Hello I want to buy new shocks/springs for my 85 IROC-Z. Im set on Koni shocks(from summit),but undecided on the coil springs. Ive heard some good things about eibachs supposedly they lower your car 1" to 2"($239.95)? Hotchkis on the other hand claim to lower it 1" and are $20 cheaper(according to summit)? In the future i plan to get some other suspension modds as well(energy suspension kit/sway bars/strut and shock tower braces/torque arm/subframe connectors). Hotchkis makes almost every modd I mentioned and it be cool to have almost all Hotckins suspension, if they are good or better than Eibach? Undecided yet and would like to be to order them already. So what do you guys think?

THE BANDIT-Z

 

I've got the Eibach pro-kit (1" drop), and am very happy with the increase in cornering ability that it provided me with. It gave the car a nice "raked" stance after the springs settled as well. If you're more interested in looks than performance you can go with their sportline springs (2" drop). So...I'm gonna say go with the Eibachs. I was happy with their performance.

-AJ

PS: The pic in my sig is not how my car sits now.

 

i have the sport lines in my car and i love em. the ride quality is excellent and the handling is fantastic.

 

Thanks guys I just read your posts this morning, though i placed the order last nite. I went with Hotchkis, they are a bit cheaper + I ordered some other stuff (summit)
1.Koni front/rear shocks $529.5
2.Hotchkis coil springs $219.95
3.Earls hyperfirm brake line kit $96
4.Energy suspension polyurethane kit $117.95
The whole total came out to $900.xx
If someone else has this coil (Hotchkis) please comment on the ride quality,roll,stability,etc. Thanks I should be recieving them by friday and installing them by this weekend.

 

I like my Hotchkis springs. They're just a bit stiffer then the stock WS6 springs, but lowered my front about 1" and the rear 1.5"

 

Are the hotchkis springs a progressive rate spring?

 

They are from summit # HSS-1903 1" DROP. Dont know if they are progressive or not?

 

They are linear 600lbs springs up front.

 

Bandit: That's exactly the setup I am debating getting. Did you install them yet?

I'd like to hear how you like them.

John

 

johnblacksox I finished the rear already shock,coil springs,and polyurethan bushings. The brake lines didnt fit my car though,wrong part # so I returned them. Im now working on the front but its hard to get those A arm bushings out, even harder is to get the new ones back in. Im using a bench type manual presser wich i just broke while trying to get a bushing in,I guess it was old but it was helpfull. Tomorrow im going to have to buy one in order to finish the job. Im also going to need a complete rebuild kit for the front steering, but thats a diff project. Hopefuly ill finish by tomorrow if I find another bench presser? Ill post the results once I try it out

 

i have hotchkis im thinkin about tryin the sport lines i dunno i just dont think its low enough and i think they could ride better.

 

Have you tried the Hotchkis yet?

I have a daily driver and I want to upgrade my old stock springs without lowering it too much, so I was leaning toward Hotchkis springs over the Eibach Pro-kits.

 

pro-kit isnt as low and will ride better

 

Im still working on my passenger fron side and then ill be finished. The polyurethane bushings for the arms(front/rear) wer a "B1T(H" to take off and put on. Im still waiting on some parts I ordered (correct brake line kit,front end links,earl bleeders,etc) that should be arriving by Friday. I should have it finished by next week and post some results then. It should of been finished by now, but that poly bushing kit has slowed me down. I didnt anticipate all that hard work you have to go through when your working alone with regular tools.

 

ill tell ya the truth , the sportlines look good but they made my car handle worse than it did before. It doesnt have any body roll but it looks better. I did the rel brackets but the car def lost some take off traction and i think it handles worse, what i mean is that the rear end is more willing to come around than before. My car went down 1 3/4 in the front and 2 1/8 in the rear .It def makes the car look better. I guess i dont mind the loss of traction because im gonna get wider tires, 17 x 9.5 so they should help a little.

 

i have the same exact problem with my hotckis springs. i will switch them out with the same one's my buddys 92 Z has. the hotckis are comming out. the eibach's are alot better imo. he has eibachs for sure but, i cannot identify what they are? sportlines or pro-kit? are the springs different colors from pro-kit to sportlines?

the springs are black in color. i really want he has. they make the car feel "solid" and the front end doesn't sway up and down like it does with my hotckis springs. help.

 

My front end doesnt do that with my hotchkis. The black ones r the pro-kit tho.

 

damn i probably got some bad ones then .

 

Hotchkis fronts are 600# linear and rears are
progressive 100-140#. A couple of members
have spring combos like that already.

 

mine are so screwed up.... the front springs are very soft with the rear springs being way too stiff. oh well...

 

I have the hotchkis spring's, the only complaint I have is that the rear still sit's too high!! The front is slammed to the bump stop's??

 

i agree 91 also my front is rear still i might switch to the sport lines

 

I have the Hotchikis and think they're pretty good. These springs were in my first third gen, then I swapped them into my second after the wreck. Now I'm noticing that the rears are a bit soft, but I have a bad torque arm mount so maybe that is moving around a bit affecting the springs.

The spring rates aren't much more than the stock Trans Am springs, I think the main improvement came with my struts that I did at the same time.

 

Same problem here, the front damn near sit on top of the wheels but the rear is still too high. I cut 1/2 coil off the back and its still too high in my opinion. Not to mention the ride is alttle on the ruff side. Feels like I'm riding in a boucing *** lowrider truck. That may be because of the kyb shocks and struts though. I will be buying Bilstiens some time this winter, so hopefully that will help. if not I will be replacing the springs with eibachs.

 

I always heard the eibach's sag in the rear, that was why I went with the Hotchkis, is this true?? If not then I will get rid of the Hotchkis for sure!!

 

i have the same exact problem jt with my kyb's

 

What kind of springs do you have? If its the KYB's then I may keep the hotchkis springs and get the Bilstiens and not worry about it anymore.Sounds to me the KYB's weren't worth saving a few bucks at the time.

 

Well after a long time I finally finished the suspension. It took me long cause I changed the brake lines,bleeders, and replaced a rear brake caliper that is stiil giving me problems. I bought it new from autozone but, it doesnt want to press the brake pads? Ive bled it and checked if the fluid is reaching to it and it all seems ok, I dont know what im doing wrong? Well back to the point the car definetly feels better. Ive taken it out 1 time for fun and testing(cautiously), although my left rear brake caliper is not working. I just had to try it already, lol. True the front dropped nice and the rear almost stayed the same with the Hotchkis shocks, but thats nothing a little cutting on the rear springs wont fix. The Konis made a very impressive difference along with the Hyperflex polyurethane bushing kit. Im anxious to fix my brake problem and amp it up a notch. Definetly a recommended change for all of you with stock shocks & springs.