event.

 

[melloelky]

As mentioned above, Here’s a pic of the rear frame rail brace from GNS Performance. Really helps reduce rear frame rail flexing

i agree,it really helps eliminate the rear rail tuning fork mentality..

 

[doood]

As mentioned above, Here’s a pic of the rear frame rail brace from GNS Performance. Really helps reduce rear frame rail flexing

I like this better than a trailer hitch.

 

[CopperNick]

Both my upper and lower rear arm bushings are Poly; the assemblies came from Hotchkiss. Your biggest hassle will be the bushings located in the ears on the top of the differential. To remove mine it took an air drill and bits to hog out the rubber portion of the insert and one bit succumbed to torque and bind and snapped on me. Once the inner sleeve and the rubber had been extracted, then the outer sleeve has to be collapsed and pushed out with a large punch and a hammer.

The new poly bushings do not go in easily. For mine, what I did was to put them in the freezer and leave them there; my case for quite a while. Effectively I cold soaked them. For the install I used pushing sleeves from a ball joint removal and installation kit and a 1/2 inch air impact wrench to push them into their ears. The outer sleeve is shouldered so they self-locate.

FYI this is a job that can be done in a driveway laying on your back, BUT, to get the most room possible you do have to drop the rear end as far as possible, along with removing the shocks and having the springs probably fall out all on their own. Good time to go hi-po on them as a "while you're in there" exercise.

Not sure how to react to your squeak, it has never appeared in my situation. I do grease the bushings at least one a year, and the if the torsion bars have them, like on my S-10, then they get goosed with grease with every oil change. For myself I use Quaker high temp disc brake rotor/chassis grease. Seems to do the job.



Nick

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

i agree,it really helps eliminate the rear rail tuning fork mentality..

I made my own rear brace, http://jeffd.50megs.com/frame_brace_page.htm

 

[88AZSS]

This is a great example of OP asking for advice and actually listening to what others have to say and share. Its refreshing.

Anyways,

I plan on stiffening up the rear as well. I got the Blazer rear sway bar but my exhaust seemed to be in the way of the mounting spots for the end links so I'll have to mess with that another time. Any suggestions or advise on mounting that is welcome.
I am looking to fab up a "Jeff bar" as well to tie the rear rails together.