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I picked up a set of upper front control arms and adjustable shocks for the old 77 trans am.  I am going to install them this week and hopefully get things shook out before the next event.

 

Never having played with the shocks before im looking for a little advise on where to start.  Bill and Scott did a class on this a couple years ago but i cant lay my hands on the charts they gave out.

 

The shocks are Pro-shocks with 9 adjustable settings in 3 ranges. Not quite sure about how this works yet, directions were pretty spartan, web site says 3 settings instructions say 9 but only 3 are labeled.   The R is soft rebound, F 50/50 dampening and XF stiff rebound.   Im thinking I wanted to slow the rebound in this case but i dont remember for sure anymore.  I currently run the largest sway bar available on the front and have removed the rear altogether to keep the traction in place as per my spring manufacturers instructions as they are a very stiff rear leaf package.  

 

Turns out the shocks I have are for the rear, the fronts were backordered.  on the rear I should set those with a soft rebound to help keep the tires on the ground over bumps right?

I need the refresher course!  help me figure out where to start please...

 

New upper arms and taller ball joints installed on car.  The arms are 2.5# lighter per than the stock ones were and give me more caster and camber adjustment than I had before with the stock ones.  Supposedly the taller ball joint corrects some geometry issues that will make it turn much better.  With a little luck and time I should be ready to do some testing soon.  I lowered the front end another inch while i had it apart and I need to run the rear springs over to fort wayne and have 2 inches taken out of the rear, time to make the thing set square, i'm tired of the back being up in the air like a camaro.

Sean-

Generally speaking, you want to start soft and work your way from there.  Compression should be increased until traction goes away in bumpy turns (shocks are not letting the suspension compress and the tires can't keep up with the changing normal loads ans slip angle).  Rebound (if independently adjustible) is then increased to help the car cut into the turns.  Generally speaking a rear shock change is better to adjust turn in under/over steer.  Compression changes also help coming out of the turn.

Bill

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Bill Headlee
1970 Boss 302 CP car Writeup in Ford Builder magazine

Bigblockbandit:

I lowered the front end another inch while i had it apart and I need to run the rear springs over to fort wayne and have 2 inches taken out of the rear, time to make the thing set square, i'm tired of the back being up in the air like a camaro.

Don't forget that shortening the spring will make it proportionally stiffer (assuming it is not a variable rate spring).  If it is a 10" spring and you cut 2" off, it is now 25% stiffer (old length/new length).

Bill

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Bill Headlee
1970 Boss 302 CP car Writeup in Ford Builder magazine

I did not shorten the spring, i dropped the sheet metal down over the sub frame then shimmed up the spring to get the ride height i was after.  I added a lot of aluminum stuff and the front grew so I just had to back the shims down and let it settle in.

My front shocks are non adjustable and my rears adjust, I have gross oversteer/loose rear and never understeer.  I removed the rear sway bar totaly last fall and it appeared to help a lot gauging against cars I run with.  The adjustable rear shocks might be a good place to start working on the  turns though it is possible that my loose  rear has a lot to do with my driving style as well, I think i may be a little heavy on the throttle.  I probably need to setup skid pad and find out what the car does with a consistant speed and less sharp throttle changes.

 

Thanks for the refresher Bill.

 

Got the front end dropped a little more, need to work on the rear now.

I love your car, especially when it is drifting the exit of the turns on course.

Question: Have you ever looked in the rear view mirror or over your shoulder and seen this?

 

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I don't think you got that quite right Jason.  My feeling is he may have seen something more like this.

 

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Bart Monnin
1999 BMW Z3 Roadster 2.8
BSP 42 (new class, old number)
bmonnin1@live.com

AWESOME...

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I would like to be your 2010 Solo Director...

Get you membership renewed and come out and vote in November's Elections!


My Youtube Channel:

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Where do you think I learned to drive?  I wanted that car from the day I saw that movie in '78, when I was 10.  I lived on a 1 mile winding paved road around a lake in Michigan where i practiced my drifting twice a day( in this same car).  and yes over the 25 years ive been driving this car i've seen more than one of those in the mirror. Its alright Bart, Jason probably was not born yet when S&TB came out, Dukes were a few years later.

 Im loading it up this morning to take it in and get the alignment redone.  It will make a neat picture, im going to pull it over there withthe old 78 f-150.  If it works out well as a combo i'm going to use them as a pair to go to events.  Kind of an old school theme going this year.  I'll be sure to get a picture.

 

My theory lately has been, if you cant beat em, you ought to look good loosing and put on a good show.

cough cough cough,

 I was plenty born to know the S&TB... Was my favorite show when I grew up.  That and these fine shows....

Should I keep going?

 

Ok, that is enough....

 

As for the " My theory lately has been, if you cant beat em, you ought to look good loosing and put on a good show."

Excellent theory!!! Been my theory all along, just not have been going out in style :P

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I would like to be your 2010 Solo Director...

Get you membership renewed and come out and vote in November's Elections!


My Youtube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4878D7BAEFAC5976