IgorT.455/406

Hey guys,

In the past I have always lowered my F-bodies via lowering springs. But with my recently purchased '95 car, I might opt to leave the stock ride height. I'm wondering if stock springs can be used in conjuction with good adj. aftermarket shocks and other suspention components to make a potent carver w/o having to go to low?

If not, what springs are quality, and don't drop the car too much?

What are good/best struts/shocks to get for 4th gen cars? Adj. of course.

Thanks,

Igor.

Camarocracy

Koni single adjustable shocks would be the best for your application. And you can run them on your stock springs just fine.

Greed4Speed

Koni front 3rd gen Camaro Bilsteins in the rear is what Sam recommends IIRC.

IgorT.455/406

Hey guys,

I have Koni Yellows in the front of my third gen and I like them.

I'd go Koni adj. on the 4th gen again. Not sure why bilsteins in the rear, and why 3rd gen? I thought they are the same. I had KYBs that I ran on both cars (same shock, swapped from car to car).

What about QA1 coilovers? A few bux, but seems that ride height is adj. on every corner. WHat is the ride like? They might be a bit overkill for what I want, and a bit too much money.

Do Eibach pro springs lower the car too much?

I was thinking a QUALITY adj. shock, and poly bushings all over with aftermarket LCA and adj. PHR. I have a 21mm sway bar from the 3rd gen I could put on the 4th ben, and all poly endlinks and sway bar bushings all around.

Greed4Speed

3rd gen has different valving IIRC.

IgorT.455/406

Cool, thanks, why not Koni's in the rear though?

2000GTP

The QA1 line is more driven towards the strip and are not very comfortable for the street in my opinion. I would agree with the others that the Konis would be the best adjustable shock to go with. The aftermarket LCAs and PHR will also be a good upgrade and both are not very expensive.

IgorT.455/406

The more I read, the more I think Koni adj. fronts and still not sure what for the rear.

Bilsten HDs I had on my '94, good shocks, but if I want to chane springs in the future, I want adjustment ability. If anything, I will stay stock ride height for this car or perhaps go 1" lower, but that's all.

Maybe Koni adj. for the rear (ifthey make them) are the ticket.

Anyone have Konis? If so, what do you think? What other stuff do you have, and what tires?

I have Lakewood LCA and ajd. PHR. I'm not sure if I'll keep the Lakwoods on my '88 and get some new ones for the '95. I'll probably put the Lakewoods on the '95 and get full adj. rod end ones for the '88. '88 is gonna be race and limited street car. '95 I want to be nice weather daily driver that's comfy. I drive my truck during brutal weather and snow.

1racerdude

I have double adj in the rear of a '94 and like them.

JimMueller

I've used Koni DA's front & rear with the stock '98 springs, then swapped the rears for Bilstein 3rd gens from Sam. The DA's have adjustable rebound and compression while the SA's are only adjustable on the rebound. Actually, the DA's were the original shocks I put on my '95 TA back in '96.

I put the DA's back on the rear because I'm trying a new setup, but with the setup I used before it needed less compression that the minimum setting on the DA. I think the 3rd gen Bilstein just has better valving for the spring and application I was using.

Regarding what else I have with the Koni's, my signature has the bulk of the stuff. I've also got weight jackers in the rear to adjust the height and Ground Control sleeves in the front for the same.

IgorT.455/406

Thanks Jim.

Would you say with your stock springs the third gen Bilsteins worked better? Like I said, I think I'd stick with stock springs or maybe 1" lower. Not sure what Eibach Pros are, but, lots of ppl. seem to like them.

JimMueller

I'd say the rear end was more compliant and offered slightly better control with the Bilstein 3rd gens than my DA's, both with the stock springs, with the setup I was using at the time.

I was staying with the stock springs only because I didn't want to lose additional ground clearance due to my longtube headers. I have since sort of dove head first into the new setup, and while life has gotten in the way of finishing it for now, I like how it feels overall. But the rear end is bouncier on rough pavement, which Sam warned me about in advance.

I've still got the 3rd gens, but I don't want to sell them prematurely. I'm inferring the Eibach Pro's are their Pro-Kit springs. I haven't looked at them since I took a set off my '95TA before selling it in '98. At that time, they were progressive springs. But I seem to recall reading somewhere that they are now available in a linear version. Linear springs are just easier to tune to the shocks.

My rear springs cost $50 each (available in a variety of rates), plus $50 in weight jackers. I need to switch weight jackers though because the variety I bought doesn't give me enough extension in the rear. The ones I need to buy cost ~$80 for a set. That basically lets me set the rear ride height to any reasonable amount.

If you can find the time to call Sam, he'll cover everything you need to consider and MORE.

StranoParts
Order line: 800/729-1831
Tech line: 814/849-3417
Fax: 814/849-6305

IgorT.455/406

Thanks!

How did your '95 ride with the pro kit? I had sprint single rate ones, and they were a bit harsh and car sat a bit too low. Same problem, I want to keept good ground clerance so I can get kooks headers.

slomarao

I am on koni SA's. All the way around and on stock springs. I needed new shocks same as you did, when i looked around i realized sam was the man to go to and i did. I had a few long conversations with him, always trying to get around paying 800 for shocks with a different shock or shock/spring combo. In the end, I am so glad i went with them. Sam told me that a quality shock is what most people pass up, they take a cheaper route. Because of that many buy other parts to make up for the poor shock. Sam explains things very well, i was not planning on buying them but after they were the only shock for my application. I can lower the car or stay on stock springs. They are one of the best road racing shocks and since their adjustable they are decent drag shock. Everything about them is extremely versatile. You can set them up any way by going stiff or loose between the front and back. It's my dd so i have them set comfortably but they still handle great. Call sam and ask him about them or anyone else who is interest in them. I cant say enough about them, sam just says it better.

JimMueller

Well, my idea of suspension tuning at the time was to throw on everything Lingenfelter put on their One Lap of America Trans Am a few years before. In addition, I had no idea on how to drive the car competitively. The IMSA tech who installed all of the stuff set the shocks for me and I never touched them until I put them on the '98.

The suspension was very tight. I don't recall any severe scraping in daily driving but I only had a Borla cat-back. I can't say I remember it all that well. I remember the rear end being lively (because the rear bar was too big)...I remember parking in a dirt parking lot which was full of bumps and it felt like I was driving a go-kart...I remember getting hung up exiting a gas station in another state because of a horrible pavement drop-off between the parking lot and the street...that's about it