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Jan 23, 2007 | 05:26 AM

-Freak-

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From: Hutchinson, MN

Shock question

I want to get some new shock and be able to lower the car shortly after. Are the bilstein hd's capable of handling the job? From what i have been reading it doesn't look like they will work for lowered cars because they aren't valved correctly, right?

I'm sure this question has been asked many times before, I'm just failing to find the answers when i searched.

I know that Strano is the guru on this kind of thing but i don't want to waste his time if the HD's I'm looking at would work without being re valved.

Jan 23, 2007 | 08:45 AM

subtlez28

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From: Janesville WI

I have the Koni SAs (which I highly recomend), so I cannot speak from experience. However, from what I've read (many times) revalving is needed 4 the lowered height. Stock shocks r set up 4 stock ride height and spring rate.

Adjustable shocks (such as the SAs) will work with different spring rates and ride heights, and allow you to suit your own ride tastes. A very worhtwhile feature, and may ultimately b cheaper than buying new shocks each time you chance ride height, springs, or r not happy w the ride. As a side benifit Konis SAs allow you to lower with stock springs.

Jan 23, 2007 | 11:17 AM

Greggy

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I have regular bilstein HD's and they barely can control the stock springs, so I would not use them with higher rate lowering springs unless you don't care about ride and handling.

Jan 23, 2007 | 11:44 AM

coolformula

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From: Greater Chattanooga

No! Been asked 1.78945 zillon times lol.

Serosiouly though there really not enough. Do a search and read for couple of hours and understand more about them thats what I did!

Jan 23, 2007 | 11:46 AM

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

Shocks are spring dampers. HD's are valved to damp stock springs. Lowering the car will result in you having less working travel for the shocks to do their job in, as well as a higher spring rate to damp.

No, HD's aren't really the right choice.

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Jan 23, 2007 | 01:36 PM

-Freak-

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From: Hutchinson, MN

So for Stock height your BIL-HD Bilstein Kit would work, but since i'm going to be lowering it i'll need your BIL-Revalve Kit if i where to go with the bilsteins?

man, the Koni's look more and more feasable the more i research.

Last edited by -Freak-; Jan 23, 2007 at 01:58 PM.

Jan 23, 2007 | 01:46 PM

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

That's very basic, but that's the general point. However, I personally feel the HD's lack rebound control even with stock springs too. But that is personal and only by a little. However, I'm picky and like a very well damped car vs. one that's damped the way the general public as a whole buys cars off the lot.

So we will, from time to time use a mild set of Revalves on stock sprung cars too if the situation warrants. Or we use Koni's which can deal with anything, and that's one reason we use so many.

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Jan 23, 2007 | 02:10 PM

2QUIK4U

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I have the Bilsteins on my car revalved by Sam Strano with Eibach springs. The handling is really good but the ride quality as expected is not the best. When I redo the suspension I am going to go with the Konis for sure.

Jan 23, 2007 | 02:27 PM

#10

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

Quote:

Originally Posted by -Freak-

Sorry, it's not that easy..... There are different setups for Koni's you can run, and I'm not just going to spout one out to you without talking to you in person about the details so you buy the most appropriate thing. And frankly that statement is vague at best. 1-2 inches is a HUGE range. There are good and not so good 1" drop springs. Nothing @ 2" is worth a damn, and the springs and the height of them effects the ride too. So I'd be nuts to tell you anything without knowing what you are thinking. I'll be damned if you put some crap springs on there, hate it and blame the shocks.

Jan 23, 2007 | 02:27 PM

#11

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2QUIK4U

Depending on what you tell me about the way the car rides (what it does, when), it might not be a shock thing, but the springs instead..... So I'd not do anything until we talk.

Jan 23, 2007 | 02:40 PM

#12

-Freak-

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From: Hutchinson, MN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Strano

i understand, i know it was pretty vauge.
Let me do some more research and plan what headers i want, then i'll give you a call.

Jan 23, 2007 | 03:02 PM

#13

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

No problem...... Though if you are looking for high-end headers, I sell (and actually I use them on my car) StainlessWorks headers. NOTHING tucks better, and I'd be happy to send you pics if you'd like to prove it. And they make really nice torque too.

Jan 24, 2007 | 11:37 AM

#14

pjb

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I have a setup that I now know was the wrong way to go. I had bought a full set of "take off" decarbons from SLP a long time ago for almost nothing (I think $50 for the set). I had them sitting in the box for a few years before doing anything with them. Later I decided to lower the stock car and jumped on the DMS bandwagon. When I installed the DMS springs I used the "new" decarbons I already had. The look is great, very nice stance, but the ride (I should say ability to take a bump in the road) is bad. It used to almost never make the CD changer skip and now it happens frequently. I now think that my best choice would have been to get the Koni SAs, use the lower perch with the stock springs on the front, do the heater hose mod on the stock springs with the Konis on the rear. Those of you that have used that setup (and Sam of course): What is your opinion of that setup? The look is important to me, but not enough to completely forget about the ride.

Jan 24, 2007 | 11:56 AM

#15

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

Koni's and stock springs are very nice... I can't say they are ideal for everyone, they aren't. Some folks want or need to have more spring on the car. It would certainly ride better, that's for sure.

Then again, better shocks would also help your ride too, and quite a lot. You'd have to decide whether or not you are willing to try Koni's with the current springs first. If you don't like it, you can always put the stock springs back on and use the lower perch.....

Jan 24, 2007 | 12:13 PM

#16

subtlez28

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From: Janesville WI

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjb

I now think that my best choice would have been to get the Koni SAs, use the lower perch with the stock springs on the front, do the heater hose mod on the stock springs with the Konis on the rear. Those of you that have used that setup (and Sam of course): What is your opinion of that setup? The look is important to me, but not enough to completely forget about the ride.

I run the stock springs w Konis SAs (lower perch,hose mod). I am very happy w it. I do high speed autocrosses, they perform well. Most my late model f-body competition at the track run stock springs also, and a couple have Konis. I can honestly say the konis made a noticable diff, both in street driving and at the road course. I may pick up a little lap time w stiffer fronts, but it is a DD, and finally a hot rod my wife likes 2 ride in. And since I took off my SLP bolt on SFCs ground clearance is still good(the SLPs hang quite low, u can c them in alot of my pics). I think people r 2 quick to disgaurd the stock springs, they are really quite good. Kudos to Strano for suggesting keeping my stock springs.

I wish I had a stationary pic of the car with the lower perch hose mod, it does look better w the subtle lowering. All the still pics in my link r b4. The racing ones however r w my current set up (which includes Strano Sway Bars, and UMI PHB).

Jan 24, 2007 | 12:22 PM

#17

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

I mentioned this another tread, but I'd be thinking about springs. It seems you're worried about the ride, but also really like a good handling car. The thing is while the ride firms up, it's really not bad, and no more harsh than what you have now given the good shocks. I can't know for sure, but I don't think your wife would mind because it's not a punishing result, and you'd sure gain some handling from some springs.

Happy to discuss, maybe I can better explain the ride change on the phone anyway.

Jan 24, 2007 | 02:00 PM

#18

Carlos01SS

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Quote:

Originally Posted by -Freak-

I had a 93Z28(which I sold thank GAWD) and listened to everyone on this board and on z28.cm and ls1.com that the Bilstein HD's work great with the Eibach Prokit springs, so I did that...This was back in '95.

It might have been good for them, but it certainly was NOT good for me...Maybe I do the turns more aggressively than they do, but driving in my 93 was harsh, bone-jarring, the car seriously pushed in the turns, it was downright scary and frustrating to drive!

I thank my lucky stars to have been smart enough and listen to Sam, Koni's kick ***, even with my rears are blown they still are heads and tails above the Bilstein HD's

Jan 24, 2007 | 02:07 PM

#19

Sam Strano

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From: Brookville, PA

Though it took some convincing....

And we aren't 100% sure Carlos's (?) rear shocks are blown up. We think they might be given he bought some old ones that had been sitting around and they leak at the adjuster *and* if I recall, he also doesn't have rear bumpstops which kills shocks. So *if* his Koni's are bad, it really isn't their fault--just for the record because folks like to take little things and run....

Jan 24, 2007 | 02:17 PM

#20

Carlos01SS

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Strano

Absolutely correct.
I bought the Koni DA shocks through SLP, they were selling them at a ridiculously low price, I found out later that none of the shocks were set at "0", all of the shocks were at different settings, so I had to set all of them back to minimum setting and readjusted from there...

Oh BTW I got the rear swaybar Sam, thanks!!!

I also realized right now that when I told you that the rears were leaking @the adjuster, that was when I still had my factory 17X9 wheels, so the bumpstops were still on there, so they leaked when I made adjustments to the rears only, also there are streaks on the body of the rear shocks...

Those rears leaked from the day that I re-adjusted them...Probably because they were sitting on the shelf for too long I reckon...:dunno:

I'll be calling you, probably 2nd qtr or 3rd qtr for the Koni SA's.