Our Firebird's original front...
Our Firebird's original front sway bar measured 0.688 inches. The PST G-max bar measures 1.125 inches. This difference is obvious!
The Install
Installing the front-end components, four shock absorbers and radius rod bushing set was very straightforward. We simply removed the originals and installed the replacements. The rear sway bar kit was, however, slightly more difficult. The supplied drop-down links that suspend from the framerails wouldn't work with our particular Firebird, so a quick call to PST's technical department netted us a pair of revised links, available upon request.
With the entire installation complete, we backed the Firebird from the garage and immediately ventured to our local repair shop for a front-end alignment. It took only a few blocks for us to notice the positive effects the new suspension components had made-normal bumps were no longer an adventure, and body roll had appreciably decreased. It was obvious that our Firebird's suspension was now completely functional, and the car was much more pleasurable to drive.
The Comparison
No article focusing on suspension would be complete without some type of back-to-back comparison. A 600-foot slalom seems most common, but after consulting with a local friend who autocrosses regularly, he advised that a 200-foot slalom course-consisting of six consecutive rubber cones placed 40 feet apart-would keep speeds at a minimum. That proved a sound suggestion, considering how unpredictable our Firebird was in stock form. With the cones and timing equipment set up, we were ready to establish a baseline.
After snaking the new sway...
After snaking the new sway bar through the subframe crossmember, we applied a small amount of the supplied lubricant on the Polygraphite bushings and installed them and the brackets. The end links immediately followed, and the fasteners were loosely installed.
We found that the Firebird had a tough time negotiating the turns. It plowed severely at moderate speeds, and wasn't reacting to driver input. Attempts at varying tire pressure seemed to do little, as the vehicle's weight was simply too much for the front 235/60R15 tires to handle at higher speeds. Understeer was so severe that we had to abort a number of runs after passing the first few cones. We were, however, able to complete a few lower speed passes, and with an experienced driver behind the wheel, recorded a disappointing best of 19.16 mph.
With the PST components installed, the Firebird negotiated the turns of the same 200-foot slalom much more predictably, and at much higher speeds. It remained flat when diving into each turn, and it reacted better to driver input. Through the same course with the same driver, the Firebird upped its speed just under 5 mph, increasing to 23.96 mph over 200 feet. It was still obvious that the Firebird's stock-sized street tires were holding it back, but the marked improvement clearly indicates the positive effects the new suspension components made. Bear in mind this was accomplished by simply installing a larger front sway bar, adding a rear bar, KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, new front springs and polyurethane bushings. The complete steering linkage, ball-joints and rear springs remained, and the same tires were used before and after.
We loosely tightened the upper...
We loosely tightened the upper and lower control arm nuts and bolts during reassembly, and then we simply dropped the front coil spring into place. We then raised the jack high enough to reinsert the upper and lower ball joints' studs into the spindle, which compressed the spring evenly, and then we installed the castellated nuts and cotter pins. With everything snug, we used a pair of tin snips to cut the strap. Front coil spring installation took just minutes using this method!
Pontiac included a "radius...
Pontiac included a "radius rod" on the '67 Firebird to prevent axle wind-up during acceleration and severe braking. Its rubber bushings had undoubtedly seen better days, so we opted for a Polygraphite Rear Traction Arm bushing set from PST. Removal and replacement of the piece was straightforward, but we had to have the new bushings pressed in.
Front and rear shock absorber...
Front and rear shock absorber replacement was a simple task. Our Firebird's aftermarket pieces offered little absorbing quality, and were replaced with a set of KYB Gas-A-Just units that were complemented by Polygraphite bushings.
The rear sway bar's drop-down...
The rear sway bar's drop-down link mounting bracket resides where the rear axle's rubber jounce bumpers once did, and requires enlarging one existing bolt hole to 31/48-inch and drilling another. To determine the correct location to drill the new hole, we temporarily installed the mounting bracket, and marked the respective area of each framerail.
The G-max Performance rear...
The G-max Performance rear sway bar kit for First-Gen Firebirds comes with a pair of drop-down links like that on the left, but it didn't seem to fit our application correctly. After consulting with PST's technical support staff, we were told that the company has seen this instance before, and supplied us with a pair of drop-down links like that on the right. While actual reasoning may differ with each application, ours might include the stock-type, transverse-mounted muffler our Firebird retains.
With the supplied u-shaped...
With the supplied u-shaped bolt inserted into the framerail, we installed the drop-down link onto its bracket and loosely installed the entire assembly.