RedRyder518

Gotta say I love the look of the Pro Kit. Anyhow, I have the Pro Kit all the way around with Bilstein HD shocks. Couple of questions: Do you guys hit the bump stops on the rears often? I have noticed it a lot more and I know its because the axle is now closer to the bumpstops. This brings my second question, just how close are your bumpstops from the axle with the Prokit? There is maybe half an inch inbetween there. Sound normal? The bumpstops are new by the way with the SLP installed spacer for the larger tires....

94formulabz

Sounds completely normal to me.

LPEdave

There's your mistake (or their mistake, I guess). Assuming you're not having some other interference problem, pull that spacer out, it's a waste of time.

Dave

Sam Strano

And, I recommend that you change the rear stops from the square SS style over to the taper and progressive Z28 style as well.

Most everyone who does not like Pro-kits have either normal Bilstien HD's (you do) and SS or WS6's with the crappy stops (which you also do), or a combination of the two. Lack of well matched compression damping, with a slight lack of rebound control teamed up with a nasty spike in spring rate, not so good.

Change the stops at minimum, and as Dave said, dump the spacer...........

RedRyder518

I'm not really saying that I don't like the Pro-Kit but in fact for whatever what reason I like the sort of harsher ride. As far as the bump stops, I have the taper style, cuz I repaced my old ones with those ugly yellow ones. I think I still have the spacer in there so I will see about taking them out. Why did they have then on the SS anyways?

If I was to change to the revalved Bilsteins, what type of difference would I notice with them? I remember I called your number and talked to someone there that said that the Pro-Kit with HD's isn't really a bad combo as I am not a die hard auto xing fan.

If it would make that much of a difference, who wants a set of barely used HD's

94formulabz

[QUOTE=RedRyder518]Why did they have then on the SS anyways?[/
QUOTE]

To prevent tire contact with 17x9 (275s) that came on the SS.

I run them. I have 9.5" wheels and 275s. The BFG's i used to run where on the wide side for 275s. With the stock PHR i had some rubbing on the inside of the wheel well, fairly minor. With The PHR adjusted to minimize tire rub inside i was getting rub on psg side fender when the car bottomed out at high speed (highway overpasses above 85 almost always caused the rear to bottom out). I just couldn't dial it out with my combination.

I realized that, for the most part, if the car was going to bottom out it was doing it with or without the jounce bump spacers. Since the spacers were protecting the tires and i wasn't bottoming out significantly more often, i chose just to leave them in and sacrifice a little travel.

My 275 Nitto DR were significantly narrower than the BFG's were and i suspect with some effort i may be able to dial in the PHR length to eliminate the rub without the jounce bump spacers. I may try that after i get some new shocks, but i'm definitly hanging onto the spacers for when i get 315s and have to dial that in.

ramble ramble ramble,
-brent

Sam Strano

The spacers aren't meant to keep the tires from rubbing on the inside, but rather the quarter panels. I run 315's on my car, and do not use the spacer, as most of my customers do as well.

You are correct in the assumption that most of the time if you hit the stop, you would do so with or without the spacer in place. But with it, you hit the stop sooner, and because it's progressive (the normal Z28 part anyway), the sooner or harder you hit it, the stiffer it is. So by not running the spacer, the ride better as are a number of impacts that would otherwise be a lot more harsh.

We aren't talking about hitting and not hitting the stops, we are only wanting to change how you hit them, and what happens when you do.

Sam Strano

First the LT1 spring are MUCH stiffer than the LS1 springs are. Whenever LT1 Po-kits are used, I do not thing HD's "aren't really a bad combo". If you were on LS1 springs and doing what you say you are, I very possibly would have said you were fine. LT1 springs get up to 200 pounds stiffer per inch than LS1 front springs do, and are about 15% stiffer in the rear as well.

What difference woud you see. Well, crisper response to the wheel, and no floating or bobbing over bumps and dips. Now your shocks are very new, and you are probably experiencing little or none of the floating now. But as the shock wears you'll find more and more of it, and see the ride get worse with impacts jarring the car a lot more than it does now. Revalves make the car handle better from a response standpoint, which is seems is not so important too you. But we add extra damping so as the shock wears and gets softer, you don't get to a point where you lack damping (and the shock's primary job is a spring damper).

94formulabz

Sam,

What shocks do you recommend with the ProKit?

Currently I am running Enkei winsome wheels, but eventually I want to go with the ROH Modena which can be manufactured with custom backspacing. Is the GM backspacing on the 11" wheels totally optimized, or is there a custom backspacing that would be better?

-Brent

RedRyder518

Sam, I sent you a PM about the shocks....

Sam Strano

Looks like you have an LT1, and should have LT1 Pro-kits. Those are much stiffer than stock, or LS1 Pro-kits are. Because of the way the springs are wound in front, they block the adjustment on a Koni. While the Koni is awesome it's overkill for some, and largely rendered less usefull since the adjuster is blocked.

I recommend Revalved Bilstein's to compensate for the much higher spring rates, and the shorter shock travel vs. stock. And HD are intended for stock springs. They can handle a bit more rate than stock, but not as well as something designed to do so, and not as much rate as we are talking about with the springs you likely have.

The ideal offset on 11's would be about 43mm I think. If you are running 50's without spacers, that's why you rub so much. 36's on Firebirds work well too, but seem to be a touch much on Camaro's. I'm not aware of any GM wheel with the "right" offset. Something 43mm would have to be custom made. When we do that, I like Forgeline wheels because they are very light, very strong and can be made in any offset, by the millimeter. But they are expensive too.

RedRyder518

Would the LS1 Pro Kit be a plug and play type deal? Would it lower the same as the LT1 kit? I guess give me any information about the change to the LS1 Pro kit as opposed to the LT1 kit.

Sam Strano

It'll fit fine, and work somewhat better with your regular HD's. But they are much softer and a big bunch lower (about 1.75" more than stock is a good bet).

LT1 springs work very, very well. If you are looking to change springs to save on the shocks, note that the price difference for another set of springs is the same as the premium for Revalves. Also, remember that HD's still aren't optimal for LS1 springs either, just a somewhat better suited IMHO. But the springs are also lower than some folks want, and if you have an SS, IMHO require the rear bumpstops to be changed to normal Z28's at minimum.

RedRyder518

Well, assuming I could get around $200, but probably less, for my LT1 Pro Kit, I could then get a LS1 Pro Kit, whether it be used or new for a little more or exactly the same.

I don't think I would really mind it being a little lower than it is now, if fact I may like it a little more. Since it would be lower, would I have more of a problem with bottoming out if I used my HD's? Like I said I have the taper bumpstops but I just need to take out the spacer. How would the ride quality and handling differ since they would be softer and the car lower? I somewhat like the ride it gives now and the handling seemed to be much improved over stock springs/shocks.

1quickgt

does this all relate to sportlines as well?