Let's Talk SUSPENSION!

[Spray'dV6]

1.) How are the 1LE parts? They are dirt cheap through GMpartsdirect.

2.) I have a v6 with the stock springs and shocks. What would I gain by upgrading to the v8 springs and shocks? They are $100 for all of it from SLP.

3.) If I were to buy the eibach lowering springs would I have to change my shocks for the drop to take place and would I need relocation brackets for the LCA's (1LE's)?

Thanks!

[strobhen]

1. They are good. You will find a lot of debate on this, but I think they are good for swaybars, but I would get lca's & panhard bars somewhere else. (I like the looks of lgmotorsports' products, hear a lot of good things about them on the ls1.com forums as well)

2. Yes, you would gain, how much I cannot say, but the consensus seems to be that you will gain a little w/ this upgrade (you can make your car sit a little higher in the back by doing this though)

3. New shocks are a must for lowering springs. Relocation brackets are a point of deabate, but not a bad idea.

[FirebirdGT]

1) ALL 1LE parts are very good particually the LCA and PHR, I would NOT get them aftermarket. The only problem with the stock parts is the soft bushings - the 1LE have hard bushings. The aftermarket says the parts are "weak" because they flex - well they are SUPPOSED to flex for the suspension to work properly.

2) Depends on what year you have (you don't say).

3) Yes, you should change shocks, but relocation brackets are another worthless aftermarket gimmick to separate you from your money.

[ September 01, 2002: Message edited by: FirebirdGT ]</p>

[Dominic]

If you go with eibach springs, at least buy the bilstein shocks for them - it won't be a perfect match but it will work better than the deCarbons from what I hear.

The 1LE parts are very good. They're not beautiful or anything (look like stock really), but they do their job very well if not better at times than the aftermarket polybushing stuff. I think everyone is in agreement now that if you want your car to handle you need to keep away from poly bushings in the LCAs.

The V8 springs and shocks will essentially restore youre ride to stock. You don't need the V8 springs, they won't do much for you since springs shouldn't wear out. The minimal spring increase you'd get from V8 springs isn't worth the money.

Next time though, please do a search - all of these questions has been answered in the past a lot. Use a more detailed topic subject than "Let's talk suspension" also - that tends to throw off the search features for other people to find this topic in the future. Thanks. [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[Guardsman]

If you do the SLP take-off option, you don't need the rear springs, they are the same on the V6 and V8. The V8 front springs make a bit of difference, but like Dominic said, they aren't anything earthshaking. I used them because I don't want to lower my car (I scrape enough already), but are a bit stiffer, and combined with a strut tower brace, it works pretty well.