Well, I guess it is back to stock for me......Thanks guys!

 

After having 2 blown front shocks for a year I finally decided to upgrade the suspension. I picked up the Belltech kit for $1800 + shipping from ebay. If anyone has any doubts that it is not a KW kit see the pictures below of what I received.





It's like Christmas morning!


Thanks to FuzzyLog1c for all the great info. I am going with your setup of springs, sways, and even the hotchkis brackets. I went with powergrid endlinks though. I also ordered the Banski shock mounts, revshit cradle bushings, and control arm bushings. I have killernoodle trailing arms already, and Creative Steel toe rods are on the way. I can't wait to get all this installed and feel the difference!

 

Holy smokes...that's some Grade A car pr0n right there. You even got those badass (but expensive) billet Hotchkis sway bar brackets! What kind of pads and rotors do you have there? Did you remember to order the two standoffs (P/N 16810288) from Hotchkis HSS-2280 kit so that you can use normal sway bar brackets in the front? I went to install the billet brackets last weekend, and couldn't because I forgot to pick up a couple of longer, socket cap screws for the rear-facing bolts. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to do this until next weekend, but if you're interested, I'll let you know what I measure on the stock bolts so that we can both purchase quality, Grade 8.8 or 10.9 substitutes.

Also, you may already know this (if you follow the Cadillac Forums)--the inside of the thrust bearings will have to be shaved down using a dremel or a drill, because for some reason, KW made their spring mounts a millimeter wider than spec. Honestly, I have yet to notice the springs rotate on their perches, so I'm not sure they work--however, it's good protection for the anodized aluminum.

Edit: you might also want to add a drop of blue Loctite on the rear shock threads when you're finishing up with the Banski RSM installation. You can't torque down that bolt as much as you would with regular, non-spherical RSMs (otherwise you'll compromise the ability of the mount to rotate), so the bolt will tend to want to unfasten itself. The end result is a clicking sound that is caused by the top of the Banski RSM slapping the bottom of the nuts (yeah, yeah... ) after every little bump in the road.

 

Fuzzy after installing your Hotchkis bars with the poly bushing set I found grade 10.9 bolts at Home Depot. I think they were 70mm (maybe 75mm but they were 5mm shorter than what you thought I needed) either way they fit no problem, extending all the way through the threads.

 

Thanks! I'll stop over there today and see what my local store has in stock.

 

They're in the metric hardware drawer set in most stores, sometimes a little obscure

 

Sadly, they didn't have anything long enough at my store. And it was all lower grade stuff. I did find out that the bigger bolt is a M10x1.5. Do you recall whether you used the same size bolts on both ears?

Edit--this might work, assuming that the diameter and thread pitch are right:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AQM...A11HJG7J7TSIPG

 

The rotors are DRT slotted, I am going to run Hawk HPS + pads (P/N HB194N.570 & HB453N.585).

I did not order the hotchkis standoffs. I tried summit racing but they do not list the part number. They said they could get a price from Hotchkis tomorrow and add it to their catalog.

According to the Hotchkis installation pdf, the bolts are M10-1.5 x 65mm.
These from Mcmaster should work. http://www.mcmaster.com/#91290a540/=p0ucvz

 

yeah, M10x1.5 ^ like he said it was the same as the other OEM bolt and I think I may have even gotten a 65mm and it was long enough.

 

I advise calling Hotchkis directly. They're about $10-15 for the pair, IIRC. Keep in mind that you will need two--the part number is not for a package of two.

Also, I would not use Hawk HP+ pads, unless you want to potentially ruin your wheels. The brake dust that Hawk HP+ pads produce is very, very hard (like powdered granite) and requires acid to remove if the wheels are not completely cleaned each week. In the next couple of weeks, I'm going to make an epic attempt to clean and polish my wheels--if that doesn't work, I'm going to send them back to Forgestar to have them refinished.

Ah, now I remember. In that case, I'm getting ordering . Much appreciated!

 

Ok I will call Hotchkis tomorrow.

My car is not a DD so it does stay pretty clean. That being said I do not want to get a colder heat range pad. I am planning on a NASA track day on the 1st weekend in November, and I don't want to buy a separate pair set of rotors and pads just for it. I am averaging 1 track day a year so I can't justify going all out on the brakes yet, since I want a new rear end first.
Do you have any recommendations on a similar performing pad without harsh dust?

 

Try the RacingBrake ET800. They also make them for the 2nd generation CTS-V front calipers.

04-07 CTS-V ET800 Front
09-13 CTS-V ET800 Front
04-13 CTS-V ET800 Rear

http://forums.racingbrake.com/showthread.php?t=414

 

If you think HP+ dust is bad, you should see what happens to the Hawk Blues when that dust gets wet. Funny, everything higher temp in their line was great (HT-10, DTC), but the mayhem peaked with the Blue compound.

 

Haven't been on here for a longtime and this thread is a gold mind for what I'm trying to dial in right now on my car, thank you Fuzzy!!!

 

Hey, good to see you! For what it's worth, the conversation over on the Cadillac Forums took a different track, and might be worth a look.

 

Hey fuzzy do you have any updates on how the new springs feel? Also just bought the belltech varient 3 for 1650 shipped on ebay if any one else is looking for coil overs. And which spring setup do you reccommend for mostly street driving maybe one or two track days a year?

 

How do you like the Ksports?

 

Hey Serik--I'm still loving the 672/896 Swift spring setup. However, if you're a less aggressive driver, with conservative ride height, and comfort is of vital importance, you should be able to get away with the stock 514 in-lb front springs and either 784 or 896 in-lb 9" Swift springs. Not saying my setup is uncomfortable in the slightest--it's just not your stereotypical Cadillac ride.

 

ET500s can be had for $215.34 shipped for the full set at maperformance.com.

 

Any updates?