80s Monte Carlo FULL BUILD | G Body Coilover Suspension Overhaul

Speedway Motors Retail Store Manager Adam Pettigrew brought in his 1980s G-Body Monte Carlo to upgrade his front and rear suspension.

After an initial drive around town and a look at the undercarriage, it was clear that the handling and turning control weren’t super responsive, and this Monte Carlo could use help in a few areas.

First, we lifted the Monte Carlo up to remove the stock front suspension.

With all the old parts out of the way, it was time to clean up the frame a bit and start installing the new front suspension components.

Next, it was time to remove the rear suspension, including the drive shaft and rear end housing.

Once we got everything removed it was time to put in the new parts, starting with a G-Body-specific 9-inch housing. This housing does not have spring pads for the stock-style coil springs, so we adapted a QA1 coilover kit before we placed it in the car. Then we could see how everything else would fit around the housing and how much space we were working with.

After that we installed the coilovers, wheel studs, brake calipers, and brake lines.

Then we finally bled the brakes, put some low-profile tires on the car, checked the pinion angles, and set the ride height.

After some finishing touches, it was time for another test drive to see how different the new G-Body suspension felt on the Monte Carlo.

The new setup made it feel like a different car. The sloppy handling from the worn out and cobbled together old suspension was replaced by a far more precise feeling from behind the wheel. The ride was firm but not punishing, and cornering was flat and predictable.

Parts from this video:
Browse Ford 9 Inch Axle Assemblies https://brnw.ch/21wWIMa
QA1 HK21-GMG2 Handling Kit Level 1, 1969-72 Gran Prix/Monte Carlo https://brnw.ch/21wWIMl
1978-88 G-Body and S10 Tubular Control Arms, Upper and Lower Kit https://brnw.ch/21wWIMG
QA1 GS401-10400C Front Pro Coil Shock Kit, 10.13/14 Comp/Ext, 400 Rate https://brnw.ch/21wWIMP
QA1 10HTBF400 High Travel Coil-Over Spring, 10 Inch, 400lb Rate https://brnw.ch/21wWIMU
1978-1988 GM A/G Body Front Sway Bar Kit, 1 1/8" https://brnw.ch/21wWIMV
9 Inch Ford Housing with Metric Brackets, 58 Inch Hub-to-Hub Width https://brnw.ch/21wWIMW
QA1 RCK52352 Pro Coil-Over Conversion System, GM G-Body https://brnw.ch/21wWIMY
UMI 3055-B 78-88 G-Body Rear Shock Tower Brace, Bolt In, Black https://brnw.ch/21wWIMZ
UMI 3028-B 78-88 G-Body Control Arm Reinforce/Frame Braces, Black https://brnw.ch/21wWIN0
Long 28 Spline 9 Inch New Ford Cut-to-Fit Axle with Bearing
https://brnw.ch/21wWIN3
Short 28 Spline 9 Inch New Ford Cut-to-Fit Axle with Bearing https://brnw.ch/21wWIN7
US Mags U11718806145 Rambler Wheel, 18x8, Gloss Black Milled https://brnw.ch/21wWINa
Budget Ford 9 Inch Rear End Disc Brake Conversion Kit https://brnw.ch/21wWINb


0:00 - LS Swapped Monte Carlo Introduction
6:07 - G Body Suspension Weak Points
8:05 - G-Body Front Suspension Teardown
16:56 -Monte Carlo Frame Rail Paint Touch-Up
18:24 - G Body Front Suspension Kit Install
24:01 - Which Way Do Slotted Rotors Go?
28:40 - G Body Rear Suspension Removal
32:31 - Ford 9 Inch Disassembly
35:47 - Ford 9 Inch G Body Rear End Swap
37:03 - G-Body QA1 Coilover Kit Install
42:40 - How To Assemble Coilovers
47:11 - Axle Shaft Install
49:54 - QA1 Coilover Kit Installation
52:33 - How to Install Wheel Studs (Without a Press)
55:41 - Rear Suspension Adjustment
1:02:12 – 1980s Monte Carlo Test Drive

#80smusclecars #streetmachine #gbody #gbodynation #montecarlo #montecarlos #QA1 #protouring #LSswap #lsmontecarlo #gmmuscle

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