Hello all,

My 2001 T/A WA6 needs some heavy duty shocks and springs. I frequently Drive from Orlando to Miami for scuba diving trips. I can have 1 or 2 Divers worth of Gear and Tanks. That is around 300lbs of gear plus 2 adults.

Anyone have some good thoughts?

I in a year or 2, once my '68 Camaro is done, I plan on doing the same with her. Except I am outfitting the Back seat to specifically hold the scuba tanks.

 

Do you have a price range in mind?

 

300 lbs of gear really isn't that taxing especially if you aren't using the rear seating.

If you are willing to lose the rear seats all together you could do something like this:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/appearanc...they-gone.html

Then install whatever types of clamps or tiedowns you prefer to hold your tanks along that back section.

6LE doesn't sell them anymore but they are a pretty simply wood frame design and cover.

 

Air bags inside the rear springs would definitely be of the most help to you...
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...=113&ModelID=7

I would also check to see how your rear bump stops are. If they're crumbled, which they may or may not be with you in Florida, I'd replace them with rubber in your case. Rubber would do a better job than the factory style foam bump stops with all of your extra weight in your case.

Koni's only adjust the rebound portion of the damping. You would also need compression damping too and Koni shocks have their compression side usually set on the soft side, I believe the stock shocks have a stiffer compression than the yellows. I'm sure they would be better than any worn out shock though, so there would be a change for the better more than likely anyhow. KYB Gas a Justs have higher compression valving, they are a little jarring though, but that was at stock weight too. Food for thought...

 

You don't need shocks. You need different SPRINGS. Once you put thos on, you will need a matched shock to dampen them. The springs are what supports weight, controls your ride height under weight, etc. The shocks dampen the spring, which naturally wants to behave like a Slinky.

For your application, where you are taking sporratic road trips needing the upgrade, ^ the idea of an adjustable setup sounds intriguing.

 

Mine has KYB adjustables on all 4 corners. Stock springs. Definitely solid! But, I've removed a lot of weight. So I'd recommend upgraded springs also for what you are doing.

 

Acutally he'd benefit from both better shocks and the air springs we have that go inside the rear springs to add additional rate for the weight carried. And with that gear and two people the car is technically overloaded. 500 pounds is about what the load rating of a 4th gen is give or take a few pounds.

Shocks damp movement, and if you put a lot of weight in and have lousy shocks, the shocks don't damp that mass very well. Car won't settle down and track well. Moves around a lot. Shocks don't hold up the weight either. Springs do, being able to add a little spring rate when you are weighed down it a good thing. See also overload springs in trucks. But again, when you have more spring rate, you need more damping to control it.

 

A lot of good information here, thank you. I was thinking more in line about the Springs, after I wrote, this. My mind is slowly recovering information I have not used in 20 years. I did something similar to my 68 Camaro, putting Big block springs in, with my Small Block Engine.

In Regards to the Air Springs, how is the Ride? I remember being in many Nova's and El Camino's in the 80's that felt like crap with Air Shocks in them.

I can not say it enough, how my love of driving has been pouring back into me since the purchase of this wonderful car.

 

How does the ride feel?

 

Simply a matter of how much air you add. It's up to you, the more air the more spring rate, if you don't want or need as much rate, you don't run hardly any air. Completely adjustable by and up to you.

 

Unbelievably great. I have some very bad bumpy roads near me and it still does ok. Compared to most of my other cars, the fbody feels more solid and better. I think the 15" weld wheels contribute to some of that, unsprung weight, and with 295/50's out back they're like a shock absorber all on their own lol