Help pick my next mod
03-25-2005, 11:55 AM
#2
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 715
Re: Help pick my next mod
Well, autocrossing and drag racing aren't exactly like goals. What one wants in a drag car you don't want in a car that handles.
I'm a firm believer in the handling aspect first. After all, everywhere you drive the handling is at work. It's not often you can use pure straight line grip.
$1000? A GOOD set of shocks (which mean proper for you application, not just a name you know), and a set of swaybars (and like shocks, not all are created equal) would be the best place to spend that money.
What can you expect from those mods? Of course the exact change depends on the parts you pick, but overall you'd be looking at:
More body motion control (read no more floating, and much more responsive turn-in)
Less body roll
A firm ride, but actually better than stock because the impact harshness is almost completely eliminated.
In short, think something more similar to a BMW Sport suspension. Not soft, but not going to kill you. No joke about better overall ride, and so much more control, quicker responces and better tracking it's not even funny.
I'm a firm believer in the handling aspect first. After all, everywhere you drive the handling is at work. It's not often you can use pure straight line grip.
$1000? A GOOD set of shocks (which mean proper for you application, not just a name you know), and a set of swaybars (and like shocks, not all are created equal) would be the best place to spend that money.
What can you expect from those mods? Of course the exact change depends on the parts you pick, but overall you'd be looking at:
More body motion control (read no more floating, and much more responsive turn-in)
Less body roll
A firm ride, but actually better than stock because the impact harshness is almost completely eliminated.
In short, think something more similar to a BMW Sport suspension. Not soft, but not going to kill you. No joke about better overall ride, and so much more control, quicker responces and better tracking it's not even funny.
03-25-2005, 12:01 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,810
Re: Help pick my next mod
well, autocrossing and drag racing take 2 very different setups, but there are many suspension mods that you can do to improve any driving condition. I'm going to list them in in order from most important, to least important IMO.
1) subframe connectors. good boxed weld ins are the best. UMIperformance.com had good ones i now use for 139.99.
2)boxedor tubular lower control arms. tubular is better for autocrossing from what i've heard. again, UMiperformance.com has good tubulars for around 90.00
3)lca relocation brackets. weld in's i've heard are the only way to go. umiperformance.com had them for 50.00 or so
4)strut tower brace. all are good, umi has the best price from what i've seen.
5)tubular panhard rod, adj. or non adj. again, umiperformance.com has a good deal on those for 79.99 or something
obviously, i like UMI performance. they have very good prices, good quality fabs and welds, and the sales guy at umi gave me a full refund if anything i had would happen to be of low quality. this excludes straight abuse. When i was looking to buy some suspension stuff, the umi guy gave me a heck of a deal on some stuff. weld on and boxed sfc's, lca's (non. adj.), lca relocation brackets, and a on adj. panhard rod for around 345.00.
1) subframe connectors. good boxed weld ins are the best. UMIperformance.com had good ones i now use for 139.99.
2)boxedor tubular lower control arms. tubular is better for autocrossing from what i've heard. again, UMiperformance.com has good tubulars for around 90.00
3)lca relocation brackets. weld in's i've heard are the only way to go. umiperformance.com had them for 50.00 or so
4)strut tower brace. all are good, umi has the best price from what i've seen.
5)tubular panhard rod, adj. or non adj. again, umiperformance.com has a good deal on those for 79.99 or something
obviously, i like UMI performance. they have very good prices, good quality fabs and welds, and the sales guy at umi gave me a full refund if anything i had would happen to be of low quality. this excludes straight abuse. When i was looking to buy some suspension stuff, the umi guy gave me a heck of a deal on some stuff. weld on and boxed sfc's, lca's (non. adj.), lca relocation brackets, and a on adj. panhard rod for around 345.00.
03-25-2005, 12:12 PM
#5
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 715
Re: Help pick my next mod
Originally Posted by blackztpi
well, autocrossing and drag racing take 2 very different setups, but there are many suspension mods that you can do to improve any driving condition. I'm going to list them in in order from most important, to least important IMO.
1) subframe connectors. good boxed weld ins are the best. UMIperformance.com had good ones i now use for 139.99.
2)boxedor tubular lower control arms. tubular is better for autocrossing from what i've heard. again, UMiperformance.com has good tubulars for around 90.00
3)lca relocation brackets. weld in's i've heard are the only way to go. umiperformance.com had them for 50.00 or so
4)strut tower brace. all are good, umi has the best price from what i've seen.
5)tubular panhard rod, adj. or non adj. again, umiperformance.com has a good deal on those for 79.99 or something
1) subframe connectors. good boxed weld ins are the best. UMIperformance.com had good ones i now use for 139.99.
2)boxedor tubular lower control arms. tubular is better for autocrossing from what i've heard. again, UMiperformance.com has good tubulars for around 90.00
3)lca relocation brackets. weld in's i've heard are the only way to go. umiperformance.com had them for 50.00 or so
4)strut tower brace. all are good, umi has the best price from what i've seen.
5)tubular panhard rod, adj. or non adj. again, umiperformance.com has a good deal on those for 79.99 or something
I do have Koni's. I do have a set of hollow 35/22 swaybars. I do have an Addco torque arm (which isn't for handling). I do have adjustable height coil-overs and weight jackers.
You do not need SFC's for handling. They help cover the ****-poor stock shocks, but I'd rather fix the root causes than band-aid them. SFC's aren't bad, just nowhere near the necessity they are made out to be. I know two 4th gens with 200k+ miles on them (one has over 300k) that have been autoxed, draged and tracked since new that don't have SFC's and are not falling apart.
YMMV
03-25-2005, 01:38 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 219
Re: Help pick my next mod
Originally Posted by 01 FS Z28
I'll respectfully disagree (just my opinion). I have none of the above but for #5, the Panhard bar (Addco double rod-ended). And a couple of National Championships without them.......
I do have Koni's. I do have a set of hollow 35/22 swaybars. I do have an Addco torque arm (which isn't for handling). I do have adjustable height coil-overs and weight jackers.
You do not need SFC's for handling. They help cover the ****-poor stock shocks, but I'd rather fix the root causes than band-aid them. SFC's aren't bad, just nowhere near the necessity they are made out to be. I know two 4th gens with 200k+ miles on them (one has over 300k) that have been autoxed, draged and tracked since new that don't have SFC's and are not falling apart.
YMMV
I do have Koni's. I do have a set of hollow 35/22 swaybars. I do have an Addco torque arm (which isn't for handling). I do have adjustable height coil-overs and weight jackers.
You do not need SFC's for handling. They help cover the ****-poor stock shocks, but I'd rather fix the root causes than band-aid them. SFC's aren't bad, just nowhere near the necessity they are made out to be. I know two 4th gens with 200k+ miles on them (one has over 300k) that have been autoxed, draged and tracked since new that don't have SFC's and are not falling apart.
YMMV
However I feel very comfortable with having SFC's installed, I noticed a much straighter launch with them installed campared to with out them.
For Auto X I recommend use of control arms with spherical rod ends to help eliminate bind associated with Rubber and poly set ups. JMO
03-25-2005, 01:51 PM
#7
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Brookville, PA
Posts: 715
Re: Help pick my next mod
Originally Posted by NOSCaMaRo
For Auto X I recommend use of control arms with spherical rod ends to help eliminate bind associated with Rubber and poly set ups. JMO
03-25-2005, 03:51 PM
#8
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,810
Re: Help pick my next mod
i guess i should clarify. the mods i listed best IMO were towards a more stock car. as long as you have quality parts, a 12 or 13 second car will not be breaking anything. sfc's are not a necessity, but everybody loves it to be stiffer. 
when referring to why people buy sfc's...it's not really a matter of falling apart (notice most 1st gen owners do not have frame ties and plenty are still running strong), but rather for the fact of making it stiffer and hooking up. plenty wil ltestify to sfc's helping them hook quite a bit. i'm still on stock shocks, so i have no idea what to compare them to.
when referring to why people buy sfc's...it's not really a matter of falling apart (notice most 1st gen owners do not have frame ties and plenty are still running strong), but rather for the fact of making it stiffer and hooking up. plenty wil ltestify to sfc's helping them hook quite a bit. i'm still on stock shocks, so i have no idea what to compare them to.
03-26-2005, 08:23 AM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 219
Re: Help pick my next mod
Originally Posted by 01 FS Z28
I don't, necessarily.... Something else I don't have.... I have stock arms with Moog (basically 1LE) rubber bushings. Rubber really doesn't bind (though poly does). Heim joints are great, but costly and can rattle too. If you are really serious about your drag racing and have a lot of power and traction, then ok. But I have no trouble at all with my setup, and if I wanted to make them stronger, I'd simply box the stock arms in.
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