I just got home from Global West in San Bernardino, CA, where I spent the last two days documenting the suspension transformation of our ’75 Laguna project car. Day one was spent on the rear suspension, which included upper and lower control arms, lowering springs, and QA1 double-adjustable shocks. Since the car was lowered, we discovered a problem with suspension geometry that places our instant center behind the car, so we’ll be bringing it back at a later date to build some control arm brackets to rectify the situation. I’m told it’s an easy fix that will be made available to other ’73-77 A-bodies with lowered suspensions.
Today wrapped up our second day, which was spent installing the front suspension. Those parts included upper and lower control arms, springs, swaybar, and double-adjustable QA-1 shocks. We also took a good amount of time to do a computer alignment that gets us ready for some serious testing down the line, once our drivetrain and brakes come up to standard.
Speaking of brakes, we also experimented with those, too. We initially thought we might squeeze in a set of Wilwood four-pistons calipers on some severe-duty 11.75-inch rotors that were slotted and zinc washed, but our Bassett steelies have some massive drop centers that interfere. Global West is building a set of 12-inch brakes for us using stock calipers and upgraded pads. We’ll be doing a story on those down the line. Those brakes will also use some late-model B-body spindles designed for the larger, 12-inch rotors.
The ride home was about 40 minutes of highway driving, and I noticed the difference right away. The stiffer suspension actually makes the car feel 500 pounds lighter. Steering response is sharp, and the two-ton Laguna hugs the road with authority. I can’t wait until we can do instrumented testing. I should also note that our Nitto NT 555R Extreme Drag radials (275/60R15) stick like glue at all four corners, and will contribute significantly to some impressive numbers. Look for a write-up on the rear suspension first, which will appear in the June issue of PHR.
For more information on Global West products, call them at 877-470-2975, or log on to www.globalwest.net