bryan c

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.

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?

absolut_speed

iTrader: (1)

I believe he contends that the HD's will become less effective prematurely when used on cars ,ore stiffly sprung than stock.

On "budget" builds, Sam uses revalves Bilsteins in front and Bilsteins from 3rd gens in the rear in conjunction with a spring change.

If this is just a stock sprung daily driver, like Glenn said, just get a set of Bilstein HD's all around.

FLTransAm02

I might as well get some help here as well...

So say I do Bilstein HD's all the way around (completely stock suspension car, 13.4)

What are the best springs to use in combo?

thx

Glenn98ZM6

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.

FLTransAm02

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?

Glenn98ZM6

pro kit.

FLTransAm02

I read a lot of people saying that the pro-kit is very low, and the car bottoms out very easilly?

pimpmaro

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. =)

absolut_speed

iTrader: (1)

It doesn't technically bottom out, it just hits the bump stop sooner. But it's the Eibach Sportlines that are the really low and soft set.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

That is a priceless comment ...

FLTransAm02

So most people agree the Pro-kit is the best combo with the Bilsten HD's all around?

absolut_speed

iTrader: (1)

Well, it's not the car that's bottoming which is what was stated and what I was trying to address. It's the suspension that's bottoming out, that was my point, which I didn't make well. Mea culpa.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

When you take my comment out of context, I guess you think I'm saying that......

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.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

No offense intended, it just struck me as funny ...

bryan c

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.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

And going against my own self imposed exile ...

http://frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?act=ST&f=3&t=4493&

josh99ta

iTrader: (1)

Mine is like the one on the left. Very thick spacer that swallows the top of the spring. My car sat like a 4x4 from the factory, as most LS1s do, but it seems like LT1s are much more reasonable at a stock level. Maybe this explains it. Heavier engine up front which makes it sit a little lower, and a much thinner spacer out back.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)