LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

im picking out shocks to go with my springs, and im trying to decide between slp bilsteins and bilstein hd's. I'm NOT going with kyb's or koni's. I like twisty turny back roads, but the car WONT be going to the track. Between the two of these shocks, which will be a better performer, but also have the best ride, meaning the less harsh ride.?

Mike@ZMS

iTrader: (10)

What springs are you going to be using?

If your going to be lowering the car more than 1", then I would go with the SLP Bilsteins. If your going to go no lower than 1" and your a twisty road junky like myself, then you would be best off with the HD's.

If you like, shoot me a PM or email and I can see what I can do for you with pricing on a set.

mleaf@zenithmotorsports.com

LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

i should have mentioned it. sorry. im going with the strano springs.

99FormulaM6r

iTrader: (2)

Then yeah, the SLP Bilsteins. Have fun with them!

Mike@ZMS

iTrader: (10)

This.


Though you could still get away with the HD's very well. If you were going to be running Sportlines or similar, then you would really want to steer away from the HD's and go with the SLP's.

If you want Bilsteins though, let me know and I will get you pricing.. Unless your going through Sam on everything.

Your car should be nice through the twisties. I have set up a few cars with similar springs and the HD's. Quite nice and very predictable with the right bars and supporting mods.

LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

well i hear things from two different places. one place says to use the hd's with strano springs, and then another says slp's

IT_SS

iTrader: (5)

I'd like a price on the slp bilsteins, im also looking for an installer, im in gardena, a stones throw away.

Mike@ZMS

iTrader: (10)

I can do $395 shipped to your door for the SLP Bilsteins.

I will PM you with installation details.

Mike@ZMS

iTrader: (10)

You can go either way with those springs. My personal preference is with the HD's.

LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

will the hd's have a softer ride than the slp's?

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

No experience here but figured I'd post up what I know from past opinions..

I think SLP and HD will most likely dampen decently at first and lose those dampening characteristics as time goes on. Not sure how long that time takes. This is stuff I heard from multiple people.. not just Strano. Others like the Bilstiens. Bilstiens are known for great build quality. Ability to dampen most aftermarket springs is probably questionable.

That being said, I believe some prefer their dampening a little softer than I probably would for daily driving. Other's not. Ride quality is subjective to ones own opinion, so only you can answer that question. What do you consider a harsh ride? To me a harsh ride would be too soft of a shock that hits the bumpstops or too harsh of a shock where my body absorbs the bumps. So the ideal shock would provide enough damping in the given range of suspension travel with whatever springs I got.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Btw.. you also have a 3rd option. There's a Bilstien HD set that Sam Strano sells. They are a bit different.. I think better rear damping than normal HD rears. If going with Bilstien, I'd personally look into those.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Not an option at this time....

LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

well i know my buddy had the eibach pro kit, and that was wayy too stiff and harsh of a ride. . Sam what shocks would you recommend between the two?

stinkynuts

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, what gives with that??
I had some on my last SS. Loved em'
Went by your site looking for them to put on my latest ride..


I would go with the HDs man. Just because... well, there HEAVY DUTY!!

Mike@ZMS

iTrader: (10)

The HD's wont be too stiff, and they will provide excellent damping with the springs your looking at going with. The nice thing about HD's is that they are quite "forgving" yet still damper well enough to cope with some "spirited" driving.

I have set up 4 cars with the HD's. One was an LT1 on an Eibach Pro-Kit with 1LE bars, the other was another LT1 on the Hotchkis springs with Hotchkis bars, the third was an 99 WS6 with Hotchkis springs and 1LE bars, and the latest one was a 99 Camaro with 1LE bars and 550lb Ground Control coil-overs.

All the cars have all lasted a long time on this setup and feel very controllable near the limit though our local mountain roads, while still remaining quite comfortable to drive daily on our crappy Los Angeles Freeways.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I can't really agree. HD's and SLP's are best left to spring rates around what they were designed for. SLP's valving is a bit more firm than HD's, but even then it's not a ton as SLP springs aren't as stiff or low on average as aftermarket lowering springs. Those SLP suspensions were sold through GM and as such couldn't **** anyone off. Example: Level 1 springs are 300-450 rate, mine are 550 in front. And there are stiffer like LT1 Pro-kit.

When new the shocks do an ok job. But as the miles go on and you ask them to damp a spring rate that's a good bit higher than intended, and you ask them to do it in *less* range (shocks work by moving a piston through oil) then the damping will eventually be overwhelmed.

I sell a lot of Bilstein's, but for a long term solution Koni's are better. That said, I'd have to recommend SLP Bilstein's over HD's for two reasons. 1. Price as the SLP's are less costly to the door. 2. The valving is slightly tweaked for a stiffer than stock spring, even if not spring rates like I use, when compared to HD versions.

Nastyc4

iTrader: (13)

think i mentioned it in a similar post but i was told by a vendor, and slp that ALL new Bilsteins are the same. No HD anymore just one Bilstein shock.

LWCS561

iTrader: (1)

ok then, slp bilsteins it is. thanks sam

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The main part numbers are the same... but the valving code that end is different. They aren't massively different, but still a little different.