"Level My Ride"

[ing4016]

I would like to lift the front of my '91
2 or 3 inches, so that it doesn't look
like it's doing a nose dive.
What is the easiest solution?

Rod

[j cAT]

The easiest way is to use spring spacers.you should get 2inches.make sure that the shocks are good.the proper way would be to install new springs that are stronger than oem . these vehicles have weak springs . I also used air shocks in the rear and adjusted for slightly higher rear. another problem area is the front stabilizer bar hardware link bushings. too much movement here will damage springs as well as shocks that are weak. In the end, adjust height so that drive shaft is straight as possible . this will prevent damage to the cv joints. If you do these easy cheap fixes the handling will improve greatly and you'll probably get those new stronger front springs..

[ing4016]

I have Monroe air shocks on the back of mine also.
Even with them at about 50lbs. it's high in the rear.
I don't mind that. I just like the look of a higher
front also. What is a good after-market source for
new front springs? I think I can machine some
simple 2" spacer blocks for the front stabilizer bar
after installing new springs. Thanks for the help.

Rod

[DANZIGS]

I thought about rear air shocks for when my back seat is loaded, the stance of the car still looks normal. Did it change the feel of the ride too much where it felt like driving a pick up?

[silicon212]

In my opinion, the air shocks on the back of my old Grand Am certainly did make it feel like I was driving a truck, plus they were ineffective as high-performance shocks. The car tended to fishtail and experience wheel-hop under acceleration.

[Blue Bowtie]

If some of the problems with ride height are due to the 17 year old springs being weak and sagging, installing good springs will help. Raising the ride height 2-3" beyond what the original height was supposed to be can introduce problems.

Raising the front 2-3" will require a significant camber adjustment, and even with removal of all the upper control arm shims, there might not be enough space to get it set properly. This will also affect caster if there is insufficient adjustment, and may affect bump-steer once the other handling angles get close to their limits (the tie rod angles are going to be markedly different than the design intended). If you don't mind chewing off your new front tires every 10,000 miles, and don't care about being able to steer, it won't matter.

The appropriate method would be to install offset spindles.

[DANZIGS]

Silicon212, you said the car would tend to fishtail in which I can see, but would the tires break lose easier when mashing that pedal to the floor from take off because of the unsprung weight?

[beat88ls]

sorry

[DANZIGS]

sorry



????

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by DANZIGS

Silicon212, you said the car would tend to fishtail in which I can see, but would the tires break lose easier when mashing that pedal to the floor from take off because of the unsprung weight?

The Grand Am could not achieve the level of performance that the 9C1 does, even though the first 210,000 miles on the LM1 came in the Grand Am.

It had 2.56 gears in the 7.5" diff/axle.

I don't know what you mean by bringing up unsprung weight - it was lighter on the Grand Am than the Caprice but the Caprice will light'em up and the Grand Am couldn't on dry pavement.

Inasmuch as the handling, the air shocks were almost like not even having shocks in that the car would bounce over the road profile rather than follow it. Unlike bad shocks, they would tend to lock the springs, taking out some (well, a lot) of rate. That's what caused the car to bounce and not follow the road. It got real floaty on rough roads.

Oh, and the Grand Am was actually heavier than my Caprice - by almost 600 pounds!

[DANZIGS]

They almost sound unsafe....not really what I'm after. Unsprung may have been a bad choice of words, just sounded good at the time. It seems when you hammer the gas the ass end drops almost forcing weight on the rear wheels where as with the lift the back doesn't drop as much or not as all. If that makes sense...it's not making much to me either now that I'm rereading this...

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by DANZIGS

I thought about rear air shocks for when my back seat is loaded, the stance of the car still looks normal. Did it change the feel of the ride too much where it felt like driving a pick up?

I kept 25 psi in the air shocks and found no bouncing. car regularly got 80,000 mi on costco cheap tires. when a blizzard was coming I would put 400 lbs of sand in trunk then with 90 psi in shocks it had a ford truck like ride..but I always got to work. I was required to be at work at these times of bad weather. obviously you should not raise vehicle too much above vehicle designed hieight. I believe also that trucks that are raised too much will have wheel alignment problems as well unless modifications are done, if not tires will not wear properly. the shocks I used where just like standard shocks and the had oil in them . they would wear out . but if you put too much air in shock it cannot move down, then you get harsh ride.

[beat88ls]

Originally Posted by DANZIGS

They almost sound unsafe....not really what I'm after. Unsprung may have been a bad choice of words, just sounded good at the time. It seems when you hammer the gas the ass end drops almost forcing weight on the rear wheels where as with the lift the back doesn't drop as much or not as all. If that makes sense...it's not making much to me either now that I'm rereading this...

thats kind of what i typed but it didnt look right so i deleted it which is where "sorry" came from

what i wrote was, the stiffer the rear suspension the less the rear will squat under acceleration, so yes the tires will spin easier. sorry for the confusion

[ing4016]

If I were to just try a new pair of springs,
did any of the other cars of that series
(Roadmaster,Olds 98, wagons) have a
heavier rated spring?
Where do I shop for these springs?

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by ing4016

If I were to just try a new pair of springs,
did any of the other cars of that series
(Roadmaster,Olds 98, wagons) have a
heavier rated spring?
Where do I shop for these springs?

The "Heavy Duty" springs you get at Checker (partsamerica.com) or Autozone are actually 9C1 spec springs. They cost about $90-$120 for a set of two (front or rear).