Strange question?
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Teching In
Joined: Nov 2009
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Strange question? A little over a year ago A shop recommended Strange engineering shocks for my 93 M6 Camaro. I have since had these shocks installed and have driven the car considerably past this point. At the time of the install It was recommended by Strange that we use a 325 pound spring. The ultimate goal with my Camaro is to have a car that is more handling oriented. Since then I have read on ls1 tech that Strange is predominately a drag shock, non gas charged etc. So my question is as follows In reading up on these shocks I have seen a variety of different opinions that seem to contradict each other. I am posting this to try to find out what the actual facts are in order to determine if I have bought the wrong suspension components?
I will list the 2 big questions I have below. Any thoughts would be highly appreciated.
1. The shocks Strange makes for the F body are monotube in design. I have never heard of a non gas charged monotube shock, so I am wondering if I am misinformed on this piece of info?
2. Strange shocks cannot handle a very high spring rate due both to their design and valving? I read all the time on LS1 tech about drivers running Koni shocks with a 550 pound spring. ( non coilover) I emailed Strange directly and asked about running a 500 plus pound hyper coil spring for handling applications and I was told in the reply that the Strange shocks absolutely had the adjustment range to handle such a spring rate. So I am wondering what the real story here is?
I will list the 2 big questions I have below. Any thoughts would be highly appreciated.
1. The shocks Strange makes for the F body are monotube in design. I have never heard of a non gas charged monotube shock, so I am wondering if I am misinformed on this piece of info?
2. Strange shocks cannot handle a very high spring rate due both to their design and valving? I read all the time on LS1 tech about drivers running Koni shocks with a 550 pound spring. ( non coilover) I emailed Strange directly and asked about running a 500 plus pound hyper coil spring for handling applications and I was told in the reply that the Strange shocks absolutely had the adjustment range to handle such a spring rate. So I am wondering what the real story here is?
1. Strange shocks are a twin tube, not mono, and are not gas charged.
2. Strange shocks can handle any spring rate as well as vehicle weight, and the damping rates need to be customized to those specifics if need be at the time of order. If you just purchase the "off the shelf" shocks you are getting a valve package that is setup for your average street/strip or heads up/bracket car. Any Strange shock is fee of charge to change valving at the time of purchase to work for your specific needs.
2. Strange shocks can handle any spring rate as well as vehicle weight, and the damping rates need to be customized to those specifics if need be at the time of order. If you just purchase the "off the shelf" shocks you are getting a valve package that is setup for your average street/strip or heads up/bracket car. Any Strange shock is fee of charge to change valving at the time of purchase to work for your specific needs.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
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From: St.Charles MO
A little over a year ago A shop recommended Strange engineering shocks for my 93 M6 Camaro. I have since had these shocks installed and have driven the car considerably past this point. At the time of the install It was recommended by Strange that we use a 325 pound spring. The ultimate goal with my Camaro is to have a car that is more handling oriented. Since then I have read on ls1 tech that Strange is predominately a drag shock, non gas charged etc. So my question is as follows In reading up on these shocks I have seen a variety of different opinions that seem to contradict each other. I am posting this to try to find out what the actual facts are in order to determine if I have bought the wrong suspension components?
I will list the 2 big questions I have below. Any thoughts would be highly appreciated.
1. The shocks Strange makes for the F body are monotube in design. I have never heard of a non gas charged monotube shock, so I am wondering if I am misinformed on this piece of info?
2. Strange shocks cannot handle a very high spring rate due both to their design and valving? I read all the time on LS1 tech about drivers running Koni shocks with a 550 pound spring. ( non coilover) I emailed Strange directly and asked about running a 500 plus pound hyper coil spring for handling applications and I was told in the reply that the Strange shocks absolutely had the adjustment range to handle such a spring rate. So I am wondering what the real story here is?
I will list the 2 big questions I have below. Any thoughts would be highly appreciated.
1. The shocks Strange makes for the F body are monotube in design. I have never heard of a non gas charged monotube shock, so I am wondering if I am misinformed on this piece of info?
2. Strange shocks cannot handle a very high spring rate due both to their design and valving? I read all the time on LS1 tech about drivers running Koni shocks with a 550 pound spring. ( non coilover) I emailed Strange directly and asked about running a 500 plus pound hyper coil spring for handling applications and I was told in the reply that the Strange shocks absolutely had the adjustment range to handle such a spring rate. So I am wondering what the real story here is?
As already stated they are not gas charged, just like the rest of the drag shocks out there (as they don't need to be because they were only design to transfer weight, not control it).
And the fact that the shop recommended a 325lbs spring for a "handling" spring is another dead giveaway they have no experience. A 500lbs spring is usually on the "softer" side of things for a front 4th gen spring for handling. Factory 1LE cars got 360lbs front springs (and Koni DA shocks).
While I don't have first hand experience with strange shocks its pretty obvious they are drag shocks, and similar to QA1s and the others in how they work/adjust. And if thats the case you are far better off with something like Konis. Its not about what the shock dyno looks like, its about how the shock actually works and how the adjuster works. Adjusting a shock "stiffer" is NOT the same with all makes, and does not mean it will handle well.
