Front suspension is coming apart again

Dam at the track last weekend something just felt "funny" with the car. The launch sucked, but I was on street tires so what the heck, right? BUT, the 2-3 shift was a real event on each pass.

I got to looking around, and discovered that my spring perches (both sides, but worse on the pass side) were binding something terrible. Well, it looks like the bushings let go after I added a little extra extension travel. The pass side actually got all bound up and would hardly move at all.

Maybe these dam things have been stiff the whole time? Heck, I bought them from Ford in 1994, where's the quality anymore....lol.....

Anyway, I've got the front end apart again and I'm putting ball bearings in the perches. No more binding-ass rubber to harsh my launch.

Where's my pineapple?

Well, got the pass side perch built and installed, and dang! What a major difference!

I am thinking that we might have stumbled on something that has been hurting us for quite some time.

Greg

Greg_P wrote:Well, got the pass side perch built and installed, and dang! What a major difference!

I am thinking that we might have stumbled on something that has been hurting us for quite some time.

Greg

My guess is you are correct. It will be interesting to see if your performance improves dramatically.

How about a couple of pictures? What did you use to rebuilt them with? I like where your going with this.

I used this design as a guide. I did a few things differently, such as bearing retention and roller alignment though.

http://dazed.home.bresnan.net/opentracker

wow thats a good idea.. not sure if it would help but what about roller bearings in the upper a-arms? i read somewhere a dude in the F.a.s.t. racing runs them... i had thought about them but havent been sold on the idea yet and price.

An old Super Stock trick. It works.
FYI, The owner of that site daze cars is a member of the old site, Need to get him over here.Nice Guy, cant remember his name though. Was gonna go that route before I decided to go piperack.

Duff, I built mine for 20 bucks a side.

Two R14-2RS bearings per side (9 bucks each) and a 4 inch exhaust pipe coupling (1-7/8", 2 bucks)

That's it!

You wouldn't believe how free this front suspension is now. I might make a short vid just to drive home the point. Suffice it to say that I feel like this one improvement is really going to improve our 60' times.


Greg

sweet , the above stuff is that for the upper a-arms ?

I believe they are for the spring perch's

duff429 wrote:sweet , the above stuff is that for the upper a-arms ?

It is for the spring perch, which is the part that the spring rides on and is bolted to the upper control arm.

Greg

Have you had a chance to do any testing yet Greg?

Not yet.... If the weather improves we are going to go racing on Sunday and I will report back with the results.

Greg

Greg,
If you want even more do the uppers also.Its more involved though. Be carefull how much more converting you go with if you keep it on the street.

Thanks, Al.

I think I'm done with the mods up there for now. Really, the ball bearing mod was the cheapest way to repair the perches on short notice, so it's the best of both worlds.

I don't think there is as much to gain from the upper control arm bushing mods as there was with the spring perch either.

Greg