Shock shopping
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Shock shopping Hey guys, I need some new shocks for my daily driver Z. After searching and reading posts for the last hour or so, I've come to the following conclusions:
1) I should either get Koni single adjustables all around or Konis in the front and Bilstein HDs (revalved by Sam Strano) in the rear.
2) I should speak with Sam Strano.
3) Konis are damned expensive.
Questions:
1) Are my conslusions sane?
2) I assume "single adjustable" means adjustment for rebound or compression, but not both. Which is it?
Thank you for your time.
1) I should either get Koni single adjustables all around or Konis in the front and Bilstein HDs (revalved by Sam Strano) in the rear.
2) I should speak with Sam Strano.
3) Konis are damned expensive.
Questions:
1) Are my conslusions sane?
2) I assume "single adjustable" means adjustment for rebound or compression, but not both. Which is it?
Thank you for your time.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: DFW, Texas
for a daily driver, Bilstine HD's all around. and i believe autozone has them for around $400 a set.
Sam will tell you that the HD's will get destroyed w/out his revalving. i've run the same stock out of the box HD's since 1999 w/ the pro kit and the G2's and have been open tracking my car since 99. shocks still work fine. i believe Mitchntx has twice the track time i have on the same stock out of the box HD's w/ the same springs. what springs do you have?do you open track the car @ all?
Sam will tell you that the HD's will get destroyed w/out his revalving. i've run the same stock out of the box HD's since 1999 w/ the pro kit and the G2's and have been open tracking my car since 99. shocks still work fine. i believe Mitchntx has twice the track time i have on the same stock out of the box HD's w/ the same springs. what springs do you have?do you open track the car @ all?
Originally Posted by Glenn98ZM6
Sam will tell you that the HD's will get destroyed w/out his revalving.
Originally Posted by 72sub
1) I should either get Koni single adjustables all around or Konis in the front and Bilstein HDs (revalved by Sam Strano) in the rear.
If this is just a stock sprung daily driver, like Glenn said, just get a set of Bilstein HD's all around.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 709
Likes: 0
From: DFW, Texas
you guys need to quantify what best is. best ride, best looks, best launch, best handling.
G2's if you want the best of all but the launch.
pro kit if you dont open track.
BMR's if you dont care.
G2's if you want the best of all but the launch.
pro kit if you dont open track.
BMR's if you dont care.
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Lake Mary, Florida
Best for a:
Car that goes to the track once every 2 months, demands good handling around turns, ride, and look combined...
Can you give me the best that fits these, and an affordable very good one?
Car that goes to the track once every 2 months, demands good handling around turns, ride, and look combined...
Can you give me the best that fits these, and an affordable very good one?
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,586
Likes: 0
From: Columbus, OH
Question 1 -->
Yes, your conclusions are sane, but I would move conclusion #2 to the #1 spot. Talk to Sam first. I haven't personally purchased anything from him, but I have very recently discussed a stock quandry I'm having and he's super helpful. When you do get in touch with him, call. Don't email him. As far as the koni/bilstein combo, I just heard recently that they can do koni's all the way around for comparable pricing so there's not really a reason to go with the revalve and sacrifice the adjustability.
Question 2 -->
I BELIEVE that the Koni SA's only adjust the rebound. I'm 90-95% sure on that, but I hope someone can back me up. On the bright side, if I'm wrong, they adjust compression. =)
Yes, your conclusions are sane, but I would move conclusion #2 to the #1 spot. Talk to Sam first. I haven't personally purchased anything from him, but I have very recently discussed a stock quandry I'm having and he's super helpful. When you do get in touch with him, call. Don't email him. As far as the koni/bilstein combo, I just heard recently that they can do koni's all the way around for comparable pricing so there's not really a reason to go with the revalve and sacrifice the adjustability.
Question 2 -->
I BELIEVE that the Koni SA's only adjust the rebound. I'm 90-95% sure on that, but I hope someone can back me up. On the bright side, if I'm wrong, they adjust compression. =)
Originally Posted by FLTransAm02
I read a lot of people saying that the pro-kit is very low, and the car bottoms out very easilly?
Last edited by absolut_speed; May 12, 2005 at 10:27 AM.
Originally Posted by mitchntx
That is a priceless comment ...
Originally Posted by Glenn98ZM6
for a daily driver, Bilstine HD's all around. and i believe autozone has them for around $400 a set.
Sam will tell you that the HD's will get destroyed w/out his revalving. i've run the same stock out of the box HD's since 1999 w/ the pro kit and the G2's and have been open tracking my car since 99. shocks still work fine. i believe Mitchntx has twice the track time i have on the same stock out of the box HD's w/ the same springs. what springs do you have?do you open track the car @ all?
Sam will tell you that the HD's will get destroyed w/out his revalving. i've run the same stock out of the box HD's since 1999 w/ the pro kit and the G2's and have been open tracking my car since 99. shocks still work fine. i believe Mitchntx has twice the track time i have on the same stock out of the box HD's w/ the same springs. what springs do you have?do you open track the car @ all?
Autozone has them for around $400, but you can do *ahem* much better that that price.
HD's run with stock springs, or very light lowering springs will not be destroyed. For that matter you won't destroy them if you run heavy springs. However, you will be out of their intended range, and they will not work as effectively for as long. There are a number of folks out there with lowering springs that have had HD's and switched to Revalves Carlos01SS (of something similar) and Bryan Carlin are two I can think of. They can attest to the difference.
Again, BIG LETTERS IN THE BILSTEIN book..... HD's are not suitable for lowered cars. I agree with that, not just because the book says so, but when I drive HD's on cars even wtih stock springs I still notice a touch of the float once in a while. HD's are meant for those springs, and if you can still get a float here and there (though overall MUCH better than stock shocks), then when you add more spring rate and shorten the travel the shock has to do it's work in, you can start to see why we revalve them.
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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
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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
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Thanks for commenting. My car is mainly a daily driver that sees the drag strip occasionally. I would like to lower the car a little, an inch max. I understand it is possible to run the stock springs and lower the front about 3/4" with Koni SAs "on the lower perch", and the rear about 1/2" by "removing the isolator". If this is correct, I'm leaning toward that route, in which case, what shocks to run out back? Also, what is meant by "removing the isolator"? Thanks again.
And going against my own self imposed exile ...
http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4493&
http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4493&
Originally Posted by mitchntx
And going against my own self imposed exile ...
http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4493&
http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4493&
