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Rear Spring Swap & Sway bar

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vping

vping

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How will a roadster do with GT rear springs?

How about taking out the 9/16" sway bar in the front & putting on a 5/8" sway bar?
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]How will a roadster do with GT rear springs?[/QUOTE]
Hard ride, higher in rear.
 
But will it improve handling while giving you that hard ride?
 
I guess I do not understand the dynamics on this subject. I'd think if you wanted to stiffen the suspension with urethane bushings, putting in a stiffer spring would take you one step further.

What about the sway bar in the front. Do you want to increase the size of that and how will it effect handling?
 
Bushings reduce lateral movement of the chassis over the suspension. This makes handling more precise. The stiffness of the ride is controlled by the springs, and to a certain degree shocks and anti-roll bars.

The problem with stiff rear springs in the B is the live axle. Putting stiff springs on a heavy, solid lump like that will make it choppy on rough roads. Stock springs with slightly more firm fronts and a larger anti-roll bar (sway bar) are a good setup for most performance applications. I've found stock springs all around to be good for me.
 
Ditto, what he said. Colin Chapman knew a bit about suspension tuning. He almost always would go with the softest spring he could find and control the movement with improved valving in the shock absorbers(dampeners) and antisway bar.
 
So...

Changing all of the bushings to urethane
Keep the stock springs all around
Increase front sway bar to 5/8" from 9/16"

Next step might be to have shocks rebuild with better valving. Do I have it right now? Will she handle like she's on rails?
 
Sounds perfect. But think about the shocks before stiffening them. It may increase handling in the twisties a bit, but the ride will be noticeably harder.
 
True. I want a daily driver but really want a tight car n the twisties.
 
Moss has heavy duty valves for the shocks in the event you want to go that hard.
 
Are B shocks rebuildable by the enthusiast such as myself?
 
Not leaking so Valves it might be. Good schtuff!
 
I removed the ones on my '68 GT "wanna-be race car" & cleaned them inside (removed the valve & flushed them with clear mineral oil until it went in one opening & came out the other clear) & out, installed the heavy duty valves, painted them & reinstalled....they weren't leaking though.

It was messy flushing them & reflushing them until the mineral oil was the same clearness coming out as in - I'd recommend doing it outside...& I used one of those big plastic syringes used to give medicine to large farm animals.
 
Did you use mineral oil as the fluid?
 
Yep!
 
Hey howd an add get there?

If I change over to a 5/8" sway bar, the urethane bushings I buy need to be for a 1975 or later car correct?
 
Whatever you put in your shocks needs to have anti-foaming agents in it. Otherwise you end up with lots of air pockets in the piston chambers and the shocks will not react properly. Motorcycle fork oil is fine (20W is good), or the oil Moss sells specifically for Armstrong lever shocks.
 
I've used the 20/50 or Harley fork oil. What about eh bushing size? 5/8" bushings as listed for a 75 & up?
 
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