ncmn

greetings forum,

winter is here and i am storing the car. this means public transport and saving for an upgrade -the suspension.

i've been researching but need to know the following:

1. how do i read spring rates? higher/lower #s mean...?

2. driving is strictly street, occasionally spiritedly -thus handling is important but maybe confort just a bit more. i am looking at new shocks/springs (undetermined brands at this time), poly bushings for the front/rubber for the rear. i am not considering things like idler arms, control arms, tie rods, etc. BUT should i? my budget for this spring project is $1000-$1200 canadian, so i would not be happy if i NEED to think about these extras.

3. i am ambitious but unexperienced. i want to do this all myself. besides beer and determination, what special tools or know-how might i need? how long should i expect this to take me?

4. what are the function of sway bars? to me they seem to make the car stiffer, thus handle better...? to me, they also appear a greedy luxury i can't afford right now. sounds right?

more questions likely in the future but for now, these answers will help me focus my plans.

thanks in advance,
norman ng

TaoTeStephen

Smarter more knowledgable people can field the better part of your post but my .02 would be to tell you to check out the steering gear. My '83 was and is still a mess, but I picked up a pittman arm from the junkyard for rather cheap. Made a big difference. If your car has over 100,000 miles on it look into this.

Higher spring rate numbers mean stiffer springs, essentially.

To get to the shocks you will need a spring compressing tool. Air tools help alot with this ****, as things can be all bound together from age. Write down the order in which you take apart the suspension assembly -at least the front bit. Getting washers out of order will screw things up. The back side is easy. You can do this within a days work with the right tools and a manual.

Best of luck

S

Crack Monkey

The kit that the Spec RX-7s use in most areas will work very well for what you want. I drove my race car on the street for a year and it was great fun.

It includes:
* Tokico HP shocks
* 1 1/8" front sway bar
* TMC street/race springs (~1.5" drop)
* front poly bushings

I think this will all cost roughly $500 USD.

Also, check your tie rods and ball joints for wear. Replace if needed.

No need to do the rear swaybar - the small stock one is plenty (and in the rain, I remove mine). Also, don't bother with rear bushings unless they are actually falling apart - soft is good back there.

And remember, no suspension will make up for crappy tires. Same goes for brakes. Tires are the only thing between your car and the road, so make sure not to skimp.

[edit]
Also, as noted above, check the pitman arm bushings (this is the arm that connects the steering box to the steering link).

Bigger front sway bar = less oversteer, but better traction exiting corners (less likely to spin rear tire)

Stiffer front springs = less oversteer, less roll, better overall handling (to a point)

Stiffer rear springs = more oversteer, less roll, better overall handling (to a point)

Bushings and steering components don't add a lot to the total grip, but do make the car easier to drive and steer.

Also, get a an alignment. The front strut caps can be rotated to gain more camber (about -1* is the most you can get with camber plates or other mods). Do this and set the front toe to 0* (stock is slightly toed in, which is more stable at speed, but gives sluggish steering response).

ncmn

much appreciation for advice received.

(a) what sites will provide me more info for SPEC-7s?

(b) yah, i am sure i can get my hands on a spring compressor but as to "ball joints, tie rods" (watts linkage?)...discussion of this stuff makes me nervous. as i've implied, i WANT to "do-it-myself". what i will HATE the most is to begin the project and find that things are beyond my capabilities -i.e. specialized tools, risk-of-death calibrations, etc.

norman ng