[65bluess]

lookin to upgrade front suspension. starting with recommendations for a steering damper. any other recommendations for the rest of the components are welcome. 2006 silverado handles better than the top of the line chevy from "65" thanks in advance for any input..

 

[chasracer]

I owned a '66 - best thing to do is upgrade all the stock components first and I mean every last piece of it. Then the next step should be front and rear aftermarket sway bars. Then it's decent rubber and don't forget the steering box and rag joint. Depending on use, the box has probably seen it's better days. After all of this, you can decide if you still need a damper.

 

[2old2fast]

Agree with the above , put 125k miles on my 65 impala , loved that car ..

 

[wave1957]

On my '70 Impala, I use these, which give better caster: 1965-70 Chevy Impala Belair Biscayne, Tubular Upper and Lower Control Arms, Front
I also use all polyurethane bushings, the biggest anti-sway bar I could get, new stock springs and Bilstein shocks. Tires are 235 wide on 17" wheels. Everything else (tie rod ends...) is new but stock. The car is rock solid, a bit on the stiff side, turns flat, like on rails, feels more solid on any road than my wife's BMW 5 series. That car is fun!
And yet, the steering box is still the original piece; the steering is not too accurate, so next step for me will be a police car OEM steering box from Rockauto.
I cannot see what a steering damper would do to my car...
I drove this very same car with its very much abused original, more or less maintained front end, it was a bit all over the road, but nothing a steering damper would have fixed. A new rebuilt front end, and the car will go straight and smooth.

 

[joe_padavano]

On my '70 Impala, I use these, which give better caster:

^^^THIS! One of the biggest differences in handling feel from old to new is the caster angle. Cars from the 60s had to provide reasonably easy steering force with the base equipment manual steering. Caster angles near zero minimize the "self-centering" force that opposes steering force. With power steering, that caster angle can be increased significantly. New cars run in the 4-7 degree range. Your stock suspension doesn't have enough adjustment to get there without aftermarket control arms.

 

[65bluess]

lookin to upgrade front suspension. starting with recommendations for a steering damper. any other recommendations for the rest of the components are welcome. 2006 silverado handles better than the top of the line chevy from "65" thanks in advance for any input..

i've done a complete front end rebuild with all stock components minus the rag joint and steering box. only has 72,000 mi on her. problem is she's a bit all over the road( on bumpy roads.) maybee i'll try some tubular control arms and fat sway bars as suggested by wave 1957.
thanks for your input all...

 

[65bluess]

^^^THIS! One of the biggest differences in handling feel from old to new is the caster angle. Cars from the 60s had to provide reasonably easy steering force with the base equipment manual steering. Caster angles near zero minimize the "self-centering" force that opposes steering force. With power steering, that caster angle can be increased significantly. New cars run in the 4-7 degree range. Your stock suspension doesn't have enough adjustment to get there without aftermarket control arms.

Thank Joe, can't argue with that. gonna try aftermarket control arms.