00 ss lowering question
08-26-2009, 12:33 PM
#1
Staging Lane
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00 ss lowering question i just bought a 2000 ss and i was wanting to lower it. it will not be a everyday driver but dont want to have to worry about bottoming out all the time. what are yalls opinions on this
08-26-2009, 12:36 PM
#2
http://www.umiperformance.com/catalo...bkrr6alr8rr4v7
If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I will be more than glad to help!
Thanks
Brad
08-26-2009, 12:38 PM
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how much lower?
for a slight drop - koni shocks. stock springs on lower front perch. rear hose mod. 1/2 - 3/4 inch drop with great ride.
more drop - strano springs and koni shocks.
also helpful - adjustable PHB and LCA relocation brackets.
for a slight drop - koni shocks. stock springs on lower front perch. rear hose mod. 1/2 - 3/4 inch drop with great ride.
more drop - strano springs and koni shocks.
also helpful - adjustable PHB and LCA relocation brackets.
08-26-2009, 04:05 PM
#5
http://www.bmrfabrication.com/F4.htm
08-26-2009, 05:33 PM
#7
Hey! I'm about to add some tech.... Don't tell anyone.....
"Bottoming" out isn't a matter of hitting the bumpstops. It's a matter of slamming on and off of them. Both shocks and springs contribute to how the car gets onto them, and reacts when it does. If the springs are are too soft you have insufficient wheel rate, and end up on them a lot more often and harder than you want. This can be very jarring and feel, literally, like you bottomed out.
Shocks control how fast movement is generated. If you can slow down the speed at which you contact the stops, the hit is a lot less jarring.
Shocks and springs have to work together. Shocks like Bilstein's, meant for stock height springs (they don't even make Sport valved shocks like they do for a zillion other cars) are best left for taller and softer stock height springs. In fact the SLP Bilstein's are basically the same valving these days, and as you can see in one of the above posts that guy isn't super impressed with the combination of Eibach Pro-kit (which are too soft for their drop) and Bilstein's (which aren't meant for the drop).
Shocks and springs need travel and/or rate to do their jobs. Spring rate is measured in pounds per inch. Shock forces are measured in pounds too dictated by the velocity of the shock, so you'll see shock values as pounds of force @ X in/sec. The more spring rate you need to damp, the higher those forces, particularly at the low-speed end need to be. Also if you cut travel by adding lowering springs, you are now asking the shock to do the damping of not only a higher rate spring--but to do it in a lesser amount of travel. FWIW, shocks work by dragging a piston through oil to offer resistance. If you don't get much travel you need a hell of a lot of rate to do damping (which is why adjustable shocks are so nice to tune with).
Speaking of adjustable shocks, there are those ignorant souls who think they are useless, seeming to ignore that all the highest end performance cars now not only come with adjustable dampers, but some pretty high tech ones..... Why? Because it's well known what good damping control can do for a car, and that it often allows a not as aggressive spring rate to be used to help ride, while still giving crisp steering and stability.
If you want to lower, you need to figure out how much. Remembering that the lower you go, the less good the ride will be in general.
You also need to understand that dampers make or break a car. You can have the best parts in the world, run them with crappy shocks, and the thing rides like a wagon because the springs and mass isn't being kept in check. In fact if you have put many miles on a stock car you'd have seen the ride degrade over time as the shocks wear. They don't get stiffer, they get softer. The springs didn't get stiffer with time (and in fact if they haven't sagged they haven't lost rate). This is proof positive that a lack of damping will wreck ride just as much as having things too stiff.
pjb made two great suggestions. Both involve Koni's which are killer shocks. If you talk to folks who've had those and other things you'll find few that regret the Koni's. Having said that stock shocks can be pretty bad and a lot of things would be a lot better....
I sell more brands of shocks than anyone else around here. Price wise we run from Tokico @$359/set up to KW Variant 3 coil-overs @ over $2k a set. I tend to recommend Koni's when folks want a no compromise damper. But I also do a lot of Bilstein and AGX's too. Depends on what the person is looking for and what they are willing to get and give up for the price.
"Bottoming" out isn't a matter of hitting the bumpstops. It's a matter of slamming on and off of them. Both shocks and springs contribute to how the car gets onto them, and reacts when it does. If the springs are are too soft you have insufficient wheel rate, and end up on them a lot more often and harder than you want. This can be very jarring and feel, literally, like you bottomed out.
Shocks control how fast movement is generated. If you can slow down the speed at which you contact the stops, the hit is a lot less jarring.
Shocks and springs have to work together. Shocks like Bilstein's, meant for stock height springs (they don't even make Sport valved shocks like they do for a zillion other cars) are best left for taller and softer stock height springs. In fact the SLP Bilstein's are basically the same valving these days, and as you can see in one of the above posts that guy isn't super impressed with the combination of Eibach Pro-kit (which are too soft for their drop) and Bilstein's (which aren't meant for the drop).
Shocks and springs need travel and/or rate to do their jobs. Spring rate is measured in pounds per inch. Shock forces are measured in pounds too dictated by the velocity of the shock, so you'll see shock values as pounds of force @ X in/sec. The more spring rate you need to damp, the higher those forces, particularly at the low-speed end need to be. Also if you cut travel by adding lowering springs, you are now asking the shock to do the damping of not only a higher rate spring--but to do it in a lesser amount of travel. FWIW, shocks work by dragging a piston through oil to offer resistance. If you don't get much travel you need a hell of a lot of rate to do damping (which is why adjustable shocks are so nice to tune with).
Speaking of adjustable shocks, there are those ignorant souls who think they are useless, seeming to ignore that all the highest end performance cars now not only come with adjustable dampers, but some pretty high tech ones..... Why? Because it's well known what good damping control can do for a car, and that it often allows a not as aggressive spring rate to be used to help ride, while still giving crisp steering and stability.
If you want to lower, you need to figure out how much. Remembering that the lower you go, the less good the ride will be in general.
You also need to understand that dampers make or break a car. You can have the best parts in the world, run them with crappy shocks, and the thing rides like a wagon because the springs and mass isn't being kept in check. In fact if you have put many miles on a stock car you'd have seen the ride degrade over time as the shocks wear. They don't get stiffer, they get softer. The springs didn't get stiffer with time (and in fact if they haven't sagged they haven't lost rate). This is proof positive that a lack of damping will wreck ride just as much as having things too stiff.
pjb made two great suggestions. Both involve Koni's which are killer shocks. If you talk to folks who've had those and other things you'll find few that regret the Koni's. Having said that stock shocks can be pretty bad and a lot of things would be a lot better....
I sell more brands of shocks than anyone else around here. Price wise we run from Tokico @$359/set up to KW Variant 3 coil-overs @ over $2k a set. I tend to recommend Koni's when folks want a no compromise damper. But I also do a lot of Bilstein and AGX's too. Depends on what the person is looking for and what they are willing to get and give up for the price.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
Trending Topics
08-26-2009, 08:38 PM
#8
I agree with pjb. Koni sa shocks with lower perch/heater hose mod kicks *** for the 3/4"
front 1/2" rear drop.Most people love this mod,including myself.There is nothing better than a really good set of shocks.If all I could afford was a set of koni's, I would do them first.You will be supprised what a difference they will make.
If you want a bigger drop(1.2") get the strano springs and the koni's.The strano springs ride a little stiffer than the stock ones,but they are not uncomfortable.You can't go wrong with either one of these choices.
_________________________
2000 t/a ws6 with lots of mods
front 1/2" rear drop.Most people love this mod,including myself.There is nothing better than a really good set of shocks.If all I could afford was a set of koni's, I would do them first.You will be supprised what a difference they will make.
If you want a bigger drop(1.2") get the strano springs and the koni's.The strano springs ride a little stiffer than the stock ones,but they are not uncomfortable.You can't go wrong with either one of these choices.
_________________________
2000 t/a ws6 with lots of mods
