blackztpi

well, I'm going to do some suspension stuff because of age and performance. the car is a 94 Z28 6 spd. I'm looking for some good parts. i have performance mods in the signature below. **my goal is to have a car i can launch at the strip occasionally for fun and also be able to autocross if i'd like. keep in mind the car is a daily driver when weather permits**. I'm going to lean towards handling items since thats whats more suitable for the streets, rather than a drag setup. I need suggestions on all of the following...

1)SPRINGS: i can't go dropping it real low because i have long tubes and don't want to hit everything on the road. i'd actually be happy with stock front height and lowering the rear to match. what are my options??

2)SHOCKS: I pretty much have me eye set on KYB AGX gas adjust shocks, but I'm open to suggestion. i want something good, but reasonable in price (unlike QA1's)

3)SWAY BARS: not a huge deal, but if i can get some for the right price I'll need to know what to buy. how good are the stock z28 sway bars? what are good ones to buy that will not break my wallet?

thats really all for now. i am going to go back to umiperformance.com for the rest of my suspension needs. thanks!!!

blackztpi

anyone, please

Z28barnett

Stay stock on springs.

Do not buy KYB AGX. Buy Koni or bilstein or perhaps koni SA front and Bilstein rear. Do not be afraid to put money in the shocks, cheap shocks are exactly that

If you buy KONI SA fronts you can lower the car buy using the lower spring perch. That combined with removing the isolator in the rear and replacing it with rubber hose will give you about 3/4" drop all around with stock springs.

Ebay has 1LE 32mm front sways for about 25-30 bucks. Leave the rear alone.

Sam Strano sells every thing you need for this type of setup and he can help you with the details.

UMI is ok, but I would talk to strano and compare

Z28

blackztpi

whats wrong with kyb agx's? I refuse to spend 500 bucks on shocks. i'm not racing the car or anything. I will always go to UMI for my suspension needs. i have some of their stuff already. very sturdy, very nice pieces. better than the spohn stuff i had.

2000GTP

Well I have a friend who has the KYB AGXs on all four corners and he is not very happy with them. They are advertised as being adjustable, but from what he says, there are only two settings, soft and hard, not alot of flexability. You might spend a couple hundred extra dollars for QA1 or Koni shocks/struts, but it is well worth it. Also, another option is the Bilsteins and you can get those for all four corners for a little over 300.00

Z28barnett

KYB AGX are widely held to be inferior shocks. If you buy cheap shocks you get poor control of the car. SHocks and tires mean more than anything other two things on the car for handling. A word to the wise is sufficent.

I don't think this is a real post. Just some joker trying to drum up bussiness for UMI. Their stuff my be fine I don't know, but I have answered the questions and I am going to leave it at that.

I spent $850.00 on my shocks and I am sure that it was the best money I spent on the car.

Z28

blackztpi

i was asking for advice on shocks, springs, and sway bars. UMI makes none of these things. i was saying i don't need suggestions on things like control arms, strut tower braces, torque arms, etc because i will go to umi for that type of stuff. at least the few things i am buying in that catagory.

now, to continue the topic....the stock shocks served me just fine. its just time for replacing so i thought i'd get better shocks. looks like i'll do bilsteins. stock shocks did me just fine, so i'm not going to go spending 500-800 bucks.

NOSCaMaRo

This is confusioning, why would the original poster of this thread that is asking for advise on suspesion try to be drumming up business

He asked for advise and your post said UMI is ok but talk to Stano. His original post said I will see UMI for the rest of my suspenion. Seeing UMI does not carry a large selection on shocks or any sway bars that I see this is the reason he is asking for other places to go for stuff he can't find.

My opinion

Sam Strano

Stock shocks did you just fine, but all the other pieces didn't? I'll tell you right now that for handling, ride, and traction on surfaces that are something other than glass smooth shocks are the BIGGEST change you can make to the car. The are what GM screwed up royally.

You can't say you stock shocks served you fine, you just think that. And 95% of the time, the reason folks want other parts first is because they hate the marshmallow driving you get from the stock SHOCKS, not the stock springs like most folks think.

If you'd like to learn about why we recommend them (and by we I mean most everyone who has done good shocks), then fine. In not, fine too. But rest assured the stock sucks suck in the biggest possible way

blackztpi

everything stock on the car served me just fine, except for the wheel hop issues. I haven't autocrossed the car or road raced it, so stock shocks are just fine for my daily driving and straight line acceleration needs. Only thing i've needed was lca's and some sfc's so far. BUT, my interests have expanded and i'd like to try some autocrossing or road racing. obviously, my expertise is not in suspension products and this was the reaso for the post.
I'm not out to win a trophy, but only to have some fun. therefore, i dont need 800 dollar shocks. if you read the title, i am searching for suggestions on suspension parts. I also gave a brief description of what the parts needed to do for me. I'm not out to look for the best parts period, rather the best parts for my application and budget.

blackztpi

how good are tokico shocks? they have adjustibles and non adjustibles. ?? thanks

80TA

Ok I have kyb agx on my 99 trans am and my 96 z28. I have no complaints.They work fine on the street,fine at the track and likey ok for autocross which I don't bother with .Qa1 are likey better pure track shocks.Koni are likely better for big bucks no arguement but kyb come on many vehicles and had zero problems with them so far. They will not handle a big drop like two inches well..
Springs ,I bought firehawk slp eibachs with think its 3/4 to one inch drop on the 99 trans am and got hothckis one inch drop springs on the 96z. Both seem to work fine.With long tubes on my 99 ta I had to crank up the kyb agx quite a bit but didn't have much problem after that just a bit harsher ride.

Again not saying my kyb agx and slp eibach or hotchkis springs is hard core autocross stuff .Its not but it works fine for what I use my cars for.A bit of track and mostly street driving.I think my cars are very stable at high speed the drop really helps out in that area and I do have other suspension mods that helped a lot too.The 99 ta has hotchkis lower control arms ,panhard,stb and sway bars.Bmr relocation brackets and kenny brown double diamond subframe connectors.
The 96 z has spohn lower control arms,adjustable panhard and adjustable tranny mount torque arm,bmr relocation brackets ,bmr subframe connectors and hotchkis shock tower brace. So far stock sways but planning on bmr,hotchkis or spohn sways.The 1le front will work good for cheap too I hear and most guys do leave the back alone with the 1le but the other bmr and hotchkis and spohn sell matched sets front and back. I plan on one.

I have no problems with quality of the spohn or hotchkis or some bmr. I hate my convertible bmr subframe connectors they seemed to have helped zero compared to my kenny brown double diamond that had on my 97ta ws6 and 99 ta ws6 t top cars. I plan on cutting the bmr subframes off the 96 z and going to kenny brown.

I am happy with my suspension mods on my cars and will likey even get kyb agx or possibly tokico adjustables for my 97 awd turbo talon.


And I have read all these hardcore guys comments for years on the board. Again for autocross yeah maybe they make some valid points but in the real world on the street and highway I dont' think most of their recommendations are necessary or even realistic or affordable. Another possible shock spring option is the slp eibachs matched to bilstein slp or bilstein heavy duty non adjustable shocks.The firehawks came with that. Match that with a 1le sway bar and think you would be doing pretty good.With minimal sacrifice to ride quality ,better looks and better handling for sure.

Steve0

Trust Sam on this one. You "think" the stock stuff did you fine.

I just finished upgrading my suspension yesterday. I got some boxed UMI SFC's, bilstein shocks and a 32mm sway. I would have bought a 35mm sway but I was given a 32 for free, do decided to just try it out.

I did the shocks first and wow! I used to think the car was pretty well composed over bumps and around corners. I would push on the rear of the car and it didnt bounce much at all so I figured the stock shocks were still doing an alright job. I then installed the Bilsteins and wow, I couldnt believe the difference. The car just rides better, is more stable and soaks up irregularities in the road better. I had assumed that the stock set up was good because it was the only thing I had ever driven. Then when I finally drove something better I cant believe I actually thought the stock set up was "good."

Adding the SFCs and 32mm sway completed the deal. Turns that used to make the car lean and had me feeling a bit uncomfortable at the wheel are now taken at the same speeds at ease. I can actually track lines around curves that I would have to push the stock suspension'd car into. If I had some better tires under the car I know it would handle even more outstandingly.

I guess the moral in all this is, try out a different set up before declairng your set up "goodl" I cant even imagine going back to stock suspension at this point... its just so "sloppy." I wish I knew more guys with other suspension set ups so I could drive/ride in their cars and get a feel for how they handle. I cant wait to try out a 35mm front bar.

If youre on a budget, Bisteins, 32mm sway and SFC's will run you ~$500 total, less if you can get parts out of the boards "for sale" section.

blackztpi

[QUOTE=Steve0]Trust Sam on this one. You "think" the stock stuff did you fine.
I guess the moral in all this is, try out a different set up before declairng your set up "goodl" I cant even imagine going back to stock suspension at this point... its just so "sloppy." I wish I knew more guys with other suspension set ups so I could drive/ride in their cars and get a feel for how they handle. I cant wait to try out a 35mm front bar.QUOTE]

I never said the stock stuff was plain good. I did say it did good for my driving habbits, which were straight line and daily driving. no fast turning whatsoever. I'm not doubting anybody that the stock shocks do suck, but they served me just fine. However, they obviously will not serve me very well if i try and take up road racing or autocrossing for fun. that is why I'm asking for some good shocks at a good cost. looks like bilsteins it is. thanks.
now, anybody know more on these "firehawk" shocks that were mentioned?

Sam Strano

"firehawk" shocks are SLP Bilstein's, which are about $400 a set.

One point I think you are missing, is that your shocks work ALL the time, not just when you go around corners. You know the bumps you hit that make the car quiver? That's largely the shocks fault. Good ones cut that down by 90%. They make the car ride better. They make the car more stable at speed (in a straight line even). You hit a bump or a dip the shocks are ALL that damp that up and down movement.