Can a 1G handle? Seriously.

[turbotalon1g]

I want my 1G to handle good, with that said I know its no evo or miata, but something where it wouldn't make someone cry if they tried to corner with it.

My last 1G had a rear sway bar only and it really flattened out around corners it felt really good.

The car also had 235/45/17s and the rear subframe had urethane bushings.

My questions are about tire size, I was thinking about going to 16s if I get rid of these wheels, but will the taller sidewall decrease the handling.
Matt d. said it wouldn't feel as responsive, so I'm looking to stick 17s.

Is the suspension geometry/hardware just too old/shitty styled to not handle well.

I want to replace every last bushing in teh car in order to make it handle/feel good.

Thanks
Aaron

[Matt D.]

Any car can handle decent, but you need to start at the base and work up. That base is tires. What you get is up to you, but the top street tires at the moment are Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec, Kumho Ecsta XS and Hankook RS-3.

As equally important as tires is alignment. Get yourself a degree or two of negative camber in front, a negative degree in the rear, and you'll have a car that is more responsive than you thought was possible.

Beyond that, you need to look at springs and shocks. DSMs have a good assortment of shocks to choose from, and if I were you I'd just mate a good set of adjustable shocks with some good springs.

Beyond that, a bigger rear swaybar will help the car rotate in the turns, and adding a front swaybar will add more overall grip but help keep the car neutral while turning.

If you're feeling really crazy you can start putting in polyurethane bushings all around. Old cars make more use of this than newer cars, but it's the last thing I'd do, especially if your suspension isn't sloppy.

[Kracka]

Matt D. pretty much said everything I was going to. An alignment is like a tune, so important yet so often over-looked. The 1G chassis has a ton of flex so a few simple braces (such as front and rear strut tower bars) can make a noticeable difference.

[Matt D.]

The 1G chassis has a ton of flex so a few simple braces (such as front and rear strut tower bars) can make a noticeable difference.
Oh yeah, forgot about those.

[Tachyon]

You know, I was researching this quite diligently the other day, trying to find a few tricks or more obscure facts about the 1g suspension and its optimal setup. During the course of my evening I ran across a series of posts by Dennis Grant verbally stating that he could setup a SN95 mustang chassis to handle better than our 1g's. Ouch. Something about the rear toe-in being horribly wrong from the factory… There were some things that could be done, but the threshold with the stock geometry was quite limited, and would ultimately be the ceiling.

[Matt D.]

Something about the rear toe-in being horribly wrong from the factory… There were some things that could be done, but the threshold with the stock geometry was quite limited, and would ultimately be the ceiling.
Yes, if I recall correctly the rear suspension will toe in as the suspension compresses, has to do with the whole trailing arm design.

[turbotalon1g]

Thanks guys I really appreciate it.

I have some decent HP all seasons, but i have some dunlop direzzas to go on once its time to play.

I plan on picking up a rear active toe eliminator which should make the car more predictable.

[Kracka]

Yes, if I recall correctly the rear suspension will toe in as the suspension compresses, has to do with the whole trailing arm design.
Yup, you should of seen the toe on my 1G that I lowered...

[Goat Blower]

I've got a set of the toe eliminator SS bushings, I'll be putting them in myself when I get to it. It is a big problem on 1G, especially now that they're mush like mine are. BTW, there's been a few threads on this on other boards and the consensus, most from Dennis, was that Koni Yellows with Hypercoil springs and some adjustable pillow tops were the best handling option out there. He had nothing good to say about any of the coilovers, especially the K-sports.

[Goat Blower]

Oh, and the poly bushings are probably the best overall mod unless you've already replaced all the bushings, they're all rotted by now.