Coilovers and lowering springs

[garcmol]

Originally Posted by mikeSS

i do see your point, and trust me for my age i have been in some serious rides and drove a few. so i know what a good handling cars should somewhat feel like. but getting back to my point, maybe this statement will be wrong. but i am getting my springs and sways plus installed for around a grand. coilovers are over a grand for just parts. wont there be more value in the springs and sways considering how much less it is ? again might be wrong.

You aren't wrong at all. Springs and sways will no doubt improve the handling of your car. I went that route as well. Now I'm running coilovers. I guess it's just the next level.

I think the advantage to coilovers is the range of adjustability. The shock/strut (whatever you call it) travel in a coilover will never change regardless of how low you drop the car. However, with springs you limit the travel of the shock because you just lost the travel to the drop. Drop 1.5", you lost 1.5" of travel on the shock. My Pedders are set up now for a nice highway drive. But a few clicks of the bound/rebound dials and it's a race car!

[mikeSS]

Originally Posted by garcmol

You aren't wrong at all. Springs and sways will no doubt improve the handling of your car. I went that route as well. Now I'm running coilovers. I guess it's just the next level.

I think the advantage to coilovers is the range of adjustability. The shock/strut (whatever you call it) travel in a coilover will never change regardless of how low you drop the car. However, with springs you limit the travel of the shock because you just lost the travel to the drop. Drop 1.5", you lost 1.5" of travel on the shock. My Pedders are set up now for a nice highway drive. But a few clicks of the bound/rebound dials and it's a race car!

ya that makes sense, and coilovers are for sure on my list in the future along with other suspension mods. its a must have with a full suspension setup. but i think i will be happy with springs and sways for a few years.

[MrsTXCamaro]

I don't have an SS so I'll probably never do coilovers but I did ride in a friend of my husband's Camaro with a set and it felt really good. He brought it over the other day to show us stuff he had done to his car since we just got ours. He had just put them on recently and said it was much better than the Eibach springs he had.

I'm pretty sure he said they were BC coilovers and remember him saying they were $1,000. Sounds high to me but that's supposed to be a really good price for coilovers.

I did think it was cool they way the just turned some knobs in the engine compartment and in the trunk to make the car handle better or to make the car ride softer.

[Whiteside Customs]

Originally Posted by FosterSS

I Wanted to lower my camaro but what Im trying to figure out is if I should get a coilover package or just some sway bars and lowering springs?

I dont take mine to the track, but I want to improve the suspension, dropping it to the ground a little too. Is there any difference between Coilovers and Springs? I need some help

I have piles of springs from people who have upgraded to coilovers. In my opinion springs are great if you're after the "look". Beyond that I can't say that springs have a lot of merit. Coilovers will ride better for daily driving, perform better in competition settings, and if you go with BC Racing are lighter than a shock spring combo. With that said, as far as suspension goes, coilovers would NOT be my first mod. I would look into bushings from Whiteline Suspension. Bushings are MUCH better bang for the buck than springs. After bushings I would then look into coilovers and sway bars.

Think of it this way. When you build a house, you want as solid a foundation as possible. If you build your house on an unsteady foundation, it really doesn't matter how good the components you put on top of it, there's still going to be movement in the foundation. Your camaro suspension is mounted using very compliant rubber bushings with a TON of movement. Keeps things quiet but really hurts the performance capabilities.

The Camaro is one amazing vehicle from the factory. The Zeta chassis is one of the strongest unibody vehicles I have ever seen. With a little research and planning and the right mods, the Camaro becomes a budget Supercar!

[caverman]

Originally Posted by Whiteside Customs

I have piles of springs from people who have upgraded to coilovers. In my opinion springs are great if you're after the "look". Beyond that I can't say that springs have a lot of merit. Coilovers will ride better for daily driving, perform better in competition settings, and if you go with BC Racing are lighter than a shock spring combo. With that said, as far as suspension goes, coilovers would NOT be my first mod. I would look into bushings from Whiteline Suspension. Bushings are MUCH better bang for the buck than springs. After bushings I would then look into coilovers and sway bars.

Think of it this way. When you build a house, you want as solid a foundation as possible. If you build your house on an unsteady foundation, it really doesn't matter how good the components you put on top of it, there's still going to be movement in the foundation. Your camaro suspension is mounted using very compliant rubber bushings with a TON of movement. Keeps things quiet but really hurts the performance capabilities.

The Camaro is one amazing vehicle from the factory. The Zeta chassis is one of the strongest unibody vehicles I have ever seen. With a little research and planning and the right mods, the Camaro becomes a budget Supercar!

I'm going to have to agree with Mike. I would do some cradle bushings first because of the money difference but I do love my coilovers. Made a big difference in my ride quality and I picked up .2/tenths in the 1/8th mile with the right settings.

I definately felt both the cradle bushing inserts and the coilovers right away. I felt them way more in Seat Of The Pants driving than I did with springs, sway bars, or the Hotchkis brace (I had).

Ultimately you want them all but most people can't afford to drop that kind of coin all at once. Put together a plan of what you want to ultimately do and then take it one step at a time.

[garcmol]

Originally Posted by MrsTXCamaro

I don't have an SS so I'll probably never do coilovers.....

.....don't sell your V6 short.

[Whiteside Customs]

Originally Posted by caverman

I'm going to have to agree with Mike. I would do some cradle bushings first because of the money difference but I do love my coilovers. Made a big difference in my ride quality and I picked up .2/tenths in the 1/8th mile with the right settings.

I definately felt both the cradle bushing inserts and the coilovers right away. I felt them way more in Seat Of The Pants driving than I did with springs, sway bars, or the Hotchkis brace (I had).

Ultimately you want them all but most people can't afford to drop that kind of coin all at once. Put together a plan of what you want to ultimately do and then take it one step at a time.

David, how are those new front radius rod bushings treating you?

[caverman]

Originally Posted by Whiteside Customs

David, how are those new front radius rod bushings treating you?

I've only gone Auto-X once since the install. It was cold outside and we had to run early in the morning. Stock tires with no heat and too much power = lots of sliding.

I still beat my buddy that has a C5 Z06 with aftermarket tires. I beat him by a full second average.

Happy so far.....

Loved being able to make adjustments to the coilovers within minutes sitting in the parking lot. Same went when I was done.....put it right back to the soft settings for the ride home.

[Whiteside Customs]

Originally Posted by caverman

I've only gone Auto-X once since the install. It was cold outside and we had to run early in the morning. Stock tires with no heat and too much power = lots of sliding.

I still beat my buddy that has a C5 Z06 with aftermarket tires. I beat him by a full second average.

Happy so far.....

Loved being able to make adjustments to the coilovers within minutes sitting in the parking lot. Same went when I was done.....put it right back to the soft settings for the ride home.

Nicely done! Just something cool about beating up on a corvette!

[L99CAMA2011]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Cross country, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Pennsylvania, on track, pot holes, speed bumps... much of this with my three daughters, wife and a trunk full of luggage.






Approach angles are the key.

All that and no room for BEER Pete, . Love these pictures never seen from this angle or clarity before. Looks great.

[JusticePete]

Originally Posted by L99CAMA2011

All that and no room for BEER Pete, . Love these pictures never seen from this angle or clarity before. Looks great.

I knew I was missing out on something

[stros]

Very happy with my Pedders lowering springs. Feels much more like a sports car now. The ride height is not too low to have speed bump issues either. The Pedders swaybars, subframe and radius rod bushing of course helped get that sports car ride as well. Some day I may go coilovers but this route allowed me to get all of my other suspension parts as well. Pete is right...they've done an excellent job figuring out the right balance on the spring rates.