Rear Suspension FAQ

Supe

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 21, 2003
15,116
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Charlotte, NC
Malibu Racing Rear Suspension FAQ:


What rear end swaps can I do in a G-Body?

http://www.maliburacing.com/tech_rearend_swaps.html



What kind of bushings should I use in my rear suspension?

Whether it be stock rubber, poly, or heim joints in your rear suspension, they all have their perks and fallbacks. Be true to yourself when deciding what your intention is for your car, weigh the benefits/disadvantages, and make your decision:

Stock rubber:
+ Inexpensive
+Fairly long service life
+Soft ride
-Too much deflection for hard launching racecars
-May lead to spongy handling characteristics

Poly:
+Good compromise between street and strip
+Still relatively inexpensive
+Firmer than rubber, but fewer rattles than heims
-Will eventually turn to mush, typically quicker than a rubber bushing
-Seemingly neverending squeaks, regardless of how they’re greased
-Prone to binding up for higher powered racecars

Spherical/heim joints:
+Rear suspension is virtually free of bind
+Great durability
+Ideal for racing
-Harsh ride on the street
-Puts more wear and tear on the suspension mounts/rest of car
-Greater initial investment



I use rubber/poly/solid rear bushings, what should I set my pinion angle at?

No two cars are going to behave exactly the same. The following are rough guidelines to help get started. Some like a little more, some like a little less. If you use a combination of bushings on your car, try taking the average between the two.

~If all the control arms have Rubber bushings: Set Pinion Angle 3 degrees to 4 ½ degrees downward.

~If all the control arms have Poly bushings: Set Pinion Angle 2 1/2 degrees to 3 degrees downward.

~If all the control arms have Solid bushings: Set Pinion Angle 1 degrees to 1 ½ degrees downward.



I have Moroso trick springs. Which spring goes on the right, and which spring goes on the left?

The shorter spring in the set has the higher spring rate. This is what tries to compensate for the suspension roll on launch in a stock suspended car. The shorter spring goes on the passenger side, the taller spring goes on the driver’s side.



I need new springs for my car, and hear a lot of talk about coilover springs. What height and rate springs do I buy, and do I need to do any other modifications?

No, no additional modifications are necessary. Most coilover springs, such as the QA1 springs, have a 2 ½” I.D. This is the same as the factory G Body spring pigtail. You MAY wish to extend your spring perches on the rear end to ensure that they never fall out, but this is a good idea even with the factory springs. Most aftermarket housings today come with extended spring perches right out of the box.

SEVERAL factors will decide what springs you need to use: desired ride height, tire clearance, vehicle weight, etc. There are typically four springs that are most commonly used with these cars:

12”, 130#
12”, 150#
14”, 130#
14”, 150#

You may need more, you may need less, but only trial and error will tell for sure.



I have trick springs, and am installing an anti-roll bar. Should I leave the springs in, or buy new ones?

Trick springs and an anti-roll bar should NOT be used in conjunction with one another. The anti roll bar is designed to keep things centered and evenly loaded. The trick springs with their different rates will try to fight against what the anti-roll bar is trying to do. Constant rate springs should always be used with an anti-roll bar.



I’ve got a street/strip car, and am deciding if I should go with an anti-roll bar or not. What should I do?

An anti-roll bar is one of if not the biggest improvement you can make in having a G Body launch level. Some people run true ARB’s on the street, while others are concerned that the links may bind, or become bent/damaged with street use. For a car that sees more street or strip, a true race anti-roll bar may not be the best idea. Some designs such as the Wolfe Racecraft bar which use either aluminum or bronze bushings may become worn very rapidly on the street, and cannot be replaced without cutting the ARB mount from the car. For a car that sees more strip than street, many racers will disconnect one of the links on their ARB. This renders it ineffective, but you won’t risk much damage to the bar. If your car is more street than strip, you may want to look into something like the Spohn Performance G-Body Pro-Series Rear Drag Sway Bar. It’s a bolt on bar that implements poly bushings, and still works very well at the track.



I’ve got a set of Southside bars for my rear. Would going to a regular adjustable control arm setup lower my 60’ times?

While the Southside bars have proven themselves time in and time out, your G Body came from the factory with a 4 link setup, and with a little work, can be adjusted and treated as any backhalved, 4 link racecar. The best reference in regards to how to make your stock style suspension work with traditional control arms, and required reading by anyone serious about making their car launch properly, are the writeups by Kevin Slaby from Baseline Suspensions. From launching your drag car, to setting pinion angle, his website will tell you everything you need to know: http://www.baselinesuspensions.com/



I’m trying to figure out if _____ will fit in the back of my G Body. What is the width of the stock G Body rear end?

A stock G Body rear is 52 ½” from backing plate to backing plate.



Who makes the best rear control arms?

There are PLENTY of manufacturers out there to choose from, all with comparable products. Some are more street oriented, some are strip oriented. Iceman, TRZ Motorsports, Race Suspensions, Wolfe Racecraft, BMR Fabrication, Hotchkiss, etc, all make quality parts. My best advice? Click on the sponsor links at the top of the forums and browse around. The sponsors will often offer special pricing for MalibuRacing.com members.



I’d like to put adjustable control arm brackets on my 9” rear end. Where can I get them?

I personally think that A&A Manufacturing makes the nicest set of brackets with multiple adjustment holes. They can also be sourced from Speedway, and companies like Art Morrison and Auto Weld even offer complete packages with them already welded and ready to run.



I’m trying to find spherical bushings for the upper control arm mounts on my housing. Who sells them?

These can be sourced from both TRZ Motorsports and Wolfe Racecraft.






Any other comments or suggestions for the FAQ, feel free to ask!
 

79malibu

Frequent Racer
Aug 9, 2006
418
0
16
PA/south jersey
I need to Know about the durability of 12 way externally adjustable shocks on the street
 

Dom87SS

Pro Stocker
Jun 6, 2003
1,659
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Lake Villa, IL
www.stroked57.com
single or double adjustable shocks? dont have an answer for you, but it narrows the topic down. and how many street miles are you driving, hiway or not, and what are your other intentions with the car.
 

79malibu

Frequent Racer
Aug 9, 2006
418
0
16
PA/south jersey
single adjustable shocks 25 miles each way to the track mostly backroads doing about 50mph average
 

MadMike

Dragway Regular
Mar 22, 2006
757
0
0
Jackson, Ohio
So what springs are good for use with antir roll bar? Still o.k. to use trick springs on front?
 

Supe

MalibuRacing Junkie
Thread starter
May 21, 2003
15,116
0
36
Charlotte, NC
MadMike said:
So what springs are good for use with antir roll bar? Still o.k. to use trick springs on front?

You want to make sure you use two of the same rate springs out back. Trick springs up front are fine.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
How do you feel about Edelbrock anti hop bars? My car is steet and strip with about 650 hp.
 

CutlassRacer

MalibuRacing Junkie
Dec 18, 2004
5,402
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Gainesville, FL
www.facebook.com
The anti-hop bars seem to work better on lower powered cars. Cars with big hp numbers (like your 650) may hit the tire so hard that it pushes down on the rear suspension so hard that it will fulley extend the rear shocks and practically jump the back of the car off of the ground (or at least unload the rear tire enough to make it spin).
 

malibu795

Pro Stocker
Apr 17, 2005
1,496
4
38
spgfd ohio
going to add the 8.8 conversion in there as well?
 

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