sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

well heres the deal.. got a nice amount of cash for christmas and ive decided now is time to mess around with the suspension : . right now the cars making numbers in the sig WITHOUT nitrous.. right now its pilled for a 75 hit but i wana do 100+ eventually. My suspension mods right now are a (NON adj) panhard bar (i know stupid), LCAs, welded SFCs as well as 275/40/17 Nitto DRs thatll need to be replaced soon.. Ive got close to $1,500 i wana spend. I was thinking of giving Sam Strano a call to see what he recommends. ive read that Konis are the way to go as far as shocks go, and i dont want to lower my car just cause my TSP TDs isnt the BEST clearing exhaust system. So Koni shocks, a UMI torque arm (1 that clears the exhaust) and Stranos sway bars.. id think thatd be right around where i wana spend..and hopefully by the time summer comes around ill have enough cash to swap my nittos with MT drs. and advice would be appreciated.. im probably going to hit the track this summer..but i also want to be able to TURN. let me know. thanks

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like you've done your homework. I ran konis on stock springs on the lower perch for a few months and loved the way the car rode. The T/A will help you hook, but you might want to look into a set of relocation brackets since your primary concern is straitline traction. Im sure Sam will be more than happy to help you spend money

OldeSkool

the best suspension in the world will not make up for tires that dont grab.

if you're not experiencing wheelhop- if the tires just spin and spin whenever you put power to em, then bigger, stickier tires are in order

ssvert99

iTrader: (26)

I don't know... but i'm not sure if the UMI tunnel mount arm fits with the TSP duals.
first thing is to buy a new set of tires. suspension won't do a bit of good w/o good rubber.
shocks are next. the Koni's are great, if you want to spend that much. next best is the AFCO's. Every bit as good as Koni, just a little less money. then the Strange. the Strange, IMO, are the best bang for the buck.
next is the suspension parts. a set of relocators, an adjustable panhard, and a tunnel mounted torque arm (that clears) would be great. its not the best for autocross, but it will work, and will be awesome at the track and street. my tunnel mounted torque arms are available with a crossmember that will clear the TSP duals, and has a loop incorporated.
get the Strano anti-sway bars also. highly regarded parts in the corner carving world.
lots of options out there. i have the shocks, torque arm, relocators and panhard all on sale now.

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

exactly this is the shitty part.. i wana EVENTUALLY do some prostars with some nice sticky tires but thats in the new future when i swap the 10 bolt for something better.. im pretty sure even with 275 MTs ill be able to spin them in 1st and 2nd... im still running 3.42s so traction gets better near the top end. so new wheels/tires ill be order in the future. so i guess i can deal with SOME traction issues.. i just dont like spinning at 60mph with the spray ...but for right now my NITTOs have a little life still in em

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

UMI does have a TA designed around the TSP TD system, but yours has a drive shaft loop thats a HUGE plus in my book.. how much are your TAs? and i did forget to mention LCA relocation brackets, id definitly toss those in the mix.. im not into autocross, just like to take some nice turns when im cruising around or whatever. the car is mainly straightline. Also, id really like to do this all once.. how much of a difference in ride quality between the Konis and strange is there? ive heard way too many good things about Koni. I'll have to give you a call when i get back into town...
-Joey

damn money pit

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I've put together a few popular items in what we call Traction Packs. You can find them here under the TP numbers: http://www.stranoparts.com/searchbym...D=18&ModelID=7

Those are not the only options, and there are a lot of parts you can pick and choose from. There are parts that help the traction, but do not hurt handling. There are also a lot of parts that will wreck the handling but not make much more difference (if any) vs. those parts that can do both well.

What we'd want to consider for a dual-purpose car is what the primary goal is. You might not want bigger swaybars. Maybe you do, I can't really know what you need without talking to you, which I'm happy to do. Sadly e-mail and PM's suck for detail, which is why we have a dedicated tech-line.

ssvert99

iTrader: (26)

ride quality of the shocks will depend on the valving adjustment. Strange is a Koni distributor/rebuilder and still uses their cartridges in some applications. i've never had the two side by side in cars to compare, but there probably isn't too much of a difference you will feel.
my chromemoly adjustable torque arms are 430.00 shipped right now, and the relocators i'll throw in for 60.00

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

will i be able to use aftermarket shocks with an NON adj. panhard bar?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Koni drag shocks and Koni Sport shocks are hugely different. So much so that Koni tells us that the drag shocks are not street shocks, and use as such could result in personal injury. So when saying Strange has Koni, we need to put this into context. Strange is a drag racing oriented company, and I'm quite sure doesn't handle the street line of dampers. You are comparing apples and oranges.

Further, all you need do is take a peek at the Strange shocks, they are basically QA1 style. Cheap oil-bypass adjuster on the bottom, not on the piston itself. No gas-charge to keep oil foaming and shock fade down (because you don't need to on a car that runs straight for 1/4 passes).

Needless to say, I wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that you might not notice much difference. Maybe not if you were comparing a Strange vs. a Koni DRAG shock.. Even then I'd bet there is a huge difference because Koni knows they can't do both with one damper perfectly, which everyone else claims.

Here's a link to Koni's motorsport catalog... Page 15 starts the Drag Race Shock section, read it and see what you think. http://www.koni-na.com/pdfcatalogs/K...ortCatalog.pdf Compare to Strange: http://www.strangeengineering.net/catalog/index.html

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

What I'm trying to say is simple. If your car is a street car, be it drag raced or not, it has damping needs that drag shocks don't cover. You want shocks that don't offer much control for dragging, that's where the fast weight transfer comes from. That's exactly what you do not want when you are looking for a stable, well controlled platform.

Koni Sports are NOT drag shocks. They can drag race pretty well, and some folks with a lot of power have even 60'ed better with Koni Sports (not drags) than with other "drag" shocks. Ironically enough the change was made because the car was no fun on the street with the others in place, and a slight loss of 60's would have been acceptable. The fact they launch got better was a bonus.

glocklimited9

iTrader: (3)

sam that is some good info, thanks for the heads up

ssvert99

iTrader: (26)

definetly good info there... yes, the Strange street/strip shocks are not the same as the Koni sports and shouldn't be compared.
all we can say on this side is that there are so many cars out there with the Strange shocks running on the street and strip that i cant even begin to put a number on it. bottom line is this... for a street/strip car application- they flat out work. and work well. best bang for the buck. if you have the extra money... go AFCO or Koni.
and thats right... you may not notice much of any difference between them... on the drag style shocks we are recommending for a car that is equipped with ... DRAG RADIALS.

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

this cars my daily driver right now, and will eventually be a "weekend warrior" once i get a daily driver.. so i think drag shocks are out of the question... Koni sports will probably take the cake...now i just need to decide on the TA...
but as far as sway bars go.. which is more important the front or rear? ive heard of drag rear sways... would that hurt handling capabilities?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

"drag" bars are big rears, no front. No front to make the most weight transfer, a big rear to make the car leave straight. If the car does not torque up and leave crooked you don't need a mongo rear bar. You can simply unhook the front, or take it off completely (which isn't smart for street use). Bigger bar sets are for roll control, and a big front bar is not an ideal drag race part. A bigger rear can be, *IF NECESSARY*, otherwise it's a waste.

You need to really, really assess your priorities and put them in order. There are things that can help the handling and driveability and not hurt the launching, even help it. There are "launching" things that can wreck the driveability. Basically a good driving car can indeed launch pretty well. A good launching car doesn't tend to drive very well, and that simply because the dynamics at play for drag racing are not what you see on the street.

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

i see what your saying.. what am i looking at for things that will help handling and driveability, and possibly help launching? also, i asked before and im not sure if it was answered... but do i NEED an adj panhard bar if i swap to aftermarket shocks? i know it would be wise to purchase one, but im just curious if its mandatory? thanks sam, youll be hearing from me after the 2nd!

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

this is what ive pieced together and its right around what i want to spend.. let me know what you think.

-UMI adj TA (2205) w/ hardware kit
-Strano Hollow Sway bar set
-Koni 4/3 Shock set
-UMI bolt in LCA relocation brackets (2012)

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

It's the ride height that changes the PHB length (actually it's the distance between the two mounts). That's when you'd more "need" the adjustable one. However, the cars are mass produced and we know they all don't sit the same height stock, but all have the same PHB which means there are cars that are off even stock. Realistically, the car has a PHB already. What I'm recommending is either adjustable, or stay stock. I think buying an non-adjustable one it not money well spent.

As for what can help launching and not hurt/might help handling: Non-binding LCA's. And TA's that aren't super short. Shocks can help depending on what's up with the stock ones (shocks can and do contribute to wheelhop, as do a lot of other things). And of course, and really most importantly are tires. I tell people all the time, I don't care how much suspension you have on the car, if you have crappy tires that power will never get down to the road.

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

im not so worried about tires right now just cause its still pouring in seattle and ill probably pick some up around spring time... so assuming I get some good tires with this suspension set up how do you guys think it will perform? night and day difference? (compared to stock)...also will 275/40/17 MTs handle 500rwhp? im not looking to DEAD hook right now and lift the front tires just cause im still on the stock 10 bolt for right now.

sidewayz28

iTrader: (24)

can anyone verify if these are the Koni 4/3s i need?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/DSC01740.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/DSC01743.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/DSC01739.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3/DSC01744.jpg