Steps to Improve Handling

The first step toward improving your car's handling is to honestly assess where and how you'll be driving it. A car modified to whip through a tight autocross course will likely attempt to spin out on a full-sized road racing circuit—and will almost certainly be treacherous in a public-road driving-skill pop-quiz. (Imagine encountering an old, dripping-coolant beater on your favorite on-ramp.) Most everyone this side of pit wall will be happier with light changes that improve handling feel. A simple switch from touring all-season tires to high-performance summer rubber may be all it takes.

Cause and Effect Most everyone this side of pit wall will be happier with light changes that improve handling feel.
Next, know that modifying your suspension is like playing with a Rubic's Cube: An improvement in one area may mean a degradation in another. Modifications should be small and taken one step at a time. Also know that Conventional Wisdom is often wrong. Many (incorrectly) subscribe to the theory: the stiffer, the better. But the secret for good handling is—as soft as possible, as firm as necessary. Too stiff can handle worse than too soft!

Prep Work
If your future road-rocket is a current driveway dog, you'll need to do a lot a basic maintenance first. The world's best tires and suspension pieces are useless if they're connected to worn-out bushings, ball joints, steering racks, and shocks. Reassess you plans if your not-so-blank canvas is an '92 Firebird. In the long run, a four-year-old Z28 fitted with a set of new ultra-high-performance tires will be cheaper, faster and better handling.

Tires
If you're just looking for improved handling "feel" and additional grip, a tire upgrade may be your final destination. Select at least a high-performance tire and consider an ultra-high performance or max-performance tire.

Shocks
The next step is a set of slightly firmer—or, preferably, adjustable—shock absorbers. The combination of performance rubber and new premium shocks may be all you need. Understand that shocks do not reduce the total amount of body roll, but instead reduce the rate at which the car's body rolls on its suspension springs.