I have an 86 trans am with 75,000 miles. My shocks have been leaking for a while now and I am in need of new shocks and struts. I have a few questions though.
1. What kind of shocks and struts(Brand) are good for every day driving and would help out for racing also and not all that expensive.?
2. Should I get new springs since I have the original ones on my car still?
3. Are they kind of easy to install. Can I do them myself?
4. Do I need to get an alignment right after?
Thanks

 

For struts and shocks my first recommendation would be Bilstein. They are expensive though. KYB makes some decent dampers too. I have heard good things about Koni. Adjustable shocks/struts would be a nice thing to have so you can tune your chassis a little. I don't know of any adjustable struts for our cars though. Maybe someone else can help.

Yes, struts and shocks are very easy to install. If you want more specific info let me know and I will PM you. If you have a few bucks to spend and have wanted to tighten up your car, you could go ahead and put in new springs. That makes for more work though and not as easy. Not hard to install, but a little tricky.

 

get KYB GR2's for the front and the gas adjusts for the backs. You can get them from tirerack.com for about $150 for all of them. my old shocks were completely shot and when I put these in, it made a huge difference. These shocks are pretty stiff, and the ride is still really good. If i push down on my car it barely moves, it feels like i got new springs, but i think my car is still riding on the originals.

The back shocks are very easy, took me about 30 minutes to do both. The fronts can be a PITA because of the 2 big bolts on the steering knuckle. took me a breaker bar with a 5 foot pipe to get those loose.

As for the alignment, I never got around to it yet, after about 750 miles i think. I dunno if im gonna get one or not.

its gettin nicer, i'll be up at irving park & barrington soon

 

Thanks for the replys. I think I might go with the kyb's from tirerack.com. What is the part number for the struts?
are the struts in the front and shocks in the back or other way around.
Thanks.

Btw. I am at Barrinton and Irving a lot. If you see me, say HI.

 

KYBs are probably a good choice - most people who have them seem to like them.

I have Koni Yellows - they are great but I would'nt recomend them for a daily driver.

From what I've read Bilstein appears to be a good compromise - not as sharp as the Konis but still good handling.

As for adjustability on the Konis - I do use it - the fronts needed a half turn - so I'm glad I got these but I only drive my car on weekends.

 

This order will be shipped from: South Bend, Indiana
QTY. Size and Description Availability Price Each Item Total
2 KYB Gas-A-Just Shock Rear (ea) In Stock $29.00 $58.00
2 KYB GR-2 Strut Front (each) In Stock $43.00 $86.00



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thats what i got, Im completely happy with them, feels like a brand new car. BTW struts are the fronts, shocks are the rears.

 

Last week I imported a set of Tokico from Spohn,to replace my Koni adjustables.The difference in ride quality is remarkable.Whereas the Konis were very stiff and unforgiveing,the Tokicos are adjustable from a soft ride to firm and even on the firmest setting,the ride quality is acceptable.The day after I fitted them,I went on a 800 mile tour of France covering tiny,narrow roads to wide fast straights and even a few laps of the LeMans 24 hours circuit chasing my mates LT1 Vette and the Tokicos performed faultlessly throughout.Take it from someone who has tried many different shocks,these are the best so far
cheers
pm

 

My buddy Sean who races in the GT2 curcuit says KYB gas-a-justs are good for the back and some Blisteins for the struts is a good setup.

 

I have had the Bilsein struts and shocks for about 2 years now and they are great. They were expensive, but worth the money.

As for an alignment after changing the struts, you shouldn't need to have one done. It is always good to have your car in aligned, but changing shocks and struts doesn't warrant an alignment like other front end work does.

 

I am running a set of Bilstein struts in the front and Bilstein shocks in the back, very happy with them

 

1. I would say it depends on what kind of racing you do and how often you race. Roadracing and Dragracing both require different setups for the best performance. And if you only race a few times a year, then you might want something geared for street comfort (unless you want to suffer the rest of the time you're not racing).

2. With 75k miles there's a good chance your springs are sagging and worn out. Take measurements from your bumpers to the ground on each corner of the car and compare to the stock measurements (you can find online). If your measurements on each side of the car (driver/pass) dont match then there's a good sign of sagging.

3. Yes you can do it yourself, but like anything else you do with the car, having the right tools will make it alot easier. If you dont feel comfortable, then ask a friend who has done it before to help you. Thats how I learned.

4. If you change the ride height of your car then you'll need to realign the car to get back spec. If you just dont care about that kind of stuff then dont do it. But if you race or run expensive tires, you'll want a good alignment. So if you replace the springs with stock height replacements, theres a good chance you wont need an alignment. If you replace the car with drop springs, then you will need an alignment. I'm just **** about alignment, so I would have it checked/done nomatter what.

I prefer roadracing and I do it often. I agree with PowerMite on the Tokiko Illuminas. Even the Tokiko HP's are good, but the Illuminas have the advantage of adjusibility making them choice for track and street. Good choice for someone who likes to roadrace and goes to the tracks alot. Good luck!!