Strano Springs on QA1's
Strano Springs on QA1's Will Strano Springs work on QA1's F-series single adjustable shocks? Curious because there are no options for rear springs when you purchase the QA1 front springs. What rear springs do you run? Stock?
QA1's don't control stock springs very well, they really have no prayer of doing a good job with lowering springs. You should ask anyone who's had them. I've replaced a lot of QA1's over the years because folks couldn't stand how they drove and rode even with stock springs. Only gets worse with stiffer springs......
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Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
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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
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
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Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
That's true....
Those shocks aren't very good dampers, period. The more spring rate, the less travel (which lowering springs have) the better the shocks have to be to make the car work correctly. And fwiw, ride and handling are, in a lot of ways, linked. A car doesn't handle well if it only works on glass smooth roads.
Those shocks aren't very good dampers, period. The more spring rate, the less travel (which lowering springs have) the better the shocks have to be to make the car work correctly. And fwiw, ride and handling are, in a lot of ways, linked. A car doesn't handle well if it only works on glass smooth roads.
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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
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
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: St.Charles MO
That's understandable, however...
bear in mind that you do NOT necessarily have to do it all at once. Whilst I don't want to speak for anybody else, you ought to arrange a time to consult Sam. If it's improved street handling, then maybe AX, he's certainly one with a proven track record in that area, literally. If you're realistic, you can work well with what you initially start with, then upgrade as the finances allow.
(NOTE: If and when you do consult, make sure you're committed as there's been lots of tyre kickers and information abusers who's made it difficult for the honest and serious forum members. Just MHO.)
bear in mind that you do NOT necessarily have to do it all at once. Whilst I don't want to speak for anybody else, you ought to arrange a time to consult Sam. If it's improved street handling, then maybe AX, he's certainly one with a proven track record in that area, literally. If you're realistic, you can work well with what you initially start with, then upgrade as the finances allow.
(NOTE: If and when you do consult, make sure you're committed as there's been lots of tyre kickers and information abusers who's made it difficult for the honest and serious forum members. Just MHO.)
QA1's don't control stock springs very well, they really have no prayer of doing a good job with lowering springs. You should ask anyone who's had them. I've replaced a lot of QA1's over the years because folks couldn't stand how they drove and rode even with stock springs. Only gets worse with stiffer springs......
Hose mod the rear for a slight drop, cut the rear coils and hose mod the rear for more drop (the rates go up nicely on the rear springs, they work very well cut if you only take off one coil), or get something like the BMR rear springs. No lowering spring or even cut stock spring is going to work well with the QA1s though. They're just really bad shocks when it comes to ride quality and handling (great at the track though).
It all depends on what you want to do with the car. Did you get QA1s for drag strip duty or do your drag strip times have priority over ride or handling for you? Where do your priorities lie in what you want from your suspension?
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Uhh, where are you getting your prices from? QA1s are around the same price as Koni SA's:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7
On my own car having been on stock suspension, then just konis, then konis with a Sam's front bar, then rear bar added later, then springs added later, Ill tell you that I would rather auto-x with just konis on otherwise stock suspension than lowering springs with inadequate shocks. You'll be blown away with how hard you can push your car while being in control with just konis on it.
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7
On my own car having been on stock suspension, then just konis, then konis with a Sam's front bar, then rear bar added later, then springs added later, Ill tell you that I would rather auto-x with just konis on otherwise stock suspension than lowering springs with inadequate shocks. You'll be blown away with how hard you can push your car while being in control with just konis on it.
For autox, forget the QA1's.. toss that idea right into the garbage. I'd talk to Sam if I were you. If you pick a set of cheaper shocks and then autox more often, you might find yourself wanting to swap to something better down the road. Experiencing/driving a well tuned suspension vs the underdampened stock shocks or other weaker shocks is everything. Just search on the stuff I'm talking about if you need more info.
Since your autoxing, forget the cutting springs thing. You will gain little springrate for the big drop you'll get. Leave cutting springs to the guys who just want to drop their cars for looks.
Since your autoxing, forget the cutting springs thing. You will gain little springrate for the big drop you'll get. Leave cutting springs to the guys who just want to drop their cars for looks.
I haven't bought anything, I am still shoping around. I just know that my 1999 Decarbons are wasted and I need new stuff. Have my whole rear suspension built already except for sway bar, and all stock front, I want great handling for the street with a possible autox on occasion.
Might help if you did what a few have recommended and just call. 
I won't give out setup information on the forums anymore. I will to customers by phone. I have settings I recommend to start with, but they are personal and not everyone ends up at the same place after playing around....that's the beauty of adjustable dampers, something you cannot do with non-adjustables.
If you want the car to work, do not get cheap on shocks. Only thing you can do worse is to spend too much on shocks that just are not very good dampers like what you asked about.... because then you get crappy control *and* spent way too much for it.
I won't give out setup information on the forums anymore. I will to customers by phone. I have settings I recommend to start with, but they are personal and not everyone ends up at the same place after playing around....that's the beauty of adjustable dampers, something you cannot do with non-adjustables.
If you want the car to work, do not get cheap on shocks. Only thing you can do worse is to spend too much on shocks that just are not very good dampers like what you asked about.... because then you get crappy control *and* spent way too much for it.
__________________
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
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