NxLS1496

iTrader: (1)

my stock decarbons are starting to go. i need a good replacement that will last long (leaving for college in fall) and that will work well with hotchkis springs. i dont autocross at all, basically just a punch here and there in the city and 1/4 mile track maybe 4 times a year. i want something that rides comfortably but is not going to break the bank. thanks guys.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

You want a replacement for your stock shocks, that are paired with your stock springs, that are cheap, but will also work with a very differently rated set of of lowering springs...... Doesn't really work that way, shocks are spring dampers and replacement shocks for stock springs are just that and not ideal (and worse as time passes) for lowering springs.

What's cheap?

J. Brown

do a search............you will find one common answer.............Koni.

Carlos01SS

iTrader: (4)

How much is in your budget, and how comfortable do you want your ride?

by you having Hotchkis springs, you have already stiffened up your spring settings, the ONLY way to get a comfortable ride is to buy shocks that can compensate/dampen the additional stiffness of the Hotchkis springs, and the ones that can EFFECTIVELY handle the stiffness as well as shorter shock travel(due to the Hotchkis springs also lowering your ride height, hence less shock travel) are at least $500.00-$550.00 on up...

Ask Sam Strano about that.

If you go back to factory springs, then you have more options...

Sooo, what do you want to do?

ls1amit

You have lowering springs so i would go with some Bilstien revalves that sam makes. They are tailored to your lowered car. Thats what im going to go with when i have enough to do a mild suspension upgrade. Stock replacements will suck still because stock sucks too it realy doesnt leave a high benchmark.. So my advise to you if you want to stay lowered go with good shocks. My shitty monroes replacing my stock blown shocks was the best upgrade i have done yet to my car, Just imagine some good shocks with matching springs.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Carlos01SS had insufficient shocks with lowering springs once from what I recall.... I thought he had HD's with LT1 Pro-kits, am I remembering that correctly?

If I am, do you mind filling folks in on how it rode, and how much different it is with Koni's even though you still have about the same spring rate.

bigman

iTrader: (1)

If you are on a budget, then the Bilstein HD's are good for you. But they are good only if you stay with the stock springs. If you know for sure that you will be doing springs then get the Revalves from Sam Strano. On my stock suspensioned car i have KYB AGX's. ALthough most people say they are garbage, i will not defend the shocks, but i will say that they are better than stock and for the price i couldnt go wrong.

pwterz28

iTrader: (10)

i bought some hd bilsteins from sam 3 months ago for my stock camaro. i put them on 2 days ago and what a huge difference. thanks sam

NxLS1496

iTrader: (1)

im not looking for the car to ride on air, i just want a shock that can handle a lowering spring and will ride the same as or better than stock. honestly i dont really mind the ride of the stock springs.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

The same or better than stock....... Well, stock isn't that great due to the shocks (not the springs). If you put springs on and stock shocks, it'll get worse since the stock shocks can't even control the softer, longer stock springs.

Either you get some appropriate springs like mine, Hotchkis or maybe an Eibach and a set of shocks that can control them like Revalves on up. Or you stay with stock springs and use a normal set of HD's (cheaper), but given up the drop. Or go with Koni's that are great dampers, and can give you a slight drop. Those are the ways to go if you want a decent driving/riding/handling car. If you want looks, just slam any old spring on the stock shocks and prepare for a unstable platform and kidney jarring ride.

Carlos01SS

iTrader: (4)

Yup, on my 93Z28 I had the Bilstein HD's with the Eibach Pro-kits and the ride quality SUCKED *****
The ride was spine compressing, bone-jarring, going thru the turns at high speed was scary, going into turns the car pushed, so serious understeer, it was a handful...

Now with my 01SS, I got the GC coilovers with the front springs are 500# linear, maaaybe a bit stiffer than the Eibach Pro-Kit fronts?

With the Koni, the ride quality is FAR superior!!! Handling is VERY crisp, bumps in the road my car zips right over them, the ride is firm but not bone-jarring, and she handles freaking FANTASTIC!!!

AND, I'm not getting beat up by the suspension because it's fantastically forgiving, yet extremely responsive!!!

I almost feel like I'm in a go cart at times!

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Did you get the rear bar on yet?

I though that was you, but wasn't quite sure. Guess my memory is better than I thought!!!! Anyway, here you have an example of someone who had shocks not up the task, then had shocks up the task of controlling the springs--so Carlos is giving you real world experience, and his completely squares with mine.

Carlos01SS

iTrader: (4)

Absolutely...

I learned the hard way, didn't listen to Sam at first, he sounded too good to be true, so I listened to others who swore to get the Eibach Pro-kits(which are perfectly fine springs by the way) and mate them with the Bilstein HD's, there were TONS of folks that had this setup...

Needless to say, once I sold my 93(thank GAWD) and got my '01SS, I was making sure that I was going to get the BEST shock/spring combo and other suspension/chassis parts that I could get, and the results are phenomenal...

I still didn't listen to Sam completely though, as I bought some parts from LG Motorsports that was overkill for street applications, there are other chassis parts from other manufacturers that work just as well AND are less expensive, but I went wi Gigliotti's stuff anyway...AND Sam told me to get 550# fronts, I was a bit about the stiffness and went for the 500# fronts...

BAD CALL

And no Sam I STILL haven't put on my rear sway yet

gonna do it Saturday 2/10, am also installing a KILLER stereo system, then I'mma gonna go hit the twisties and let you know how it feels...

AND, Koni SA rears in the near future!!!

Thanks for ALL of your time and help Sam!!!
I LOVE my car!!!

sobaka79

iTrader: (1)

so if i get the koni, i need to get really stiff springs? what if i want to keep my ground clearance at all cost??

J. Brown

No.........factory springs are fine. You can lower the car slightly with the factory springs.............do a search for the "heater hose mod".

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Koni's work great with stock springs if you like. I don't know where you'd have gotten the idea you need "really stiff" springs. I don't ever use really stiff springs anyway. I know folks with 4 times the stock rates on cars.... Not that I think that's smart or haven't proven you don't need that.