69' Skylark coil overs?
- Thread starter 69Shark
- Start date
I don't think you can beat a big set of sway bars for improving handling:
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/front_swaybar.php
https://www.teambuick.com/reference/front_swaybar.php
1 - replace all bushings and rubbers
2 - box your control arms
http://www.teambuick.com/forums/view.php?pg=building_trailing_arms
3 - upgrade brakes and lines
4 - get the car aligned AND have the car set up for handling rather than the factory designed Push condition. ie - front tires will be toed out rather than in, front tires will be set for negative camber and you may also want to add some caster.
5 - lower profile tires ( shorter sidewall ) will provide much more solid contact with the road due to less sidewall flex. unfortunately, if you go too low, it gets really easy to whack the rim in potholes or speed bumps. if you go lower profile you'll want to get bigger rims so the circumference of the tire remains at least as large as OEM.
6 - bigger bars will certainly help flatten the car out when cornering but it's also going to make your ride harsher. same with bigger springs.
if you're REALLY serious about this, you'll install spring buckets for the rear end so you can fine tune cross weights and ride height.
you can find pretty much any set of OEM type spring ratings you want, you just need to look in circle track catalogs like RaceCar Engineering or Speedway.
http://www.racecareng.com/
2 - box your control arms
http://www.teambuick.com/forums/view.php?pg=building_trailing_arms
3 - upgrade brakes and lines
4 - get the car aligned AND have the car set up for handling rather than the factory designed Push condition. ie - front tires will be toed out rather than in, front tires will be set for negative camber and you may also want to add some caster.
5 - lower profile tires ( shorter sidewall ) will provide much more solid contact with the road due to less sidewall flex. unfortunately, if you go too low, it gets really easy to whack the rim in potholes or speed bumps. if you go lower profile you'll want to get bigger rims so the circumference of the tire remains at least as large as OEM.
6 - bigger bars will certainly help flatten the car out when cornering but it's also going to make your ride harsher. same with bigger springs.
if you're REALLY serious about this, you'll install spring buckets for the rear end so you can fine tune cross weights and ride height.
you can find pretty much any set of OEM type spring ratings you want, you just need to look in circle track catalogs like RaceCar Engineering or Speedway.
http://www.racecareng.com/
I also agree with you on the profile of the tires. I will be keeping the stock rally rims to maintain a stock look.
if you're going to drop profile while keeping the stock rims, you're going to have get much wider tires to keep the tire circumference near stock.
in the US tires are sold with three numbers telling you the tire specs. it will be something like 225 / 65 -15
in which
225 == tread width, in millimeters
65 == profile height or how tall the sidewall is as a percentage of tread width, ie - this should be a sidewall near 146mm
15 == diameter of the rim, in inches
all spelled out that would look like
225mm / 65% - 15"
tire circumference is the old Pi * d formula for a circle. so you take the diameter of the rim and add TWICE the sidewall height ( because that happens two times in the height of the tire ) and multiply times Pi. since the tread width is in metric, you'll also need to convert to SAE.
Coker Tire says that the 69 Lark came with 205 / 75 - 14. so that's a tread width of 8.07". 75% * 8.07 == 6.05". ( 14 + 6.05 + 6.05 ) * 3.14 ~= 82" circumference tire.
it appears that the 69 Skylark came on 14" rims. are you CERTAIN that you don't want to grab some 15" rims off of a 1985 Grand National or an 87 Riviera or something?
i mean, you're going to have to cut that car all up to reconfigure it for coil over shocks. putting new rims on is just 20 lug nuts. and the 15" rim will likely also be wider as well as taller, which will allow a MUCH wider tire to be fitted. also, there's not exactly a whole lot of choice in tires for 14" rims.
if you're going to drop profile while keeping the stock rims, you're going to have get much wider tires to keep the tire circumference near stock.
in the US tires are sold with three numbers telling you the tire specs. it will be something like 225 / 65 -15
in which
225 == tread width, in millimeters
65 == profile height or how tall the sidewall is as a percentage of tread width, ie - this should be a sidewall near 146mm
15 == diameter of the rim, in inches
all spelled out that would look like
225mm / 65% - 15"
tire circumference is the old Pi * d formula for a circle. so you take the diameter of the rim and add TWICE the sidewall height ( because that happens two times in the height of the tire ) and multiply times Pi. since the tread width is in metric, you'll also need to convert to SAE.
Coker Tire says that the 69 Lark came with 205 / 75 - 14. so that's a tread width of 8.07". 75% * 8.07 == 6.05". ( 14 + 6.05 + 6.05 ) * 3.14 ~= 82" circumference tire.
it appears that the 69 Skylark came on 14" rims. are you CERTAIN that you don't want to grab some 15" rims off of a 1985 Grand National or an 87 Riviera or something?
i mean, you're going to have to cut that car all up to reconfigure it for coil over shocks. putting new rims on is just 20 lug nuts. and the 15" rim will likely also be wider as well as taller, which will allow a MUCH wider tire to be fitted. also, there's not exactly a whole lot of choice in tires for 14" rims.
coil overs?
Guess it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Do you just want it to be safe on the freeway in normal traffic or do you want to autocross? I wouldn’t put coil-overs on an otherwise stock car. If it’s bone stock… I’d probably prioritize this way (you can save all your original parts and can put it all back stock when you want to):
1. Wheels and tires – at least 15 x 7s with 60 series tires.
Better would be 17 x 8s up front with 245/45/17 and 17 x 9s on the rear with 275/40/17 (measure first-need around 5 inches of back space on 68-69 Buick A-Body).
2. If you have 4 wheel drum brakes, upgrade the front to disc and service the rear drums. (although 4 wheel disc kits can be had for around a grand, if you’re going to autocross or live in canyon country). Consider 2” drop spindles when you swap out the brakes.
3. Front sway bar, about 1 1/8”
4. Shocks – Bilstein (KYB if you’re strapped for cash) Good shocks make a huge difference in handling.
5. Tubular front control arms (upper and lower). These make a huge difference in high speed stability. No matter the manufacturer, the new tubular control arms allow you to get at least 5 degrees of positive caster. Factory style stamped steal cannot provide that range.
6. Replace all 4 coil springs. Don’t drop more than 1” with springs.
7. Rebuild steering linkage and replace the tie-rod adjusters with solid type such as QA1.
8. Replace rear control arms with quality boxed style and install an adjustable rear stabilizer bar, no bigger than 1”
I'd encourage you to buy Mark Savitske’s book “How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle”
Also, get a “Fas Trax” alignment tool and do your own alignment… after reading the above book.
Hope that helps. Enjoy the drive.
Guess it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Do you just want it to be safe on the freeway in normal traffic or do you want to autocross? I wouldn’t put coil-overs on an otherwise stock car. If it’s bone stock… I’d probably prioritize this way (you can save all your original parts and can put it all back stock when you want to):
1. Wheels and tires – at least 15 x 7s with 60 series tires.
Better would be 17 x 8s up front with 245/45/17 and 17 x 9s on the rear with 275/40/17 (measure first-need around 5 inches of back space on 68-69 Buick A-Body).
2. If you have 4 wheel drum brakes, upgrade the front to disc and service the rear drums. (although 4 wheel disc kits can be had for around a grand, if you’re going to autocross or live in canyon country). Consider 2” drop spindles when you swap out the brakes.
3. Front sway bar, about 1 1/8”
4. Shocks – Bilstein (KYB if you’re strapped for cash) Good shocks make a huge difference in handling.
5. Tubular front control arms (upper and lower). These make a huge difference in high speed stability. No matter the manufacturer, the new tubular control arms allow you to get at least 5 degrees of positive caster. Factory style stamped steal cannot provide that range.
6. Replace all 4 coil springs. Don’t drop more than 1” with springs.
7. Rebuild steering linkage and replace the tie-rod adjusters with solid type such as QA1.
8. Replace rear control arms with quality boxed style and install an adjustable rear stabilizer bar, no bigger than 1”
I'd encourage you to buy Mark Savitske’s book “How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle”
Also, get a “Fas Trax” alignment tool and do your own alignment… after reading the above book.
Hope that helps. Enjoy the drive.
Excellent advice!
bmilesqop2540
Member
69 Skylark coil overs
i want to get everyone opinion on the Raceland Coil overs for a MK4 jetta Im thinking about buying them but want to hear everyones imput rather or not they are worth the money an how is the ride from them as well
i want to get everyone opinion on the Raceland Coil overs for a MK4 jetta Im thinking about buying them but want to hear everyones imput rather or not they are worth the money an how is the ride from them as well