LS1BADZ28

Does Strange or maybe Viking make a front Coilover setup for the third gens? My 4th gens always had Strange S5269's up front with a 300lb spring and I loved them. I can only find Lakewood 90/10 front struts

LS1BADZ28

Also measured from ground to fender lip, 25.5'' front, 26.5'' rear, definitely lowered....sitting on 275/40/17....probably go BMR 1.25'' springs all around, still looking for strange front struts.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

Do you specifically need coilovers? Or would weight jacks fit the bill? Coilovers come with a few limitations and concerns in these cars. You usually see them in drag cars more than street cars or road race type cars for those reasons.

You shift your weight load onto the strut towers instead of the k-member. Strut towers arent designed to hold up the car. They will likely move under loads.

The coilovers are wider than the struts they replace, so they necessarily limit your front tire width.

The height adjustability of coilovers can be accomplished with weight jacks (Ground control sells them or you can make your own set for around $300 or so).

-Off the shelf traditional struts such as Koni Sport Adjustables are VERY good. There's no need to go to coilovers for better struts for performance, since that can be done with traditional struts.

The decrease in sprung AND unsprung weight is significant, and helpful. It will also allow you to run tubular front A-arms without worries because the spring loads are not going through the A-arm trying to bend it in half. This allows more weight to be cut. This is a massive benefit.

So basically... there are benefits in sprung and unsprung weight. The other performance benefits are neutralized by less than optimal chassis considerations for that type of suspension design. Our front suspension design isnt perfect, but coilovers dont address any of the shortcomings in terms of performance or geometry. Then there are the performance drawbacks of having to run narrow tires. Im not sure a 17x9.5 will fit, as they are VERY tight even with the factory struts. I think I've heard people claim they can fit... but I know with my setup I have MAYBE 3/16's of an inch clearance between the strut body and the inside of my wheel lip. With a coilover you've got a spring going around that whole assembly as well.

So you've got to compare concerns about wheel fitment, performance for your application, and the cost of performance struts and a weight jack setup vs the cost of coilovers. Id look into getting a strut tower brace if you do decide to go with coilovers. That should at least partially address a lot of the concerns.

Kat

iTrader: (4)

1: They didn't move the strut tower at all in the two cars that I had Spohn's coil over kits. I had the right spring rate/shock for the application.

2: No they don't limit front tire width. I had a 275 tire on my old vert with plenty of room.

Old pic.

AlkyIROC

I don't even have coilovers on my car. Moroso trick springs hold the front of my car up. Weight of the front end is carried between the a-arm and the frame. The stock strut carries very little weight.

When switching to a front coilover, the front weight of the car is now being carried by the inner fender sheetmetal. Although it can handle some weight, any excessive abuse should have extra bracing to keep the inner fenders from flexing, bending etc.

As for the Lackwood 90/10's there are more drag struts available and none of them are inexpensive. I run Koni SPA1 struts on my car. They're only a single adjustable. When I'm out having fun on a street legal night just to get some track time, I have them adjusted full soft to get the front end to pop up quicker. The crowd loves it. When I'm racing, I have them cranked up as stiff as they can go and still pull the front wheels.

http://www.spohn.net/shop/1982-1992-...oil-Over-Kits/

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

1. Im talking about deflection under dynamic loads. You want the suspension doing all the moving, not the suspension mounting points. How much shifting is going on is hard to say and whether it matters is hard to say and very dependent on application and bracing and so on. Personal choice at the end of the day.

2. Anyone can use adapters and space the tire farther outboard I guess. People can run front 17x11's if they space them out enough to keep them from hitting the tie rod ends, so it's a solvable issue regardless, but it is a potential complication. I think I remember reading that 18x10's and 18x10.5s dont fit correctly with coilovers.

plum92_camaro

I agree with infernal vortex completely. Front coil overs for drag racing, ok but i'd take alky's word over mine. street, meh, it happens. AutoX/RR, NO WAY!!

Kat's car is awesome and has had good luck with them. Probably because his car is street and occasional drag. If you use your car the same way, you may be able to use them without issues too.

For me it all comes back to the phrase "It's only as strong as the weakest link" and if you put the load of the car on the strut towers with front coil overs, you move strut towers/body up the list. If you search you'll see that NONE of the big autoX/Road race guys use front coil overs. They use weight jacks or aftermarket springs, both in stock location.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

Im in the process of modding a partial spohn front coil over kit. Basically using my old hot part caster/camber plates. Then taking the spohn strut tower support plates and using them on both sides of the strut tower (sandwiching the strut tower so it doesn't deform) I had already fully welded the strut tower previously. Then I made a custom STB that attaches to the top strut tower support plate and connects both plates and the firewall (like a 3pt STB) but since its on the plates the strut towers shouldn't really move much if at all. The STB I made is from 1 1/4" x .120" DOM tubing and uses 5/8" Rod ends. Then I had some 1/2" billet spacers made that fit between the upper strut tower Support plates (that the STB attaches to) and the hot part caster/camber plates. This gives me 1/2" more lowering if need be (since I had 1/2" spring cups/isolators made to center the coil over spring/bearing in my hot part caster/camber plates so I lost 1/2" of lowering). I had originally had 1.5" spacers made so I could lower the car a lot more but I couldn't mount them on the driver side as it hit the brake master cylinder.

This is my solution to the "coil over support issue". Total cost is actually less than a full Spohn coil over kit as I didn't get his caster/camber plates. Im running KYB AGX struts and 300lb springs (got a heavy 521 BBF up front). Hoping that the coil overs and the moly race craft Kmember help drop alittle weight. I added very little with the STB and extra strut tower support plate. I'm hoping it will soften the ride alittle compared to my 900lb front cut moog 5664s and rear 200lb jacks. Also swapping in a spohn 150lb rear coil over kit.

I drive my car to shows mostly and some street driving and also take it to the track. I like that I can adjust the ride height easily and don't need to run harsh springs in the stock location with weight jacks. Plus swapping the springs is no fun.

SlickTrackGod

THe biggest concern is how the Torrington bearings have held up when the spring has to rotate in the seats with every steering imput. When that outside wheel is hard pressed in a corner there is a tremedous load on those bearings- I would suspect steering bind/ or at least an inceased steering resistence when driven spiritedly.

customblackbird

iTrader: (15)

Agreed, when u put it that way. Torrington bearings are pretty tough tho. I guess it's good that I don't road race or drive it more than 500miles a year.