lowering/rear suspension setup

[BallerMaro13]

I've got a kyb shock/eibach pro-kit lowering setup on the way this week to be installed soon on my '02 3.8 (my mods list is on the "beast in the making" thread), but I wanna make sure I have the right supporting mods along with them to avoid wheel hop and traction problems that happen when you lower fbodies. I got some great advice on adding in at least lca relocation brackets and a panhard rod (thanks CrunkMaro), but there are tons of options with them...which setup will be most effective without breaking the bank?? If it matters, I do plan on changing to larger and wider wheels in the future.

weld in (bare) lca relo brackets or bolt in??

adj. panhard bar or standard?? (i'm probly gonna go adjustable here)

tubular/boxed rear control arms adjustable or standard? <----this is my main concern


Any insight or suggestions on those options are welcome guys! I plan on getting this all installed next week hopefully.

[crunkmaro]

Re: lowering/rear suspension setup

i always go for weld in...mostly because i live in chicago and bolts tend to get loose after a while from a combination of bumps, potholes, and the ever-changing weather...

since your lowering your car, you probably want to get adjustable components, it offers more versatility in terms of tuning. you can be in charge of whether you want a flat ride for cornering or high weight transfer to the rear if your going to the track. lowered cars get worse weight transfer in terms of launching in a straight line, adjustable suspension components will help.

i'd also check out an adjustable torque arm later on down the road.

i think the very very very first thing you should invest in is subframe connectors.

[pace2006]

Re: lowering/rear suspension setup

Aftermarket LCAs come with poly bushings with are too stiff and bind, causing twist and flex in the wrong parts. Right now, improving your stock LCAs is the best route, and will save you money. You'll want to replace the stock rubber bushings with Moog hard rubber bushings. It will help to reduce wheel hop but won't bind it, allowing it to twist. They can be found fairly cheap at O'Reillys, Autozone, and other places.

If you absolutely want to have aftermarket LCAs, J&M makes a good 3 piece design that I've heard works out. But it's a little more expensive.

You'll want an adjustable Panhard Bar since you'll be lowering the car.

Weld-in parts typically are the popular choice on these boards. Bolts can come loose or break from vibrations.

Swaybars are a good bang for your buck mod. Up front you'll want something like a 1LE 32mm hollow front sway bar, if you can find one. I got one a couple weeks ago off Ebay for $40 brand new. You can put that on before installing the shocks/springs. A good match to it is a 19mm rear sway bar that can be taken off of a z28, SS, or Trans Am. You'll want to install this after putting on the shocks/springs, otherwise it can cause understeer and can react badly in wet conditions.

[BallerMaro13]

Re: lowering/rear suspension setup

So I went ahead with an adjustable panhard rod and weld-in lca brackets, but would you guys suggest going with solid rear control arms or would I need adjustable ones to actually gain any benefits?? Are there any performance differences I would notice between boxed and tubular lca's??

If i could find a deal like that on sway bars i'd be all over it!