I want to do my suspension only once, so I am going to ask a few questions.

Car is in the sig. I drive the car on the street 99.9% of its life, and take some corners (like on and off ramps) kinda fast. I also take it to the drag srtip and need it to hook.

At this time I have UMI weld-in SFC's, and BMR D/A PHB, LCA's (Non Adjustable) and bolt-in LCA relocation brackets.

I would like the whole car to be dropped a little for looks, but no more than an 1" (I have L/T's.) I am thinking about new shocks in the rear as well as doing the "Hose mod" and possibly cutting 1/4-1/2 coil if necc. What are your thoughts, and what shocks would you go with on the rear?

For the front, I was looking at the QA1 r's. What spring would I go with? Can I use the stock spring with the BMR spring cups? If so, can it be lowered without cutting the springs? Again, your thought and opinions.

I may eventually get larger sway bars front/rear, but that is not my main priority right now. All I want at this time is the car a little lower, to handle as good as it does now (or better) around corners, and to hook as good as it does now (or better) at the track and on the street.

Thanks in advance.

 

If you are interested in comfortable street driving, and any kind of cornering you probably won't be too happy with any QA1s.
For our cars these are drag shocks, and drag shocks are designed with weight transfer as a #1 priority, the opposite of what a shock is really supposed to do. Expect a floaty, disconnected feel with snap oversteer and/or heavy understeer(weight transfer of the car will be uncontrolled).

Something simple you can do that will get an all-in-one shot is Koni SA's.
You can use the lower perch on the front shock with stock springs to lower 3/4", and the heater hose mod in the rear. The car will significantly handle/feel better, ride better(think german sports sedan), and hook better than stock.
Direct compare between QA1's and Konis here:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...45#post8344345

 

if you want to take corners, qa1s are the exact OPPOSITE of what you want. These are straight line shocks only and will be terrible for ride and handling.

If you don't want to drop too much, and still want to keep some clearance, consider doing koni shocks on stock springs. Do the hose mod in the rear, the koni shocks allow you to drop the front about 3/4" and the hose mod will give you a similar drop in the rear. You could also add the sway bars for even more handling improvements without compromising your track performance (just disconnect the front bar at the track).

Koni shocks are by far the best shocks on the market, and since you were considering QA1s, they aren't rediculously more. These shocks should not hurt you when you are drag racing if you adjust them properly, they can even improve 60ft times.

If you still want springs, Stranos are the best balance.

I highly recommend calling up strano and talking to him about what you want out of the car, he will make quality recommendations and won't over sell you on anything.


Edit: he beat me too it.

 

I can help you with the lowering of your car, our springs will drop it 1". We have the springs in stock ready for shipment. But the others are correct QA1'S are not the shock of choice for handling. I offer the Tokico HP series, although not the best shock they are not very expensive and will give you an increase in handling performance verus the oem setup. Give me a call if you have any questions. Our tech/sales dept is available till 6PM EST Mon-Fri.

 

I'm happy to help, just as I have for JD_AMG and ThumperNC24 (and others). The thing is recommendations by e-mail are a bit open ended. I don't have enough info to know exactly what you know and/or want, and you can't ask questions of me.

Right away it should be stated that you want the weight to transfer around when you drag race, and that's exactly what you don't want when you are driving the car around corners. There are ways to compromise, but you need to decide which is the priority and to what extent you want to lean toward drag racing or the suspension working on around corners and at speed. The more spring rate or lower height you run the more you need from the shocks. Shocks are the key which is why whenever possible I do run Koni's, stock springs, or lowering springs.... However, there are other shock options to be sure.

My lowering springs aren't super low, and there rears are not extremely stiff. They have been used to "drag" on with pretty decent success for those that want the lowering and handling, and know that lowering a car isn't ideal. While not ideal, the lower you go and the stiffer you go the more hurt you put on the front to rear weight transfer.

The Koni option with stock springs is available as well, running the lower perch and getting the killer shock control too. You keep the stock springs and their softer rates.

I sell Tokico, KYB, Koni, Edelbrock, etc..... We have plenty of choices to pick from and use. The trick is getting you the correct and best stuff for the job at hand. The job is already by definition a compromise, and that to me means the parts we use need to be flexible (like adjustable damping), or have been designed for a use similar to yours. My springs are meant to handle, but part of my racing involves drag racing, and powering out of 2nd gear corners, so getting power down was most certainly a designed in part of the spring rates and heights.

 

Thank you guys for all your help. I did not know that about the QA1's. The main point was to drop the car about an inch. I was just hoping to have it handle better and hook better, but I understand I can't always have my cake and eat it too.

The Koni's seem awesome, but at $800.00 for just the set not including springs in kinda pricey. The car handles good (In my perspective and for what I use it for) right now, so I can't justify spending that kind of money just for the drop.

I want the car dropped a little, but have it handle just as well as it does now or even better. Can I just go with a drop spring all the way around with stock shocks? How much do the stranos drop a car.

I already have the relocation brackets and PHB.

 

I have Strano springs on stock shocks with eibach anti-roll bars. The car rides better than stock and handles 10 times better but i dont have a decent base line to compare the stock conering to the modified conering because the front sway bar was disconnected on one side when i bought the car and i didnt find out untill i changed the springs. Strano is the spring to go with. The drop was not severe but it is definately noticable. The new look of the stance is amazing to. Here is a side shot of the car to compare yours with.

 

$800 seems rich for Koni's.... How much do you think QA1's, that are not nearly in the ballpark cost? Here's a hint, more you might like to think. And they come with springs that are only about stock rate (in other words not nearly stiff enough to counter the amount of lowering the "coil-over" allows you).

Being 100% blunt. You get what you pay for here. If you want to do less, that's fine, but the shocks are the key to making these cars work. Speaking as someone who makes and sells springs and swaybars, I'll tell you right now that a car on sub-par dampers isn't one I want to drive ideally.

You'll notice in the above post a man mentions he has my springs and stock shocks and likes it. That's good, but it doesn't in anyway mean it's what it could be. And the same goes for you when you say you think it handles ok now... it doesn't, but you can't know that. You don't have anything to compare it to. I assure you that a car on stock shocks does not handle or drive like a car on quality dampers.

 

I too thought stock fbodies handled pretty good for what they were, then I bought some Konis. Stock, they handle mediocre at very best, and **** poor compared to with just Konis and nothing else. Its not just added grip, its balance and overall feel of the car. You can feel everything the car is doing, stock feels like a total fat slob in comparison. Its very well balanced, and very neutral though turns, no longer do you have to worry about hitting a bump or road impurity though a turn and loosing it. It hits a bump, completely un-fazed by it, and keeps on holding like you wouldn't believe.
Springs will no offer these kinds of gains, and may make pushing the car to the limit, or near it actually more scary (because your shocks cannot control the car with even less suspension travel, and more spring rate).
Honestly it would be like you coming in here saying you want more grip off the line with spare donut tires in the rear, and which suspension piece would help the most. Then after being suggested some real tires, saying thats pretty expensive, I rather just buy a torque arm instead.

 

Why is it like everyone is flaming this guy all of the sudden, lol. I'm in the same position he is. $800 for shocks is alot of money if your not loaded. I'm pretty sure he's just asking for some kind of shocks and spring setup that isnt ridiculously expensive, but still give him decent handling. Sure, without the Koni setup it might not be the best, but I think he just wants good.

Trust me I'd love some Koni's too, but I don't have the money to fork out for them right now. I have other parts I need to take care of and I don't know if I should buy some Tokico's or something and take care of the rest of my car.. PITA decisions..

 

I don't see anyone flamming, just trying to help him understand how important shocks are. Thats the problem, many don't understand how drastic of a change it is, and how it effects the behavior of the car.
$800 for shocks is not that expensive. Take a look at what other performance cars are paying for shocks, its usually close to $2,000.
But this is just $800 to drastically change the ride, and handling of the car, more so than any other single suspension mod.