Handling and Suspension for 1988 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z

8654 Views 30 Replies 8 Participants Last post by GLHNSLHT2, Apr 26, 2012

hokie541

Discussion Starter · Jan 24, 2012

I would like to put the suspension and handling in my Daytona in the best possible shape I can. I am looking for sugestions on what items to purchase and install. Beginning with what items would have the greatest impact down to the least impact. I have questions like what manufacturer should I go with for struts? Are there different levels of struts? What about bushing replacements? Which ones? I hear and see folks discussing "poly" bushing. Do the poly bushing improve handling or just last longer, and since they do not deteriorate the handling in the car is better, consistent and longer. Over the years I have replace worn out or broken parts with what was in there. I never ask about upgrades or betterment since I was not going to be addressing the whole suspension and handling systrm. Now, I want to, and look forward to feedback or direction to a thread that has already address these items for the 1988 Dodge Daytona Shelby Z.

1 - 20 of 31 Posts

The Pope

· #2 · Jan 24, 2012

add rear 1 1/8" sway bar from a 89 Shelby Daytona, etc
Add the front 1 1/4" front bar from same car.
add Eibach pro kit springs, cut the fronts a little to get the right height
Koni's Sport struts
poly everything, engine included, polybushings . com has everything
89-90 K member with energysuspension A arm bushings
.5 neg rear and 1 neg front camber alignment
real tires, 225 50 15s

tryingbe

· #3 · Jan 24, 2012

polybushings rear add-on sway bar.

NAJ

· #4 · Jan 24, 2012

Do not forget....
Tires put everything to the ground.
Different tires will affect handling aspects so be sure to get the right tire for what you are looking to accomplish.

The Pope

· #5 · Jan 24, 2012

I am not a fan of the polybushings rear bar on the "other" cars. A Mini van, Rampage or any other L body is different. Many have at least a hollow rear bar, too much rear bar makes them very tricky like a 911 or a muscle car wanting to over steer heavy. With a stock 1 1/8 rear and stock 1 1/4 front and poly bushings my CSX drifts big time. Any more is way over kill.

The Pope

· #6 · Jan 24, 2012

NAJ said:
Do not forget....
Tires put everything to the ground.
Different tires will affect handling aspects so be sure to get the right tire for what you are looking to accomplish.

The wrong alignment, the " computer alignment " with positive camber is the worse killer for these cars. Nukes 60 ft time and handling really bad.

Once done right a cheap set of tires actually ware out faster that good ones, as these cars just spin and slide all the time on cheap rubber.

GLHNSLHT2

· #7 · Jan 25, 2012

The Pope said:
add rear 1 1/8" sway bar from a 89 Shelby Daytona, etc
Add the front 1 1/4" front bar from same car.
add Eibach pro kit springs, cut the fronts a little to get the right height
Koni's Sport struts
poly everything, engine included, polybushings . com has everything
89-90 K member with energysuspension A arm bushings
.5 neg rear and 1 neg front camber alignment
real tires, 225 50 15s

Thought we talked about this last night. The big front sway bar is the same size from 86(CS daytona) to 1990.

I'd be willing to bet the rear is the same for all the solid rear sway bars too. If you want to bring a 89 Shelby rear axle over we can break out the calipers and see.

Only other thing is I'd add 1/2 degree of camber to your suggestions. So -1.0 rear and -1.5 front. What ever you go with though the key to the whole thing is the 1/2 degree split front to rear. That balances the car and get's the front end to grip as much as the rear.

The Pope

· #8 · Jan 25, 2012

GLHNSLHT2 said:
Thought we talked about this last night. The big front sway bar is the same size from 86(CS daytona) to 1990.

I'd be willing to bet the rear is the same for all the solid rear sway bars too. If you want to bring a 89 Shelby rear axle over we can break out the calipers and see.

Only other thing is I'd add 1/2 degree of camber to your suggestions. So -1.0 rear and -1.5 front. What ever you go with though the key to the whole thing is the 1/2 degree split front to rear. That balances the car and get's the front end to grip as much as the rear.

I measured the ones I have. I mentioned all the 89 parts as there are a bunce on a 89 Shelby Daytona to grab. I know the rear bars are different in size solid, you can see it real easy between the Masi rear and the Shelby rear for instance.

By design there supposed to have a little more in the front than the rear. But they didn't all come that way. Hollow rear with 1" solid front. Solid rear 1" with 1 1/8" front. Solid 1 1/8" rear with 1 1/4" front. But I have seen quite a few with 1" solid on both ends.

It is also interesting that all the 1 1/8" rear swing arms I've found so far are round bushing, not oval.

I expect to see your Daytona at SRP this year :thumb: Now that the T tops are gone you need to autocross. There letting them run there again, the 1964 air port is getting old. They want asphalt repair volunteers all the time lol

tryingbe

· #9 · Jan 25, 2012

The Pope said:
I am not a fan of the polybushings rear bar on the "other" cars. A Mini van, Rampage or any other L body is different. Many have at least a hollow rear bar, too much rear bar makes them very tricky like a 911 or a muscle car wanting to over steer heavy. With a stock 1 1/8 rear and stock 1 1/4 front and poly bushings my CSX drifts big time. Any more is way over kill.

This would depend on the car. My Daytona Shelby with T-top love having that rear polybushing rear swaybar there.

overboostperformance

· #10 · Jan 25, 2012

88 z already has all the good sway bars. change the k frame to 89 with 1991 knuckles with full set of polybushings. rear axle polybushings.

1989 and up big brakes. set of koni inserts with coilover coversion.

ttop cars have a ton of twist in them so a rear bar may not cause it to step sideways as easily or your driving style is that much different from popes. my car can be made to sweep the rear very easily with factory bars just depends on how aggressive you want to be !!!!!!!!!!! i tend to late apex and drive in hard with minimal trail braking.

Norm

GLHNSLHT2

· #11 · Jan 26, 2012

tryingbe said:
This would depend on the car. My Daytona Shelby with T-top love having that rear polybushing rear swaybar there.

What were your camber settings? With the right camber settings the rear bar is un-needed.

GLHNSLHT2

· #12 · Jan 26, 2012

overboostperformance said:
88 z already has all the good sway bars. change the k frame to 89 with 1991 knuckles with full set of polybushings. rear axle polybushings.

Use Energy suspension Lower Control Arm bushings instead, they're superior and cheaper. I can discuss at length if desired.

DO NOT remove the factory 86-88 rear CS/ShelbyZ rear axle bushings. They are harder and solid than anything out there on the market unless someone has figured out how to make the rear axle use spherical bearings. I made this mistake and highly regret it. Other cars that have factory openings in them or are larger and softer sure go for it. But the above cars with those bushings are thee ones to have.

1989 and up big brakes. set of koni inserts with coilover coversion.

ttop cars have a ton of twist in them so a rear bar may not cause it to step sideways as easily or your driving style is that much different from popes. my car can be made to sweep the rear very easily with factory bars just depends on how aggressive you want to be !!!!!!!!!!! i tend to late apex and drive in hard with minimal trail braking.

Norm

For a T-top car a rear shock tower brace is a must have. But it has to be hand fabricated. OMG the flex does it eliminate, even in a hardtop car it was an improvement in cornering and launching.

overboostperformance

· #13 · Jan 26, 2012

GLHNSLHT2 said:
For a T-top car a rear shock tower brace is a must have. But it has to be hand fabricated. OMG the flex does it eliminate, even in a hardtop car it was an improvement in cornering and launching.

sorry for the misunderstanding my car is a hardtop i will NEVER run a t top car again. due to the flex in them and going 130 + mph in a t top does not get my blood going. i have dismantled to many and have seen the horrid install !!!!!!!!!!!

Norm

The Pope

· #14 · Jan 26, 2012

overboostperformance said:
88 z already has all the good sway bars. change the k frame to 89 with 1991 knuckles with full set of polybushings. rear axle polybushings.

1989 and up big brakes. set of koni inserts with coilover coversion.

keep in mind the un sprung weight of the 91 up knuckles is a lot more heavy than the 89-90 front kunckles. The calipers and knuckles etc all combine much heavier. You want the knuckles that don't have a bolt on caliper bracket.

GLHNSLHT2 bought the jello "street" rear bushings, race durometer rear poly or nothing. It makes the rear bar bigger like the front with poly. All your sway deflection is in those bushings. Stock they were all soft, but today the solid rubber bushings are like plastic. So like Jay said leave um if they are solid. All of mine have holes in them like the stock front mount on the engine, they suck.

GLHNSLHT2

· #15 · Jan 26, 2012

The Pope said:
GLHNSLHT2 bought the jello "street" rear bushings, race durometer rear poly or nothing. It makes the rear bar bigger like the front with poly. All your sway deflection is in those bushings. Stock they were all soft, but today the solid rubber bushings are like plastic. So like Jay said leave um if they are solid. All of mine have holes in them like the stock front mount on the engine, they suck.

You're assuming you remember what I put in the car. After trying the "street" bushings like Johnny recommended I yanked those out and had him send me the "race" versions. Since I had burned out the stockers something had to go in. They were still softer than the stock 86-88 solid rear bushings. Kick myself for burning those stock bushings out. Oh well, that car is in Canada now and I won't be making that mistake again.

Here's a quicktime video of the "Street" bushings. 100_0508

Notice how they're already gooshed out of the housing with just the axle hanging there. The race versions weren't much better.

overboostperformance

· #16 · Jan 26, 2012

The Pope said:
keep in mind the un sprung weight of the 91 up knuckles is a lot more heavy than the 89-90 front kunckles. The calipers and knuckles etc all combine much heavier. You want the knuckles that don't have a bolt on caliper bracket.

ah yes but when lowering the car you have better geometry. i will give up the weight for better parts. also those knuckles allow you to upgrade to other calipers and rotor diameters if you areso inclined

Norm

GLHNSLHT2

· #17 · Jan 27, 2012

overboostperformance said:
sorry for the misunderstanding my car is a hardtop i will NEVER run a t top car again. due to the flex in them and going 130 + mph in a t top does not get my blood going. i have dismantled to many and have seen the horrid install !!!!!!!!!!!

Norm

No mis-understanding. I agree with what you said. Was just adding to it.

hokie541

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 29, 2012 (Edited)

Whoa, some pricey stuff to consider. My first thought is will I feel the difference?

GLHNSLHT2

· #19 · Jan 29, 2012

With an alignment with the proper specs I stated in post #7 you'll have a very well handling car as the stock suspension is pretty good stuff. Just needs to be aligned properly so you get some grip.

If you want to upgrade the suspension as well I always go with the 89/90 kframe and a-arms, add energy suspension lower control arm bushings to it. Find a set of Koni's and 2804 Eibachs. You'll have to trim some of the dead coils off the front springs to get it to actually sit level front to rear from what I hear. Also while things are apart I'd mod the sway bar for end links like this: Sway Bar End Links This allows the sway bar to not bind up like the stock bar does, you'll gain straight line and huge amounts of cornering traction because one side will not want to hang up in the air and spin the lightened tire. Then set the alignment.

You'll love it. Not cheap but will handle just as well or better than anything on the road. And yes you'll feel a huge difference with any route you take.

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hokie541

Discussion Starter · #20 · Mar 22, 2012

Thank you guys (and gals if any responded) for tbe feedback. I can't find new springs, any ideas or direction?

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