cyberkill

I've neglected my SS over the years, and now I feel bad.

Here's the situation: Currently, suspension-wise, 100% stock - every bar, every spring...everything - not even warranty or replacements! I think my rear shocks are toast. If I have passengers in the back seat and I'm on the highway going 60ish+, if I hit a dip in the road, sometimes I'll hear the tire scrape, and sometimes, it'll slam - BANG! - like the whole car just bottomed out. At least on the driver's side I can tell you, I don't even have a bumpstop anymore. So, I'm looking to replace them. The fronts are also not in the best shape, so I'm going to do all 4.

SO...now that I have another daily driver, I feel less anxiety about modifying the Camaro...except, I'm not really modifying, I'm repairing...with benefits.

Goal: I plan to one day get the car in the mid 400 rwhp area. I may drag 0-3 times a year, so it's not really a concern. As long as I can drag without worrying about it breaking, I'm ok. What I really want, is the BMW feeling...i.e. Glued To The Road Handling!

I'm actually not wanting to lower the car (clearance scares me), but I heard i could do shocks with stock springs, and I'm probably leaning in that direction. Budget is probably $1K, but I'll entertain the thought of going a little over. I was just about to buy a set of QA1 SA shocks, but just before buying, I did a "QA1" search query here, and it got me more negative reviews than positive, so now I'm lost.

Oh...and can I reuse my stock springs, or does that bottoming out problem suggest my springs are bad too?

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

IMO, get set of Bilstein SLP shocks($380), new front upper mounts(Moog $95), and some new rear bumpstops($20-30).

blknSS

Get oem mounts or weld something to the moog captive nuts so they won't spin on you....trust me. Bilstiens are a must IMO. How many miles on the SS? Might want to look into new bushings for control arms front and rear as well. But for the price of bushings you could upgrade to some founders or umi stuff for just a little more. I am wrapping up my suspension/brake overhaul now which is putting me behind on getting my cam installed but if you can't keep it on the road what's the point of having a billion rwhp...

cyberkill

Thanks for the replies!
The SS has about 117,000 or so. Are Bilsteins better than QA1 for handling or are they just cheaper? (I DO like the price of them)

blknSS

Cheaper for sure. Definitely weigh in my decision. I have Herd negative things about qa1s but beauty is sometimes in the eye of the holder. I've never run them so can't give you any prospective on them. I do know the bilstiens will fit into your budget and leave room for more "repairs with benefits".

blknSS

Cheaper for sure. Definitely weigh in my decision. I have Herd negative things about qa1s but beauty is sometimes in the eye of the holder. I've never run them so can't give you any prospective on them. I do know the bilstiens will fit into your budget and leave room for more "repairs with benefits". I think you will be happy with the bilstiens, not to mention the coin you save.

justin hover

Get bilsteins, other than koni, their the best you can get. If you really want your wheels planted, than go with bilstein and a set of lower control arms. That combo will usually take care of any wheel hop. A new torque arm will really help with the nose lifting/diving on hard accell/braking as well.

BMR Sales2

iTrader: (40)

I agree with this in that I think the Bilstein shocks would be the best all around option for you. They are affordable, they work well for daily driving, and the are probably the best bang for the buck when it comes to shocks. With the amount of mileage you have on the vehicle installing the Bilstein shocks would make a nice difference and I would visually inspect the front strut mounts and see if they need to be replaced. Since you are hitting in the rear on dips and bumps definitely check out the rear bump stops, more than likely the bump stop are all deteriorated to the point of not working so I would definitely swap them out if they are.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Agreed, Bilstein's given your stated wants. WAY better quality than QA1 (which aren't even a gas charged shock). The car is a driver, and Bilstein's are the best budget solution for upgrading dampers if you don't need or want to put something really spectacular on it like a Koni.

z28bryan

iTrader: (7)

QA1's don't appear to be good for anything from what I've witnessed by doing my homework. People say they are a drag shock. But when I see what the drag racing techs here recommend I see AFCO shocks or Strange for the budget minded.

For you... unquestionably Bilstiens are what you want.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

BTW, cyberkill.. since we spoke about the sway bar, I have any information needed to send a set of shocks tomorrow. Nothing but an email would be necessary, no ordering no phone calls... just a "yes" when you are ready. Once I process that bar order though I'd need a formal order if you want shocks later.

BMR Tech2

iTrader: (5)

Well, I daily drove on QA1 shocks for about 6 years on the street and was at the track several times a month. They were very excellent at the track. The large amount of of adjustment really allows you to dial them in. I was extremely consistent, and that had a lot to do with the shocks. I eventually had them sent out to become double adjustables and they were ideal for total weight transfer control.

However, since my purchase, there have been people with less-than-stellar experiences with the same shocks. I believe there may have been a reduction in quality or a change in materials. Either way, people were reporting leaking shocks. While QA1 may have taken care of these warranty issues as any good company would, it can leave a bad taste in the mouth and disrupt the reputation in the car community. This appears to be what has been done.

Strange is the new kid on the block with their F-body shocks. They are cheaper, well-built, and work very well at the track. So when you are provided with options on shock choices, it's a no-brainer as to why people have been using Strange more often.

Strange and QA1 are not desirable for the street at all if you ask me. I'm just flat out honest that every person getting in my car complained about the ride. I was used to it, but passengers weren't so I don't think they're intolerable, they're just not going to be comfortable no matter how you adjust them. They will get the job done at the track!

cyberkill

Thank you all so much for the replies! I really appreciate the feedback and advice! Sounds like Bilsteins are a go (and for the price, didn't have to tell me twice )

Sam, I think I may add to that order...look for my PM in a bit..

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Responded. I forgot to tell you I do have them in stock... My bad.