KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Alright im gonna make this short. I want shocks and springs that will:
-Handle well
-Be able to perform at the drag strip
-single adjustable
-id also like to be able to control ride height

I was thinking about getting the konis with strano springs. But there are so many Koni models to choose from i didnt know which ones to pick, and i also dont know what spring rate i need for my springs. If you could just please leave me some input that would be great

Jadedbird

iTrader: (27)

From what u will find out.. You cant have the best of both worlds.

Lowering springs will kill your drag times

You will have to choose which is more important...drag or handling

Blackpanther99

iTrader: (8)

You will have to get a Handling Package or Drag Package, its hard to be able to have best of both things, check out BMR Suspensions, they have good quality products, thats where I bough my Handling Package

Blackpanther99

iTrader: (8)

http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=p...6&maincatid=57

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Yea i know. Cause for drag purposes you want the suspension to be soft, but for handling you want it to be firm. Im not going to do much of either (competitively at least) i just wanted some sort of mid-range that would kinda do a little bit of both. And ive heard the konis are not too bad for that. but im unsure of what spring rate i should get.

JD_AMG

Why do you think you need single adjustable?
With adjustable ride height are you planning to lower the car?
FWIW a drag shock will launch great but handle and ride horrible, but a handling shock will still launch ok but also handle and ride great(far better than a drag shock could), less of a downside IMO.
So many koni models? You drive a 4th gen right?
There are only two variations of Koni's for our cars, single adjustable and double adjustable. And for the single adjustable the rear shocks are interchangeable with the 3rd gen camaros, are cheaper but have less of an adjustment range. What other models are you seeing???
This is it:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7
For the rest of the suspension this has been covered many times, you can do a search.
Generally the stock springs are fine for both drag and handling, and you can run handling oriented swaybars and just remove the front one when you go drag racing.
-Dont run poly bushings in control arms, they can bind, hurting handling.
-Dont run a short length torque arm, can cause brake hop and understeer.
-LCA relocations brackets are not necessary and can hurt handling

bill12690

iTrader: (4)

I'll give it to you from my point of view... I have koni SA's (the on car adjustables) and strano springs. I daily drive my car and for the most part it does really well on some of these crappy Texas roads. I just recently took it to the track for the first time, and already plan on going a lot more... but personally I want a car that can handle well on the street, even if I sacrifice a little time at the strip. I'll make up for that in mods at some point.

I do have LCA relocation brackets, haven't noticed any negative effects but they've been on the car for quite some time and I honestly don't remember what it was like without them aside from having more wheel hop. I'd love a set of coil-overs to fine-tune my stance, but for the money I'm fine with what I have. So unless you plan on it being primarily a drag car, I say go with a good street/handling performing spring.

Not to write a book here, and sorry for putting so much... but just to get an opinion on other springs I see a lot of good feedback here on BMRs springs. I really like the stance of them myself, maybe even more than my stranos, but I don't know how they perform first hand. I plan on lowering my front end about 3/8" - 1/2" or so before I'm really done with it.


edit: Ignore the sig pic. That was on the pro kit. I'd highly advise NOT getting that. lol

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Wow, 7 posts and already a lot of bad information. Not all of it, but a lot.

First, if you got to extremes, yes you need to decide drag or handling. I doubt he's building a ProStock wanna be, or an Indycar wanna be.

Lowering springs don't automatically kill your ability to launch at all. Some can, but part of what I do with autocross means I have to get power down in 1st and 2nd gear, so my springs aren't super stiff in the rear, and are in fact softer than BMR's which helps not only with ride, but with not shocking the tires loose.

There aren't that many Koni options. In fact I added a few by mixing and matching some rear shocks that can work to try and save folks some money, the others copied it. There are 3, maybe 4 if you want to go nuts but that includes Double adjustables. For singles there are two sets, period. $899 for what are commonly called "4/3" which use a rear shock that has 4 settings and must be taken off to adjust (http://stranoparts.com/partdetails.p...D=20&ModelID=7) or $999 for "4/4" which use a rear shock with more options on settings and adjust in place on the car (http://stranoparts.com/partdetails.p...D=20&PartID=20) Pretty much that's it. And I'm doing the Konis' with free shipping too.

I've got customers on my lowering spring and Koni's (and swaybars too) that can pretty well crack off 1.7's no sweat, a few have 1.6's. I have another customer on Koni's with stock springs than ran a 1.50 (besting a "drag shock" setup that was 1.59).

Jadedbird

iTrader: (27)

Go with koni and stranos. And get rod end suspension you will be fine. Wont be the BEST DRAG SET UP but it will be the best handleing

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Thanks that clears alot of stuff up. Your right im not trying to make this car a prostock car or an indy car. I just want to be able to handle well, but also be able to launch the car well. Those 60' times show that it is possible. Im only looking to lower the car about an 1" so those konis will do. Which setup do you recommend? 4/3 or 4/4?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

On car adjustable shocks give you the most choice and far easier adjustment. I always will recommend those first. The "4/3" set is a compromise, that still gets you Koni quality and control, but with less cost because they don't have quite the range. I am actually the one that started using that 3rd gen shock on a 4th gen car to give folks an option. I owned both, tried it myself (and vice versa for the 3rd gen guys to run the 4th gen shock for more choice), and found it worked great which makes sense since both cars weighed about the same and the rear suspension is actually the same

Soooo, it's a money thing. If you can do the on-car "4/4" set, I'd say do that. $999.99 a set I think it's worth the $100. But some folks don't have it, or don't want to spend it, and if that's the case we offer the 4/3 because I don't think you should have to drop the whole back to $400 shock performance because you can't or don't swing the $100. And the free shipping on Koni saves you another roughly $30, just in case you were wondering.

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

And what would you recommend for the spring rate?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Doesn't work that way unless you get coil-overs. My springs are 550 front, 150 rear... that's what I recommend, because well it's what I used and thought best. I tend not to use or recommend things I think are wrong.

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Well it appears to be evident that im new to the whole suspension thing. lol Im not questioning your judgement in any way, just picking your brain. Isnt 150 kinda soft in the rear? and the fronts are coil overs or not with these konis?

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

150 is plenty of rate in the rear, I've had 3 or 4 different sets of springs and definitely wouldn't go higher than that on a street car, and I have Konis

brigade24

depends how much grip you want in the rear given the weight...our cars tend to be lighter in the rear as everyone knows. a stiffer spring will "reduce" the amount of weight transferred to the rear (under acceleration) thereby increasing the probability grip loss. So its easier for the back end to break loose...

and all this is relative to the shocks so it depends on what you want.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

All fronts for these cars are "coil-over" because the coil is over the shock. But that's been bastardized by others who have no idea what's what into meaning the same as ride height adjustable.

Adjustable height coil-overs are ride height adjustable... but there is only one good set of those out there as far as I'm concerned... KW's. The others are all drag shocks, with valving not up for controlling things well when it comes to hustling a car around, or dealing with higher rate springs (most all lowering springs).

Is 150 soft? Well, it's not super stiff... though it's about 25% stiffer than stock. And you need to be careful, stiffer doesn't mean better all the time. Especially on a solid axle car (that is basically a pickup truck). You know how a lot of rear spring, say on a 1 ton truck doesn't work too well for ride or stability unless it's loaded with a lot of weight? Well, same thing here. There is no camber curve to control with the solid axle, etc.

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Well i was always under the impression that soft springs are for drag racing, and firm springs are for handling, and thats why you cant have both.

JD_AMG

Dragracers go for soft springs in the front to transfer weight faster (usually around stock like 290lbs/in or less depending on setup.)
They also like to run no front swaybar and an oversized rear swaybar. All of these things kill the handling. 150lbs/in in the rear for 1.2" lowering springs is plenty for our cars.

KingPin1094

iTrader: (12)

Alright thanks for the information