Help! How do I reduce rolling in corners?

[GregSimonis]

Looking for ideas and feedback on how to reduce body roll when cornering.  What have you done, what parts and manufactures did you use, how much did it cost you?

I have installed new factory shocks on all 4 corners, new shortened springs front and rear, replaced all front suspension components using rubber bushings,  and replaced bushings in the rear open control arms.

I have purchased, yet not installed, boxed control arms for the rear and a thicker more heavy duty front sway bar.

[Frosty]

Install a rear sway bar once you've installed the rear boxed lower control arms. The control arms should have two holes in them to bolt the sway bar too. The largest factory sway bar was a Chevelle 1" bar. I have an Addco 1" that I got for $125 from SummitRacing. The rear sway bar will make a huge difference.

I have a 1.25" front sway bar from a parted out 2nd gen Trans Am with a WS6 package. I bought the sway bar off Craigslist for $25. The front subframe geometry of the 2nd-gen F-bodies is identical to the A-body. I bought new sway bar end links and bushings from my local Autozone.

Using polyurethane or poly-graphite bushings instead of stock rubber ones will firm up the suspension long term as rubber will break down over time. The down side is they are noisier than rubber bushings. I wouldn't bother replacing the rubber ones you have until your need to replace them again.

Replace all your body bushing/mounts with new ones. They have probably collapsed or shrunk over the last 40-50 years. You don't have to take the body off the car to do this but you will have to jack it up a few inches to get the old/new pucks in and out.

Did you inspect / replace your upper and lower front ball joints when you upgraded the suspension? I hope so.

You could install a Hotchkiis or Global West front upper/lower control arms to change your front geometry and add coil overs but now we are starting to get expensive.

You can add wider than stock wheels and tires. Most factory wheels were 14x6 or 15x6, a 7 or 8 inch wide rim is the max you are going to get under the stock wheel wells without modifying the fenders, or other going to mini-tubs. Be sure you have the proper offset when you increase your wheel width.

Now to improve steering, inspect your entire drag link from tie-rod end to tie-rod end, including the idler arm and pitman arm. Replace any worn out components. Inspect/replace the rag joint if necessary. Replace the the stock steering box on the frame with one from a 3rd-gen IROC Z-28 Camaro (check the price at your local auto parts store - should be around $125-175). This is high ratio box from the factory (16:1 or 12:0 instead of the original 24:1), it is externally the same as the stock unit but instead of 4.5 turns lock-to-lock it should closer to 3 turns. So your steering will be more responsive after this swap. Going with the IROC Z-28 unit is significantly cheaper than getting an aftermarket high ratio (numerically low) unit from Jegs or SummitRacing. You might want to inspect/replace your power steering pump and hoses when you do this too.

Is fair to assume that you have front disc brakes already? If not, get them for safety's sake.

I have a set of adjustable rear upper control arms from Edelbrock that will help control the differential pinion angle under hard launches but they have not been installed yet. This will replace the stock U-channel units.

I run premium gas shocks up front and Monroe Load-master shocks (think of a shock/coil spring combination) in the back. This is because I do parades. I have had as many as 7 people in my convertible (5 people in back if you include my two small nephews). So these shocks help keep the car from bottoming out when I have that much weight in the back.

Edited January 31, 2018 by Frosty

[Last Indian]

10 hours ago, Frosty said:

Install a rear sway bar once you've installed the rear boxed lower control arms. The control arms should have two holes in them to bolt the sway bar too. The largest factory sway bar was a Chevelle 1" bar. I have an Addco 1" that I got for $125 from SummitRacing. The rear sway bar will make a huge difference.

I have a 1.25" front sway bar from a parted out 2nd gen Trans Am with a WS6 package. I bought the sway bar off Craigslist for $25. The front subframe geometry of the 2nd-gen F-bodies is identical to the A-body. I bought new sway bar end links and bushings from my local Autozone.

Using polyurethane or poly-graphite bushings instead of stock rubber ones will firm up the suspension long term as rubber will break down over time. The down side is they are noisier than rubber bushings. I wouldn't bother replacing the rubber ones you have until your need to replace them again.

Replace all your body bushing/mounts with new ones. They have probably collapsed or shrunk over the last 40-50 years. You don't have to take the body off the car to do this but you will have to jack it up a few inches to get the old/new pucks in and out.

Did you inspect / replace your upper and lower front ball joints when you upgraded the suspension? I hope so.

You could install a Hotchkiis or Global West front upper/lower control arms to change your front geometry and add coil overs but now we are starting to get expensive.

You can add wider than stock wheels and tires. Most factory wheels were 14x6 or 15x6, a 7 or 8 inch wide rim is the max you are going to get under the stock wheel wells without modifying the fenders, or other going to mini-tubs. Be sure you have the proper offset when you increase your wheel width.

Now to improve steering, inspect your entire drag link from tie-rod end to tie-rod end, including the idler arm and pitman arm. Replace any worn out components. Inspect/replace the rag joint if necessary. Replace the the stock steering box on the frame with one from a 3rd-gen IROC Z-28 Camaro (check the price at your local auto parts store - should be around $125-175). This is high ratio box from the factory (16:1 or 12:0 instead of the original 24:1), it is externally the same as the stock unit but instead of 4.5 turns lock-to-lock it should closer to 3 turns. So your steering will be more responsive after this swap. Going with the IROC Z-28 unit is significantly cheaper than getting an aftermarket high ratio (numerically low) unit from Jegs or SummitRacing. You might want to inspect/replace your power steering pump and hoses when you do this too.

Is fair to assume that you have front disc brakes already? If not, get them for safety's sake.

I have a set of adjustable rear upper control arms from Edelbrock that will help control the differential pinion angle under hard launches but they have not been installed yet. This will replace the stock U-channel units.

I run premium gas shocks up front and Monroe Load-master shocks (think of a shock/coil spring combination) in the back. This is because I do parades. I have had as many as 7 people in my convertible (5 people in back if you include my two small nephews). So these shocks help keep the car from bottoming out when I have that much weight in the back.

What Frosty says is very good & accurate, you can go bigger, but for rear wheel drive the 1.250” front 1” rear is a good balance. The main key is to make the bars work. Any motion other than the bars twisting is lost energy that results in more than need be body roll. Two additional things that I would touch on that really makes those bars work is this. In addition to the polyurethane bushings for the sway bar links you need polyurethane bushings that go between the frame brackets, when you install these drill the brackets for grease fittings & drill a through hole in the bushing, use a marine grease. Also shorten the end links as short as you can & increase the bolt diameter to at least 3/8 diameter. This will necessitate finding polyurethane bushings with a larger thru hole, but they can be had.

[Frosty]

14 hours ago, Last Indian said:

What Frosty says is very good & accurate, you can go bigger, but for rear wheel drive the 1.250” front 1” rear is a good balance. The main key is to make the bars work. Any motion other than the bars twisting is lost energy that results in more than need be body roll. 

Thanks for the support bud! Excellent additional points too.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Frosty

[notallthere]

On my Chevelle I have boxed the frame with an ABC boxing kit, Detroit Speed springs, and I have boxed the rear control arms with some steel from a local supplier.  Also a good friend (nice guy but he is a hugger) donated a rear sway bar.

[Frosty]

11 hours ago, notallthere said:

On my Chevelle I have boxed the frame with an ABC boxing kit, Detroit Speed springs, and I have boxed the rear control arms with some steel from a local supplier.  Also a good friend (nice guy but he is a hugger) donated a rear sway bar.

You got to love free parts when you can get them.