swaybars and shocks
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swaybars and shocks I drag race the car maybe once a month, and I daily drive it. My question is, what would a good bar setup be(not gonna auto-x it)for a daily driver?? I have seen the 1le setups for cheap, and was curious if they helped at all, or made any difference. Also, I have crappy(long story) ac delco shocks on the car right now and when I go over bumps I feel like I'm in a dump truck. I wanna stiffen up the ride alot, because the delcos are too soft. I know someone selling a used ser of bilstein's, but I dont wanna buy them if their gonna be worn soon. How long do bilstein's last(they have 20k on them), or should I just put out the money for a new set??? Keep in mind i'm on a relatively tight budget, but I am interested in new shocks and maybe some bars. The only suspension I have right now are tubular bmr lca's, and i have tubular bmr sfc's waiting to be welded in. I know Sam Strano is the man, so could you shed some light on this subject for me?? Sorry for the long post, and probably repeated question, but the search button wasnt working for me. Thanks guys.
a stock sway bar with better bushings (polyurethane) would be just fine, since you are not auto-x-ing or road racing. it also sounds like you car is NOT lowered, so a decent shock/strut would be pretty much anything in the aftermarket.. depending on what your budget is...
i see you are on a tight budget.. and all i can do is tell you what i personally have used. Tokico HP's are very good for the money, if you want something adjustable then you can get their big brother Tokico Illumina's with a 5 way setting. HP's sell for about 200-300$ for a set of 4.. illumina's are about 400+ for a set of 4
ive also used KYB AGX, AGX are the adjustable kind.. 5 way, and on the 5th setting are pretty stiff.. but not as stiff as the tokico's can be. setting 5th on a AGX is like setting 3rd on the illumina's, the price is just a hair less than the illumina's
i dont have experience with Bilsteins or Koni's, however i heard the Koni Yellows are the best adjustable on the "off the shelf " market.. but are very pricey.
i see you are on a tight budget.. and all i can do is tell you what i personally have used. Tokico HP's are very good for the money, if you want something adjustable then you can get their big brother Tokico Illumina's with a 5 way setting. HP's sell for about 200-300$ for a set of 4.. illumina's are about 400+ for a set of 4
ive also used KYB AGX, AGX are the adjustable kind.. 5 way, and on the 5th setting are pretty stiff.. but not as stiff as the tokico's can be. setting 5th on a AGX is like setting 3rd on the illumina's, the price is just a hair less than the illumina's
i dont have experience with Bilsteins or Koni's, however i heard the Koni Yellows are the best adjustable on the "off the shelf " market.. but are very pricey.
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I think I will be in contact with Strano shortly, just trying to get some feedback from some board members first. I have thought about just putting on all new polyurethane bushings on the front and rear bars, but i wasnt sure how much that would actually help. As for shocks, I dont need adjustable, i dont think, i dont plan on lowering but its not out of the question for the future sometime.
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From: Palmetto, Florida
If I can get a good deal on some used bilstein's, should I take it or should I just save up and buy brand new ones?? Should I put new poly bushings on my swaybars, or get a 1le front bar and new bushings on the rear bar???
Seems to me the biggest issue you want to fix is shock related, not bar related. However, improving the bars would make you happier. They don't won't fix any damping related problems like ride, body control up and down, the "dump truck" thing, and the car feels too soft thing..... Those last two really don't normally go together, but GM did such a horrific job on these shocks that they managed to make the car feel like a rolling waterbed, that sometimes feels as if it was dropped from a 3 story window. Amazing.
Bilstein's tend to last a while. IF they weren't abused, such as being run on a slammed car, or any lowered car that just worked the shock beyond it's intended rate. However, even when new, I still find them a touch on the soft side in terms of damping.
Bars are important, but there is a reasons I start with shocks, that's because they are MOST important. Used stuff.... usually not all that great. No warranty, don't know the history, already worn etc... Kind of like buying an unknown used car when you could buy a new one. Except the depreciation on shocks is nowhere near as hurtful.
Bilstein's tend to last a while. IF they weren't abused, such as being run on a slammed car, or any lowered car that just worked the shock beyond it's intended rate. However, even when new, I still find them a touch on the soft side in terms of damping.
Bars are important, but there is a reasons I start with shocks, that's because they are MOST important. Used stuff.... usually not all that great. No warranty, don't know the history, already worn etc... Kind of like buying an unknown used car when you could buy a new one. Except the depreciation on shocks is nowhere near as hurtful.
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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,
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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
