03-25-2013, 01:11 PM | #1 |
Drives: None Yet Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 162
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Help me Understand suspension.
Hi
As many of you know(and hate) I am trying to build a tougher Camaro. In doing so I am also trying to raise my Camaro 1-2". I asked people here how to do so, and got very little support. I have since found a company called Coil Spring Specialist who will custom make me a bigger set of coil springs in order to raise the ride height. However I was under my car today and noticed the springs on this car fit tightly in between what looks like a top hat screwed onto the strut, and the bottom of the strut.(note I have no machanical background so excuse me if my terms are off) So my main question here is how would a longer spring help out at all? It seems to me that a longer spring simply wouldn't fit in a car like the Camaro. I was also looking at the Granatelli Suspension Bracing package for extra support. Does anyone have any experience with this company or their stuff. It looks solid, however I'm always caution when it comes to adding 90lbs of weight under the suspension. Any help is appreciated. |
03-25-2013, 01:15 PM | #2 |
Drives: 2010 rs/ss black # 10,308 Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: hoffman estates, il
Posts: 914
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A tallerr spring will work to a curtain extent. But the shock absorber can only expand so much. If you really want to "lift" the car. You will need all new suspension. Not just springs. It will change the dynamics of everything too which will lead to further issues..like drive shaft angle, axle angle, steering. Everything.
The reason you probably didn't get much help or negative feeback is because this isn't normal or common practice. The camaro is a sports car and not a truck so there is very little if any support out there to lift it up. sent from my galaxy s3. that would explain the errors.
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03-25-2013, 01:16 PM | #3 |
Drives: 13 1LE, 17 Sierra, 84 MonteSS, Join Date: May 2009
Location: Deaborn Heights, MI
Posts: 454
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I can appreciate what you are trying to do, but I still feel you are better off either avoiding potholes or getting a different vehicle. Camaro's are meant to be low, handle well and go fast.
I'm not trying to knock on you but you really picked an odd subject/task to tackle. If you can put smaller wheels with the same OD tire that will give you larger sidewalls and that makes a huge difference as the tires themselves act like a shock absorber. I would not recommend adding redicouls springs etc to raise the ride height of the vehicle. Just my $0.02 |
03-25-2013, 01:25 PM | #4 | |
lll
Drives: 2010 camaro ss L99 Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: new orleans
Posts: 1,176
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Quote:
i agree and no matter how many threads you start about the topic my opinion will saty the same. obviously there arent to many people on this forum that have lfted their camaro's. you buy the right vehicle for the job. to lift the car the whole suspension would have to be altered. i just dont understand why you wouldnt just avoid the potholes. its not rocket science
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DYNATECH LT 1 7/8 HEADERS, CATLESS MID PIPES, CORSA CATBACK, CAI. COLD AIR INTAKE w/ SCOOP, 1LE 3:91 GEARS, LETHAL RACING PROWLER CAM, LETHAL RACING DYNO TUNE, ENERGY CRADDLE BUSHING INSERTS, PADDLE SHIFTER RELOCATE KIT, 449RWHP/438TQ APPEARANCE COPO HOOD, ZL1 SPOILER, SLP BLACKOUT PANEL, PLASTI DIP WHEELS, HERITAGE GRILL, RETRO SS EMBLEMS, WEATHER TECH FLOOR MATS, ORANGE STITCHING |
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03-25-2013, 01:44 PM | #5 |
Drives: 2013 VR 2SS RS Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Kansas
Posts: 619
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I'd strongly consider buying a secondary vehicle or you could contact the custom shops that lift cars to fit massive rims under cars? They have to lift the car somehow.
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03-25-2013, 01:52 PM | #6 | |
Drives: 13 2SS/RSvert,CRT,dual-mode exhaust Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Fairfax, VA
Posts: 314
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03-25-2013, 01:58 PM | #7 |
Drives: None Yet Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 162
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Right off the top I want to say thank you everyone for your genuin responses.
I must admit I didnt fully understand the complexity of the camaros suspension until today when I got under the car and actually looked at it. I just figured if you want to raise a car you just throw some longer springs in it or a block of some sort. I didn't realize just how resiculous what I was asking was. I also understand that lifting a Camaro is a sin to most of you, and don't get me wrong I love the lower look to. I just fear the damage theses pothole will do because the last car I drove I bottomed out and cracked the oil pan(which ended up blowing the motor) on a pothole that I still have to drive over every day. I also know most of you can't comprehend the idea of a unavoidable pothole, and it's something you have to see to understand. I think I'm going to give up on the lift alltogeather. However I do still want to reinforce the bottom somehow. How do you guys feel about the Grannatelli kit? |
03-25-2013, 01:59 PM | #8 |
Drives: None Yet Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 162
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Right off the top I want to say thank you everyone for your genuin responses.
I must admit I didnt fully understand the complexity of the camaros suspension until today when I got under the car and actually looked at it. I just figured if you want to raise a car you just throw some longer springs in it or a block of some sort. I didn't realize just how resiculous what I was asking was. I also understand that lifting a Camaro is a sin to most of you, and don't get me wrong I love the lower look to. I just fear the damage theses pothole will do because the last car I drove I bottomed out and cracked the oil pan(which ended up blowing the motor) on a pothole that I still have to drive over every day. I also know most of you can't comprehend the idea of a unavoidable pothole, and it's something you have to see to understand. I think I'm going to give up on the lift alltogeather. However I do still want to reinforce the bottom somehow. How do you guys feel about the Grannatelli kit? |
03-25-2013, 02:36 PM | #9 | |
lll
Drives: 2010 camaro ss L99 Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: new orleans
Posts: 1,176
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Quote:
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PERFORMANCE
DYNATECH LT 1 7/8 HEADERS, CATLESS MID PIPES, CORSA CATBACK, CAI. COLD AIR INTAKE w/ SCOOP, 1LE 3:91 GEARS, LETHAL RACING PROWLER CAM, LETHAL RACING DYNO TUNE, ENERGY CRADDLE BUSHING INSERTS, PADDLE SHIFTER RELOCATE KIT, 449RWHP/438TQ APPEARANCE COPO HOOD, ZL1 SPOILER, SLP BLACKOUT PANEL, PLASTI DIP WHEELS, HERITAGE GRILL, RETRO SS EMBLEMS, WEATHER TECH FLOOR MATS, ORANGE STITCHING |
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03-25-2013, 02:46 PM | #10 | |
Drives: None Yet Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 162
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Honestly the quickcrete idea is probably the best one out there. Unfortunately there probably some law out there for that will put me in jail for it. |
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03-25-2013, 02:56 PM | #11 | |
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03-25-2013, 03:12 PM | #12 |
Drives: None Yet Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Philadelphia PA
Posts: 162
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No not generally, but in some parts yea. I actually live in manayunk which is outside of the city but still technically part of Philadelphia. It's actually a really nice area, way nicer then the rest of city. Unfortunately though being outside the actual city, everything around here gets very very little government funding. So in my immediate area every street looks like a war zone. It's so bad my entire street was taken up by the city to change the water lines, and they left it like that for 8 months before doing anything. Now we're talking an entire 18' by 200' street with $300,000 houses on both sides. It was literally a dirt road for almost a year.
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03-25-2013, 03:29 PM | #13 |
Drives: 2015 1SS 1LE MPP Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Duluth, GA
Posts: 207
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Getting good adjustable coilovers and 18" (maybe even 17") wheels might help. With the 18" wheels, you can get more sidewall to absorb some of the load, and with good adjustable coilovers, you can keep the ride height, but still be able to dial in the suspension load so it protects the car from bottoming out? Maybe?
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03-25-2013, 03:37 PM | #14 |
Drives: 2015 1SS 1LE MPP Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Duluth, GA
Posts: 207
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Or this
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