How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle - Softcover

When automotive manufacturers stuffed large V-8 engines into intermediate-size cars, the American muscle car was born. Built from 1964 on, the vast majority of these amazingly fast machines did not carry cutting-edge chassis and suspension systems, and now these cars are up to 50 years old. Today, owners do not have to settle for poor handling and ride quality.

Muscle car and suspension expert Mark Savitske has built his business, Savitske Classic and Custom, on making muscle cars handle and ride at their best. With this updated edition, Savitske shows you what it takes to transform the handling of these high-horsepower machines. He explains the front and rear suspension geometry so you understand how it functions, and in turn, you realize how to get the most from a particular system. He also reveals the important aspects of spring rates, shock dampening, and ride height so you select the best spring and shock package for your car and application. He discusses popular high-performance tubular suspension arms and sway bars, so you can find the right combination of performance and adjustability. The suspension system has to operate as an integrated part of the car, so you’re shown how to select best suspension package for a well-balanced and responsive car. He also discusses how to extract maximum performance from popular GM, Ford, and Mopar muscle cars.

You can harness the potential performance potential of your muscle car and put much more power to the ground with critical chassis and suspension updates and products. A muscle car that carries modern suspension technology not only provides far better handling and ride comfort, but it is also much safer. How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle is the essential guide to unlocking the handling and performance potential of your muscle car. If you yearn for better handling, comfort, and performance for your muscle car, this is the book for you.

The great American muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s were not lacking in horsepower, but their handling and braking prowess left a lot to be desired. Luckily, modern interest in these cars has prompted a wide range of aftermarket companies to develop outstanding new products to correct the design flaws in these cars and upgrade the materials they originally shipped with. The result of these efforts are greatly improved cornering and braking capabilities, which make vintage muscle cars both safer and more pleasant to drive.

Author Mark Savitske explains suspension geometry and engineering, and then shows how to make classic cars handle like (or better than) new cars. All of the great makes and designs are discussed, and much is to be learned once the suspension’s design challenges are understood.