springs question

[truekoa]

I'm doing a complete overhaul on my suspension system right now.
I have 32MM/19MM sway bars, alum driveshaft, panhard bar, lower arms, upper arms, and now I need a shock/spring combo.

I know which shocks I'm going with(prob eibachs), however on the springs, I don't want to lower my car but need newer springs.

I guess I can just get OEM replacements, but I heard they don't last long at all like 25k miles or something? what about ls1 springs?

The roads here in houston suck and the camaro is already low(stock height) I really don't want it any lower.

Any advice would help, thanks guys.

[ssms5411]

Re: springs question

You can get ls1 springs , they last as long as any other springs, the 114lB rear springs are great or like me I went with 1LE rear springs because they are progressive 130lBs-170Lbs since I have my Optima Batt. in back and methanol trunk mount kit and stereo which way close to 150LBS, and will have QA-1 shocks swapping out the Blisteins HD's soon, front I have QA-1's with 300LB springs, and I'm actually rasing it up to stock height or alittle higher since I have ground effects. I have all the other suspension stuff also along with a UMI TQ arm which is a great investment if your not lowered. I went with a 32 hollow front(did have my ST35mm on) and a 21mm rear sway and so far it handles great. Also doing the 14.4 steering rack upgrade from 16.9 stock ratio. I found my 1LE springs for $100 shipped on ebay so that would be a good place to look or craigslist, thats where I got my St35mm an 21mm sway for $125 local pickup with poly bushings and endlinks. Hope this helps.

[truekoa]

Re: springs question

yeah Im going to look into ls1 springs then.

Also right now I have welded in sfc on the camaro but I was looking at the 3 point ones and they look so much better with their design and support.

But the sfc on the car now are welded in...and if they cut it its gonna be a PITA lol. I guess a body shop could cut it and fix the spot or something?

Or its not recommended, I'm just stuck with the ones i have now?

Any ideas on that?

[ssms5411]

Re: springs question

The 2 point are fine as it is, I have BMR welded in and you not going to get much better except with shocks/springs, tires and sway bars for handling. I would save your money.

[truekoa]

Re: springs question

The 2 point are fine as it is, I have BMR welded in and you not going to get much better except with shocks/springs, tires and sway bars for handling. I would save your money.

ah, yeah I guess I can wait to get the sway bars and other stuff in and see how I like it.

I was just looking at one over at thunderracing and the boxed style looked so strong and well designed.

thx for your help sir

[pace2006]

Re: springs question

Good to see you're ready to address the weakest link in our cars' suspension design; the shocks. And of course, springs go hand in hand with shocks. If you're wanting a good, comfortable, handling spring with not too much of a drop, I would suggest the Hotchkis brand. They only lower the car 1" and are a progressive rate spring, so they won't be too stiff on crappy roads. If you don't want a different set of springs, OEM ones are pretty good. They may tend to sag once they're older or higher mileage, but a fresh set will be good. I don't think mine started to show age until just a few thousand miles ago (currently sits at 90k), but they still work well.

Shock-wise, you said you're looking at Eibach. I don't know if this is a mistype, but as far as I'm aware, Eibach only makes springs for our cars. Don't think that OEM replacement shocks will be a good deal. The valving on our shocks is crappy and they tend to get worse after about 50k miles. Some good shocks for a lesser drop (1" or less) would either be some Strano-spec Bilsteins, or if you're looking for a more economical brand, KYB AGX's are adjustable and won't break the bank.

On the 2pt vs. 3pt SFCs debate, there really isn't much of a difference in support. It's mostly a setup choice based on preference and typically only matters if you want a different torque arm setup. Boxed vs. Tubular is just another personal preference. I'd stick with what you've already got welded in. You'd just be wasting money on the others for a minimal difference in feel. Good shocks will pretty much render the SFCs useless anyway, other than for looks or jack points.

[pace2006]

Re: springs question

One more thing. I noticed you mentioned having upper arms. If you're referring to tubular upper arms from brands like UMI, BMR, etc. I'd keep an eye on those during daily use. They tend to lack the proper bracing and may bend or break under normal driving on harsh roads.

[ssms5411]

Re: springs question

One more thing. I noticed you mentioned having upper arms. If you're referring to tubular upper arms from brands like UMI, BMR, etc. I'd keep an eye on those during daily use. They tend to lack the proper bracing and may bend or break under normal driving on harsh roads.

My front end has tubular K , lower and upper A arms , no problems with mine and I have hit some small pot holes and turn corners at high speeds, about everytime I drive it and no bending at all with mine. Mine is PA racing lightweight K member , PA lower A arms and Spohn upper A arms. Going on 4 years now. I was really truning corners hard when I had my ST35mm front sway and SLP STB on , it was alot of fun, now with the 32mm hollow front and no STB, I don't turn as hard but still get into the corners. I have some 1/2" billet spacers coming from BMR to put under my QA-1's to raise it up and it will probably give it some more support also. When I get my 14.4 steering rack in i will be beating on it somemore. The Tubulars are still pretty strong, I'm sure if you hit a good size pot hole it would bend but even with a stock setup its going to bend something out of place and will still need allignment or something. Also I had my Eibach springs for 12-13 years and they finally started losing their stiffness so thats when i went with the QA-1's for front and 02' 1LE's for the rear with QA-1 shocks.

[truekoa]

Re: springs question

oh crap u guys are scaring me.

first thats right my mistake i was thinking springs when I said eibachs

second, the upper control arms, are u saying i shouldnt upgrade? I have already ordered them since I wanted to check suspension off my list forever. but I just DD the car no drag racing or anything I think I should be fine. However the roads I have to travel on everything are somewhat rough at certain areas I Just take my time going over them so I should be good? I just cruise in the car, dont really speed anymore ever since I heard a ticking noise from the engine bay *sigh* so I've been babying it.

heres my plans so far:

32mm front bar- got endlinks/bushings(this is an aftermarket bar)
19mm rear bar-from a ls1 car, got some new bushings/endinks from energy suspension
alum driveshaft-u joints still look good 2 me, should be a direct bolt on?
springs- im gunna go with ls1 springs, getting them from trans am creations
shocks- probably QA-1's theyre more in my price range
lca- got some tubular bmr ones with poly bushings off ebay
panhard bar- bmr one, im going to use stock accessories for this one
torque arms- havent gotten one yet but it looks like it'll really put the rear end to the ground, any suggestions on this 1?

hows my set up sound guys?

[ssms5411]

Re: springs question

Look at my cardomain site with my upgrades, I have had them on for 4-13 yers most of them , the new is the QA-1's upfront with 300lb springs, used to be Eibachs/KYB ADJ. front and EIbach/Blistiens HD rears, now 1LE progressive springs 130lb-170lbs with QA-1's and the rest is on my cardomain, too much to list. I have Spohn Upper A ams which are great actually because they come -2 preset inthem if you were lowered but are easily adjustable for allighnment, I have had about 4 done at Firestone(lifetime allignments) and will get another after the FE2 rack & pinion goes in. I have had no trouble with my suspension, it rides so nice, I love it. if I didn't like it I would change it.LOL

[pace2006]

Re: springs question

The problem with the upper control arms is that they are primarily made for drag use. While they're advertised as good for daily driving and autocross, they would be better with extra bracing to handle such stress. Examples can be found by running a search on LS1tech. Since you have already ordered the parts, I'd say go ahead and use them. You may luck out like some and not bend them. But to this day, other than some homemade arms, the only marketed arm that had adequate bracing was from a company called G2. They don't make them anymore, unfortunately. Also, contrary to popular belief, many aftermarket arms are heavier than the stock steel ones.

Another alternative would be to refresh the suspension by replacing worn or insufficient bushings. But once again, since you already have the aftermarket parts, don't worry about that.

As far as springs, if you're going to use LS1 springs, don't bother getting used rears. Since your car is a '98, it has the same 114 lbs/in rating as the V8 springs. If you want the same OEM spring rate, new springs would be better for your choices. The front springs won't be that much different either, seeing as there isn't a huge weight difference between an aluminum V8 and an iron V6.

One thing that sticks out to me is your choice of QA1 shocks. Those shocks are generally used for drag use. They can be used on street and such, but probably wouldn't be as optimal for a street-only car. For the price of those, you could get a more comfortable setup like the KYBs or Bilsteins.

[truekoa]

Re: springs question

I just took a look at some bilsteins.

The ones here: http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...&vid=5&pcid=90

Would these be adequate?

I haven't ordered springs/shocks yet but I'm going to do it now and install them set by set as they come in so I can feel the difference.

thx again

[pace2006]

Re: springs question

That site and a few others only list the rear shocks for sale. You should give Sam Strano a call and ask him about his Bilstein shocks. I believe he revalves the rear shocks, due to a terrible redesign they made a couple years ago.

http://www.stranoparts.com/partdetai...D=20&ModelID=7

[truekoa]

Re: springs question

Sorry I got another question.

I know LS1 OEM springs fit our v6 cars, but do aftermarket ones fit?

Also is it ok to mis match springs? I might be getting a set of intrax springs for the rear and qa-1's for the fronts? Found them locally for cheap.

Pace I know you know the answer lol, please chime in when you can.

[pace2006]

Re: springs question

Sorry I got another question.

I know LS1 OEM springs fit our v6 cars, but do aftermarket ones fit?

Also is it ok to mis match springs? I might be getting a set of intrax springs for the rear and qa-1's for the fronts? Found them locally for cheap.

Pace I know you know the answer lol, please chime in when you can.

What do you mean aftermarket "ones"? As in aftermarket V8 springs? If so, you wouldn't really notice a difference in 98-02 V6/V8 springs, seeing as the rear spring rates are the same and there isn't much of a difference between front spring rates. So yes, you can use aftermarket springs, even if it says they're designated for the V8.

As for mixing springs, you should be alright. I've been running Strano springs in the rear for about a month now with the stock springs up front. Haven't had time or a dry day to swap the fronts yet. Other than sitting a little lower in the rear, and a much better feel in the back of the car, there's not really a problem.

What springs were you planning on running? Intrax and stock? And what sway bars are you using?