bossho

Trying to determine best bang for the buck to improve my stock 98 T/A's suspension. I have been leaning towards the SLP Bilstein Shock & Strut kit with Eibach springs package (etc. cost $500'sh) but I've hear lot of positive things about coil-overs but most are admittedly out of my price-range. However I recently ran across this full set of coil overs for all 4 corners of my T/A.

Anyone have any input about this vendor or input in general for a cost effective suspension package. My major application is road racing not 1/4 mile hard launches at the track. Antone want to chirp in on their setup and the noticeable difference (if any) before and after upgrading from your stock suspension?

http://www.whipaccessories.com/produ...=p1441-c111497

As always, thanks in advance for your great feedback.

Sincerely,

Tom Sullivan
Ellenton, FL

hlaalu

iTrader: (3)

I just have the vogtland springs with some other shocks. They are pretty good

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

Never heard of a Vogtland adjustable coilover assembly for this car.. anyone else?

cfon159

turns out those springs are just combined with tokico blues. the more expensive option likely has konis. $550 vs $1100

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Bilstein shocks - available from several site vendors. Chose your poison.

Coil-over sleeves for the front - available at most any dirt track shop at about $30 for the pair. allows you to adjust your ride height to taste and not at the mercy of some one else's.

Front springs - off the shelf 2.5" x 10" spring at almost any spring rate and available at the same dirt track shop. most spririted drivers like something in the 500-550 range. can be purchased for about $100 for the pair.

Rear springs - again off the shelf 5.5" x 11" free length "pig-tail" springs available at your local dirt track shop for another $100/pair.

Rule of thumb is a 3:1 front to rear ratio spring rate, all based upon typical F-car F/R weight ratio, available sway bars, etc. So a 500-550lb front spring would need a 175 rear spring rate.

So for about $250 you can have a ride height YOU want, the ability to move spring rates easily to accommodate your taste in handling and not spend hours on the phone being talked into something you really don't want or need.

Springs and shocks aren't magical, platform specific parts like many want you to believe. You just need to do a little research, think outside the box a bit and use common sense.

And don't scoff at using dirt track components. Modified cars are 2500lb, 500 horse rockets hooking on wet, rutted clay week after week after week after week ... they HAVE to be durable just to make a single season.

System_Error_117

do you have a link to a site that carry's the coil-over sleeves for Bilstein shocks? I have my front end completely appart on my 99 TA and now I've found out that the factory ones don't work with the Bilsteins.....

SVThuh

iTrader: (2)

Mitch is 100% right. You can easily cobble together a kit that is durable and will work ver VERY well.

Coleman racing is one place I go for some of the stuff he mentioned. There are others out there but Coleman usually has everything in stock and their prices are reasonable.

West Texas Blues

hey mitchntx what do you have in your car? DD? strip? autox? don't mean to jack your thread OP but these guys seem to have some info we both can benefit from. anybody else have a dirt track setup?

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

Mitch races his firebird in NASA CMC

BOSSHO, the link doesn't work for me. Biggest thing to be concerned with is a good shock that can actually dampen (unlike the stock crap), and a good spring rate that you are comfortable with on both the street and track (assuming you want to do hpde or other).

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Setup and tuning is not rocket science. You just have to be willing to spend some time, be consistent, take detailed notes and be willing to experiment, not just fall in a straight line.

There are numerous ways to get from point A to point B.

West Texas Blues

i understand what you're saying, i was just asking you to share your setup.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Sorry ... misunderstood ...

Bilstein aluminum bodied shocks
http://www.daymotorsports.com/produc...VE-46MM-SHOCKS

750/275 sring rates.

35mm/21mm sway bars (SLP and 1LE)

Corner weighted the car and sent that info to Bilstein and they valved the shocks for my application.

Spherical bearing throughout, including the global west lower A-Arm kit.

AFCO low friction ball joints.

I also use wheel spacers for tuning. Think of moving the wheel further away from the spring/shock as a lever. The further away, the more leverage on the spring and reducing slightly the effective spring rate.

Right now, I have 1/2 spacers up front and 3/16" spacer out back.

Trying to recall the ride height, but think it's 6 3/4" as measured from the centerline of the camber adjustment bolt. I use those points instead of the rocker panel because the rocker panel isn't consistant between cars. But the bolt will ALWAYS be in the same relationship to ground when measuring ride height.

Alignment is -1.8* camber and +4.5* caster with 1/16" toe out to reduce ackerman.

To get those alignment numbers, I slotted the camber points so tha the edge of the washer is flush with the outer edge of the mount. I also slotted the caster mount and had to shave the edge bolt head to get it to tuck in between the K-Member and the body.

HTH ...

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

1/2" spacer is pretty big Mitch...you haven't noticed a difference in over-steer/under-steer, or over all balance of the car in a negative way from it? This is obviously an apples : oranges comparison, but I had to run a similar spacer offset on the vette for a certain set of wheels and I could only drive it about 8/10s because of the disruption of the balance of the car having such a wide track out front. Car felt like it was on a pendulum and like a Porsche on the limit ready to go at the moments notice. I was on average 2 sec/lap slower than competitors (these were practice only wheels except for 1 time when it was supposed to rain, didn't at the last minute, and my slicks were mounted on them )

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

I can see where a nearer to 50/50 weight distribution would see that kind of effect. Snap oversteer due to so much front end bite.

My F-car was closer to 54/46 and benefitted. Turn-in was crisp and made the car more neutral. And loosened it up on corner exit, instead of the dreaded F-Bodied push from mid corner off.

SIK02SS

iTrader: (11)

Makes sense