hey guys, i tried a search for the best shocks and struts for my car, with a limited budget about $500, and ive come to Bilstien or KYB. Im starting to redo the suspension on my car, and im starting on the shocks, struts & springs. Ill be drag racing the car more than ill be autocrossing, but id still like to be able to kill mustangs in the cornersso in a nutshell, what shocks/struts/springs do you guys reccommend for a car that will be drag raced but would also be put through the corners?
thanks,
dave

 

eibach springs are nice, i dont really have any complaints about my pro-kit.

forget KYB....go with bilstien.

suspensions are setup different for drag racing and auto cross. you cant get the best of both worlds on one setup.


suspension is not the place to cheap out, you get what you pay for

 

on a budget eh?

i ended up getting Monroe front struts and rear shocks for like 120 bucks and they carry a lifetime garentee!!!!!

the springs....

fronts are springs from a 92 RS and rears are from a WS6

i just went to autozone and ordered the parts...

however i also ordered my spring ISOLATORS from jegs... poly Urethene, those are a must when your gonan do a job like this, considering your old ones must be fried.... they were probably... 10 bucks

anyways... both set sof springs were 100 total
shocks and struts were 120
and isolators were 10

you can get KYB shocks and struts for like 180 or so on e-bay, a total package the KYB AGX shocks and struts kit.... pretty sweet deal if u ask me...and it keeps you in your balance.

 

Skip the Monroe's, they're not a performance shock/strut. Lifetime Warranty but you'll be changing them every year or so and they're still not a performance shock. I'd go with the KYB's at a minmum, Bilstien & Koni are better but more $$$

 

Id rather pay for them once, and change them each year with my yearly maintence schedule then pay **** loads over years...

 

I went w/ the KYB/ Eibach setup when I did mine about 7 months ago. I like the way it rides driving around town, and its definaly not a slouch in the corners. I was on a under $400 budget when I got it all, and got everything from Summit for like $340 or so. Its pretty good, but I do wish I had gotten Bilsteins when I did it all. That or Koni's.

This setup for me is only temporary though, until I get QA1 HAL rear setup, and some adjustables for the front for the track...

 

even if you replace them every year, you still have a low performance stock replacement strut and shock.

i guess in the end, its about what you want out of your car

 

Bilstein, Tokico, Koni does not equal budget unless you have a big budget
Having said that, you get what you pay for.
Some stuff is overkill for a daily driven car.

 

KYB agx rears shocks, gr2 front struts, air bag the rear pass side spring, use stock sway bar sizes, 36 or 34 front and 24 rear, poly bushing em all, disconect front for the track or leave it on( your choice), springs ? stick with stock springs, good balance between drag and handeling (depending on how old they are they usualy favor towards the drag side. keeping the stock springs is definately gonna help your budget oriented way....

koni and billistein are all for people who intend to race their cars hard.... and remeber your gonna get what you paid for, but just because somone one has all the high $$$ stuff dont mean they can use it...in the end it all comes down to a dedicated driver who knows HIS car....

 

Dude, the good monroe's will out-do a KYB shock or strut any day. I had KYB's in my 83 TA, and when it got totaled a year later, I let them go with the car to the wrecker I hated them that much. Monroe has 2 kinds of shocks, and yes their cheaper one is quite that, however their good one is what I plan on putting in my car in the next few weeks, they ride great.

 

Yeah, they still suck, i replace shocks with the monroe sensacraps and thier hd versions at my job every day..... i know how ****ty they are from a mechanics stand point.... also on another note... another good set of rear shocks for the rear are the gabriel red rider... very cheap and acts like a 50/50 drag shock.... their flawed design makes a regular shock into a performance drag shock.... who would have thought... of and if your want proof, look under just about every NY "street car" and youll see what i mean.

 

i dont mean any insult to you but ride great can f-body are exact opposites... regardless of the fact hes looking from a perfromance stand point, and keeping on a budget and trying to auto-x and drag race... oh and BTW dont forget your SFC's i know that wouldnt be included in your budget, but i would definately get a good set done... ie spohns or bmr (if they still make em)

 

DUDE....i install Monroes almost daily, rather it be gas-matics or sensa tracs. when 65-75% of the customers complain about the ride quality...can they really be that good???


i have owned, all on the same car, both Monroes, KYB that is on the car now, and the red riders that are mentioned above...i even have those in the garage yet.

go to the track or any of the car shows, and count the number of monroe shocks and struts you see....there is a reason for that

 

well, I hated the KYB's, and if you guys think the monroe's are still so bad, than what can you get that is a decent handling and performance shock, for mostly near the same price?? I know I can't afford tokioko's or anything yet, but then what else do u suggest for not being able to afford the great stuff.

 

Uhh... wait a minute... Koni Reds have a lifetime guarantee, too. Spend the money!

 

um ive seen that written by many advertisements (for koni's).... try sending them a used set of koni's and they will send you back..... NOTHING... if your a case or you get a sales's rep that knows nothing.... he might send you a new set... but thats about it.

"WarrantyKONI BV warrants all new KONI shock absorbers to the original retail purchaser against defects in material and workmanship, excluding mounting rubbers, washers and bushings, when used under normal operating conditions. This will be either by repair or replacement of the defective product. KONI is not liable for costs that exceed the sole obligation as described in the preceding sentence.

Not included, in any case, in the guarantee are deficiencies which arise from or are completely or partly caused by :

• Improper instalment;

• Normal wear and tear ;

Or / and shock absorbers that are installed :

• As OE equipment on any vehicle;

• On any vehicle that has been modified for a use other than or in addition to its originally use;

• For any application that is not specified in the KONI literature;

• On any vehicle that has been used off-road, for Racing or for any other driving competition;


For further info on this subject please contact the KONI Importer in your country."


Normal wear and tear

get with the real world... people arent gonna give you **** for free, you dont know how many times ive heard people say that b4 and when it comes replacement time... ohhh got to buy a new se warranty dont cover that.... monroe is the only company i know you can fudge just about every time.

 

thats the whole point these realy arent performance shocks, cept for the red riders in their respect.... they are replacement shocks... KYB's are the only thing your gonn come close to a performance shock that will do drag/road decently, be cost effective, and not ride as stif as most others. once your start getting into the performance shock, 100+ per shock/strut, youll start seeing the KYB AGX adjustable seriese and the non adjustable koni, bilistein, and tokico... even though he hasnt responded yet...

 

Hey I'm fine with being corrected, but not insulted. Keep it in your pants, he-man. Nice car, by the way.

 

sorry dude didnt mean to insult you by it... reading it now guess it came out as an insult once again sorry

 

i sell and install monroes all day long. not really a great performance shock/strut. give you a better ride but almost anything can out handle them. budget? and you mention bilsteins? lol a kit of those goes for 400 not to mention the springs. your over 500 easy. i say get the bilsteins with a nice set of OE replacement springs. lowering puts more stress on the suspension. plus the stock ride hight is great, not to low not to high

 

well i looked into the KYB's for awhile and was almost set on buying a set UNTIL i read the article in Chevy Performance mag abotu setting up the suspension of a 3rd gen...and they used Tokikos i beleive and i have heard alot of good things abotu Koni and Tokiko however its spelled...once i am dun gettign my engine fixed (skipping a cyl) and 419 heads on as well as lt1 cam, chunking TBI, and a few other goodies taht are all going to be done at one time....i think ill be going with the tokikos...and as far as springs are concerned i will prolly go with Jamex, a firned of mine has those and was/is very pleased with them...

also with a suspension...some people might argue with me BUT got 20$(front and rear) worth of parts..you cant go wrong with changing your sway bar end links with the Energy suspension poly urathane ones....it makes a HUGE difference!!!! and the fronts take abotu 30 mins (that included jacking car up and lowing it 2 times) and rear about 45 mins...and that is TOPS if it takes you much longer you msut have run into some serious problems

 

just my two cents im very happy with my monroe front struts the blue ones on my 92 drag car im sixty foot times are 1.47 with also stock lt1 orange rear shocks..........................not bad for cheap monroes uhh? ive been thinking of 90/10 but i dont think on my car it would make any diffrence the car lifts very hard when it launches...

 

the lt1 orange shock? you mean the delphries... monroe makes a drag shock? kinda funny, ive been at an auto center thats been carryin monroes for years and never heard of a drag shock. sure its a monroe?

 

Paying for alignments once a year will get expensive real quick.

 

so wont not paying for them. if your camber/caster and tow arnt set, youll be wearing out tires like crazy and abnormaly wearing chassy parts. best bet is get it done atleast once a year

remember, and alignment does more then make your steering wheel stright...

 

I know that. When I first got the car the steering wheel didn't stay straight but the tires did not wear unevenly. Then I had it aligned. Then I decided to change struts sometime later and didn't get it aligned. Ended up wearing out my pass side front tire pretty quick. It been re-aligned since but I don't think its holding. Oh well it will once I get the front suspension rebuilt.

 

want good drag racing performance on a budget?



get the worst used shocks you can find.


or just leave yours on there.



putting performance shocks will HURT your 60 because of less weight transfer.... it'll also be harder to launch...

:lala:

 

by the way... the orange LT1 shock....... is a bilstien. I have 2 of them on my 4th gen rear. also, I'm with the above guy... if you want good drag shocks on a budget, leave yours alone, and get badass front. the fronts will push the weight all to the back, and with f**ked up backs, they won't push back, and you'll get good weight transfer and awesome traction. that monroe blue strut? that's either a crap-matic or crap magnum. get reflexes. much beter shocks, and I THINK they come in struts, too. I would check it out. I replaced a lot of shocks/struts, and we used monroe exclusively. hot rodders and tuners might not like em, but for daily drivers, I think they're awesome. just MNSHO.

 

you should see my 60' times with my KYB setup


i learned the hardway with the KYB's, I wont ever buy them for my camaro....even at my discount i get

 

wooooh maybe the old school bilstien because bilstiens are yellow and blue. i have them on my firehawk. the FACTORY orange and black shock/strut is a delphrie. they came on the 4th gen transams and z28. unless they changed their style i dont know. i know them for being blue and yellow, not orange

if your alignment isnt holding you could have a number of things wrong. bad balljoints or tierods most likely. could be the links...

 

I just installed KYB rear shocks this weekend. A boatload better than factory shocks. We'll see how long they last. A good shock for the price. You get what you pay for.
Going in a straight line for 1,320 ft on a smooth surface is not the same as a daily driver.

How long do Konis, Tokicos and Bilsteins last?

My 02

 

kyb is junk...koni...they are alright but only the yellows and then they can be quite stiff. bilstein hd and eibach pro-kit is the best setup out there for stock pieces on our cars. if you can't afford it save up.....it's well worth it in every way possible.

if you are truly on a budget get the monroe pieces with their warranties and be prepared to get what you pay for. that's why they are budget pieces. they serve the purpose of holding the car up.

 

To each is own. And yeah I can afford the others.
Just can't see paying the ridiculous price especially if Bilstein, Koni, etc. also have to be replaced every 2-3 years.


Cheers!

 

on average shocks should be replaced after 50K or when they start klonking or leaking. i dont see why different shocks would need to be replaced sooner... and i sure as hell wouldnt ride around with shocks over 60K on them


Bilstein is worth the money. you will handle like a champ with those. as for lowering, i see no point in it. more stress on chassy parts and harder to do a lot of things ( like get a tow, or go through a drive thru with a speed bump) definetly not worth doing unless you live in a nice state with nice roads. even then, i still wouldnt. i praise my lift

 

spoken from someone who hasn't obviously felt the difference. i'm not trying to argue any points. i'm just stating facts since i've had almost every brand on my own car i can honestly compare them.

kyb's pogo from the beginning they are installed....they last roughly 5,000 miles if your lucky and then your back at square one. koni is alright although the yellows are a bit stiff and under hard use don't last much longer then 2-3 years averaging 5-7,000 miles. these, particularly the adjustable yellows are more of a racing application.

bilsteins seem to work the best for all ranges. the hd works very well with the pro-kit and the sport works excellent with the sportlines. they will last quite a long time and hold up their performance very well.

why spend 150 or so on cheaper setups and have to change them out every year? the ride is terrible and why bother with the hassle.

spend two even three times as much and get the best you can get for the application. your driving experience will be more enjoyable and you won't have to worry about replacement for along time.

just my opinion but i've learned it's better to get the right part then to try and make insufficient pieces work. now if you don't care how it rides and your looking for the cheapest alternative then throw gabriels on there......don't be suprised when they are shot after 2,000 miles but what do you expect for your $30.

 

Cheers![/qutoe]
spoken from someone who hasn't obviously felt the difference. i'm not trying to argue any points. i'm just stating facts since i've had every brand on my own car i can honestly compare them.

Spoken from someone who obviously does not know that I have owned other cars running Bilstein shocks. If you honestly did not not want to argue then you would not have made a comment/assumption like that.

And no you are not stating the facts. The KYB's I just installed do not "pogo"
Having said that, 2,000 miles from now who knows, maybe ride quality will diminish significantly.
If it does, then I will purchase a better shock.

Have a nice day dude!

 

KYB is nothing compared to bilstien. theres a reason why they are a hell of a lot more money then a 30 dollar KYB. the design is much better then the KYB. sure for the money they are good, but dont compare a bilstien to a KYB. its like comparing a z24 cavalier to a z28. im not taking sides here im just saying that KYB has no chaince against bilstien in a road test on the same car

 

edit: people get to touchy......

my only point is you get what you pay for and kyb while is cheap and serves it's intended purpose i suppose is nothing compared to the better options. they are hands down no where near the competition. seeing as how the bilsteins are twice as much i can understand why someone wouldn't want to spend the money but it's worth saving up.

i ran kyb's on my gtp recently over a koni option because it was a 800 difference knowing good and well that they weren't any good....i'm not sorry because i'd rather spend the money elsewhere but everytime i hit a bump i wish i had something better.

 

i hope that wasnt directed to me... cuz if i have to ill take out the bilstiens for gabrials to prove a point... lol yeah cold day in hell

 

ok this turned into a kid asking for a simple solution to a simple problem within his budget and wishes.... i believe we already answered that... now were in a debate about which is better.... FREA_KIN CHRIST like we dont know that already.... monroe, kyb, tokio, bils, konis....

and konis are in a totaly different catageory than stock replacement/mild modify.... how come i see no one recomending QA1/HALS or comp engineering... .cause there almost strickly drag shocks.... not even worth mentioning.... so why are we bring up usless **** worthtless to this kid and taking up extra space that the mods ask us not to.

 

My tokico illuminas (adjustable) were 500 from shox.com. You can get a set of stiffer moog coils nd trim them yourself for 100 bucks. Pretty close to your budget.

 

Sup laiky, good to see you around.

So what's with the down-playing of Konis? The Koni reds aren't a race-only application... they fall exactly into the category of mild modify.

 

Hey, Cas

hows the mods coming? get those eibach's in yet?

I have nothing against koni, i would love a set of double adjustable yellow's. The only thing i'm not crazy about is the method of adjustment. i have been pretty happy with the tokico's so far. I love that i can quickly soften or stiffen the ride

 

are you gonna race your car on a constant basis, road race, drag race..... if no why spend the money on it unless your WANT it... like i said 15 to 30 bucks gabriel red riders perfect drag shocks.

 

Like I said, the Koni reds are NOT for race applications. I want better handling with as smooth a ride as I can get on a daily driver that gets pushed to the limit on the street on occassion and will probably hit the 1/4 mile track every now and then. I really don't see your point AGAINST Koni is what I'm saying. I can see recommendations of other brand names as perfect sense, but saying Konis are a bad choice just seems off-base.

I still have the Eibachs in the garage. I haven't had any money to really get the suspension upgraded, but you can see what I've done in my sig. Just click the picture.

 

i realy am not agians konis, matter of fact i use the yellows on my road car.... but there there just for adjustability.... and they cost money.... im jsut refering to the case at hand... limited budget with maximum performance... in the end its up to you... but i can do more with a set of kyb agx shocks stock springs upgraded sway bars and bushings control arms and tq arm than somone spending the money on koni yellows eibach springs and so forth... same amount of money but the lesser name brands covered a wide suspension while the more name brand just adressed a few specific things... if you realy want the top dog and you know how to tune.... you realy cant cut corners, you got to go with the best of the best.... you see my point?

 

You might want to give Tokico a call (www.tokicogasshocks.com). They have a special going where you can get their lowering springs for $79. I ordered up a set. The rear springs have the same rates as the Eibach pro kit. The front springs are stiffer than the Hotchkis lowering springs but softer than the Eibachs.

http://www.celligent.com/tim/iroc/suspension/springs/

The springs normally sell for ~$250. I don't know if the deal is still going on but man it is a sweet deal for what you get for $79 + shipping.

Tim

 

Ah ok, my mistake... he was asking about on a budget.

In other news, do you have a post here with pictures of your twin turbo setup? Would love to see it!

 

"that person you speak of streets race" i believe he doesnt wanna post pics of his setup.... wink wink, hint hint..... i might soon though.... ill be finishing up a new setup so the old isnt gonna be a secret

 

that would be a sweet deal tim.... offers like that should want to make you go a little over budget.