seadoo

as soon as I get my LS1 Z28, im going order my suspension first.
im getting strano springs, strano's koni's, strano's swaybars, upper/lower PHR, LCA's, SFC's, but do I need Relocation brackets and is it better to have a tunnel mount T/A???

seadoo

anyone?
mr. strano?

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

If you are lowering it then you should get relocation brackets. The lca should be level or up a little in the front.

seadoo

thanks, what about the trq arm?

BitViper

iTrader: (63)

Just call him..

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

For handling, you can skip the relocation brackets. Many/most of us don't use them. Also, most of them have the holes too low for performance handling applications. Good for drag, not so good for handling. As for torque arms, use a stock mount version. You don't want the shorter arm from a tunnel mounted one, it can cause brake hop (like wheel hop, but during braking). Just get a replacement TA that fits the stock mounts (some of us are still autocrossing on stock torque arms too).

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

You need the relocation brackets. They are not just for bite in a drag car if your car is lowered. To much angle can make the suspension bind under acceleration or under braking depending on which way they are pointed.They put your lca's back in correct geometry for a lowered car. You should also move your panhard rod to make it level at your lowered ride height and shorten your swaybar links buy however much you lowered your car. The last 2 are something no one does but both of them make a substantial difference.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

Hey Silver, I used to live in Martinsburg and hang out in Winchester (some years ago). I get back there from time to time. I miss the area.

I won a regional SCCA championship in SM2 using stock LCA's and no relocation brackets. The brackets typically have the holes too low for proper handling use. The angle won't cause the suspension to bind, it can change the "roll steer" characteristics though. If they are too low (too far down on the bracket) you'll get roll oversteer (not good), if you have them too high, you'll get roll understeer (which is the better of the two). So, I'd either modify the brackets to keep the LCA's level, or skip them all together.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Two things....

The first is it's better to call me. I can't help much without speaking to you.

The second.... I've won 3 National Championships in lowered cars without LCA relocation brackets. So I'll also have to disagree with you Silver. And I was in Winchester just yesterday (passing through from Richmond VA, home to PA).

UniNuker

iTrader: (1)

What's this about changing the endlink hight by however much you lowered your car? I havent heard about this one... any other opinions about it?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

That's a blanket statement that is FAR from something that is relevant in any case. And I'll argue to the cows come home it's a substantial change.

The idea is simple. To have the lever arm of the sway bar parallel to the ground. When you lower a car, that angle changes. But then again, the with the bars on our cars, they aren't level to begin with.

I've done it both ways, and it doesn't matter in terms of stiffness. Only in the front of the car with extreme lowering and large bars does it sometimes make it worth it to play with link spacer length so the bar doens't contact a tie-rod @ maximum roll angles.

seadoo

thanks Sam Strano!
trackbird, im from Martinsburg, WV
I still go up there every year during summer

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

I'm not saying it won't roll around or the supension won't work. I drove mine around a long time lowered without lca brackets but I did notice a slight difference with them, they seem to have free'd it up a bit. Nothing dramatic. Which class do you run in? We've run in the ALMS, GrandAM and Speedvision GT with M3's for the past 12 years.

BillS

iTrader: (13)

Sam is the current ESP autox champ , he knows what he is talking about.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

You must be with the BMW team out of Winchester.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Ok, you work for PTG. That's fine, and you'll understand this next part:
LCA brackets in progressively lower holes promote roll oversteer, not what you need in a f-body with a live-axle and power. The rear is already more prone to getting away than not.

I don't road-race. I open track, and I autocross. I am a 3 time National Champion and have run with an am friends with a lot of guys who now run World Challenge, etc who are also autocrossers, like Neal Sapp, Jeff Altenburg, Randy Pobst, Peter Cunningham (I don't personally know the latter, but know the former, just talked to Neal a few weeks ago). And a friend and competitor of mine sat on Pole @ the Runoff's a year ago in a T2 Camaro, finished 8th without 3rd gear (not good @ Mid-Ohio).

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

I have often wanted to do some pro-solo/autocross stuff but with our race scedule it don't leave me much time for that, at times. I don't know wich class my car would fit in either with all the mods. If I remember correctly my car had a pretty good rear brake hop in some conditions after being lowered before the lcarb's. But I've had them on there for years now.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

You don't want to know what class you run it. Let's put it this way. Put a Blower on an M3 that's allowed all the same things you've done (and more)... that's what you'd have to run against.

I don't have brake-hop problems. There are a number of ways to control that. Torque arms, and shocks being the biggies. Low speed damping of the rear shocks is a HUGE help to controlling brake-hop. Lots of things change it, and make it better. But the trick is to kill the hop without compromising the handling too.

HioSSilver

iTrader: (8)

Seems like a class would have a wide range of mods. I'll have to go to the SCCA web sight and see if I can go to a couple events next year. I don't have the brake hop problem after lowering the lca's to near level position with the same shocks/torque arm position.