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Best suspension upgrades for 4th gen ls
#1
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Best suspension upgrades for 4th gen ls
Hey guys I'm getting ready to upgrade my suspension a good bit. I was wondering what the best upgrades would be to start. Also if I should go with springs or shocks. Also if you know if any kind of kits out there let me know. Thanks a lot guys
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You need to be careful on what you purchase, and what you need really depends on what you do with the car.
There are also a few companies out there that build tubular components that look good and are adjustable, but are the same weight(and sometimes more)as stock components.
Give us a little insight of what you do and we can help you out from there.
You can also give us a call and we can go over all your options and spec out some package deals for you. MWC is the leader in 4th gen suspension and is the supplier of the components to the quickest and fastest stock suspension cars in the country. We have the highest quality, lowest prices, and the experience to back it all up when you need tech help.
There are also a few companies out there that build tubular components that look good and are adjustable, but are the same weight(and sometimes more)as stock components.
Give us a little insight of what you do and we can help you out from there.
You can also give us a call and we can go over all your options and spec out some package deals for you. MWC is the leader in 4th gen suspension and is the supplier of the components to the quickest and fastest stock suspension cars in the country. We have the highest quality, lowest prices, and the experience to back it all up when you need tech help.
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#3
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You need to offer a lot more information.
Number one, what are your goals? Drag racing, auto cross/track days. Better handling on the street?
Drag racing looks way different than a handling suspension. You can somewhat achieve both, mine is very fast on a RR track and have achieved a 1.47 60ft with an M6 on a QTP. A proper drag racing set up would have been faster though and a lot easier to hook up.
Number one, what are your goals? Drag racing, auto cross/track days. Better handling on the street?
Drag racing looks way different than a handling suspension. You can somewhat achieve both, mine is very fast on a RR track and have achieved a 1.47 60ft with an M6 on a QTP. A proper drag racing set up would have been faster though and a lot easier to hook up.
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My car is a street car. I'm looking to get a suspension package that really makes my car stick to the road. It handles great for being a stock m6 ls1 but I want a little more in the corners. I also wanna beef up the suspension to keep from bottoming out as much on **** *** back roads of PA
#5
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For overall handling:
-Koni SA or the STR.T
-lower springs, there are a few good ones. I like Stranos myself.
-Sway bars, Stranos are hard to beat for function and price
-if you do a TA, keep it long, not a chassis mount. I have used both, short will help hook up, but will cause the rear to snap out, and or axle hop under braking.
-if you go with LCA's, do not go all urethane, they bind to much. Lock at a UR/Rod or the new Roto style joints. I have all Rod, but they make more noise.
-get a more aggressive alignment.
-good tires help a lot.
That is about it off the top of my head.
If Sam pipes in, he knows how to make these cars handle better than anyone.
-Koni SA or the STR.T
-lower springs, there are a few good ones. I like Stranos myself.
-Sway bars, Stranos are hard to beat for function and price
-if you do a TA, keep it long, not a chassis mount. I have used both, short will help hook up, but will cause the rear to snap out, and or axle hop under braking.
-if you go with LCA's, do not go all urethane, they bind to much. Lock at a UR/Rod or the new Roto style joints. I have all Rod, but they make more noise.
-get a more aggressive alignment.
-good tires help a lot.
That is about it off the top of my head.
If Sam pipes in, he knows how to make these cars handle better than anyone.
#6
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And... I live in PA. A bit west of you, but I know how the roads are. And well, that knowledge played a part in my setups, because we don't have pristine smooth roads, and we have twisty roads too. And the Championships I won my '01 Z28, were with the same setup I'd drive back and forth to work 10 miles each way (on a secondary state road, not a primary one... I mention that because we're talking patched, tar and chip, etc. vs. nice new asphalt and all).
Not hard at all to make these things drive a LOT better. Really. But, it is helpful for you to have some idea what you dislike most so we can deal with all that first. I know it's tempting to say "I just want it to handle better", but that's not super helpful in itself as EVERYONE wants that. And "handling" is not one thing, it's a lot of things together that come together to make a "good handling car". Balance, road holding, stability, harshness are all part of handling.
Not hard at all to make these things drive a LOT better. Really. But, it is helpful for you to have some idea what you dislike most so we can deal with all that first. I know it's tempting to say "I just want it to handle better", but that's not super helpful in itself as EVERYONE wants that. And "handling" is not one thing, it's a lot of things together that come together to make a "good handling car". Balance, road holding, stability, harshness are all part of handling.
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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
#7
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Wow that's kinda ironic that u live in PA lol with all that being said I really don't know what I like... I havnt done any performance handling upgrades seeing as this is my first fbody and only my second car next to my first POS junker eclipse. All I really know is I want to keep from bottoming out and I want it to stick a lot more into corners. I find myself setting up to come out of the corner which isn't bad but I'd like to be able to put it into the corner more if that makes sense. Also my front right wheel has a little bit of a shake in it from about 60-70 do you guys have any idea y?
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I'm also interested. I have a '02 SS and would like it to handle like my '04 Z06. I would like to get better than the Z06 so I'm listening too.
BTW, I'm originally from Pa and know all about how PENDOT does a "road repair" LOL
BTW, I'm originally from Pa and know all about how PENDOT does a "road repair" LOL
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The Michigan state bird is the road cone.
I need shocks, but hell if I can afford any decent ones.
Just gonna run the stock de-carbons with my Strano springs until I can't anymore.
I need shocks, but hell if I can afford any decent ones.
Just gonna run the stock de-carbons with my Strano springs until I can't anymore.
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So since I'm not getting much feedback what are the top suspension upgrades for my ls? Should I start with springs and shocks or should I go with a torque arm and panhard rod bars or what??
#14
Start with shocks, then springs. Best shocks you can afford, Koni's are the best. Most drastic ride and handling improvement. I would not add lowering springs without having a nice pair of shocks. The stock shocks on 4th gens are absolute pieces of trash and don't belong on any car.
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First I'd research and buy shocks and springs. I'd say beware those cheapo Ebay lowering springs that are made in Asia. They look cute and bright ricey colors but it only takes 1 to sag and make you look like a circus prop.
#18
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Make sure you do not buy drag shocks.
Like QA1s, Strange, Viking, none of those are up to the task.
For me, Shocks made the biggest difference. Sway bars make it feel flatter, but for real grip and faster times, shocks made the biggest difference.
I think I modded mine in this order:
1/front sway bar solid larger
2/rear lower control arms, mixed Uth/Rod
3/SFCs, weld in, Strut Tower brace, Tunnel mount TA
4/shocks and springs
5/rear sway bar /PHB, upper control arms
6/RR K member, Lower front control arms, removed the Strut Tower brace.
7/Watts link, New long TA, the short one had some bad handling traits.
8/ New hollow front SWB, and Adjustable rear SWB
9/RR front lower control arms, drag race ones broke.
If I did it again, shocks would be first, springs then sway bars. I know some people liked the subframe connectors, but gained no speed at all, though they do feel better. The same with a Strut Tower brace.
Like QA1s, Strange, Viking, none of those are up to the task.
For me, Shocks made the biggest difference. Sway bars make it feel flatter, but for real grip and faster times, shocks made the biggest difference.
I think I modded mine in this order:
1/front sway bar solid larger
2/rear lower control arms, mixed Uth/Rod
3/SFCs, weld in, Strut Tower brace, Tunnel mount TA
4/shocks and springs
5/rear sway bar /PHB, upper control arms
6/RR K member, Lower front control arms, removed the Strut Tower brace.
7/Watts link, New long TA, the short one had some bad handling traits.
8/ New hollow front SWB, and Adjustable rear SWB
9/RR front lower control arms, drag race ones broke.
If I did it again, shocks would be first, springs then sway bars. I know some people liked the subframe connectors, but gained no speed at all, though they do feel better. The same with a Strut Tower brace.
#19
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Shocks first, if you want it lowered shocks and springs first. Don't buy Eibach, that is probably the worst purchase I made. The look is awesome, the ride and durability....absolute crap. If I would have saved the money I have thrown into mods that I am having to replace now I could have paid for the Koni SAs and not be in the market for new shocks and springs now......
#20
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Shocks are the single MOST IMPORTANT thing to make better on these cars. You can certainly run my springs on stock shocks, but considering that the stock shocks are pretty weak and are usually quite overwhelmed by the taller, softer stock springs, putting shorter and stiffer springs on usually isn't a prescription for the best driving car. I'd love to say my springs were so magical they could make any shock look good. But I'm not a big one for telling tall tales, and well others do that plenty (claim their springs "work with any shock"). Not my thing, rather be honest.
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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,
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