looking for suspension and brake parts
10-31-2010, 08:11 PM
#1
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looking for suspension and brake parts im going to start off by saying i know there is a classified section but for some reason that is the only section i am not aloud to start a new thread..
i have a 98 trans am. and i am looking for new front suspension and i am also looking for new rotors calipers and pads for just the front the person i bought the car from didnt take the best of care of the front end the back has all new suspension and and the goodies to stiffen it up but the front needs some help so if anyone is selling something like this please let me know or if anyone knows where to look for a good deal on these things that would be nice..
i have also heard bad things about sloted and drilled rotors that pads dont last hardly at all and its hard to get them to not squeal is this true
i have a 98 trans am. and i am looking for new front suspension and i am also looking for new rotors calipers and pads for just the front the person i bought the car from didnt take the best of care of the front end the back has all new suspension and and the goodies to stiffen it up but the front needs some help so if anyone is selling something like this please let me know or if anyone knows where to look for a good deal on these things that would be nice..
i have also heard bad things about sloted and drilled rotors that pads dont last hardly at all and its hard to get them to not squeal is this true
10-31-2010, 09:06 PM
#2
The reason you can't post in the classified section is because you do not yet have 50 posts.
As far as brakes in the front, you can get pretty darn good performance out of stock calipers. If they didn't take very good care of the front ones (such as stuck caliper slide pins, etc.) you can usually get a rebuilt front caliper from local stores (Bumper to Bumper, Napa, etc.) and they're not that expensive with the core refund (I think mine were like $26?). Good working calipers along with good fluid/pads/rotors will give you nice performance.
You were right about the slotted/drilled rotors....partially. Drilled rotors are prone to cracking and neither are necessarily easy on pads. The best braking performance will come from a set of good blank rotors, such as Brembo's, although I am having very good luck with my Napa Ultra Premium rotors, which were less expensive and are built pretty darn good. Pads that I would recommend would be Hawk HPS, they're pretty quiet, have good grab, and although I can't say much about durability (haven't been on the car for a year yet, haha) they come highly recommended by many on here for their street use, along with some Auto-X even. I would also recommend ATE Super Blue for the fluid, it's not terribly expensive and really helped with the pedal feel for me. You can even throw a set of stainless steel lines in to replace the stock rubber for even better feel.
All in all, pads/rotors/fluid for the front might run you around $250 or less, and it's worth every penny to me IMO.
As far as the suspension in the front, good shocks will definitely help make the car feel more stable, handle better, and enhance the overall driving experience. What do you use the car for? What kind of suspension is in the back? This can help determine which parts will be best for you.
As far as brakes in the front, you can get pretty darn good performance out of stock calipers. If they didn't take very good care of the front ones (such as stuck caliper slide pins, etc.) you can usually get a rebuilt front caliper from local stores (Bumper to Bumper, Napa, etc.) and they're not that expensive with the core refund (I think mine were like $26?). Good working calipers along with good fluid/pads/rotors will give you nice performance.
You were right about the slotted/drilled rotors....partially. Drilled rotors are prone to cracking and neither are necessarily easy on pads. The best braking performance will come from a set of good blank rotors, such as Brembo's, although I am having very good luck with my Napa Ultra Premium rotors, which were less expensive and are built pretty darn good. Pads that I would recommend would be Hawk HPS, they're pretty quiet, have good grab, and although I can't say much about durability (haven't been on the car for a year yet, haha) they come highly recommended by many on here for their street use, along with some Auto-X even. I would also recommend ATE Super Blue for the fluid, it's not terribly expensive and really helped with the pedal feel for me. You can even throw a set of stainless steel lines in to replace the stock rubber for even better feel.
All in all, pads/rotors/fluid for the front might run you around $250 or less, and it's worth every penny to me IMO.
As far as the suspension in the front, good shocks will definitely help make the car feel more stable, handle better, and enhance the overall driving experience. What do you use the car for? What kind of suspension is in the back? This can help determine which parts will be best for you.
10-31-2010, 09:23 PM
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its just a street car and thats all it will ever be. im not looking for anything crazy i just bought the car about a month ago so im not sure the name of the suspension in the back but its a none adjustable and its all relatively new.
It has all the sub frame connectors and the rear axle support to keep the case in place the car handles very nice but in the front when i get on the brakes kinda hard the car will start to pull both ways and when i drive down the road it wants to wonder quite a bit the car has 131xxx on it and it looks like its all stock up front suspension wise..
I bought the car with a bad tranny and when it was on the houst the front tires wouldnt even rotate thats how siezed the front calipers were i tried to free them up so i could run them for the rest of the year knowing i was gonna replace them and i couldnt get them to free up.
I am just looking for a good suspension so i dont have to grip the wheel when i am going down the road i think it needs all new bushings up front and springs i need to find the time to get it on the hoist so i can take a look at it thanks for the help ill keep updates as well.
It has all the sub frame connectors and the rear axle support to keep the case in place the car handles very nice but in the front when i get on the brakes kinda hard the car will start to pull both ways and when i drive down the road it wants to wonder quite a bit the car has 131xxx on it and it looks like its all stock up front suspension wise..
I bought the car with a bad tranny and when it was on the houst the front tires wouldnt even rotate thats how siezed the front calipers were i tried to free them up so i could run them for the rest of the year knowing i was gonna replace them and i couldnt get them to free up.
I am just looking for a good suspension so i dont have to grip the wheel when i am going down the road i think it needs all new bushings up front and springs i need to find the time to get it on the hoist so i can take a look at it thanks for the help ill keep updates as well.
11-01-2010, 11:33 AM
#4
Alright, for just a street car the #1 suspension recommendation would be shocks. Good shocks, such as Koni's or Bilsteins (if money doesn't allow for the Koni's) will control the car a lot better and make it a lot more fun to drive. Proper dampening can definitely improve high speed stability, impact harshness, etc.
Improving the shocks, checking for worn bushings up front, and finally getting a good alignment can solve a lot of the issues you're looking at.
Improving the shocks, checking for worn bushings up front, and finally getting a good alignment can solve a lot of the issues you're looking at.
11-01-2010, 04:04 PM
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money isnt to much of an issue but for the amount i drive the car im not gonna dump a ton of money into it im gonna tear it down possibly this weekend and see what it needs thanks for the advice
11-01-2010, 05:35 PM
#6
I will say this, a lot of folks don't drive their cars as much as they'd like because they can be so bad to drive. I've had a good number of folks find that they drive the cars a lot more when the suspensions actually work correctly because they do everything better.
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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
11-01-2010, 06:18 PM
#7
Also, I noticed you put springs in your 2nd to last post. Springs aren't really a wear item, and the only time you really have to replace them is if you want to lower your car or if you're looking to improve the handling of your car (less body roll, less brake dive, etc.). The stock springs on these cars, with proper shocks, actually work quite well (I'm using stock spring with my Koni's and it definitely transformed the ride!)