2002 Pontiac Trans Am LQ Suspension Upgrades - Operation: Apex Annihilation

Under its 15,000 sq.-ft. roof,...        read full caption Under its 15,000 sq.-ft. roof, LG Motorsports houses a full fabrication facility where it puts together tube chassis and body-in-white race cars. There is also a DynoJet chassis dynamometer as well as an installation department.

Scott Gardner from Farmersville,...        read full caption Scott Gardner from Farmersville, Texas owns this 2002 Trans Am. The LS1 engine has been enhanced with an airbox, MAF, headers, a Flowmaster muffler, and an off-road Y-pipe. But the suspension was completely stock, until now.

We're fairly certain that the majority of people lower their cars for aesthetic reasons, but Lou Gigliotti of LG Motorsports lowered his for performance. The coil springs along with a host of other suspension modifications were all created out of necessity--that being the need to go faster down the straight and deeper into the corners.

Competing in Firestone Firehawk competition (the precursor to the World Challenge), Gigliotti fabricated his own parts to suit the rules and to make his car perform better. Out of his race-winning Camaros came LG Motorsports, where the average consumer and weekend racer benefits from years of improving average speed on the track.

LG Motorsports offers complete suspension packages, or you can buy the parts a la carte. For this installation, the owner chose to go with an Eibach Pro Kit coil spring set versus the G2 Super Springs. The LGM-fabricated parts start with a three-point strut tower brace (PN G2-107-3PR, $159), G2 sway bars (PN G2-SB, $329/pr), G2 upper and lower front A-arms (PN G2-107-AFAR, $595), G2 Heavy Duty torque arm (PN G2-107-4AR, $495), subframe connectors and driveshaft loop (PN G2-SFVD-R, $429), and end with the G2 panhard rod (PN G2-107-2RAR, $199), lower control arms (PN G2-107-1RA, $199) and relocation brackets (PN G2-107-1ABR, $139/pr).

Energy suspension polyurethane bushings are included which, when combined with the high quality, rattle-free Heim joints, offer a stiffer and more responsive road feel.

"We've picked up on the Corvette market now that we started racing them," said Gigliotti. "We've got a new carbon fiber driveshaft for the Corvette because the stock aluminum one flexes. We also now have a dry-sump, two-stage rear end/transmission pump for the Corvette that lowers temps from 300 degrees to around 220." This is exactly how all of LG Motorsports' parts have come into existence. Racing is a harsh environment and it often shows the weak points of a vehicle. We benefit from Gigliotti's extensive mileage on road courses across America. Here's how we gave an LS1 Trans Am the same race-winning performance.

Here is LGM's G2 F-body equipment...        read full caption Here is LGM's G2 F-body equipment in its entirety, with a rear end girdle thrown in for good measure.	The front end players include...        read full caption The front end players include the G2 strut tower brace, G2 32.5mm sway bar, LGM end links, G2 lower A-arms, G2 upper A-arms, Eibach Pro-Kit springs, Bilstein shocks and Energy Suspension poly trans mount.	Midway LGM stiffens the unibody...        read full caption Midway LGM stiffens the unibody with its G2 subframe connectors and G2 V-braces. The G2 driveshaft loop is purely for safety, but the G2 torque arm increases traction, reduces axle hop and reduces brake dive.
Supporting the rear axle is...        read full caption Supporting the rear axle is a 21.5mm sway bar with polyurethane end links, G2 tubular lower control arms and relocation brackets. Bilstein shocks complement the Eibach rear coils and an adjustable tubular panhard rod locates the axle after the springs have lowered the chassis. We also threw in a differential cover to increase rear axle stiffness.	Sean Burt of LGM begins disassembling...        read full caption Sean Burt of LGM begins disassembling the F-body's front suspension.	To make removing the upper...        read full caption To make removing the upper strut mount bolts easier, remove the master cylinder's two bolts.
The upper strut mount bolts...        read full caption The upper strut mount bolts were loosened. The Firebird was raised, and the brake caliper and rotor were removed. A bungee cord was used to hang the caliper. The sway bar end link bolt was removed, since upgraded bolts will be used. The front spindle and hub assembly were relieved as was the spring/shock assembly and upper and lower control arms.	A spring compressor tool is...        read full caption A spring compressor tool is needed to remove the spring from the strut assembly. Don't forget to remove the lower spring perch from the factory strut, as you will need to reuse it for the new strut. Simply tapping it lightly with a hammer will get it off.	There is a separate left and...        read full caption There is a separate left and right upper shock mount. Doing each side one at a time simplifies the job. Be sure to pay attention to the angle of the lower shock mount and the position of the upper shock mount in relation to each other. If you take this assembly to your local parts store to replace the struts, they should do this for you. F-body springs need to be compressed a good 2-2.5 inches before you can start the top bolt.
Sean removes the upper strut...        read full caption Sean removes the upper strut mount from the upper control arm.	For as little adjustment at...        read full caption For as little adjustment at the alignment rack as possible, Sean tries to move the Heim joints on the G2 control arm to line up the bolt locations. Replacing the upper ball joints when you do this swap is recommended.	Sean does the same ballpark...        read full caption Sean does the same ballpark alignment of the Heim joints with the G2 lower control arms.
Here we have the front lower...        read full caption Here we have the front lower control arm bushings and seals, ready to be installed.	Sean slips both ends of the...        read full caption Sean slips both ends of the new lower A-arms into the factory mounting locations. The front factory mounting tabs had to be bent outward to get the new A-arm with its bushings and seals into place--this will be corrected when the bolt is inserted and tightened down. Everything lines up nicely, but if you have aftermarket or long-tube headers on your car, get ready to battle to get the rear bolt lined up--an extra set of hands, a long screwdriver, and a pry bar is invaluable here.	Once the A-arm is in place,...        read full caption Once the A-arm is in place, the factory hub/spindle assembly is put back into place. The tie rod is placed onto the spindle and its castle nut is replaced.
The G2 upper A-arm is installed...        read full caption The G2 upper A-arm is installed into the upper strut mount assembly and torqued to 60-65 foot-pounds.	The strut mount/upper A-arm...        read full caption The strut mount/upper A-arm assembly is placed on top of the strut assembly, then with Sean holding it, Mike Merrill installs one of the shock tower bolts to hold the entire unit in place. There are two studs and two nuts retaining the assembly on top--for reinstallation, the studs face toward the front of the car. The lower shock mount is installed and tightened up. "Grab the nuts, you hold it, I'll screw it," Sean says. Um, okay.	Removal of the stock sway...        read full caption Removal of the stock sway bar is a matter of removing the four bolts holding the bushings to the frame, and disconnecting the two end link bolts.
The G2 sway bar comes with...        read full caption The G2 sway bar comes with Teflon lined bushings for quiet and smooth actuation.	The larger G2 sway bar has...        read full caption The larger G2 sway bar has plenty of clearance.	Here is one completed side...        read full caption Here is one completed side of the Firebird's upgraded front suspension. The sway bars use polyurethane end link bushings for superior deflection properties.
To start the rearward suspension...        read full caption To start the rearward suspension mods, Sean begins by opening up the hatch, folding down the rear seat, and pulling back the carpet. The foam "bra" that covers the rear shock is removed, and then an air ratchet is used to remove the bolt.	With the car raised back up,...        read full caption With the car raised back up, the rear springs will pop right out.	The rear shocks are swapped...        read full caption The rear shocks are swapped out for the Bilstein pieces.
The rear sway bar end links...        read full caption The rear sway bar end links are loosened and removed. At this point, it is a good idea to put a jack underneath the rear to prevent the rear assembly from dropping down and/or damaging any components. Sean greases the new sway bar bushings before installing them on either end. LGM uses a Teflon-impregnated fabric material that is harder than the stock rubber, but not as harsh as a polyurethane bushing.	A cutoff wheel is used to...        read full caption A cutoff wheel is used to remove the E-brake bracket that is attached to the lower control arm mounting bracket. Once that is done, the G2 control arm relocation brackets are bolted up. These brackets are needed because the G2 springs will lower the car about an inch and a half. That, in turn, will adversely change the pinion angle causing traction problems.	Which one of these LCAs do...        read full caption Which one of these LCAs do you think is stronger?
The G2 lower control arm is...        read full caption The G2 lower control arm is set into place and the front bolt and rear bolts are snugged. Once Mike is happy with the bracket's placement, he tack welds it to the factory bracket. LGM's brackets allow for two-way adjustment, and these lower control arms are threaded to allow pinion angle adjustment without removing them.	This process is then repeated...        read full caption This process is then repeated on the other side. Once both assemblies are installed and lined up, Mike finishes welding both brackets. With the new springs installed, the G2 panhard rod was bolted into place and finally, the new 1-inch G2 sway bar and its end links were fastened.	Moving to the middle, remve...        read full caption Moving to the middle, remve the four crossmember bolts
remove the trans mount bolt...        read full caption remove the trans mount bolt to start the trans mount swap.	Next, one nut and two bolts...        read full caption Next, one nut and two bolts have to be removed on the tailshaft housing. Finally, the two trans mount bolts come out, and the factory rubber mount is replaced with the polyurethane LGM piece.	Three bolts up front and two...        read full caption Three bolts up front and two bolts in the back are removed to pull the stock, stamped torque arm.
Here's the stock arm versus...        read full caption Here's the stock arm versus the LGM torque arm.	The LGM torque arm is made...        read full caption The LGM torque arm is made of 0.095-wall, heat-treated steel that is MIG welded together and despite being far stronger, comes in five pounds lighter than the General's arm.	LGM's front torque arm mount...        read full caption LGM's front torque arm mount utilizes a trick Heim joint with the poly trans mount. The Heim setup virtually eliminates deflection under duress, but the poly mount allows a little dampening to soften the hit on the rear end for drag racing applications. Another benefit of the Heim joint is that it will retain the same travel of the stock GM setup, but won't allow the torque arm to flex (of course, with the stronger G2 arm this isn't a problem). No bolts retain the front of the arm in the Heim joint, but the stock two bolts hold the rear.
Installing the strut tower...        read full caption Installing the strut tower brace is the simplest of tasks. Just make sure you don't drill into your tire. The three-point brace stiffens the strut towers, which can flex under hard cornering. That's it. Now go bang some corners.