Topic: Suspension upgrades

[Sting Ya]

After finally getting my front swaybar from Werks and sending some stuff to the powder coater I'm going to put the last piece of my suspension upgrade on and would like a little input.First off I don't race my car and don't plan on doing it in the future I just like to get the most out of it and enjoy some spirited driving on the country roads near my house.That said I'm looking at some options as far as my suspension goes I currently have stock shocks with Eibach Sport Springs: A set of FE3 shocks and use my Eibach springs  I like the fact that the Eibachs lower the car about an inch and one half and still have a comfortable ride or just leave the stock springs on them .A set of Koni shocks with my Eibach springs .Or a set of coilovers like BC or KWs  my 2 concerns with the coil overs can I justify the price over a grand for a set that will be on a street car and the adjustability issue, I have seen some where you have to cut a hole in your trunk to get at the adjustment feature your thoughts will be appreciated Thanks!

[ihawk95]

I have coil overs and do have holes in my trunk.  They are pretty clean and don't really affect the functionality of my trunk.  I've never had a leakage problem.

They will change your ride.  I have an 06 NA and the car is bouncy on bridge approaches.  I only have 18 points of adjustment, but the BC's have over 30.  They are wonderful in the twisties and on a road course though!  And I did adjust them for the road course.  I need to adjust them back for the twisties tomorrow though.

I don't have upgraded sway bars.  That will be next for me as I now have a squeak in the right front.  I noticed it after the track.  When I make a left turn and hit a bump during the turn, there is a squeak from the right front.  Oh well...gotta pay to play!  Ha ha!  It's worth it!!!

[Sting Ya]

My point with the cost is will I see that big a difference on a street car with all the other upgrades I have done? ( not too worried about the cost just looking for the best bang for my buck) and how will that affect the ride my 81 Corvette has a Gymkhana suspension set up and it's a rough ride at times  I know the technology has been improved so these are things I'm looking at . just wondering what type of coil overs you have I'm looking at BC/KW/andHKS 

[ihawk95]

B&G.  As far as I know, you can't get them for the Kappa anymore.

I have an 82 Z28...The ride isn't that much better!  Ha ha!  If you are going to drive some spirited twisties...you will like them!  Again, I have an NA and had no trouble keeping up with turbos in the turns on a track.  Any straights and I was left in the dust.  My car has very little roll in the turns.  We marked my sidewalls on my tires to see what the car was doing...was it sitting, was it digging into the turns, etc.

If you aren't really going to push corners, probably not worth the money.  If you enjoy twisties and like pushing the car in them, I would get them again in a minute.

To give you some reference, I also have a backbone, probeam, LV engine brace, and Continental Extreme Contact DW tires.

The lowering is a PITA though.  I'm lowered about 2" I think and have the stupid splash guards.  I seriously need to trim them.  I scrape them on everything.  Speed bumps, some driveway approaches, etc.  If my fenders weren't already so scratched from them, I'd just take them off and the car would probably be fine.  The airdam will also scrape on occassion.

I liked my setup in the twisties a lot...and then I got the car on a road course!  Wow!!  And that was 3 weeks ago and I'm still saying Wow!!!  I'm hooked!!

[Wartie]

I have the same setup as ihawk95, I unfortunately have not found a setting that works well for me. When I hit a bump I feel like I am going to be shot out of the car. The dampening going down is ok but the upward dampening is terrible. I will probably be changing them out this winter.

[ihawk95]

Yeah, I'm at like 4 clicks from hard in the front now and 6 in the rear from the track...I think.  I will have to check.  I need to be more like 11 in the back and 9 in the front for the street.  I found that was livable.  I nailed a bridge approach this morning and had a nice upward bounce!

[Wartie]

I am going to crank them down again and give it one more try. I can`t complain too much the price was right. 

[GXP_Matt]

Konis at about 1 turn from soft (out of 2.5 total) ride very well, the cars feels controlled and doesnt bounce over bumps.  Stiff but not really uncomfortable.  Those lower end coilovers do not have very sophisticated damping, they are made to a price point so people can "slam" their cars.  The KW V3s are about as cheap as I would pay for coilovers.  Honestly it's hard to do better than Eiback or Z0k springs with Konis. 

[ihawk95]

I am going to crank them down again and give it one more try. I can`t complain too much the price was right. 

You got a better deal than I did.  Not that I didn't, I think I got the last set, but mine weren't cheap!!  Ha ha!

I found the soft to be way too bouncy.  The harder setting is fine until I nail a bridge approach.  Holy crapola!
Try it more in the middle and go from there.  I counted 18 clicks total.

[Sol Asylum]

I am going to crank them down again and give it one more try. I can`t complain too much the price was right. 

Did you get Elff's set?

[username]

The full Z0K setup is very well-controlled, and not harsh at all, I'd almost call it comfortable. You'll have <2.5" of ground clearance if you use the lower perches, however.

[Gentleman Jack]

Best street set up I have ever driven is as follows:
(Interchange GXP with Redline if needed)

Shocks: stock GXP
Springs: GMPP for GXP
Sway bars: stock GXP
Three braces: front DDM (over the engine), mid (DDM race backbone) rear (DDM probeam)

This set up dropped the car 1" from stock and provided unparalleled combo of street capability with phenomenal comfort.

[Sting Ya]

Konis at about 1 turn from soft (out of 2.5 total) ride very well, the cars feels controlled and doesn't bounce over bumps.  Stiff but not really uncomfortable.  Those lower end coilovers do not have very sophisticated damping, they are made to a price point so people can "slam" their cars.  The KW V3s are about as cheap as I would pay for coilovers.  Honestly it's hard to do better than Eiback or Z0k springs with Konis.

  Thanks that's kind of the direction I was going to I have had Konis on some of my other cars and always felt that they were well worth the money and I know what you mean by people buying coilovers so they could drop their cars into the weeds .I really enjoy driving my cars and the one issue that I have is a comfortable ride as I said earlier I don't plan on racing all I want to do is get the full benefit out of all the bracing that I'm doing

[Wartie]

Did you get Elff's set?

Yes I did, I believe we both have the same opinion of them. Track yes, daily Pa. / Ohio not so much.

[LatinVenom]

The DDM over the engine can be substituted for their Venom Brace, it will give you the same functionality and cost less.

[ihawk95]

Yes I did, I believe we both have the same opinion of them. Track yes, daily Pa. / Ohio not so much.

Yeah, Track/Twisties...awesome (except for the gi-normous bump I hit yesterday on 513...ouch!)
Everyday driving...not so fun.

Wartie...I reset mine yesterday...I was mistaken...I was a touch softer in the front.  Right now I am 11 clicks from the hardest setting in the front and 9 in the rear.  It rides much, much, much better than 6 and 4!  But 6 and 4 was great for the track!!  I didn't bounce so much on the way home last night actually.