Can't decide between the two different spring kits. 1" does not seem worth it but the Pro-Kit is more popular for some reason. Their website says the Sportlines lower a V8 thirdgen 1.6" front and 1.3" rear. I have a very light fiberglass hood, aluminum intake and water pump, no AC or emissions junk. Will this weight loss have a noticeable effect?

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350 Vortec, forged flat-tops, CompCams XE268, Edlebrock RPM, Holley 3310, TH350 w/Holeshot 2400, 3.23 posi, Heddman shorties, HEI

[This message has been edited by ERIC'86IROC (edited December 06, 2000).]

 

I have the sportlines on mine and like 'em.They are pretty stiff, so the weight difference shouldn't matter that much.

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'91 RS 5.0 TBI
New paint-solid black
ROH Snyper wheels-17x9 wrapped in 275/40/17
Eibach sportline springs
Flowmaster cat-back
TBI mods
383 implantation soon to come.

 

I have the Pro-Kit. I agree that the little bit of weight reduction provided by a fiberglass hood (or even aluminum components substituted for stock steel pieces) won't effect the choice of springs. I chose tha Pro-Kit because I am more concerned with good handeling of the car. The Sportlines are more for appearance and can compromise handeling due to the severe geometry changes. You have to decide how you are setting up your car, for carving up canyons or for looks? Good luck, Lon.

 

i was actually looking into the same thing.. the pro kit seems to be what everyone likes. But if you wanted a lower ride with sportlines but scared to bottom out cant you get weight jacks or coilovers?

 

get the pro kit , the sportlines are damn harsh with my 18s

 

I also have the Pro-Kit.

 

Pro-Kit.

1" is worth it and very liveible too

 

If you're not going to invest in really good shocks go with Pro. Sportlines look better IMHO but you need Konis, Tokikos, Billsteins etc. I was really worried about my Sportlines mixed with our crappy roads mixed with going from a 60 profile tire to a 45. But really its been fine.

It will handle fine for normal street driving if you're not one to push it around the corners too crazy. For my driving style my car handles better than it did before dropping it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a granny behind the wheel but you'll never see me go around a corner on a public street in a four wheel skid either.

If you drive on the edge or road race you'll want to correct the altered geometry. Rear control arm relocation brackets, an adjustable torque arm and shimmed tie-rod ends that allow you to reposition the angle they mount at.

I'm really enjoying the look and feel of my Camaro with the Sportlines and 245/45R17 tires.

Hope this helps,
Jon

 

It just depends on what you are wanting. Sportlines are great for looks but suck for performance. The springs are to short and the rates are soft.

The pro kit rates are better and I think Hotchiks springs are better than that.

I think it has been mentioned but the most important thing is the quality of the struts/shocks you put on it. Back before I knew anything about suspensions I put sportline springs and bilstein HD shocks. It freakin sucked and I couldn't understand why it didn't handle like I thought it should.

Crappy spring rates coupled with dampeners that cant control them equals a harsh ride.

 

You guys realize this thread was started in December 2000? lol

 

Haha. No I didn't I was reading through the pages and saw it. Which is fine because the question gets asked a lot.

91 5.7, I bet your car handles like it's on rails. It looks like you have a bunch of good stuff on your car.

 

Good thing I read this.....I was about to order Bilsteins and a pro kit.

 

It will be way better than the sportlines. I switched to the pro kit and it handles better but the #1 function of that car isn't setup for handling so I don't mind.

On my 00' Firehawk I have Strano springs and Koni SA's.

The thing that sucks is koni's are expensive but they are the best.

There are other options out there such as the adjustable KYB's that do a "good" job but not the best. Anything is better than the factory shocks GM puts on these cars.

I had no idea until I dropped the coin on the koni's for my Firehawk. It's amazing.

 

Pro-Kit in my opinion. Rides great and lowers it just enough to notice. but NOT look like a lowrider

 

The Koni SA's make a huge differenece. All I can compare them to are the stock shocks but for roughly $700, you will think you bought a new car, not just new shocks. If you can swing it I say go with the Koni SA's.

I have the Pro-Kit on my car and when it comes time to autocross, I wish the fronts were stiffer. I do a lot of autocrossing though, so they may be fine for you.

Mike

 

geez this thread is old!

any weight taken off the car is not exactly going to affect spring rate but it will if enough weight is taken off. say u had tubular kmember/aarms, taken everythng out of the engine bay like AC/heating/ aluminum radiator, aluminum block, aluminum heads, aluminum water pump etc and a fiberglass hood... u have taken off a good bit of weight off the front end. id say over 200-250lbs. that will affect spring rate. thats 200-250lbs less that the front springs have to control. would mean that a lesser spring rate would be needed to control the lesser weight.

all of u that think the prokits are racing or performance springs are ultimatly wrong but they do offer increased performance over stock.

prokits/sportlines/hotchkins/ST/dropzones/intrax/summit all make "lowering springs" not racing springs for our cars. these kits are designed for a lowered ride with the guess work taking out of it. they are by no means performance springs. the average joe doesnt kno anything about spring rates/suspensions geometry/ride height etc... most think a lowered car means its a canyon carver! howerever in these kits this is not what they are after.

from what i kno is that the prokits have the highest rates out of all the kits. the sportlines really only differ in the rear rates, but both kits are progressive and by no means racing springs. hotchkins would be my next choice but i hear they are alil softer than the prokits. What the prokit has as far as an advantage over the sportlines is the ride height and rear spring rates. the sportlines are too low and not enough spring rate to comensate for it. i had the sportlines on my ride with GR2 KYB front struts and gas-a justs rear shocks and that thing still handled very well. i think the prokits would be a better performance spring if the front rates where closer to 800lbin and not the 714lbin that they are. The rear springs should be linear and around 150-160. As most of us know a 1" drop is not really all that noticable on a 3rd gen since the stock springs are most likely sagging about that much... most of the time 1" lowering springs raise the vehicle. i think a 1.5" drop front and rear would be a better performance stance vs the 1" drop.

as far as the spring rates go, none of these kits increase rate at all really... and if they do its very slightly. stock moog replacement springs 5662 for the Z28 and WS6 are rated at 704lbin and the prokits are at 716lbin? and offer a 1" drop! the sportlines are worse at 700lbin with a 1.7" drop. honestly the prokits would be better for handling performance but by no means prob not better than stock replacements and a set of good shocks. even cut a 1/2 coil off the fronts and rears and u have higher rates than the prokits and the same drop.

all im really saying is that for the cost of 240$ for a set of "lowering springs" and not really an increased performance is kinda a waste unless u dont want to go through the hassle of ordering moogs and cutting them or just paying ebach 50$ a spring for a set of custom rates and rideheight for 200$ total, which would be a huge improvement over the prokits etc.

real autocrossers dont run 700lb front springs and no performance/autocross car will run progressive springs at all whether front or rear.

my .02 is to get stock moogs and cut them for ride height and rate that you want. cost maybe 110$ total or go and throw 200$ at ebach for custom springs. other than that dont waste your money. might as well save up for coilovers and weight jacks.

blistens HD/sports are by no means a bad dampner... they are actually pretty good from what i hear. koni's being the best then u have tokio illuminas/koni reds/ tokio blues/blistens/KYB AGX adjustables etc.

 

Wow Lot more info than i ever expected. But Yes sounds good. Ill stick with my pro-kit myself. Love em!! Not a canyon carver per se. but it works good for ME! which is REALLY what its all about. Good luck to you all aon whtever you decide.

 

For you guys with Koni's.....where are you getting them from?

 

i had the sprotlines on my car for about 1 yr with the KYB GR2s and gas a just rears... and the shocks/struts are fine. i took them out bc i wanted a little less drop in the front and alil more drop in the rear but with the higher spring rates. so i dont bottom out like the sportlines are notorious for. i found a cracked front bump stop on one of my Aarms... figured the sportlines did this since i didnt trim them.

this is what i did cost me 110$

moog 5664 front springs.... 748lbin rate and a stock ride height. i hacked off 3/4 coil for a 1.5" drop and a increased spring rate to about 875lbin. the rears i got moog 5665s rated at 107lbin (some believe they are alot higher at about 150lbin) and usually set the ride height at about 1/2 higher than stock... im gona be hacking 3/4 coil off and deleteing the rear rubber isolators for about 1.3-1.5" drop and increasing spring rate to either 130-140lbin if the 107lbin rate is true or increase a bunch higher to 170lbin.

this will give me 1.5" drop front and 1.3-1.5 drop rear but with higher rates than any spring kit, so no bottoming out, no soggy handling progressive spring, and cost me less than half of the prokit and 90$ less than custom springs.

 

If anyone wants to learn/buy suspension parts google Sam Strano and get your stuff from him. He is the best IMO. If you buy from him he will spend all the time you need to get your car lined out. I wish I would have found him years ago. It's like Dana at Probuilt. He really knows his stuff.

 

Hotpart.com is a good buy on the KONIs. Free shipping. They also offer some other really nice pieces and have awesome customer service.
This thread is old, but some really good info in it. I'm not sure if I'm going to go with the cut Moogs or if I'm getting the weight jacks, but I do plan to replace the ProKit at some point. I may have to go with the weight jacks to get the car to sit where I want after the LS1 swap (going to loose over 100 lbs off the nose).