Bouncy Ride ...need help....

[kala]

My ride has been bouncy as h*ll since i bought it.i can feel all the unevenness of the road. i thought my shocks are bad. Since i didn't know the history of shocks i changed it with monroe sensa trek. My ride quality didn't even improved a bit. i feel every single bump on the road and it's very annoying in a long ride. i still have time to change this shock since it was bought and installed by monroe dealer.so, i need suggestion from you guys. HOw can i achieve comfortable ride(i know i can't make it like bmw )? i was thinking this
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW
i don't know about bilstein cuz i heard they are stiff too. Koni's are too expansive. my range ($300-$400) any other suggestion would be appreciated to make my ride comfortable. just to let you know springs are stock.

[BLLDOGG]

never heard of the brand you got but bilstein is a good shock. did you ever consider your spring to be the problem?

[98goldbird]

Get rid of the Monroes ASAP. The KYB AGX shocks will work great. If you have stock springs, and you don't plan on changing your springs to lower the car, then get the Bilstein HD shocks for $11 more than the KYB's you see on eBay. You're springs may not be the problem in this situation, but they could be. If your stock shocks were shot from before, and you continued to ride with them, then they would mess up your springs. Of course, the Monroes wouldn't help a bit. I would replace the springs as well. And remember......YOUR SHOCKS AND SPRING RATES MUST CORRESPOND.

[Tru2Chevy]

Ummm....you bought a Camaro expecting a smooth ride? What were you thinking?

The Bilsteins (or any other performance shock for that matter) will make the condition you are complaining about worse. You can't have a smooth ride and "on a rail" handling in the same car....it just doesn't work.

- Justin

[HAZ-Matt]

Bilsteins will make the ride better. The stiffness of the shock is important in so far as it can or cannot damp the spring properly. Bilstein HDs have about the right amount of damping for bump and rebound on the factory springs. OEM shocks do not.

That said, I cannot tell what the original problem is.

If in fact you mean the ride is too jarring, then you do not have many options on the Fbody. With stiff springs or even tires with a lot of pressure in them you are going to feel bumps on the road. If you do not want that, you need to think about getting a grandpa car like a Lincoln or Buick. I am not aware of any manufacturer that produces softer springs for the front and back of a 4th gen Fbody.

You said "bouncy" which in my mind would be more like car moves too much during each event in which there is a disturbance of the suspension. If that is the case you need better spring damping.

[V6Bob]

Believe it or not, both Tru2Chevy and Haz-Mat are right.

Bilsteins will apply more damping force, but do it in a more sophisticated manner. For some people the resulting ride is "better" for some it's "worse". Matter of taste.

The one thing that will make a substantial difference in ride is tires. Most people like wider tires but the 215/60s that come stock on most V6s will ride better because of the taller sidewall. And these:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....rtnum=16TR6ACT

are listed for a 96 Camaro. Note that they list a 7.5 inch rim maximum for the 215s, but 8 inch maximum for the 225s. I have no idea what your rims are.

[kala]

OK, Iam a bit confused now. Tru2Chevy says if i get bilstin my ride quality will be worsen. but others said bilstin will be good.V6 bob i have almost brand new tire in my car. previous owner replaced them maybe 6 month before selling it. so, i don't know if i want new tire. actually i was leaning toward agx because i can make them softer i guess. my (stock)springs are ok. i will probably buy a new set of springs from my local chevy dealer and install it with my new shocks(thats no problem). ok, here's the million dollar question, which one will have a softer(more comfortable,smooth) ride :----
1. AGX with their lowest setting
2. Bilstin
3. Stock (brand new or take off)
i don't race or go to track. i just want to make my car comfortable for daily driving and long road trips.

[V6Bob]

"which one will have a softer(more comfortable,smooth) ride"

I'm gonna try one more time.

Softer shocks do not necesarily mean a more comfortable ride. I doubt that you'd find the ride with no shocks comfortable at all. And you put on brand new Monroe sensa-tracks (not a stiff performance shock) and noticed "didn't change (ride) a bit".

Some people like firm but well controlled. The fact that you called your ride "bouncy" and didn't like the Monroes may (or may not) mean you're that kind of person. In which case you'd love Bilsteins.

Or maybe you prefer a weaker shock, even though the ride motions are less well controlled. Then I'd go for stock. But then I don't understand why you hate the Monroes, unless you preferred worn out shocks to them.

Nobody here can answer your question long distance for you. My best advice is to find the newest stock fbody that you can to try riding in that you know has stock shocks. If that rides better for you, get the stock.

Or call Sam Strano, the best shock pro I know of. He mostly deals with guys who want performance, but he's smart enough to understand what you want and may have an answer. Just remember he's likely a "firm but well controlled" kinda guy.

[BiH]

Originally posted by Tru2Chevy:
Ummm....you bought a Camaro expecting a smooth ride? What were you thinking?

I am sure the 4th gen had better ride then your old camaro :rolleyes:

[kala]

Thanks, v6 bob for clearing it up. i didn't like monroes.so, according to your advice i should try bilstein. i mean they will be better than my $50 monroes for sure. Before i buy anything i want to call this guy Sam Strano . does he have any phone no. or website ? let me know .

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally posted by BiH:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Tru2Chevy:
Ummm....you bought a Camaro expecting a smooth ride? What were you thinking?

I am sure the 4th gen had better ride then your old camaro :rolleyes: </font>[/QUOTE]Now that's just harsh... :(

All F-bodies have a harsh ride, reletively speaking. By the way the initial post was worded, I thought the topic starter was looking for something that would coddle his/her butt on the road. Now it seems like that is not the case, so it's a different story.

- Justin

[V6Bob]

www.stranoparts.com
Order line: 800/729-1831
Tech line: 814/849-3417

Needless to say, if you want to pick Sam's brains, it should be your nickel (tech line).