lets talk about our rear suspensions for a second. i like the way mine squats for launch and gives great traction. but, lets take those lower arms. would they benefit from being boxed? looks like they may be able to flex a bit being open on the bottom. the upper arms look like solid cast. not sure you could improve too much there. the pan-hard bar on the other hand i wonder how much stress that thing is under in hard turns, is it flexing a lot you think? and how could we move it to fit a girdle on the rear end?

could a person move the upper arm connection on the axle closer together and triangulate it? then you could get rid of the pan hard right? or would that be no good on the street? I'm asking all this cause when i do my 14bolt swap i want to do what i can to the rear (budget friendly) to make it stronger.

 

i did find edelbrock has a tubular trailing arms and panhard rod. http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_...lication.shtml

 

Hotchkiss also makes components, I am running their lower boxed arms, ride is a lot firmer with them in place, also running the "black" rear djm 5" drop coils. The rear squats all of 1" on boost. the pan hard bar had to stay due to interferance with the 14 bolt rear axle, Just no room for a tubular bar. The front is what I am working on at this time, Trying to eliminate the front spring up @ launch.

 

i kinda like the squat mine has. at first i didn't when i was AWD cause it would unload the front way too much. but when i lowered the front back down from level to stockish rake it was a lot better. even with the rake the front comes up higher than the rear on hard boost. did you install the lower box arms before or after the springs? just wondering if they helped handling.

 

After the springs, without any additional weight in the truck,family and bagage it is quite firm, teeth rattling from the rear passengers. launching is great, and when it is loaded for traveling it smooths out. The upward spring effect up front is keeping me in the 1.8 60's. I get the front strapped down or something should net me 1.7-1.6 60's.

 

For a "budget" upgrade, you can use 1/8" plate steel and box up your lower control arms. Good way to strengthen the stockers.

 

is it firm cause of the springs or the arms? trying to figure out how the arms would make it ruff. is it keeping it at 1.8's because your using 4wd? or is it because of wasted energy picking up the front?

 

kinda what i was thinking, but what about stock bushings? mine are pretty old and look a little cracked here and there.

 

Could probably find some poly bushings for cheap.

 

the Lower control arms increased the firmness in the ride. Noticable around turns I believe the stock lowers flexed allowing some give with the black rated springs. Also the footprint from both tires are now consistant with ea other. the 1.8 are from 4wd but i do believe there is also lost energy from the upward movement vs. leaving forward. it leaves evenly now. I have not been down the track yet with the new combo.

I am looking into some alternatives in this department(shocks) as well.