handling differences?
handling differences? For a while i've been trying to figure out why the camaro and firebird
handle differently. I've owned a few camaro Z28's and a few SS's.
But when i bought my 2002 WS6 i noticed a big difference in the steering responds and the overall handling between the two. The camaro's steering is tighter than the firebird. My SS had stiffer steering, where as my WS6 took less effort but had more slop. Also the WS6 seemed like it was over boosted but the SS took more effort to steer. ALso the WS6 had more body roll through turns at higher speeds, the nose wanted to plow under sharp turns and hard braking. It's not a big deal really, but i like to drive aggressive but my SS with stock suspension handled a lot better than my WS6 did with aftermarket parts. Is it possible that GM used different steering racks in the WS6 than the SS? I know the part number are the same on the springs and the sway bars. So maybe the shock valving is different? And if they both used the same parts why did the WS6 need less effort to steer, and why did the WS6 have a little more slop. IF anyone drove both cars back to back you can feel a major difference. Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to know what did GM do to make each model steer and handle differently. I think since the WS6 was more up scale they did something to soften the handling and reduce steering effort. I appreciate any help from someone who has noticed this difference.
Thanks,
Den
handle differently. I've owned a few camaro Z28's and a few SS's.
But when i bought my 2002 WS6 i noticed a big difference in the steering responds and the overall handling between the two. The camaro's steering is tighter than the firebird. My SS had stiffer steering, where as my WS6 took less effort but had more slop. Also the WS6 seemed like it was over boosted but the SS took more effort to steer. ALso the WS6 had more body roll through turns at higher speeds, the nose wanted to plow under sharp turns and hard braking. It's not a big deal really, but i like to drive aggressive but my SS with stock suspension handled a lot better than my WS6 did with aftermarket parts. Is it possible that GM used different steering racks in the WS6 than the SS? I know the part number are the same on the springs and the sway bars. So maybe the shock valving is different? And if they both used the same parts why did the WS6 need less effort to steer, and why did the WS6 have a little more slop. IF anyone drove both cars back to back you can feel a major difference. Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to know what did GM do to make each model steer and handle differently. I think since the WS6 was more up scale they did something to soften the handling and reduce steering effort. I appreciate any help from someone who has noticed this difference.
Thanks,
Den
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
For a while i've been trying to figure out why the camaro and firebird
handle differently. I've owned a few camaro Z28's and a few SS's.
But when i bought my 2002 WS6 i noticed a big difference in the steering responds and the overall handling between the two. The camaro's steering is tighter than the firebird. My SS had stiffer steering, where as my WS6 took less effort but had more slop. Also the WS6 seemed like it was over boosted but the SS took more effort to steer. ALso the WS6 had more body roll through turns at higher speeds, the nose wanted to plow under sharp turns and hard braking. It's not a big deal really, but i like to drive aggressive but my SS with stock suspension handled a lot better than my WS6 did with aftermarket parts. Is it possible that GM used different steering racks in the WS6 than the SS?
handle differently. I've owned a few camaro Z28's and a few SS's.
But when i bought my 2002 WS6 i noticed a big difference in the steering responds and the overall handling between the two. The camaro's steering is tighter than the firebird. My SS had stiffer steering, where as my WS6 took less effort but had more slop. Also the WS6 seemed like it was over boosted but the SS took more effort to steer. ALso the WS6 had more body roll through turns at higher speeds, the nose wanted to plow under sharp turns and hard braking. It's not a big deal really, but i like to drive aggressive but my SS with stock suspension handled a lot better than my WS6 did with aftermarket parts. Is it possible that GM used different steering racks in the WS6 than the SS?
I know the part number are the same on the springs and the sway bars. So maybe the shock valving is different? And if they both used the same parts why did the WS6 need less effort to steer, and why did the WS6 have a little more slop. IF anyone drove both cars back to back you can feel a major difference. Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to know what did GM do to make each model steer and handle differently. I think since the WS6 was more up scale they did something to soften the handling and reduce steering effort. I appreciate any help from someone who has noticed this difference.
Thanks,
Den
Thanks,
Den
You sure the WS6 is a real one and not a clone?
Tires also can make quite the difference as well even in feel.
Thank for responding. My WS6 was brand new. I traded in my '99 SS M6 cause i loved the way the WS6 looked. Even today the car still has better styling then today's cars. My SS didn't have the bilstiens shocks. To get my WS6 to handle like the SS I swapped out everything except the rack. I hoping in the near future I would love to get a black WS6 or the red 35th anniversary SS or a black or Navy Blue SS A4. I saw a 2002 black Firehawk with less than 5,000 mile. It looks awesome. But the first upgrade i would do to the Firehawk would get steering and handling like the SS. I'm not sure what Pontiac did, but my WS6 did not take turns as well as my '99 SS or my '02 SS. Again thanks for your input if i decide on a Firehawk or a WS6 i'll try to get the steering rack straight out of a SS...BTW your WS6 looks great.
Den
Den
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Thank for responding. My WS6 was brand new. I traded in my '99 SS M6 cause i loved the way the WS6 looked. Even today the car still has better styling then today's cars. My SS didn't have the bilstiens shocks. To get my WS6 to handle like the SS I swapped out everything except the rack.
This is strange, the SS and Z28s Ive driven/been in didn't drive significantly different/any different from my WS6. I could tell the difference between the suspension/wheels from the Z28 has, but even that wasn't too big of a difference.
I hoping in the near future I would love to get a black WS6 or the red 35th anniversary SS or a black or Navy Blue SS A4. I saw a 2002 black Firehawk with less than 5,000 mile. It looks awesome. But the first upgrade i would do to the Firehawk would get steering and handling like the SS. I'm not sure what Pontiac did, but my WS6 did not take turns as well as my '99 SS or my '02 SS. Again thanks for your input if i decide on a Firehawk or a WS6 i'll try to get the steering rack straight out of a SS...BTW your WS6 looks great.
Den
Den
Instead of getting OEM replacement parts look into aftermarket if you havent, way way better for performance and handling. (look into Koni shocks, strano springs and strano swaybars - car will handle better than you can imagine an Fbody ever could).
Very interesting. What did you swap exactly? Were they aftermarket or the stock SS parts?
This is strange, the SS and Z28s Ive driven/been in didn't drive significantly different/any different from my WS6. I could tell the difference between the suspension/wheels from the Z28 has, but even that wasn't too big of a difference.
Thanks for the complement.
Instead of getting OEM replacement parts look into aftermarket if you havent, way way better for performance and handling. (look into Koni shocks, strano springs and strano swaybars - car will handle better than you can imagine an Fbody ever could).
This is strange, the SS and Z28s Ive driven/been in didn't drive significantly different/any different from my WS6. I could tell the difference between the suspension/wheels from the Z28 has, but even that wasn't too big of a difference.
Thanks for the complement.
Instead of getting OEM replacement parts look into aftermarket if you havent, way way better for performance and handling. (look into Koni shocks, strano springs and strano swaybars - car will handle better than you can imagine an Fbody ever could).
Den
TECH Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 430
Likes: 0
From: Piqua,OH
Kind of a stupid thought, but it's possible the Camaro weighed less than the ws6 and that was enough to make it not feel quite as tight. As far as I'm aware, they share the same exact parts unless the Camaro got the SLP treatment.
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I have noticed a HUGE differeance between my 01 z28 and 02 firebird trans am. The Z28 sits off the ground much higher in the frt and rides very soft, does't feel harsh at all.
The trans am on the other hand is much lower in the frt and is stiff as a board, handles great! Both are bone stock. I want to do something to get the Z feeling a little more like the TA.
The Z handles well in the turns just doesn't feel as stiff or responsive as it should like the TA.
The trans am on the other hand is much lower in the frt and is stiff as a board, handles great! Both are bone stock. I want to do something to get the Z feeling a little more like the TA.
The Z handles well in the turns just doesn't feel as stiff or responsive as it should like the TA.
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There was a lot of talk many years ago that 98-99 SS cars (possibly WS-6 cars) got 1LE bushings and springs, but not shocks. I have never been able to find any hard documentation. I do know that my 99 SS seems to be more heavily sprung than friends newer SS/WS-6 cars of similar mileage. We are talking about back in 2004ish. The cars had similar miles, and were not nearly as old as they are now. I even asked Scott Settlemire, but did not get a definitive answer.
There can be lots of little differences. Many different springs, shock valvings, etc. Up to about mid-2000 SS's and WS6's got 1LE springs, after that normal Z28/Formula stuff. But there are like 6 different front and 6 different rear GM springs that could have come on a car. And there isn't always consistency. I guy who used to work for me ordered a 2002 Z28 optioned IDENTICALLY to my 2001... And it came in with different rear springs. Figure that one out.
This is EXACTLY why I'm always wanting to know what the car drives like, and I work from there instead of some pie-in-the-sky idea of making it "better". Not knowing what you have makes it pretty hard to know how much better is better.
This is EXACTLY why I'm always wanting to know what the car drives like, and I work from there instead of some pie-in-the-sky idea of making it "better". Not knowing what you have makes it pretty hard to know how much better is better.
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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
Wow, I wonder if GM is so inconsistent with the 5th Gens too?
There can be lots of little differences. Many different springs, shock valvings, etc. Up to about mid-2000 SS's and WS6's got 1LE springs, after that normal Z28/Formula stuff. But there are like 6 different front and 6 different rear GM springs that could have come on a car. And there isn't always consistency. I guy who used to work for me ordered a 2002 Z28 optioned IDENTICALLY to my 2001... And it came in with different rear springs. Figure that one out.
This is EXACTLY why I'm always wanting to know what the car drives like, and I work from there instead of some pie-in-the-sky idea of making it "better". Not knowing what you have makes it pretty hard to know how much better is better.
This is EXACTLY why I'm always wanting to know what the car drives like, and I work from there instead of some pie-in-the-sky idea of making it "better". Not knowing what you have makes it pretty hard to know how much better is better.
