Upgrading your control arms
The stock front lower control arms (or A-arms) are made from stamped steel and coupled with failure-prone rubber bushings have a considerable amount of flex in stock form. Upgrading your control arms will help to eliminate flexing of the arms under power and cornering and to decrease wheel hop.
Upgrading the bushings in the control arms is a good start. The flimsy rubber stock bushings have a tendency to dry out, then crack, and then fall apart - which will affect handling. Defective control arm bushings can cause clunking noises and other front suspension problems. Prothane makes a urethane kit which upgrades the stock bushings. It is available through many of the JBO-supporting companies and other aftermarket sources.
The N-body (Grand Am, Malibu, Alero) received aluminum control arms but only in the 1999 model year (the 2000+ model years have stamped steel ones, just like the J-body). The difference between the N-body and J-body cars is that the N-body control arms are 1/2" longer than the J-body. So, if you want to swap them into your J-body, you have to either shorten them or deal with the wider front wheel stance. The Prothane urethane bushings fit nicely into the aluminum control arms as well.
More information here:
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=3&i=111983&t=111983
If swapping the aluminum control arms is not for you, the stock control arms can also be seam welded to increase strength. For best results, combine seam welding with urethane control arm bushings.
Unfortunately, no one sells a "performance" upgrade for the J-body anymore. RK Sport used to sell a set of tubular A-arms that replaced the stock sheet metal ones. There were two designs, the first recalled due to cracking weld problems. The second style was ultimately discontinued and now nothing is available from them.
