Suspension advice

[SCguy]

Knowing that everyone has a lot of opinions, I'd like to hear what you would do if you were in my shoes.

As I mention in a post yesterday I need to do some work on my suspension.

Here's the way it's set up now and everything is new.

stock bushings, new shocks (kyb tube shocks n the rear) heavy duty TRF springs, racing/heavy duty sway bar in the front only.

Now here is were the fun begins...

I have but have not installed, adjustable trail arm bracket (goodparts), bushing (goodparts) I believe nylontron, front and rear sway bars (goodparts) and springs (goodparts). Clearly, there was too much money in my bank account when I discovered https://www.goodparts.com./

So before I have my 4 wheel alignment, what set up would you start with know my options. My car will be used on country and suburban streets and the freeway. Not my daily driver. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

 

[LastDeadLast]

Larry,

I've also got all the Goodparts stuff except for the sway bars, and I'll probably have those as soon as I can figure a way to slip them past the wife. Here's my opinion for what it's worth:

Since winter is coming on, I'd go ahead and install the Goodparts stuff. If you're motivated enough, you could easily do the work over a couple weekends and the difference is wonderful. The ride isn't harsh at all, but rather very solid (tight). I've also heard that the addition of the f/r swaybars really transforms the dynamics of the TR6.

My question to you is: With all those fun parts around why not??

 

[Guest]

If I can add my 2c, since I did front and rear about 2 months ago, and added the swaybars a couple of weekends later...

You really ought to install the brackets and bushings first. If you have new(er) ones on there now then the whole thing should come apart with relative ease.

The reason I'm suggesting this is because otherwise you will be removing stuff that you just added when you DO get round to doing them.

Three tips that may ease your work:

1. When you try to pull the trailing arms out through the hub, it's way easier to unfasten the rubber boot and seperate them into two pieces. Pull the hub end through and lift boot and diff end out. If you don't have a 24" extension for your ratchet set - or enough others to make one up, get one. It make unfastening the 4 bolts at the diff end a breeze. When it comes to reassembly, after greasing, a little clingfilm over them will help keep the splines clean when you shove the halfshaft back through the hub.

2. Before you put the spring back in, install the brackets for the rear swaybar arm into the bottom of the spring cup when the spring is out. This will save you some little trouble later on. You need a long extension bar again to go down the middle of the spring otherwise, and it's a pain...

3. When time comes to remove the old front swaybar. If the nuts on the two u-shaped mounts holding it to the radiator shield are rusty, don't waste time moving the radiator so you can get a socket on them like I did, just CUT THEM. I wish I'd known I could do that, it would have saved me a ton of time. The new ones going in can be tightened from the outside, and at the time I thought the assembly was worth the cost just for that...

One final thing. Before you start with the rear swaybar, have a look at your exhaust system. If it's stock you are fine, but if it isn't then if any of it protrudes below the frame rails you might have problems. If you look at Richards measuring guide, you'll see the distance (it's about 29" I seem to remember from the end of the frame. That's the area to concentrate on. If the exhaust is below the frame rails there, you are in trouble. I had to go from the po's Monza to stock so I could install my rear swaybar. It was worth it though!!!

 

[jimbar]

Speaking of sway bars. Anyone know of one that mounts across the top of the diff. and would connect to the stock shocks? The ones I've seen here mount on the bottom and that screams of ground clearance issues to me. I really liked the Revington setup but don't want to have to buy the shock setup as well.

 

[swift6]

Stock shocks and springs in the front with uprated stuff in the back can cause an imbalance. However, the uprated rear springs increase rear roll resistance much like a rear sway bar would do so increasing the front swaybar could have actually balanced that out a bit.

The stock rear trailing arm bushings are also the cause of a very particular handling "quirk" in the TR4A-TR6 IRS. While cornering, the rear tires can actually follow different arcs because those bushings are too soft. Some companies in England make roller bearing replacement fo these that allow no flexing but do allow range of motion movement. This does not make the ride any stiffer either. While that is pretty extreme, poly bushes are much cheaper and accomplish nearly the same thing.

If you don't use spacers with the GoodParts springs they will lower the car, if you don't want that then you can use spacers to raise the height back to original.

If I were in your position... I would replace all the bushings (Especially the semi-trailing arms with poly's) and springs and put at least matching KYB's in the front. The adjustable semi-trailing brackets will make allignment at either the stock height or lowered height a breeze. You can also put the front swaybar on at this time. If I might be sold bold to suggest spending some more money. Your steering feel and response will be much improved it you fit poly or solid steering mounts.

Alana had a good point with preparing for the rear swaybar but not attaching it yet. Here's why. The stiffer springs in the rear have already increased roll resistance. The increase in the front with uprated springs and larger swaybar keep the characteristics closer to stock even though roll resistance is increased. By characteristics, I mean the car will still have a tendency to understeer when at the limit. All you have done so far is push that limit to a higher level. Understeer is safe, which is why most cars are engineered to do it. Oversteer, especially snap oversteer can be very dangerous.

Get to know the new limits of your suspension. Then when your comfortable, add the rear swaybar if you still want it, or at least to understand the change it makes. A rear swaybar, at least from existing set ups, bring the car torward a more neutral state. Which is great if you know how to drive a neutral car without it biting you in the ass. It can also lead to a dangerous snap oversteer condition in the wet so be careful.

'Jimbar' also brings up a good point with regards to ground clearance. If you car is lowered that extra space below the frame can become very precious. On my own car. I only have 3.5 inches of ground clearance. Which is one reason I don't run a rear swaybar. The other main reason is that I really don't need one for how or where I tend to play most of the time. The only over-the-diff sway bar that I have seen is the Revington TR set up that requires the shock re-location. Neil Revington told me that he had considered making an over-the-diff swaybar that would attach to the lever arms shocks but decided against it.

In the end this is all my opinion with a good bit of experience thrown in so take it for what it's worth. Everyone drives just a little bit different and will like the suspension set up just a little bit differently. So take what you want from all suggestions and have fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif