need suspension help...
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
need suspension help... ok so i havent really done anything to the car since i bought it except change the wheels......
i want to start beefing it up but wont do anything drastic till winter time, so the first thing i wana do is start working on my suspension.....
i am torn between spohn/bmr/umi but ill probably just go with whats cheapest for whatever part i get cause i hear they are all the pretty much the same.....
anyway what would you guys suggest me get?? order from most important to least would be nice.....i dont have a lot of money so ill probably go part by part but i want to get the best of everything so if i have to save up a little no biggie....
help me out guys
thanks
i want to start beefing it up but wont do anything drastic till winter time, so the first thing i wana do is start working on my suspension.....
i am torn between spohn/bmr/umi but ill probably just go with whats cheapest for whatever part i get cause i hear they are all the pretty much the same.....
anyway what would you guys suggest me get?? order from most important to least would be nice.....i dont have a lot of money so ill probably go part by part but i want to get the best of everything so if i have to save up a little no biggie....
help me out guys
thanks
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
other than that itll be a stricly nice weather street car.....
looking at these http://www.spohn.net/?action=product&pid=1080 but ill have to save up for a little bit....what is the difference in those and the single adjustable ones?
QA1's tend to be more of a drag shock, from what I've read. I don't have any personal experience with them.
For that kind of money, and based on it being a "nice weather street car", you're probably better off getting a set of Koni SA's. Plenty of people on this board have them and I don't think I've ever seen someone say they were unhappy, aside from the price.
-Mike
For that kind of money, and based on it being a "nice weather street car", you're probably better off getting a set of Koni SA's. Plenty of people on this board have them and I don't think I've ever seen someone say they were unhappy, aside from the price.
-Mike
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
QA1's tend to be more of a drag shock, from what I've read. I don't have any personal experience with them.
For that kind of money, and based on it being a "nice weather street car", you're probably better off getting a set of Koni SA's. Plenty of people on this board have them and I don't think I've ever seen someone say they were unhappy, aside from the price.
-Mike
For that kind of money, and based on it being a "nice weather street car", you're probably better off getting a set of Koni SA's. Plenty of people on this board have them and I don't think I've ever seen someone say they were unhappy, aside from the price.
-Mike
i am gonna go with SFC weld in to start, then start getting other parts as i save money
what should be next after the SFCs?
SFC's would be overkill for you. These are exceptionally stiff cars, not like the previous F-bodys and at least twice as stiff as a Mustang. Are you wanting to corner faster with more control on the back roads or are you more interesting in launching harder to deliver a knock-out punch from a stop light? Doing both is fine but you can't do both at the same time as well. Don't get me wrong you can still make both better than stock at the same time.
Vernon
Vernon
Shock and Springs should go together... Probably the LARGEST single improvement you can make to your car. The next step should be Sway Bars followed by Panhard Bar. The other stuff like LCA's and STB's can wait till last.
Call Sam Strano. Hes a great guy with tons of experience. He wont steer you in the wrong direction. His recommendation will probably be Koni Singles with his springs. Go for it, you wont be sorry.
Call Sam Strano. Hes a great guy with tons of experience. He wont steer you in the wrong direction. His recommendation will probably be Koni Singles with his springs. Go for it, you wont be sorry.
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Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
SFC's would be overkill for you. These are exceptionally stiff cars, not like the previous F-bodys and at least twice as stiff as a Mustang. Are you wanting to corner faster with more control on the back roads or are you more interesting in launching harder to deliver a knock-out punch from a stop light? Doing both is fine but you can't do both at the same time as well. Don't get me wrong you can still make both better than stock at the same time.
Vernon
Vernon
Shock and Springs should go together... Probably the LARGEST single improvement you can make to your car. The next step should be Sway Bars followed by Panhard Bar. The other stuff like LCA's and STB's can wait till last.
Call Sam Strano. Hes a great guy with tons of experience. He wont steer you in the wrong direction. His recommendation will probably be Koni Singles with his springs. Go for it, you wont be sorry.
Call Sam Strano. Hes a great guy with tons of experience. He wont steer you in the wrong direction. His recommendation will probably be Koni Singles with his springs. Go for it, you wont be sorry.
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Verdad Gallardo Dont get me wrong, I think SFC's are mandatory, but not as a first mod. Look at me, I have Koni DA's on all four corners with 650lb springs up front and hotchkis rear springs and 1LE swaybars and a UMI adjustable PHB to compensate for the lower ride height. I will end up doing the SFC's when I do the torque arm. My car is stiff and it out handles most other cars I run into on the road that I run into in the canyons.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Ive personally been in a car with SFC's, on a road that I drive on every day and I couldn't tell a difference in chassis flex(but this car was also on QA1's, which made it float and bounce all over).
If you are interested in handling, for our cars shocks are the #1 thing to consider first. The factory shocks are far from being up to par with what they should be. And this is why our cars have a floaty, disconnected sloppy feel and some bumps are jarring causing rattles.
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
You really wont see much of an improvement from SFC's. Most people that do see an improvement are either putting them on after many other suspension mods and its tying everything together and letting everything work the way it should, or they are feeling a perceived improvement, with little or no improvement.
Dont get me wrong, I think SFC's are mandatory, but not as a first mod. Look at me, I have Koni DA's on all four corners with 650lb springs up front and hotchkis rear springs and 1LE swaybars and a UMI adjustable PHB to compensate for the lower ride height. I will end up doing the SFC's when I do the torque arm. My car is stiff and it out handles most other cars I run into on the road that I run into in the canyons.
Dont get me wrong, I think SFC's are mandatory, but not as a first mod. Look at me, I have Koni DA's on all four corners with 650lb springs up front and hotchkis rear springs and 1LE swaybars and a UMI adjustable PHB to compensate for the lower ride height. I will end up doing the SFC's when I do the torque arm. My car is stiff and it out handles most other cars I run into on the road that I run into in the canyons.
You need to search more then, most people cannot tell a difference with them.
Ive personally been in a car with SFC's, on a road that I drive on every day and I couldn't tell a difference in chassis flex(but this car was also on QA1's, which made it float and bounce all over).
If you are interested in handling, for our cars shocks are the #1 thing to consider first. The factory shocks are far from being up to par with what they should be. And this is why our cars have a floaty, disconnected sloppy feel and some bumps are jarring causing rattles.
Ive personally been in a car with SFC's, on a road that I drive on every day and I couldn't tell a difference in chassis flex(but this car was also on QA1's, which made it float and bounce all over).
If you are interested in handling, for our cars shocks are the #1 thing to consider first. The factory shocks are far from being up to par with what they should be. And this is why our cars have a floaty, disconnected sloppy feel and some bumps are jarring causing rattles.
your sayin that with the QA1 coilovers our cars feel floaty and not stiffer? i was thinking about going with the QA1s but not if they dont stiffen the car at all.....i know im gonna do springs/shocks as the first mod then continue with the other suspension things....any suggestions on springs shocks for a mainly street cruising car that isnt a DD....i like the idea of coilovers or something that i could adjust the ride height to exactly where i want it though
Shocks will make the biggest difference.Buy the koni's.You will be shocked at the difference they will make. Worth every penny.
Then do the other stuff after.IMO
____________________
2000 t/a ws6 with lots and lots of mods
Then do the other stuff after.IMO
____________________
2000 t/a ws6 with lots and lots of mods
QA1 is a drag shock exclusively. It will make the car very floaty, they are soft for drag racing.
Handling shock options are
- Koni Sport (4/3 or 4/4 setup, also called SA and DA respectively) - The best handling shock on the market for the fbody by far
- KYB AGX, a distant second to koni
- Topikco HP, a third behind KYB.
Do a search, order this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
or if you can afford it, get that, and add this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
I have basically the equivelent of HP1, and it totally transformed the car, it is a WONDERFUL difference, i LOVE it. Sway bars will only make it better.
really, the best thing to do, is call sam strano, he will talk to you about your car and what you want, and then make recommendations based on that, he won't oversell you and is a great guy to deal with.
Handling shock options are
- Koni Sport (4/3 or 4/4 setup, also called SA and DA respectively) - The best handling shock on the market for the fbody by far
- KYB AGX, a distant second to koni
- Topikco HP, a third behind KYB.
Do a search, order this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
or if you can afford it, get that, and add this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
I have basically the equivelent of HP1, and it totally transformed the car, it is a WONDERFUL difference, i LOVE it. Sway bars will only make it better.
really, the best thing to do, is call sam strano, he will talk to you about your car and what you want, and then make recommendations based on that, he won't oversell you and is a great guy to deal with.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
your right maybe i should have said that most people suggest the SFCs but after other mods....
your sayin that with the QA1 coilovers our cars feel floaty and not stiffer? i was thinking about going with the QA1s but not if they dont stiffen the car at all.....i know im gonna do springs/shocks as the first mod then continue with the other suspension things....any suggestions on springs shocks for a mainly street cruising car that isnt a DD....i like the idea of coilovers or something that i could adjust the ride height to exactly where i want it though
your sayin that with the QA1 coilovers our cars feel floaty and not stiffer? i was thinking about going with the QA1s but not if they dont stiffen the car at all.....i know im gonna do springs/shocks as the first mod then continue with the other suspension things....any suggestions on springs shocks for a mainly street cruising car that isnt a DD....i like the idea of coilovers or something that i could adjust the ride height to exactly where i want it though
If you want suspension for nice firm handling look into Konis. If you want adjustable ride search for "ground control".
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
QA1 is a drag shock exclusively. It will make the car very floaty, they are soft for drag racing.
Handling shock options are
- Koni Sport (4/3 or 4/4 setup, also called SA and DA respectively) - The best handling shock on the market for the fbody by far
- KYB AGX, a distant second to koni
- Topikco HP, a third behind KYB.
Do a search, order this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
or if you can afford it, get that, and add this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
I have basically the equivelent of HP1, and it totally transformed the car, it is a WONDERFUL difference, i LOVE it. Sway bars will only make it better.
really, the best thing to do, is call sam strano, he will talk to you about your car and what you want, and then make recommendations based on that, he won't oversell you and is a great guy to deal with.
Handling shock options are
- Koni Sport (4/3 or 4/4 setup, also called SA and DA respectively) - The best handling shock on the market for the fbody by far
- KYB AGX, a distant second to koni
- Topikco HP, a third behind KYB.
Do a search, order this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
or if you can afford it, get that, and add this:
http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...ID=0&ModelID=8
I have basically the equivelent of HP1, and it totally transformed the car, it is a WONDERFUL difference, i LOVE it. Sway bars will only make it better.
really, the best thing to do, is call sam strano, he will talk to you about your car and what you want, and then make recommendations based on that, he won't oversell you and is a great guy to deal with.
i would probably order the things in the package seperatly due to money but i mean its only like 30 somethin bucks so its not too bad of a loss....thanks for your input it helped a lot QA1's are drag shocks, thats what they do. They are designed to allow lots of weight transfer, hence them being overly soft. At 60mph the car felt like a boat...
If you want suspension for nice firm handling look into Konis. If you want adjustable ride search for "ground control".
If you want suspension for nice firm handling look into Konis. If you want adjustable ride search for "ground control".
Thread Starter
Launching!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 279
Likes: 2
ok i just got off the phone with sam from strano, hes probably bangin his head against the wall right now cause i was asking stupid questions but even though i could tell he was kinda annoyed he really helped and had me halfway through checkout of some of his springs till i sat and thought about if im gonna have clearance issues.....i have pacesetter longtubes with flowmaster single chamber turndowns....what would be the best way to see if the drop would be ok on my car other than actually throwin the springs on and crossing my fingers?