ok, so my 95 Z has 130K miles on it and all original suspension. i tolerated some annoying squeaking in the rear for a while when i went over speed bumps, etc. but ended up taking down the rear sway and greasing the bushings....no more problems there. recently, however, when a friend was helping me put new rotors & pads on, he noticed that a small rubber piece up front was all cracked. i'm no mechanic, so excuse my ignorance, but i think it's a bushing?? anyway, whatever they are, i need to make sure, during the course of my suspension upgrades, i get those replaced up front because they are squeaking pretty bad when i go over speed bumps, etc.

since i want to basically do a complete suspension overhaul, i've been considering the slp level 1 suspension kit as some have mentioned on here. it seemed to be a nice upgrade that would still keep a nice, comfy ride. i'm just not sure whether it would include that piece i was referring to on the front. i called slp today and they said that they aren't selling that kit anymore (part#70001) and that the replacement for that kit is part# 10567) which has the bigger 35mm front sway bar, but does NOT have lower control arms (part# 96702). if i was to get those from them also in addition to the new kit, i would be spending quite a bit more than the original kit. what would ya'll do in my case?

i would welcome any thoughts or suggestions anyone has on where i should go from here with my suspension to get the most bang for my buck. as for my long-term goals, the car will most likely stay a daily driver as it is now, but i would like to eventually get to the 425-450 flywheel horsepower range. there are so many suspension parts to consider and with the age of my car, i'm not sure which ones are the most likely to be worn out vs. still usable and which new parts will make the most difference.

thanks in advance!

rawbutt

 

You need to determine what future mods you might make. I purchased the Energy Suspension "Master Kit" for the 4th Gen F-Body, all polyurethane....

-tranny mount
-torque arm mount
-rear LCA bushings
-rear sway bar brackets, bushings and new end links with bushings
-Panhard rod bushings
-Front upper and lower A-arm bushings
-front sway bar, bushings and new end links with bushings
-tie rod covers

If you already have some of these, since they typically come with aftermarket LCA's, panhard rod, etc.... or if you plan to get these parts as part of the suspension rebuild, you might not need many of the parts in the kit.

Also not clear what the "small rubber piece" in the front was. The A-arm bushings and the sway bar bushings will crack, and are included in the kit I mentioned above. But there are also rubber boots on the upper and lower ball joints that can tear. You typically replace the entire ball joint.

What do you plan to use the car for.... strictly 1/4-mile? ....Auto-X.... all-round street driving? That will determine which pieces of the suspension you need to upgrade, and which pieces simply need to be "rebuilt".

 

Injuneer,

Thanks for the response. It will most likely stay a daily driver as it is now....don't plan on anything other than street except for an occasional trip to the drag strip (very seldom) so I certainly don't need anything radical.

As for the small rubber piece, I think maybe it's the A-arm bushing, but I will find out for sure.

Do you think with the mileage, my shocks AND struts should be replaced? It seems like some of the suspension kits I'm looking at only include shocks?

Thanks!

rawbutt

 

You may want to hit up the auto x forum anyway. They will be able to help you out the most since almost any suspension upgrade leads to better handling. Those are the people to talk to.

Many people overlook suspension on an f-body, when, in fact, that is our only weakness.

 

I just redid my whole susp. I went with the SLP takeoffs shocks and springs and poly bushings everywhere. I am very pleased, she is nice and tight now. My car is also a daily driver and it has about 140k on it. I think these cars came plenty stiff from the factory for everyday use, but if you're feeling spendy, go for the bilstiens. I did everything while I was in there ball joints, tie rods, bushings, and every nut and bolt. Somewhere around 400-500 bucks w/ alignment.

 

I think you are a little bit confused on how the 4th Gen suspension is set up. There are no "struts" on a 4th Gen. There are "coil-over" shocks in the front, and "shocks" in the rear. It was the front of the 3rd Gens that had true "struts".

 

1995 Z28 here and just finished front end and mine was creeking and popping like crazy. Overall tie rod ends were still tight except boots torn, ball joints were still tight my main problem was the lower control arm rear bushings were shot. It is quite a bit of work removing and pressing everyting in and out but good luck. 131,000 miles here.