@Foxxton

Sorry, I didn't understand your first sentence (my rusty old school english )

RollCage:
As you probably know, we have to deal with the German TÜV here...
I had to search a long time to find an TÜV-engineer, who was willing to accept my suspension parts. I finally found one.
I think it would be very difficult to make roll cage lega here (also I never tried).
I have changed the stock seats with Recaro-Style Sport-seats to get a little bit more side guidance. But it's not the best, now the seats position is to high. I'm looking for BMW Z4 sport seats...

Brakes:
The brakes are the second important field for improvement on my Camaro. I'm in contact with Stoptech, and they will send me their Big-Brake-Kit. But right now I'm fighting with (guess who) the TÜV. But I do have a certificate for the Stoptech Brakes on the BMW Z4 and I hope this will help me.

Furthermore I'm dealing with the TÜV, because I want to add a thing called "Gewindefahrwerk" in german, I think you are calling it "coil overs", from this company: KW
Do you know them and their products?

Thank you for the links, I'll check them...!

Regards, Holger

P.S.: By the way... We are driving 160mph and more on our highways ("Autobahn"), without helmets... ;-) Crazy Germans

P.P.S.: Sorry for the off topic!

 

Okay....shocks! Now...wich ones?? I saw the ones been sold at Afterthoughts, the revalved Bilsteins with the Eibach springs....are they a good match???

 

Not attempting to answer for another person, or for anybody else, however myslef and other's who AX and RR, with the factory power steering cooler have switched to something like the Turn One LS1 Power Steering pump. It's practically an OE style replacement pump with upgraded qualities. Here's a review from GM high performance: http://www.gmhightechperformance.com...0602htp_power/

Another member here by the name of pimpmaro has a webpage on how to install one.

I'm not too sure if the feel would yield to your liking, however from my experience the real result was that the steering feel remained consistent with all of the hard driving I do, and it also didn't "spew" fluid onto the inside of the bonnet.

EDIT: Bear in mind that even though they review the LT1 system installed in a '92, turn one does indeed manufacture a similar system for the LS1's, and several members here, myslef included, use them as well.

 

If you are refering to the ones listed as the SLP matching Bilsteins and Eibach springs, then they are "appropriately matched" for your feel, however Sam Strano could also offer Eibach Pro-Kit with his correctly matched valvings, for probably around the same price (I don't really know his exact prices, plus I am now refraining from naming vendor specific prices for ethical reasons). Here's the website for Sam Strano, www.stranoparts.com

My opinion, they're both setups that are proper combinations, however everybody's desires are different, so you could phone them up and talk straight to get much more insight than relying on many posts on the internet, but in the end, it's your money, time, and your decisions.

Best of luck.

 

gotcha Holger, very interesting post, and thanks for the PM.

Now, I'll PM you with the response so I don't hijack this thread anymore.

 

If SFC's don't help, why did they add them inthe Firehawk?

 

Then again, why did SLP add a heavy hood to make an 1998-2002 SS, when it too seems to create much more drag, adds more front end weight, and also doesn't work very well when the dissipating engine heat heats the intake passages of the OE SS hood, and doesn't quite function efficiently until you approach speed exceeding 80mph (physics allowing)?

As far as the options available with the later firehawks, I have seen at least three (2 1999's and 1 2002) with no SFC's (or any signs that ones were installed). Their owners haven't messed around with changing from the installed components either.

Another thing to note is that when buyers opted for the 2001-2002 1LE's, they didn't need to have "factory strippers" any more, just opt for a 6-speed SS, and then select the 1LE performance package, which too doesn't have SFC's and STB's from a factory order (RPO).

EDIT: go to this website.

www.1le.net

I may be overlooking something in this regard, but from what I have perused, no RPO included any part number for SFC's, and the 1LE is intended for AX and RR apps (I think kind of falls short of most RR).

 

SLP did not add SFC as far as I know......owners added them....

 

Ok, I haven't bothered reading all the posts.. But take it from a guy who's wasted lots of money and bought lots of parts, only to sell them on e-bay...

Do adopt the "stamped parts are crap" theology and think that the best way to improve handling is to replace everything that is stamped with shiny powder coated tubular stuff...

Improving handling is real simple. This pretty much works for all cars. the f-body is no different... its stamped metal is no worse off than any other cars stamped metal. To improve handling, biggest gains will be had from stiffer springs, better shocks, bigger swaybars and stickier tires.

If I had done these things first, I probably never would have wasted money on LCA's, PHB, torque arm, STB.

 

My 1995(1le) has never wheel hopped. I have had it since Sept. 1994 and drive it very hard. It had stock supension until 2004.

 

The exception to the rule.

my 01 TA wheelhoped the first time I was rough with it. I with mine acted like yours!

 

I was under the impression the ws6 had the same supension as the 1le. Perhaps they ran out of parts and put somthing else on. Check your springs,are they stiffer than a regular TA? The transmount is also stiffer on a 1le as are the lca bushings. Check your swaybar dia.

 

Only certain components, in particular the WS6, SS front sway bar is 32mm. As far as shocks are concerned, only the 1LE had the Koni DAs.

 

Foxxton ... you have the patience of Job ...

 

After you choose the parts that you will running, then pick good tires. Tires have the final say on how the car will handle/perform. You can have the best suspension parts in the world, but if you run cheap tires you will never see/feel the benefits of it all.

 

shocks
swaybars
tires
springs

Those are the must-haves, plain and simple. If you're getting other suspension components without having upgraded all those parts yet, then you're getting minimal return on investment from your purchases.

 

I put SFC on my car. I did it to stiffen the chassis. I have some friends who drag race. You can look at their 4th gen cars and see where the paint has cracked. Is has to be from chassis flex. If you can get the chassis to flex at the strip I would think it would flex during other driving. SFC will stiffen the chassis(I think this is a fact). The question is will you feel it during the driving you do. I think that the correct way to set up a car is to make the chassis as stiff as you can(and as !heavy LOL), then let the suspension do it job. I did not want a cage. From that I got

1. 4th gens will flex.
2. Stiff chassis better
3. SFC is for me.

 

no ****. When I tell someone something I tell em once and leave it at that

 

Why oh why does this keep happening? It's been beaten into the ground about 4000 times.....

It's a myth and irresponsible to say that these cars NEED TO HAVE SFC's.

Are SFC's bad? No way. Are they necessary? No way. Are the things that are the basis for installation of SFC's able to be fixed in other ways? Absolutely, *AND* with the added benefit of much better ride and handling too. Are their reasons for SFC's? Sure. Do you drag race, hae a lot of power and grip that will twist the car on launch? then you could use them. Drive the car on the street and hate the cowl shake? Get some real shocks.

Notice that everytime this comes up those spouting off about SFC's have pretty much SFC's and not shocks? Notice how those who say shocks tend to have shocks, but at least half of them also have SFC's? I wonder which opinion is more reality based?

I have customers with over 200k miles on 4th gens without SFC's. One car has over 350,000 miles on it and is very, very solid. That alone ought to disprove the "need" for SFC's in all cases.

They have their place. I sell them. Frankly, do you need them? Depends on your situation. But I find 95% or more folks looking for them are doing so because they heard they MUST HAVE them, or are looking to fix things that aren't chassis rigidity issues to start with.

You want SFC's. Call me. I have a LOT of them. Happy to sell them to you.....as long as you really NEED them. If you need something else first, I'd rather sell you that instead. MHO

 

Do SFC help with chassis rigidity issues? Is it bad to have a stiff chassis? I thought that a stiff chassis was a good thing. Is that wrong?