masterpug

Looking to upgrade my stock 2000 T/A suspension.

Goal is daily driver that can out corner a ws6 thru the twisties.

Plan to get into some SOLO 2 racing...but keeping farily comfortable ride for the freqent long ( 200 miles each way ) trips i do is important too.

Felt the ws6 suspension was great on one i drove for a weekend.

SO i am looking at the 1LE suspenion kit...using my stock 16x9/50 series wheels and tires for now..at least until i ruin the tires!

1) Anycomments on how the 1LE compares to the ws6 suspenion in reagrds to handling and ride comfort ?

2) Suggestions as to cheapest price and place to get this setup?

3) What shocks would you use with this..Bilstein? Koni? Im not sure but dont think any are usally included with the kits...but everything i read sasy that its important to match up componenets to work together.


thanx


Frank
aka " the guy finally having a car he can have fun with again"

APeteSS

you can get the kit with shocks www.slponline.com
I'm not particularly a fan of the ILE control arms and Panhard rod since they're just stock pieces with bottom plates welded to the undersides. Also, the bushings are "harder durometer" but aren't polyurethane

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

I ordered the 1LE swaybars this week from www.GMPartsDirect.com. These are the first suspension upgrade over stock ('00 Z-28), so once I get them on, I will let you know how they feel.


-Mike

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

I have the 1LE bushings in my LCAs (which are
boxed stockers). The rubber is not just harder
but lacks the perforations of the stock ones.
Very solid, doubt that poly would be any more
firm.

That GM PART # 1LESTABKIT kit is a pretty low price,
for what's in it. Is this what you're getting?

But there's little detail on the 'bars (diameter etc.).
When they come in, can you post up what diameter
sway bars they are (want to see if they are any
beefier than what I've got now).

chupr0kabra

iTrader: (10)

The 1LE sway bars I ordered are hollow, and the front is 32mm, rear is 21mm. For the price, I couldn't pass them up, especially after a lot of people on this board gave them high marks.


-Mike

Tom L. Busby

I have a '98 1LE. The rear LCA's are great. I have replaced everything else on the suspension except the 2x adjustable shocks, springs, and front upper control arms. My point is that you can buy better stuff from LG or Sam Strano, except as noted above.

The rear 1LE springs are a little too stiff unless you add weight to the back because 1LE's were designed for adding a roll cage. I have the battery in the back, so problem solved. It is a street car without a roll cage.

You really need to have 17" wheels -- this is the best single improvment IMO. Then a Torsen TR2 posi in the diff is amazing. Then LG's front lower control arms will keep the front onto each corner -- but these squeak a little too much for your use I guess. The get some rear 1LE LCA's but I think these are from SLP only now, but I'm not sure. Everything else in the bushing-department is some, but a small, improvment and basically just dicking around with changes.

I used to have a '89 Firbird and I ran 1LE LCA's and they were nice. That's why I bought a 1LE in '98. 1LE cars were a great value to buy new, but now, look at the price of each part before you glom onto the idea of paying the dealer or SLP for 1LE parts.

'95-'97 rear sway bars are 21mm. '98+ 1LE's are 19mm and the same as the WS6.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

It all depends on how serious you are of course, but here's what I would recomend: ST 35 mm solid front bar, 1LE 21 mm solid rear bar, stock LCA's with 1LE bushings; 1LE springs with one coil removed from front springs, 2 coils removed from rear springs, a good rod-end panhard bar, poly sway bar bushings, SLP subframe connectors, and Koni single-adjustable front shocks with Bilstein rear shocks. Oh and any relocation brackets that weld in. Stay away from aftermarket LCA's at all costs unless they have rod end joints, and even that only if you are willing to maintain them.

BadAndy

What makes you say that?
Also, from what I understand, the later 1LE swaybars were designed to dial in a bit of understeer. I hate understeer. Would the older 21mm rear bar instead of the later 19mm rear bar even it bacdk out or add a bit of oversteer?

John95Z28

Yes, the thicker 21mm rear bar would give less understeer. Manufacturers like to dial in some understeer because it makes the cars safer for newbies to drive. It shouldn't be enough to oversteer, but will be more 'neutral' in corners with less understeer.

As for aftermarket LCAs - most have poly bushings, which can lead to problems. Trackbird has a good tech explanation of this on his website. Stick with heim joints if you want more precision, otherwise rubber bushings are best

redarrow

I have the 1LE on my 01 Firehawk. It is brutal on anything but the smoothest of pavement. Also bangs around in the rear like a jamaican kettle band. I also have an unexplained crunching/banging sound coming from the rear when I back up and turn at slow speeds.

sawedoff

iTrader: (3)

I have a 99' Z28 that is a factory 1LE. The ride is good. It is a very tight and quality setup. You can definitely live with the 1LE suspension everyday and on just about any surface you're going to find on a public roadway. You'll like it! I would avoid polyurethane at all costs. It binds, cold compresses and cold flows over time. The 1LE uses hard durometer rubber bushings that are alot firmer than the OEM stuff. The WS6 suspension really doesn't compare in any way to the 1LE. It's business all the way.

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

Where can I order the 1LE 21mm solid rear sway bar? I think I read that only the '93 model was 21mm, and the later 1LE models were 19mm? Part number(s)?

lsx24

iTrader: (45)

Don't have part numbers but TSP has the rear bar for the best price I've found new, however it doesn't ship with bushings or endlinks if IIRC. Any source for poly bushings and the best end links at reasonable prices?

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

I picked up a used solid 22mm with poly bushings for $115 shipped.

lsx24

iTrader: (45)

Ah, I was looking at a 22 also, might be a good combo with stock v8 rear springs. Did you select a 32 mm front bar?

Was '1LESTABKIT' the part number you ordered from gmpartsdirect? Have you had a chance to put them on yet, and are they really hollow? Do the endlinks come with poly bushings from the factory?

If I go with shocks without a lower spring perch, I'm looking for a consistant method for lowering about 1/2 " all around. If you don't mind, would this do the trick? When you say 2 coils from the rear, you talking stock v8 114 lb rear or 1le progressive rear? Doesn't removing coils change the static compression rate of linear springs?

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

http://home.columbus.rr.com/trackbirdz28/toppage1.htm

JimMueller

iTrader: (9)

I've got stock springs, but a 35mm solid front bar. I originally tried the 32/25 combo but the rear end was really a handful. Switched to 32/19, then to 35/19. I then added 315/17 race tires all around and it's pushing a bit. I'll get the UE panhard and the 22mm bar on this week for next weekends event.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

I said one coil in the front and 2 coils in the rear because that will level the car and lower it from the factory "rear high" attitude. For the front, one coil equals about 1.125", while on the back one coil lowers it only about 3/4 of an inch. This applies to 1LE and stock springs. 1LE springs un-cut will give the same ride height as stock springs, just with a higher spring rate. Yes, removing coils increases the spring rate, but only by 10% if you remove one of ten coils. You want a higher spring rate on a lowered car anyway, since you have less suspension travel than before. Otherwise you will bottom out the suspension all the time.

Oh, and I'm talking about the linear rate 1LE spirngs, not the progressive ones. Cutting the progresive ones may give less predictable results, depending on which end of the spring the weak coils are on. I'm really not a fan of progressive rate springs.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

I told him to stay away from poly LCA's because everything he's talking about doing involves cornering. For drag racing they are OK.

Yeah the 21 mm bar generates more oversteer than the 19 mm one, because it loads the rear end more, so I think you would like it. I use one with a 32 mm solid up front, and the handling seems pretty neutral to me.

lsx24

iTrader: (45)

Thanks a lot for that page link! I found quite a few good tips and tricks and some underrated hard to find info.


Hmm I see, I agree the 35/22 will be the money. In fact, several months ago I started a thread on the other site about sway rates and ratios. I was just curious about that, since 35/19 seemed to be popular in AX and 32/21 in RR. Anyway there were more than several positive reports of neutral handling and track preferences of 1le setups. I suppose it's no cooincidence LG sells a 32.5/21.5 ratio, because that's almost exactly that of the 1le 32/21. I'm running lower rate springs however and I was hoping to get some feedback on the 35/22 combo with stock springs. Not that it has been hard to sense while tracking the car, but more postive feedback can only help the thirst, you know?