sethhatfield

I must be getting old cause I want a soft ride on my SS. I have eibach sportlines on the car now and it is beating the crap out of me. Where can I get the softest usable springs with little or no drop?

VIP1

I have a feeling the answer is going to be:
Stock Springs
Koni SA Shocks

JD_AMG

Softness = shocks, not springs....

Blakbird24

iTrader: (24)

Actually, it's both.

But then you also have to decide what you mean by soft...because the stock shocks and springs are soft and bouncy, which by most enthusiasts defintions is bad. You could go with Bilstein HDs and stock springs...that would probably be enough to make you happy. Stock springs are probably the softest available...maybe V6 springs are even softer? You could also go with stock springs and Koni SAs...that way if you decide one day you want a car that handles, you can simply stiffen up your adjustments and be on your way.

JD_AMG

True, but with given springs, shocks will change the ride, and the stock ones are pretty shitty, performance enthusiast or not. With the Koni's my car rides AND handles better than stock on a single setting, its especially more comfortable from the rear shocks. Funny, today I gave to ride to my friend who has a '00 Z28 with stock springs/shocks, and he kept saying "WTF, how does your car handle and ride so much better than mine!?" He's going to be ordering some Konis very soon...

HavATampa

iTrader: (49)

Another vote for stock springs and SA Koni's.

speed_demon24

iTrader: (6)

Shocks wont help much when he has sportlines.

sethhatfield

yeah, my ory is one inch off the ground!

pjb

iTrader: (2)

I have DMS springs on my car. The look is great but I need new shocks. I'm considering 3 options:

1- get Koni's and use the DMS springs
2- get Bilstein re-valves and use the DMS springs
3- get Koni's and use the stock springs on the lower perch


knowledgeable opinions/remarks would be appreciated.
how much different would ride height be between options 1,2 and option 3?

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

Little or no drop from the height now? Stock springs and great shocks are the best ride setup. Not much works worse than the springs you currently have, even some other lowering springs (which would raise the car) would improve the ride some as well. However it's been pointed out the stock shocks suck, which is why you can put shocks on a otherwise stock car (springs too) and it rides AND handles better. The more spring rate you add, the more travel you take away makes things harder and harder on the dampers and requires that much more shock.

While Koni's give you lots of flexibility and the rock because if you don't like something you can change it, if you are truly looking for just something simple and are willing to go back to stock springs, Bilstein's will do you ok (but note not all "HD's" are the same nowadays).

DrkPhynx

I have a 2002 T/A WS6 with stock springs, and Koni SA's all 'round (plus the front lower perch and rear heater hose drop, and a double Rod Ended PHB).

I also have a stock 2003 Dodge Dakota R/T. That rides like a truck - bouncy. But.... it's smooth. My T/A is harsh. I might bounce around a little from a bump in the truck, but I don't hear or feel it, even at 2 or 3 times the speed. In the T/A, it feels like I just crashed into it (by comparison).

A friend of mine thinks the truck rides "far worse" than the T/A. I think it's MUCH smoother and all it needs is a little more rebound damping to be nearly perfect.

I actually find the Koni SAs to be ever so slightly too stiff in high speed compression damping. Perfect in every other case, just a little stiff in that area. I wish I could adjust that to be softer when I don't need performance. But I've heard that the DA's lowest compression setting is equal to what I have now.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

All fun stuff to hear. What haven't heard is what tires you're on, the pressure, what the shock settings are and so on. Koni rears do not have a lot of compression, much less than stock DeCarbon's, that's not the problem. And you can't have none, since compression contols unsprung weight, of which there is PLENTY of in one of these cars.

GTObsessor

iTrader: (2)

softer sway bars should help a bit too.

DrkPhynx

Hey Sam

I wasn't actually replying to you, and certainly not disagreeing with anything you said. I was just tossing some more thoughts/observations into the ether.

Just for the record, I did buy those parts (and new rotors and front pads) from you, and as I've stated elsewhere, I honestly don't beleive it's a parts quality issue. And the customer service was excellent. I would definitely buy from you again. When I get money, I'm more than likely going to pick up a set of your sway bars.

As to that other info - tires are (basically new) BFG g-Force Sports, in the stock size (275/40ZR17) on the stock rims. The shocks are set at 4 sweeps from full hard in front, and on full soft in back. Pressure has been as low as 30 front / 28 rear and is now 34 front and 32 rear. I felt no difference in ride quality from the softest point to where it's currently at, except the steering response is a little better now.

The "crashing" that I feel/hear comes from the front (so it doesn't feel like hte rear has anything to do with it). The only way I can describe it is as though the front wheels did not move up when hitting a bump. But there is no bounce, and the car doesn't unsettle very easily. In fact, the performance of it is simply awesome.

I should also add that I have SLP SFCs welded in, and an SLP STB bolted on. I put those on at 4000 miles (very babied miles), and replaced the shocks, rotors, front pads, and PHB in the high 7000s just last fall. I then changed from the original tires to my current ones at around 8000 miles.

I bought the shocks mostly to cure the harsh ride. From reading here I concluded that the stock ones were trash and they apparently didn't react quickly enough to bumps at speed, despite having massive dive and squat (low speed softness). And also partly for the performance upgrade.

Totally satisfied with the performance aspect.

However, it became firmer and thereby harsher after the parts were put on. So I hit tirerack.com and found the BFGs (after learning that the stock Goodyears were harsh riding), and saw that they were better riding and had more grip than stock, so I bought them and had them put on.

It didn't seem to help much, BUT.... this was in Novemeber, in PA.

So, since I don't drive it much in the cold weather, I just lived with it. Now that it's getting warmer, it's actually a lot better. I don't know if the konis just really hate chilly temps that much, or if it's the interior shrinking and getting loose, or if it's having the windows up causing the noise to be amplified (or maybe all the above).

The *feel* of the car is fine. It's the noise it makes. It makes me thing I'm beating the hell out of it, and it really bothers me. - but like I said, now that it's warm and I have the windows open, it's MUCH better than it was. Significantly.

The BFGs are about 1lb heaver (per tire) than the stockers, and hte new rotors I got (forget the brand now, not Brembos, they were backordered, you were offering a deal on an alternative at the time, I got those) are about 1lb heavier than stock (per corner) as well, IIRC.

I have not softened the front's up any yet. I just haven't had time. I do mean to try that though. To me, it feels like it's the high speed compression, not the rebound, but, it was recommended to try softening them, so I will as soon as I can.

I guess I'm shooting for perfection, even though I know it's impossible to attain - still a nice goal to shoot for.


Thanks

sethhatfield

Somebody was nice enough to sell me some 1400 mile stockers for 120 shipped. Then I bought some rear Bilstein HD's from our friend Sam. The fronts are on back order though. I'll go from there once I see where I'm at. Anybody want some sportlines cheap? LOL! They do look make the car look menacing.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

You mention that you have SFC's - they caused a significant increase in NVH on my car. The cold also contributes - the hard plastic in our interiors rattles, creaks, and groans all the more when cold, resulting in a major increase in perceived impact harshness. The key is to go after the sources of interior noise. Once you take care of those, the ride suddenly isn't as "harsh" as you thought it was.

DrkPhynx

Interesting. I've wondered if that had something to do with it, although... these cars are so heavy because of the insane amount of structure and they are certianly not weak, SFCs aren't even necessary.

But anyway.... I've wondered if the car has become something of a drum with the SFCs on it. Causing everything to be amplified. I guess some sound deadning will help with that. I just hate to add hundreds of pounds to an already heavy car.

The interior looks to be a real pain. I'm not even sure where or how to begin attacking that one.

Crash00527

iTrader: (6)

im doing mine tom. koni shocks and strano springs