bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

Well after having owned my T/A for 4 months now I've been thinking about adding some suspension upgrades. Right now the car really only has appearance and power/drivetrain mods (Lid, Catback, Shifter, Clutch). I plan on doing a fair amount of mods when I get the car back home this summer, but I would like to kind of get a game plan. I already know I want to do full exhaust/intake but I don't really know where to start on the suspension end. Here's what I'm looking for:

I definitely want to lower the car a little. I definitely plan on shocks and springs this summer, not a huge drop though since I'd rather be a little high than scrape on everything. The car is my daily driver, and almost never sees the track. Ideally, I would like a nice handling setup (not interested in drag really) that has decent street manners. I do not mind feeling the bumps a little more, but not teeth chattering. How should I go about this? What suspension mods should I start with? SFC's, Sway Bars, LCA's, Panhard bar, Torque arm, STB? Which of these suspension components should top my priority list? Also, how much $$$ do these parts usually cost? I'm more inclined to start with some cheap components and work my way up.

Thanks in advance for the help!

mattl31

iTrader: (8)

suspension parts are typically pretty pricey....but that understandable considering your suspension is what make your car safe, predictable, and stable during both daily driving and track time. personally i think the parts from sam strano are unmatched for quality and performance. he has a whole line of suspension components and packages that are optimized for use with eachother. how are they optimized? by sam himself. he has several championship wins with the products that he himself sells. the initial plunge is going to be pricey....but i would start with sams suspension package that includes his springs, koni shocks, and front and rear sway bars. i dont remember off the top of my head what the price of this package is but if i recall correctly its about 1300 bucks. after that mostly everything (lcas, phb, sfc's, etc are all less than 200 bucks or so. def get yourself a good spring/shock setup to start out though. hopefully i helped!

bluestrat

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for the reply!

Again I definitely plan on lowering the car (springs shocks etc). Is there any (relatively cheap) suspension parts I should get before I take the plunge on a strano kit like you said for example? Or should I just keep saving for the kit instead?

porksoda

iTrader: (39)

Really depends on what you want to spend and what you want the car to do.

Springs and MATCHING shocks will make a world of difference on your cars handling. But then you will need an adjustable PHR to re-center your rear end. Possibly LCA relocation brackets also to prevent any wheel hop you may have. Sway bars are also a good investment if you want a good handling car. As for LCA, SFC, relocation brackets, and torque arms those are mostly for drag racing but you can decide if you want any of them as money allows.

JScamaro

iTrader: (6)

I have upgraded most of my suspension except for shocks and springs which is next on my list.

From my experience I would definitely get shocks first. They will have a much greater impact on the ride and handling than any other mod imo.

The only reason I did shocks last was because I got killer deals from UMI to upgrade lca's, torque arm, panhard bar, ect.

JD_AMG

You will see the biggest difference with good shocks (Konis, or penskis), those should be a far up #1 on the list. Next springs and/or swaybars, then a panhard bar.

jmilz28

iTrader: (13)

AMEN!

badazz99ta

iTrader: (13)

i concur...shocks first and konis being the best.

jmilz28...i feel a lot better about my dyno #'s seeing as we both have similar performance mods. except you have the ls6 intake, which i plan on getting soon. so i should be right around there with that. i havent seen a '98 with the same mods as me and what #'s they had. but i do feel better about it now. ok man. later.

waldershrek

iTrader: (1)

Not including shocks and springs I would consider LCA's and brackets the best first suspension mod for the money. They are cheap and really eliminate wheel hop allowing you to hook like never before. After that a tunnel mounted torque arm also helps transfer traction to the ground allowing you you launch much better than the stock piece.