Driver#8

I'm asking this question for a friend how owns a 2000 ws6. A year ago he replaced his stock decarbons with slp bilsteins. He recently purchase a set of hotchkis sport spring used for real cheap. My friend is going to install them this weekend. But before he dose he wanted to know how the slp bilstein shocks will handle the hotchkis springs higher spring rate (285/525lbs). The slp shocks are reveled to run with slps springs (300/450lbs) Will the shocks wear out with the hotchkis springs?

98redM6

iTrader: (39)

I have no idea but I just installed my hotchkis springs on my car today along with new kyb shock mounts and kyb agx adjustables up front. In the rear I also dropped in the hotchkis springs but kept the decarbons that I had installed only about 1,000 miles ago. It rides just like stock, maybe a little better, and I can tell the improvement in handling just from making a quick lang change.

Now my car feels and looks great.

Ferocity02

iTrader: (60)

I have that exact set-up and it is awesome! It handles very well and looks great. Then ride is quite stiff though, not good for bumpy roads. The install on the front is also very tricky since the coils are so close together.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I mentioned in another thread about this..... You hit the nail in the head, the SLP shocks are valved for SLP springs (and depending on the needs of the owner, the SLP shocks can be a little too soft with the SLP springs to begin with). The Hotchkis are lower (a bit) and stiffer too.

Can you do it? Yes. Is the best way to go, or even the second best? No. It's better than a set of HD's and those springs because at least you have more rebound damping in the front to control the spring. But you have less compression damping which doesn't help the ride, and the rear shocks from SLP are regular old HD's despite the fact the Hotchkis springs are up to 20% stiffer than the stock springs the HD's are valved to damp.

CompTA

iTrader: (2)

I have a set of SLP Bilstein shocks waiting to go on the car ('99 T/A), what springs other than the SLP Eibachs would be a good match for these shocks?

/hijack

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Not much because the SLP Eibach's are softer than most other lowering springs. The only other springs in the rate range of the SLP's would be the LS1 Pro-kit, but because of the way those springs are wound and their height, the SLP shocks still aren't the best choice because you need the compression damping they take out of the fronts....

To be blunt, the SLP shocks were built for the SLP springs which aren't all that similar to anything else. Suspensions are about matching good quality, but also properly picked parts. Here you have a situation where you want to match parts that weren't built with the other in mind.