Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Some better shocks will certainly help. But in the meantime have you tried turning the damping up on the QA1's? That should at least help. While there isn't generally enough rebound, that's better than a lot too little if you run a low setting.

LILWS6

ive played with it a little bit i haven't tried higher tho i may play with it this year until i can afford a set of koni's I know you told me not to put them on in the first place but... live and learn

00transamws6

iTrader: (4)

JD- nice and simple review, very helpful for the anyone considering Konis/Stranos.

Sail Hatan

sorry to bump an old thread, but this is good info.

JD has always had good reviews, and real world results. I think im gunna go with some konis, I already have from bmr springs, so Maybe ill just get the rears. I keep wanting to set my car up for drag racing, but I havent taken it to a track in the year and a half that Ive owned it, so why bother. i think konis are what I want to make it handle like a whole different car.

current suspention-
bmr front lowering springs
stock rear springs cut half coil, and hose mod
shock replacement shocks. (been on there a long time)
bmr solid lca's
bmr adjustable panhard bar
founders lca relocation brackets
founders upper panhard relocation kit (pretty sure this is a negative, but I was once planning duals over axle
founders stb
everything else is stock, Id love to make it ride like a whole new car.[/U]

a97transam

I've added parts over a few years and can't remember the difference each part made apart from the Watts link which was the single biggest difference of all.
My goal was a great handling American car to upset Jeremy Clarkson!

BMR springs
Koni 4/3 (front set one click softer than the middle setting, rear set on full soft).
Strano bars front and rear
Nastyc4 rear isolators & front koni on upper perch (level stance)
UMI LCA's (poly/roto)
UMI torque arm
UMI LCA relo brackets
SLP 3 point SFC's
LS1 front brakes, stock LT1 rears with Hawk pads on all four corners & SS lines
Tires are 275/40*17 Kuhmo MX's

The car handles really well, surprising almost everything out there. It stays flat and neutral and the cars limits are higher than mine - a big difference to the stock setup!
The last two additions were the watts link and the relo brackets.
The watts link - wow! after adding this the car not only felt nicer to drive but the transition into steering angles felt sharper and inspired more confidence. Even if corner carving isn't your thing - GM should have done this from the factory (or IRS!) as its so much better even on a road car.
The relo brackets were added to combat wheel hop under hard acceleration. After all the other mods the rear LCA's were pointing up towards the axle which for handling (as opposed to drag racing) shouldn't make much difference but I was finding axle hop noticeable on anything less than a perfect road. The relo brackets have reduced but not removed this.
I do find the back end to be very hard, especially over speed humps. It feels almost solid yet corners perfectly.

Overall - a very composed car, that takes curvers faster than I would have thought possible. Straight line comfort is still very good with tramlining from the tyres my only other complaint.

Pics can seen here: https://ls1tech.com/forums/17090392-post62.html
The front settled a little more after those were taken and the rear has dropped with the change to the nastyc4 isolators.

camarokid91

Here we go



I run ESP with my car and have a couple regional wins on the East coast in CP, SM and some club racing before I put a stock motor back in. Goal of my car is to goto nationals and place decent. This is only my second year racing but I'm figuring out my setup and it is as follows:

alignment:
-2.3 camber
5.5 caster
1/16 toe out

Car Weighs 3450 going on a diet soon
Car dyno'd 327/330
Stock motor TSP headers/MagnaFlow cat back

Ride Height 26.5 Front 26.4 Rear

GW Upper A's
Strano Springs 550/150
Koni SA's
Bmr front sway
Strano 3 way adjustable rear sway
UMI Panhard Bar going to watts next year
UMI subframe Connectors
UMI lower Control arms
-All UMI are on poly/roto bushings
BMR Adjustable Tourque Arm bar
Hawk HPS pads
Jeep poly bump stops
Turn 1 PS pump
Nitto NT-05's/ Hoosier 315/35/17 on all 4 corners

Redline oil and PS fluid

Car handles great now and is very quick in AX. I get a lot of compliments about how quick I am for being in such a huge car. On street tires I'm only a second slower than some of the better drivers in miata's. These car from the factory handle like a off road truck, they are simple terrible. The one item on my car that really woke it up would be Sam's springs. The increased rates are excellent, my car used to max out the old springs and would hit the bump stops while cornering.

If you are serious about handling I would recommend you register on Frrax.com and search everything on the forum. People over there know an insane amount for these cars a lot more than stance nation here.