Watts Link. Streetable or not?
04-02-2010, 01:13 PM
#61
What example do you have of me telling you ANYTHING to get a sale? I'm curious, and if you feel that way, how was I wrong? Specific examples would be good.
And for the record I do own and compete in both F-bodies and Mustangs... And I have a record in both. That's why I'm on those particular forums, because I know and care about the cars and the setup of them.
If you can't site an example of this evil Sam, then I invite you so sit down and shut up.
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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
04-02-2010, 03:34 PM
#62
Funny, I tell a lot of folks what they are looking at might not be right for what they want to do. I in fact talk a lot of folks OUT of things they otherwise wanted. I know you are a Tire Rack fan, that's fine--but don't you think they are in business to make money?
What example do you have of me telling you ANYTHING to get a sale? I'm curious, and if you feel that way, how was I wrong? Specific examples would be good.
And for the record I do own and compete in both F-bodies and Mustangs... And I have a record in both. That's why I'm on those particular forums, because I know and care about the cars and the setup of them.
If you can't site an example of this evil Sam, then I invite you so sit down and shut up.
What example do you have of me telling you ANYTHING to get a sale? I'm curious, and if you feel that way, how was I wrong? Specific examples would be good.
And for the record I do own and compete in both F-bodies and Mustangs... And I have a record in both. That's why I'm on those particular forums, because I know and care about the cars and the setup of them.
If you can't site an example of this evil Sam, then I invite you so sit down and shut up.
BTW, did a 2:02 at Infineon at full weight (plus) with your springs/bars and koni 4/4 last weekend going about 80%. Not a special or super fast time by any means, but i drive circles around a great many Porsches a Ford GT and other expensive cars 
Car was very well balanced. It needs more rear tire though as after 7/11 i was just lighting the 275s up and a Watts link would definitely help tremendously in both corners. Oh the To-Do List.. 
04-03-2010, 09:49 AM
#63
WOW. What a big pissing match over nothing.
Echo, we've chatted before, and I think you're a good guy, but a little off base here.
Fact is, not many aftermarket parts for our cars are considered 'neccesary'. Hell, I still have a factory torque arm, but I'm not going to bash on the usefullness or cost of one. Hell, it's on my 'list' of items right along with a watt's link, torque arm, kmember and lower a arms. Are any of those needed, not really, will they make my car 'better', sure to me they will. How much of a difference, I'm not sure, but most of the roads I drive on are twisty backroads with potholes and uneven surfaces. My saab 9-3 actually handles better on those types of roads because the back end of the t/a gets jittery under power under those conditions.
I know I need to adjust my Koni's as well as they are in the middle of the range right now, so going to a softer setting would probably help.
I'm the king of uselessness...lol Hell, I've got a 4 post lift in my garage, do I need it, nope, well maybe, but is it pimp, hell yeah and helps doing lots of different things.
Echo, we've chatted before, and I think you're a good guy, but a little off base here.
Fact is, not many aftermarket parts for our cars are considered 'neccesary'. Hell, I still have a factory torque arm, but I'm not going to bash on the usefullness or cost of one. Hell, it's on my 'list' of items right along with a watt's link, torque arm, kmember and lower a arms. Are any of those needed, not really, will they make my car 'better', sure to me they will. How much of a difference, I'm not sure, but most of the roads I drive on are twisty backroads with potholes and uneven surfaces. My saab 9-3 actually handles better on those types of roads because the back end of the t/a gets jittery under power under those conditions.
I know I need to adjust my Koni's as well as they are in the middle of the range right now, so going to a softer setting would probably help.
I'm the king of uselessness...lol Hell, I've got a 4 post lift in my garage, do I need it, nope, well maybe, but is it pimp, hell yeah and helps doing lots of different things.
04-03-2010, 11:23 AM
#64
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And then on top of that, you're ripping on a site sponsor.
04-03-2010, 11:24 AM
#65
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you need to look at some of the posts hes made. and i quote "im posting this just so you can see my sig and see what ive won" when someone was asking for DIFFERENT opinions on suspension.
and you think having an autox with him means anything? did i ever say hes a bad driver? wow, he does it professionally. ok, so ill race him, then we can have a welding/soldering/pipefitting competition, and see who wins that. youre doing nothing but flaming. no one has actually read my posts. jump on the flame wagon all you want, im done with this ****.
and you think having an autox with him means anything? did i ever say hes a bad driver? wow, he does it professionally. ok, so ill race him, then we can have a welding/soldering/pipefitting competition, and see who wins that. youre doing nothing but flaming. no one has actually read my posts. jump on the flame wagon all you want, im done with this ****.
His suspension advice is valid, he's won races.
His designs are valid, he made them and he's won races.
Period. What have you made? What championships have you won?
Would you take a doctor that has done the procedure you need 100 times, or the guy that has played at it?
04-03-2010, 03:26 PM
#66
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Good.
His suspension advice is valid, he's won races.
His designs are valid, he made them and he's won races.
Period. What have you made? What championships have you won?
Would you take a doctor that has done the procedure you need 100 times, or the guy that has played at it?
His suspension advice is valid, he's won races.
His designs are valid, he made them and he's won races.
Period. What have you made? What championships have you won?
Would you take a doctor that has done the procedure you need 100 times, or the guy that has played at it?
Your earlier post comparing strano to bmr or umi is way off base. Anyone on these forums who isnt a strano homer can see that his..... "communication" on the boards is extremely different from those other sponsors. Sam is not professional and they are. As far as im concerned... if Sam wants to step in and tell other people to "sit down and shut up" then he better be prepared to get some **** slung back at him. I am sick and tired of watching him step in and swing and then his fans attack anyone who responds by saying "dont bash a sponsor".
04-03-2010, 03:33 PM
#67
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Strano doesnt make anything. He is a parts distributor. He is a salesman and an excellent autocross driver. His driving experiences have given him some valuable insights into setting up these cars... that is all. Nothing less and nothing more. He is not God, Martin Luther King or the Easter bunny. His knowledge does NOT make everyone elses knowledge, experience, and preferences void.
Your earlier post comparing strano to bmr or umi is way off base. Anyone on these forums who isnt a strano homer can see that his..... "communication" on the boards is extremely different from those other sponsors. Sam is not professional and they are. As far as im concerned... if Sam wants to step in and tell other people to "sit down and shut up" then he better be prepared to get some **** slung back at him. I am sick and tired of watching him step in and swing and then his fans attack anyone who responds by saying "dont bash a sponsor".
Your earlier post comparing strano to bmr or umi is way off base. Anyone on these forums who isnt a strano homer can see that his..... "communication" on the boards is extremely different from those other sponsors. Sam is not professional and they are. As far as im concerned... if Sam wants to step in and tell other people to "sit down and shut up" then he better be prepared to get some **** slung back at him. I am sick and tired of watching him step in and swing and then his fans attack anyone who responds by saying "dont bash a sponsor".
04-03-2010, 03:35 PM
#68
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Funny, I tell a lot of folks what they are looking at might not be right for what they want to do. I in fact talk a lot of folks OUT of things they otherwise wanted. I know you are a Tire Rack fan, that's fine--but don't you think they are in business to make money?
What example do you have of me telling you ANYTHING to get a sale? I'm curious, and if you feel that way, how was I wrong? Specific examples would be good.
And for the record I do own and compete in both F-bodies and Mustangs... And I have a record in both. That's why I'm on those particular forums, because I know and care about the cars and the setup of them.
If you can't site an example of this evil Sam, then I invite you so sit down and shut up.
What example do you have of me telling you ANYTHING to get a sale? I'm curious, and if you feel that way, how was I wrong? Specific examples would be good.
And for the record I do own and compete in both F-bodies and Mustangs... And I have a record in both. That's why I'm on those particular forums, because I know and care about the cars and the setup of them.
If you can't site an example of this evil Sam, then I invite you so sit down and shut up.
http://forums.corral.net/forums/show....php?p=9670713
This doesnt make you evil but it does make me curious.... why is it that when you post on ls1tech you say you "daily drive f-bodies" and you have a picture of an f-body in your sig.... while in the mustang forums you "daily drive mustangs" and have a picture of a mustang.. couldnt be because you are trying to appeal to different markets and SELL **** could it? You must do a lot of "daily driving".
Most of the parts you talk people out of buying is a result of everything having to be your way when someone asks you about car setup... it has nothing to do with helping someone save money. Your the only parts distributor I have ever talked to who I had to have a damn argument with for 15 minutes about how I want to set up my car.... when the only reason I called was to order some shocks.
I would never question your experience or knowledge. However, I also would say that you are no different from any sponsor on here in that you make money off people buying auto parts through you. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
04-03-2010, 04:00 PM
#70
http://forums.corral.net/forums/show....php?p=9670713
This doesnt make you evil but it does make me curious.... why is it that when you post on ls1tech you say you "daily drive f-bodies" and you have a picture of an f-body in your sig.... while in the mustang forums you "daily drive mustangs" and have a picture of a mustang.. couldnt be because you are trying to appeal to different markets and SELL **** could it? You must do a lot of "daily driving".
Most of the parts you talk people out of buying is a result of everything having to be your way when someone asks you about car setup... it has nothing to do with helping someone save money. Your the only parts distributor I have ever talked to who I had to have a damn argument with for 15 minutes about how I want to set up my car.... when the only reason I called was to order some shocks.
I would never question your experience or knowledge. However, I also would say that you are no different from any sponsor on here in that you make money off people buying auto parts through you. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
This doesnt make you evil but it does make me curious.... why is it that when you post on ls1tech you say you "daily drive f-bodies" and you have a picture of an f-body in your sig.... while in the mustang forums you "daily drive mustangs" and have a picture of a mustang.. couldnt be because you are trying to appeal to different markets and SELL **** could it? You must do a lot of "daily driving".
Most of the parts you talk people out of buying is a result of everything having to be your way when someone asks you about car setup... it has nothing to do with helping someone save money. Your the only parts distributor I have ever talked to who I had to have a damn argument with for 15 minutes about how I want to set up my car.... when the only reason I called was to order some shocks.
I would never question your experience or knowledge. However, I also would say that you are no different from any sponsor on here in that you make money off people buying auto parts through you. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
04-03-2010, 04:08 PM
#71
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He's never hid the fact that he has a Mustang and has been competing in it for the last year or 2? From a business stand point, it makes no sense for him to be f-body only when they weren't being produced for 8 years. You are right in the fact that everyone is different and because of that there are multiple ways to setup a car. But if it's over shocks, I would have to assume it's over shock preference and the there actual abilities vs there perceived abilities. Dunno any other reason Sam would argue over shock selection other than tried and trued data. As a successful racer, I'm sure he's tried everything. But granted, I also don't know what your application is
04-03-2010, 11:52 PM
#74
You can't really give an opinion if you haven't tried one.They are very streetable.It does not effect the ride at all.Look at the mods in my sig.The watts link dramatically improves the handling of your car.If you want to have a car that will be amazing on the twisty roads,than it is well worth it.For guys that only drag race I don't know if it would be worth it or not.I did all the suspension mods one at a time so I could tell what the difference is.Ask anybody that has installed one and they will tell you that it is worth the money.
Sam Strano is one of the most honest people that I have ever dealt with.He did not try to oversell me or get me into things I didn't need.When it comes to suspension he knows his stuff.Better to ask people that have tried one than to get an opinion from someone who has never tested it.Try it and if you don't like it than take it off and sell it.
Sam Strano is one of the most honest people that I have ever dealt with.He did not try to oversell me or get me into things I didn't need.When it comes to suspension he knows his stuff.Better to ask people that have tried one than to get an opinion from someone who has never tested it.Try it and if you don't like it than take it off and sell it.
04-04-2010, 10:43 AM
#75
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Sam is a sponsor here... lots of sponsors in this section that sometimes crowd threads that are just asking for advice. It is what it is. Sometimes it sucks.. but I'll sure as hell go with Sam's advice over the other sponsors which often have questionable advice in my opinion. Sam's advice is more genuine in my opinion. He's also trying to make a living like we all do.
I would say that Sam could use stock shocks with any spring and still beat the pants off of the entire field. So yeah, konis and strano springs won't make you a nationals winner. Lots of seat time and instruction does that. It will however make your car have great handling feel and control patching up a huge weakness with the stock suspension. There are probably other setups that may satisfy people's tastes for ride quality and handling preference. You get a good all around setup with the koni strano combo for the price though.
All of this stuff is off topic anyway.. anyone care to answer the original poster's question? lol
I would say that Sam could use stock shocks with any spring and still beat the pants off of the entire field. So yeah, konis and strano springs won't make you a nationals winner. Lots of seat time and instruction does that. It will however make your car have great handling feel and control patching up a huge weakness with the stock suspension. There are probably other setups that may satisfy people's tastes for ride quality and handling preference. You get a good all around setup with the koni strano combo for the price though.
All of this stuff is off topic anyway.. anyone care to answer the original poster's question? lol
04-04-2010, 10:57 AM
#76
Copy & Paste Moderator
Tempting.
Come on guys, play nice.
No need for personal attacks.
I know I shouldn't comment on one sponsor being more professional than another, but I will say that Sam is professional, which is more than I can say for some others who I won't name (but one of which was named earlier).
And to Sam's credit, although he doesn't build parts, he does design some which he has other shops build so he can sell. Not everyone can have a full factory building all the parts they sell.
Come on guys, play nice.
No need for personal attacks.
I know I shouldn't comment on one sponsor being more professional than another, but I will say that Sam is professional, which is more than I can say for some others who I won't name (but one of which was named earlier).
And to Sam's credit, although he doesn't build parts, he does design some which he has other shops build so he can sell. Not everyone can have a full factory building all the parts they sell.
04-04-2010, 12:37 PM
#77
TECH Apprentice
Unless I missed it, are you guys comparing stock location phb or lowered phb to a Watts link? I've never tried the Watts link but I did lower my phb. That mod alone makes a big difference in the way the back of the car handles. Made my own phb, welded (might be a problem for some) the brackets on and saved about $500. My car is 99.9% street driven (HPDE at Sears Point a few years ago) but it feels alot more connected to the road then before I lowered the phb. Fwiw I have a 01' Z28 with 35/22 bars, Strano springs (but I have been playing around with 200# rear springs), revalved Bilstein front shocks with Koni SA rears (another big improvement), 2pt SFCs, 17x9/17x11 ZR1 wheels and those cheap Sumitomos. The lowered phb and rear Konis made the biggest improvements in the way my pig handles. When I save enough money I will get front Konis. When its cold or wet it can be tail happy, but if you drive civilized it won't jump up and kill you.
...just sayin'
...just sayin'
04-04-2010, 07:12 PM
#78
Tempting.
Come on guys, play nice.
No need for personal attacks.
I know I shouldn't comment on one sponsor being more professional than another, but I will say that Sam is professional, which is more than I can say for some others who I won't name (but one of which was named earlier).
And to Sam's credit, although he doesn't build parts, he does design some which he has other shops build so he can sell. Not everyone can have a full factory building all the parts they sell.
Come on guys, play nice.
No need for personal attacks.
I know I shouldn't comment on one sponsor being more professional than another, but I will say that Sam is professional, which is more than I can say for some others who I won't name (but one of which was named earlier).
And to Sam's credit, although he doesn't build parts, he does design some which he has other shops build so he can sell. Not everyone can have a full factory building all the parts they sell.
sorry sam we have had our differences. but Lee at BMR and Ryan at UMI or both better to talk to than you.
