stock400whp

wells its time to work on suspension upgrade. only other thing done is adjustable panhard bar and moser 12bolt.

uses: mostly 99% street but would like to try autocross this coming year so i would like to setup my suspension. (would be my first time.)

being a 600whp car my tire setup is zr1 wheels with 315 nitto 555r (dr) rears and ExtremeContact DWS 275 up front.

after all my search i was convinced to go with koni/strano springs combo.


however after looking up the price it looks like its going to be about $1308 for only just :
koni shocks
strano springs


compared to my second options $984
slp bilstein
strano springs
front and rear sway bar kit(strano)

that still leaves me with about $324 more to spend on maybe some LCA, or brake refresh or bushings etc.


with those two option which would handle better? would the addition of sway bar make it out handle the koni or will koni still be on top?

just trying to find the best performance per dollar. because i do not have the fund for koni/strano and sways but i can get sways if i get bilstein slp.

SuperSport01

I would choose option 2 (even though option 1 has vastly superior Koni yellow shocks with room to grow) but instead of SLP Bilsteins I would get Koni STR.T shocks. Koni STR.T from Strano are $10 more than the SLP Bilsteins he sells. The Koni STR.T are better than SLP Bilsteins imo. Call Strano and get his opinion, I think he'll agree.

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I agree that the Koni STR.T with either BMR or Strano springs is the best budget setup you can do. That combo is only a little over $600

Chris Paveglio

iTrader: (2)

How about a third option: Keep stock springs, get Koni (yellow) and Strano front sway bar. I have had this for a number of years. The shocks REALLY make the biggest improvement, and the front bar does help a lot. Street manners are good, AX is pretty good too. Get springs later.

IMO don't even bother with LCA if they are in good shape. Brakes are a good use of funds. Even stock calipers with a better pad can give good results. My pads are Carbotech AX6 - super grippy even when cold, but a LOT of dust for a DD car.

But almost everyone will agree- doing some autocross does not require improvements to your car. For the first year, if you like it and do it regularly, you get more bang for your buck for just doing more and practicing. Modding the car first might be a disadvantage as you aren't used to the new setup. But I DO HIGHLY recommend the Koni shocks. They instantly made my 01 TA an all around better handling car.

stock400whp

oh ok thank you for the sudggestion guys ill look into the STRT more.

do you think that setup will out handle set up #2? the thing is this setup will have to last a couple of years because ill be putting more money elsewhere.

i cant just get the front bar. the car is missing the rear bar so ill be buying a set.

and just wanting to refresh suspension component. car has 165k miles and from the looks of it, its from factory. LCA or other stuff. my point is i would still have left over to do other stuff and have that shock/spring/sway taken care off.


as far as autox and modding, the mods isnt geared for autox-car is still 99% street car(dd). i figured since i want to try it now would be the best time to change that . coming from import car this car feels really sloppy so i wanted to tighten everything up.


whats everyone experience with buying used konis? this may be an option but not sure since i would loose that lifetime warranty

MTs94Z

iTrader: (1)

First I'd highly recommend calling or emailing Sam Strano FIRST! He will set you straight w/ what to expect ie. advantages, disadvantages, etc.
That being said if it were me in your situation I'd probably do Koni's w/ Strano sway bars on the stock springs. Put the Koni's on the lower perch upfront and do the "hose mod" outback and it should still sit nice on stock springs. With the power you have and plans for Auto-X'ing it, Koni's may save $$ in the long term as well as not creating any handling or longevity issues the Bilsteins may/will have. JMO.

Midnight02

iTrader: (8)

A few years ago I changed my car from a drag race setup to a road course car. I fought with this decision for a while and went with option #2 (Bilsteins, Strano springs and Strano bars).

Here are my thoughts: It's a night and day difference from stock -- the car is much tighter and handles well on the track. I recognize that I'm leaving performance on the table by not going with the Konis (and I absolutely will go with a set of Koni yellows once the Bilsteins get tired) however I don't feel like a huge limitation that has to be overcome on the track. Unless you're an experienced driver with hundreds of hours of seat time, I would argue the difference in lap times from a Koni car vs. a Bilstein car is nominal.

All that being said, if you didn't have the budget constraints, the Konis are the way to go. If you're concerned about ride height and adjustability, that would be another vote for the Konis as they offer more flexibility than the fixed Bilstein/Strano spring option.

I've made a bunch of friends out there at the tracks and constantly get compliments from guys on how well my "straight line car" handles. Sure, its heavy and limited by a solid rear axle, however with my modest suspension improvements, plenty of power on tap and R-compound tires it makes for a very capable track car.

dailydriver

What did you do to your car that puts you into E/SP instead of F/S, the subframe connectors, or are there other mods putting you there??

Corvett z07

iTrader: (2)

Have you been driving without a rear bar???

I place my vote for #2. I'd look into the Str.ts in place of the Bilsteins, yet either option wouldn't be a bad option at all. Midnight has some pretty good thoughts on it as well. I think we can both agree that sway bars make the most noticeable difference overall, turn in is awesome with a bigger front sway bar.

Don't forget that you might have to deal with rusted shock mounts when doing the front. Plus, you will have to get it aligned as well afterwards. I had over a degree of toe in after I put on lowering springs That's probably why I'd go with the less expensive option because you get sway bars + extra money in case you need it for the install, like shock mounts and an alignment. Easier said than done, but don't forget to factor that into the cost just in case!

rentedmule

I have basically the same setup on my car except with BMR springs and it is great. I tried without the sway bars first and they definitely make a big difference. I've found the Bilsteins solid but they don't handle bumpy auto-x courses as well as I was hoping they would. The car 'pogos' a bit over uneven pavement when loaded in a corner or under acceleration.

Chris Paveglio

iTrader: (2)

I use R tires, and SFC, and strut tower brace (although it effectiveness is always in doubt) and now I have a race seat

stock400whp

yea i bought the car with the moser 12bolt installed already. I didnt realized it was missing until i went to install the panhard bar. I guess since the tube size is different the installer didnt bother.


found a decent price for an off car adjustable rear konis. new for 243/pair shipped

heres the setup im thinking.

$243 shipped 30-1265 Sport koni rear pair(for 92-97 but suppose to fit 98+???)
$195 shipped 8250 1005 STRT Koni front pair
$209 shipped bmr springs

total: $647 shipped

do you guys foresee an issue with miss matching shocks like that? i figured since i wont really be adjusting it. off car is fine for my use(ill just put it in full soft to try to match the front STRT.)
also should i decide/funds allow koni sports. i would only need to replace the front and not all four.

or if that too mismatched that i would be better off going all STRT all around?


with that i would still be under 1k with strano sways or umi solids.

what do you guys think?


i have considered keeping stock springs but ideally i want the car to be lower.

dailydriver

Some would say the same (bolded above) about the SFCs as well, but the seat alone puts you into SP.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Yeah calling would be best. Look I know the Koni Sports aren't what most would call cheap. But neither are decent headers, or wheels, or tires, or a rear axle but folks do that stuff all the time.

Simply put you can save money on shocks, but you compromise the way the car behaves at some point, or depending on the shocks at *ALL* times by some measure.

I would never recommend the Bilstein's for an autox car, not enough rebound. The Koni STR.T's I'd only, reluctantly, recommend if you tell me you just want the car to be decent at everything. Not to be too blunt, but shocks matter a lot more than the other stuff you are trying to save money for by going to cheaper shocks.