Breaking Stuff

iTrader: (11)

Ive been looking for aftermarket springs that dont lower the vehicle, but can not find any. I live in chicago and dont feel like worrying if im gonna bust my car up every time I drive down the block. So are there any good springs out there that retain the stock height?

2001 White Ws6

iTrader: (1)

BMR springs or SLP's optional eibach package says it lowers the car 1". I believe those would be the closes to stock height you'll get.

StealthFormula

iTrader: (35)

Hotchkis is a 1in. drop as well. Im sure there are stock or stock like springs you can buy from GM or whoever.

02SS0384

iTrader: (1)

What's wrong with your stock springs? You would probably see a great improvement is ride quality with a good set of shocks like HDs.

BillS

iTrader: (13)

GM 1LE's are stiffer with stock ride height

YellowToy/A

iTrader: (1)

What do u want to do? Springs keep the car off the ground. Sway bars keep it flat in the corner. Shock change how fast the car will roll. If you want to change the spring rate to a higher rate you will need a shocks with more rate. If you want a softer spring rate the stock shocks are not so bad. Ground control makes a coil over set up that lets you have any height you want and you can pick the spring rates.

Breaking Stuff

iTrader: (11)

I was planning on changing the shocks and figured while Im at it swap the springs. I dont want my car lowered , Ive been that route. Just looking for added performance. Also thanks for your input guys I really appreciate it.

Cal

iTrader: (1)

The Ground Control kit is what I would suggest. Contact Sam Strano.

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

I second that

joblo1978

iTrader: (14)

I would suggest WS6store for ground controls, much cheaper. Sorry but, they really hooked me up on a setup.

YellowToy/A

iTrader: (1)

You guys are going to get yelled at. Ouch Dont you know the ground control coil over is way over kill. No one should ever put it on. It is hard to install. lol

Cal

iTrader: (1)

I disagree. There are much more expensive, full-coil over kits than Ground Control. GC is a pretty nice kit though for the price.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

I'm not yelling at anyone. I don't see a practical reason this man needs coil-overs *OR* to change his springs at all.

Gimme a break people. The man doesn't want to lower the car, and he's looking for better performance. The shocks will make a HUGE difference in the performance and stability of the car, and without a firmer ride of stiffer springs. And it'll save him $400 or so in the process.... How is it I'm the one saying NOT to buy parts he doesn't need and somehow I'm the bad guy out of profit. Funny.

Stock springs are NOT, *NOT* bad, at all. If my car were NOT a National level autocross car, but a car I drove for enjoyment maybe as a driver. I'd simply have a good set of shocks and a set of swaybars. No change in springs at all.

And as for the coil-overs. I always sold them for just what Ground Control sold them for. I worked very hard on specifying rates, and uses. Sadly much of my work was hi-jacked and there seems to be a game of undercutting afoot. So, here's the deal. I'll work with customers on rates, but I will refer them elsewhere when coil-overs are warranted. So I'm not making any money on them if you buy, and I don't make any money if you stay with stock springs. I'm just telling you what might suit the customer best. And I don't see coil-overs being it in this case. No yelling required.

asudecat

iTrader: (11)

Dont change your springs
I would say you need shocks.
No stupid Bilstein HD's....get the revalves from Strano $500
Or better yet the Koni's for $800 from him.

YellowToy/A

iTrader: (1)

I told you Cal lol

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And what exactly was wrong with what I said? For someone with no little experience to base your findings on, and for someone who always has the very same answer to all ills, you sure do think highly of your opinion. We all do, and include myself.... But I can back mine up in a number of ways.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

Personally I'd stick to the stock springs (Sorry Yellow, Cal, Stangkiller.....and this is not just to agree with Sam, Sam and I don't always agree, but we never fight about it). This is why I'm going to some lengths to explain my recommendation and back up my opinion with data and not let you think I'm just blindly following Sam's lead.

Here's why:

When you lower a car, you reduce the suspension travel. So, the spring has less distance to "work" in and you will need to increase the spring rate to keep the car from bottoming out. So, lower=stiffer springs. Since the stock height is not lower (let me state the obvious here.....lol), and the stock springs do a pretty good job of keeping the car off of the ground (no major bottoming out in normal driving, anyone can hit a pothole and bottom a car if they try hard enough). At stock height, there is not much to be gained by raising the spring rate.

Yellow said:
And he was half right (or at least I agree with half of that).

This part was brilliant:

The stock springs will keep the car off of the ground. So, there is no real reason to change them if you want stock height. Sure, 1LE springs have a bit (and not a huge amount) more spring rate, they would work well if you can find some, but for a car that is driven enough to be worried about potholes and ride height, etc, you'll probably not notice the difference.

Now, here's where we differ:

Yes, more spring rate needs better shocks. I'm ok with that too. But, the stock shocks are garbage, junk, terrible, etc. In a word (or two), they suck. Get rid of the stock shocks and it will be a whole new car, really, it will. You'll be amazed at how much different the car will be with good shocks on it (not taking about KYB's here either). It will be an amazing change. You can then add sway bars and such to taste, but shocks will make a huge difference.

And, yes, you can up the spring rate and get back near stock ride height with the ground control kit, but the car has perfectly workable springs on it to begin with, save yourself some money and just use those.

And, Yellow, I'm not picking on you (and I didn't want it to seem like I was) but you already made part of the arguement for keeping the stock springs in the first part of that post. I just wanted to explain that I agree with that part and why I disagree with the other part.

Springs can add some roll stiffness, but springs are never as good of a sway bar as a sway bar is. Use the springs to keep the car off of the ground, the sway bars to control body roll and the shocks to damp the motion of the suspension and the roll of the chassis. If you want more roll stiffness, buy sway bars instead of upping your spring rate. I think you'll be happier in the end.

I'd suggest a 35mm front sway bar with this combo (if you are interested in better handling performance) and then you can adjust the rear sway bar size to taste (again, depending on what you're doing).

If anyone wants to explain to me why they feel the stock height vehicle needs more spring rate for a street driven car (hence the GC kit or any other springs), I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. And I mean that for real, when we get discussions like this going, everyone usually learns something.

Just my thoughts.

Edit-spelling/typo

robertbartsch

Sam:
I too want a stock height ride as my LT headers are a drag (no pun) for my street car. My 99 SS stock shocks are trashed so I'm thinking - Bilsteins x 4.

I thought the SS cars have a bigger set of sway bars and stiffer springs than non-SS cars.

Why should I consider bigger sway bars for an SS car?

Also, please give me your view of swapping out the LCA, and UCA rubber bushings for poly bushings. One post here said poly is a waste...

Thanks...

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

SS's have bigger front bars only. And yes, I'd upgrade those as well if you are looking for the things that bars give you, which is quicker response and less body roll. You certainly don't need them, and I'm not going to say they are a must by any means. Nothing is a must, ever. It's all about what you want. And you might be just fine with HD's, you might want something with more control. I can't know that by e-mail (and with the complete lack of info). All I know if you intend to keep your stock springs. That's all, and not enough to go on.

As for control arms/bushings. There are reasons to change them, there are reasons not to. I can't and won't tell you that you have to, or don't because I don't see any reasoning for doing it or not. How can I help if I don't know what we are trying to do?

YellowToy/A

iTrader: (1)

The question that started this was "is there any aftermarket springs that dont lower the vehicle." I try to answer the question that is ask. Then try to find out what people want to do. There are two kinds of people who post here. Drag race and handling. That is why I ask if he wanted harder or softer springs. For drag racing on soft springs the stock shocks kind of work, for handling they are very bad.

Trackbird As alway I agree with all you have said. You also said it better that I could. I do not think that stock height vehicle need more spring rate, for a drag car they may need less, and no front bar at all.

I only feel picked on if someone tells me "For someone with no little experience to base your findings on, and for someone who always has the very same answer to all ills, you sure do think highly of your opinion"

As always thanks for the input trackbird