76 Camaro. Newbie Needs help...

[speedracer232]

Hey Guys. My name is Cory and I'm new to the forum. I recently bought a 76 Camaro. The original 305 was swapped out for a pretty good running 350 by the last owner, and the rest of the car is solid, but the suspension is loose and the car is kinda scary to drive fast. I'm 19, so it’s gonna be kind of a low budget project car. Eventually I want to shave the sides, tuck the bumpers in and turn it into a full-on G-machine, but for now I’m on a pretty tight budget and just want to improve the feel and handling. I’ve only got about a grand to spend, any ideas? Should I spend the money on a-arms, or go with springs and shocks first?



Thanks

[markss28]

On a budget I would go with springs and shocks. Dont forget to up grade all your bushings this will help in the handling and feel of the car greatly. I have a 73 camaro so the bodies are similar and so is most of the suspension.

[zbugger]

...the suspension is loose and the car is kinda scary to drive fast...

To start, I'd suggest inspecting and replacing your steering components. Tie rods, Idler arm, bushings up front. Also make sure your steering box is ok. If it drives better after that, go ahead and change out the springs and shocks, and if you can afford it the front sway bar. Doing a budget build means taking things slow and doing it in steps. Take care of the basics and make your car safe before upgrading things.

[Hotchkis]

Hey Cory,

zbugger is absolutely right in stating, “To start, I'd suggest inspecting and replacing your steering components. Tie rods, Idler arm, bushings up front. Also make sure your steering box is ok.”

For the best results, make sure the suspension fundamentals are sound and then proceed with the performance aftermarket goodies.

There are numerous things you can do to that 76, that will improve the handling and be a progression towards building a full out G-machine. To stick around the $1000 budget we would recommend the following upgrades:

Performance Coil and Leaf Springs- Higher rate, performance springs will lower the stance of your Camaro, tighten up the handling, and improve the overall feel. Since you will be lowering your car and thereby reducing the suspension travel, higher rate springs are necessary to keep the car from bottoming out. It’s important to change springs when building a performance car, as the factory springs are most likely sagged out, and did not originally have the optimum spring rates as far as handling is concerned.

Sway Bars- Properly engineered sway bars make a huge handling improvement and will offer you the most bang for your buck as far as performance mods are concerned. Simply sway bars connect the left and right sides of the vehicles suspension with a bar or tube that twists as the car rolls during cornering. Higher rate, stiffer sway bars allow less twist and therefore allow less body roll because as you turn corners the sway bar applies force to the opposite corner, which in turn pushes the body up right, reducing body roll and sway. Enjoyable driving on a curvy road, autocross course or race track requires the car to have balanced, neutral handling without being tight (understeer) or loose (oversteer). Premium performance sway bars give you this result.

Shocks- When improving suspension components on the car like springs, and sway bars, it is very important to get high quality, performance shock absorbers to control the spring and suspension movement. You will need more car control during performance driving and the shocks will help tremendously. These performance shocks will minimize excessive suspension travel up and down thereby keeping the tires on the ground providing needed traction. Another benefit is reduced or the elimination of wheel hop when accelerating and braking.

These 3 modifications are simple, bolt in installations and can easily be done in one afternoon at home.

[HWYSTR455]

I too would suggest tie rods, center link, idler arm, control arm bushings, and ball joints. Make sure you check the rag joint in the steering shaft, one of the most overlooked items that make one of the biggest differences.

The suspensions on the 2nd gens are pretty darn good out of the box, and starting with it freshed up is a good thing. Once beyond that (the above), shocks would be next, and springs if you can afford it. Body bushings make a big difference too, and I personally suggest solids, but replacing them is a must if it still has the originals.

Some of the car mags recently did a build ups on a mid-70s camaro, addressing the suspension particularly, Hot Rod had F-Bomb, PHR had G/28, and there are several others out there too, still online and you can ref those.