How to make an F-body handle 101

Tired of the “muscle cars can’t turn” memes? So was I. Stock (LS1’s) our cars could pull 0.89-0.9g’s through a corner. Decent, but not enough to keep up those guys in 350z’s and whatnot. Well, today I’m going to tell you what you need, why you need it, where to buy it, and the price. All of these mods (except for the “extras”) are installed on my friend’s Camaro and his straight up handles like a race car. Mine has a good bit of these but will get them all this summer. So, here’s what you need:

Sticky Tires

Stock SS’s and WS6’s came with 275 wide tires all around, which are pretty good and what you want. 295-315’s in the rear are good too, but do know it isn’t the “perfect” setup for handling, but rather more lenient towards acceleration. Usually Nitto NT-05’s (~$140-180 a tire) are good tires for those on a budget, and Good Year, BF Goodrich, and Michelin all make ultra high performance tires, but you might be out of pocket.

Shocks & Springs

Your stock shocks and springs err on the the side of comfort and drag racing. They’re super soft and make your car look like a 4x4 truck with how high they are. So obviously we want to replace them.
Shocks are all about what you will use your car for and your budget. If your car will remain on the street and just hit some twisty roads, Bilsteins are a proven shock for those on a budget. For $380 you can get all 4 that you need. They’re great on the street and I have them.
Koni’s are the best of the best, especially the double adjustable ones. If you’ve got money and you’re for sure going to hit the track or Autocross, you want them. A set of 4 for the single adjustable is $860 and for the double adjustable $1,625. Chances are most of you are going with the Bilsteins though lol.

Lastly, springs. There’s only one brand both my friend and I use for springs: Vogtland. For $210 all around you get springs that are not too stiff but not too soft, are progressive rate, and drop your ride about 1.2”-1.25”, which is low enough to make your F-body look sexy but not so low you have a trouble driving it on the road.
I had Eibach Sportline springs before and not only did they sag but they were too low. Wouldn’t get them unless you’re going to track your car a lot.

As a note, all my links will be to this site called WS6 store, low prices, great Customer Service, free shipping over $100.

Sway bars and shock tower strut

Your stock sways are WEAKKKKK. Nuff said. Anyways, I personally like UMI performance parts for all my suspension stuff, but please note that BMR and SLP make good stuff too. Your choice of preference, all perform well. Anyways, Sway bars not only help reduce body roll on your monster of a car, they help you accelerate too. Thick rear sway bars help keep everything nice and solid back there so you don’t do Mustang things in your F-body. Sway bars make a world of difference and you’ll be surprised how well your muscle car can handle. I’d get the UMI Front & Rear sway bar set. It comes with everything you need for $367.

Also, get a strut tower brace. They’re cheap and help you turn in quicker. You can get a chromoly one from UMI, but just know that you’re paying $55 dollars more for one and that’s ridiculous, since upgrading to chromoly on some of their other parts cost nearly half lol. Only get the chromoly if you want to brag or you need all the weight savings possible. For $75, mild steel will do.

Panhard bar & Rear control arms.

These are probably one of the most critical components you can buy. Why? Because if you lower your suspension at all or plan to do anything abusive to your car (like drag launches or handling) you need upgraded ones. Again with UMI thanks to their Roto-joints, which are much better than bushings. Both these options are $30 to upgrade for chromoly. Do it unless budget is a number one priority.

Panhards center up the rear of your car and give your live axle suspension a bit of wiggle room, aka independence. Your stock one sucks. A good aftermarket panhard not only allows you to center up the rear, critical for good handling and accelerating in a straight line, they let your wheels move up and down, which you want in order to handle the curves.
A Watts Link is basically an improved panhard bar, with perfect symmetry and it’s as close to an IRS as you will get in your F-body. However, they are expensive and honestly unless you’re at a race track, you won’t be able to tell a difference between the two. A Watts link is $675 and a panhard is $188. That extra money you save can buy you other things, likeeee

Your Rear Lower Control arms also need to be upgraded after you lower. And you’ll want relocation brackets so they can get lowwwww. This will help center up your ride and prevent wheel hop (bad). They’re $282 for the control arms and $103 for the location brackets. Keep in mind, I’m only showing you the most expensive version of these things because I care about you and want you to get the best. Treat yo self. Get the roto joint lol

Subframe connectors

If you have a T-top or Convertible these are sooooo useful. Our cars aren’t as solidly built as they should be and if you want your car to handle cornering or drag racing forces these are a must. Luckily they’re cheap ($216). Your T-tops won’t rattle after this lol. Please note, vert guys you need to buy special subframe connectors for convertibles. You’ll find them on the site.

Not necessary at all, but misc stuff that will help.

These are extra stuff you can get for maximum performance, but honestly you don’t need them. These are for the harcore guys only.

(1.) Polyurethane motor and transmission mounts. Your OEM rubber ones fail (mine did) and they are too soft. Polyurethane stiffens things up a good bit, don’t degrade, and are cheap ($88). They’re just a b-tch to install unless you have a lift and a cherry picker. Basically a mechanic might have to help you here lol.
These will cause more vibration in the cabin, but hey you drive a muscle car! That’s what you want! Feeling your big V8 shake your whole car! If you wanted comfortable you should’ve bought a Cadillac. And honestly the vibration isn’t that bad for daily driving at all. My bud has solid motor mounts, much harder than poly ones, and even his vibration isn’t that bad. Because your engine and transmission are now solidly mounted to your car though, you will have much crisper shifts, more wheel power, and your whole car will feel more solid in the corners. Get them when you can.
(2.) K-members and front LCA’s. There reason I don’t mention these up above is because they’re (a.) expensive, and (b.) aren’t really necessary unless you’re a hardcore drag racer or at the race track. You mostly just buy them for weight savings of more than 40lbs. LCA’s are $500, and a K-member is about $500.
(3.) Torque arm. These help your rear wheels dig into the pavement and grip. You already have one on your car but it’s kinda “meh”. They also help prevent wheel hop. The reason I don’t list them is again, they’re expensive and your upgraded rear control arms should do the job just fine on the street. Expect to pay more than $500 for an aftermarket torque arm and relocation kit.

Alright. That’s it everyone! Go out there and have some fun with your F-body!