Handling in SS Camaro vs Mustang Cobra
02-10-2009, 10:14 PM
#1
Handling in SS Camaro vs Mustang Cobra 04 Cobra has H&R springs and stock shocks and drives better over bumpy roads vs 02 Camaro SS with Hotchkis lower springs and Bilsteins.
The Camaro has more than twice the miles of the Cobra so that might be playing a role. I'm trying to get the Camaro to ride better over bumps. The Bilsteins have been the Camaro for about 25 to 30k miles and the springs maybe 6k miles. When I press down on the Camaro, the car goes down with some effort and rebounces 1.5 times appears to me, the Cobra, I can barely move without some serious effort and rebounds/ drops less than half the distance the Camaro does. The H&Rs are 750 to over 800lbs vs Hotchkis 525. I either need better springs or better shocks. Your thoughts?
The Camaro has more than twice the miles of the Cobra so that might be playing a role. I'm trying to get the Camaro to ride better over bumps. The Bilsteins have been the Camaro for about 25 to 30k miles and the springs maybe 6k miles. When I press down on the Camaro, the car goes down with some effort and rebounces 1.5 times appears to me, the Cobra, I can barely move without some serious effort and rebounds/ drops less than half the distance the Camaro does. The H&Rs are 750 to over 800lbs vs Hotchkis 525. I either need better springs or better shocks. Your thoughts?
02-11-2009, 01:22 AM
#4
It seems Koni SA's and Strano springs/sway bars are the best handling and best ride of all the combinations. At least anyone with them will tell you that. I've never heard not 1 person say anything bad about them. Quite a few people go from combinations like what you have to that thinking it already rides good and handles good, then say its like a night and day difference. I'd give some Koni SA's a try. I would at least try a set of shocks and go from there regardless.
02-11-2009, 01:27 AM
#5
It seems Koni SA's and Strano springs/sway bars are the best handling and best ride of all the combinations. At least anyone with them will tell you that. I've never heard not 1 person say anything bad about them. Quite a few people go from combinations like what you have to that thinking it already rides good and handles good, then say its like a night and day difference. I'd give some Koni SA's a try. I would at least try a set of shocks and go from there regardless.
No bounce in the ride AT ALL. Handles like a go cart.
02-11-2009, 07:32 AM
#6
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That's funny but true. It does get kind of bumpy on close, uneven bumps in the road. Aren't mustangs shorter than a camaro too? So that should play into the handling. Strano/Koni setup is hard to beat though.
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02-11-2009, 09:27 AM
#8
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most people will say nothing is close to koni's (which may be true, but then I don't have any on my car to compare) but the Kyb's on my car seem to get the job done right. I have kyb's and eibachs that came on the car so one day I may switch them out, but like you said koni's aren't cheap.
02-11-2009, 10:48 AM
#10
Numerous things here:
1. Is that a pic of the SS in question (bottom of the first post)? Because that's way lower than I've ever seen a car on Hotchkis springs, which makes me think they aren't what you think or something else is wrong.
2. Bilstein's are not capable for a long run to control lowering springs correctly. I bet you've seen the ride and handling degrade vs. when you first installed the shocks, right? That's because of wear and an ever more apparent lack of damping.
3. Hotchkis springs are ok, you can do better, you can do worse. But again, that pic (assuming it's this car) is way, WAY too low and if that's really the car, the springs aren't any good no matter what the name on them is or how "good" we normally rate them.
4. You have a damping problem at the very least and it's Koni time if you want to fix it.
5. You can't compare the Mustang rates to the Camaro. The suspensions are completely different at both ends (more than just the IRS in the Cobra), and you can't compare an 800 lb spring on a Mustang to a 500 on a Camaro as equals due to spring location and leverage.
1. Is that a pic of the SS in question (bottom of the first post)? Because that's way lower than I've ever seen a car on Hotchkis springs, which makes me think they aren't what you think or something else is wrong.
2. Bilstein's are not capable for a long run to control lowering springs correctly. I bet you've seen the ride and handling degrade vs. when you first installed the shocks, right? That's because of wear and an ever more apparent lack of damping.
3. Hotchkis springs are ok, you can do better, you can do worse. But again, that pic (assuming it's this car) is way, WAY too low and if that's really the car, the springs aren't any good no matter what the name on them is or how "good" we normally rate them.
4. You have a damping problem at the very least and it's Koni time if you want to fix it.
5. You can't compare the Mustang rates to the Camaro. The suspensions are completely different at both ends (more than just the IRS in the Cobra), and you can't compare an 800 lb spring on a Mustang to a 500 on a Camaro as equals due to spring location and leverage.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
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02-11-2009, 02:32 PM
#13
If you want to do more than band-aid, don't do AGX's. They'll eventually leave you wanting too, and sooner than the Bilstien's did most likely.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
18 SCCA National Championships in house, many more for our customers prove we know our stuff.Talk is cheap, results matter.
Check out our KONI prices, our Master Cylinder Brace, and new Xtracker Hub/wheel bearing upgrade kits!
02-11-2009, 02:58 PM
#14
Alright, I will hold out a couple more months and get the Konis.
Thanks!
p.s. edit
just got off the phone with a long time friend Jorge with a Camaro and he just swapped his rear Bilsteins for the Konis this afternoon and says night and day difference. He got them from Sam.
Thanks!
p.s. edit
just got off the phone with a long time friend Jorge with a Camaro and he just swapped his rear Bilsteins for the Konis this afternoon and says night and day difference. He got them from Sam.
Last edited by maxgee; 02-11-2009 at 03:42 PM.
02-11-2009, 08:02 PM
#15
Alright, I will hold out a couple more months and get the Konis.
Thanks!
p.s. edit
just got off the phone with a long time friend Jorge with a Camaro and he just swapped his rear Bilsteins for the Konis this afternoon and says night and day difference. He got them from Sam.
Thanks!
p.s. edit
just got off the phone with a long time friend Jorge with a Camaro and he just swapped his rear Bilsteins for the Konis this afternoon and says night and day difference. He got them from Sam.
