Thread: best factory suspension and brake upgrades for w body

Originally Posted by usetaboost

can you use the tq star 16in rims with the fbody brakes?

yes, they'll fit.

As cheap as trailing arms are I don't see someone going out of there way to make their own.

^I've thought about that. But for 20 bucks a piece I'd rather just buy the tubulars. Hell all the rear is doing is getting drug around with the rest of the car most of the time. Tubulars would be just fine for what I do with it. I've been driving the car a lot more lately. I really don't think these cars need sway bars as much as they need stiffer springs. I don't know what the spring rates are but I would think the front needs at least a 400 sr to handle the way it should and a 120-140 sr for the rear. I'd like to try to find something like that for springs that maintains stock ride height and go with Monroe sensatracs for struts to maintain a smoother ride since it is a family car

I've found a few more things about sway bars. Don't know if I posted them or not. There were at least 4 different front sway bars offered by gm for the 97-05 w body cars. You could get anything from a 28mm to a 36mm. I'm going to keep an eye out for the 36mm for the front. The only 2 different sizes I could find on the gp was 15mm and 17 mm, then the 19mm gmpp. I too am an advocate of using factory parts for upgrades. I like stuff that looks stock. I plan on getting ls1 brake calipers some day if I find some in the jy. There isn't much you can do outside of adding coolers and some light suspension and brake mods but for people like me just trying to make the daily driver a little bit better, these parts are fine. I'm considering the impala fleet springs and struts. I suppose that will come down to cost in the end.

The rear trailing arms can be purchased almost anywhere. I have a local naparts warehouse that stocks a lot of these common parts. Because they buy in large quantities they are usually cheaper than the typical oreillys and autozones.

Originally Posted by usetaboost

I've found a few more things about sway bars. Don't know if I posted them or not. There were at least 4 different front sway bars offered by gm for the 97-05 w body cars. You could get anything from a 28mm to a 36mm. I'm going to keep an eye out for the 36mm for the front. The only 2 different sizes I could find on the gp was 15mm and 17 mm, then the 19mm gmpp. I too am an advocate of using factory parts for upgrades. I like stuff that looks stock. I plan on getting ls1 brake calipers some day if I find some in the jy. There isn't much you can do outside of adding coolers and some light suspension and brake mods but for people like me just trying to make the daily driver a little bit better, these parts are fine. I'm considering the impala fleet springs and struts. I suppose that will come down to cost in the end.

The rear trailing arms can be purchased almost anywhere. I have a local naparts warehouse that stocks a lot of these common parts. Because they buy in large quantities they are usually cheaper than the typical oreillys and autozones.

I dont know about the 04-05 GPs, but 97-03 only came with two different sway bars. Stock and the Police/GMPP ones.

The rear trailing arms you see at the auto parts stores are not any better than stock. None of them are tubular like the GMPP or aftermarket ones.

I know the GXP's are boxed but I've read not all GXPs came with them.

You may be right. I have yet to check the olds intrigue. If I get a chance to go to the yard again I'm going to find a gls or whatever the hell they are and try to get the numbers off the tag.