Anybody got an opinion on shocks and struts? I would like a decent, reasonably priced set that will work well on the street/strip.

 

Moving to suspension board.

Best wishes to you.

 

Best buy for the money without breaking the bank account for (B) & (K)....KYB struts & shocks.

 

Just put some monroe sensitrac struts and shocks on a few weeks ago. Seem to work very nicely and are cheap too!!!!

 

Cheap junk and will work when new for that soft ride.

 

Konis. Now before anyone starts yelling they aren't cheap. They are not, but they last a lifetime so if you have to replace your cheap set every couple of years (and maybe pay to have it done) ???? Maybe cheaper now but in the long run......

 

I just installed some KYB GR2 shocks and they are great. Spending much more than $50 for a pair of shock is stupid.

 

yea, just like spending money on brakes, stupid, nobody sees it unless they go and lie down, better spent on bling

 

Don't be an ****. Unless you are racing the car stock replacements or a little better than stock is better than fine. Not everybody needs to spend a fortune on ridiculous brake upgrades or billstein shocks when they will NEVER need them. Just pissing money away.

 

Not really. Not only do Konis/Bilstiens perform better than stockers but they also RIDE better too. This is something that nobody realizes until they experience the difference. Cars are a hobby for most of us. Just about everything we do to them involves pissing money away. Thats pretty much the definition of a hobby.

 

I have bought billsteins before and they certainly do not ride that much better. JMO

 

Tokico Illumina or HP series
or KYB AGX series

 

Weird. I must admit I have not used the Bilsteins. But my Konis are way more comfortable than the new Gabrial Ryders that were on the car. Different people do have different opinions of comfortable though.

 

They just had a sale on tire rack for Koni yellow struts and shocks 25% off! cant beat that. I bought mine a couple days before the sale ended and i only paid 640$ total for all 4.

 

ONLY!........

 

Yes, $160 a shock for the only shock you will ever have to buy again. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

 

Well, compared to the original price which is 790 somethin before shipping and taxes i think 640$ INCLUDING taxes and shipping for koni adjustables i think i did good. Its good to grab those deals, if you cheap out then your not as happy.

 

Keep saying "Its good to grab those deals" over and over again if it makes you feel good.

 

Correction, that was the first time i said it and it does make me feel good thank you.The man asked about all around street/strip struts and shocks so im saying koni adjustables. If he wants to SAVE money, which we all do, then look/wait for a deal.

 

there was 1 rear shock on ebay just now, went for 2.50 I couldn't bid, the guy had bidder restrictions set for non us bidders so there are deals out there. Would have made a nice spare part.

 

Well for $160 for all four I can say the exact same thing and put the $500 savings into another project/part.
Big problem of this board is the failure to differentiate between someone who uses their camaro/bird for cruising around town and those who are using it for racing. Different parts are needed for each and the most expensive are not always the best for both.

 

You missed two things... it has been pointed out that the Konis ride better than a cheap strut/shock. Smoother ride...that's probably something "someone who uses their camaro/bird for cruising around town" would want! Also, the OP said "street/strip"! So, he's not only cruising around town.

 

An independant study has shown they are that much better for street driving or are you taking the word of someone who dropped the dough on them. People rarely like to admit being duped.

 

Agreed. But that doesn't make you right and me wrong. I would still trust people who have used them over people who haven't. I used to assume they would make my ride harsher. Just the opposite happened. Well worth the money.

Let me guess, you would also advocate the cheapest tires, oil, airfilter, internal engine parts. Right?

 

i think what he means is, if its not a full out drag/autocross competition car its overkill to spend money on the best top of the line parts correct me if im wrong. Do it once, do it right is what i always say

 

I have 1 car w/ original bilstein/delcos, 1 car with cheap kybs, one car with monroe junk and 1 with konis. The konis are by far the best and the stock one (it's a low miles car, only 50K on it) is a distant secon. the rest doesn't even compare.

 

What people fail to reailze is "stupid" is in the eye of the beholder... Stupid is the lack of understanding or being able to understand something. This can be due to mental capacity or beng open minded enough to understand someone elses reasoning.

When you ask for good, Monroe should not be used in the same sentence. You are only fooling yourself.

When you ask for cheap, KONI should not be mentioned, unless you consider lifetime cost as mentioned above. I questioned the high costs myself.

I have numerous performance cars & have used many shocks. For handling, KONI & Bilstein rate at the top. There are more expensive ones out there (custom valved, etc.) as well, but lets concentrate on these. If you run stiff springs, then you need a better shock to control it. You may be able to get by with a KYB in many cases, but there will be some concession to handling. Had both & my daily driver now has KONI shocks on it & the difference was worth it in my opinion. Numerous passengers commented on the improvement as well. Would I do it again? Yes, without hesitation, but I do plan to have this car for many years.

As for Gabriel & Monroe, you get what you pay for. They work OK for a mall cruiser or a regular passenger car, but I was not impressed in the Monroe struts that I put on my wifes car. In 2 years they were worse than the 8yr old struts that they replaced. They were better than the worn out ones (for a little while), but I would never put them on another car that I plan to keep for any length of time... like throwing money (& labor) away. I figured my wife drives cautiously & would never benefit from "performance" parts... except they wore out too soon. I would expect shocks to outlast a set of tires.

As for KYB, they are decent shocks. Do not expect them to last forever, but they are OK for the average performance car. For the price, they work well & most will be happy with them. If you plan to autocross or track the car, these are not the proper choice. I ran KYB's on my Blazer & a few of my other cars. I also do not race these or try to corner as fast as possible, but try to maintain a reasonable monetary investment, but still want decent parts. Many do not drive that agressively, so you may not notice the difference. If you only bought the lowering springs to make the car look good you will be OK. If you are trying to keep the car from breaking loose on the local off ramp at double the speed limit (or you are trying to get that extra 5mph out of a certain turn), you should consider a different shock.

You can compare all of this to tire choice. If you are willing to buy Z rated tires with low tread wear ratings (for handling) or drag radials for straight line traction, then you are serious enough with your investment to buy good shocks. My 9sec drag car runs AFCO shocks & my corner burner has KONI's to meet my performance goals.

Also the comment about brakes.... I also ruined multiple sets of 3rd gen rotors & pads on my car. Seemed like every year they were bad (yes I drive my car hard). So I got "Stupid" & put on a set of C4HD front rotors & calipers, along with a set of Hawk pads. 4 years later they are still great, brakes are still over 1/2 thickness & rotors are like new. Not only am I not buying parts every year, I am not working on it....

To each his own.

 

Well i am going for street mostly car, it will see the track a handfull of times a year possibly. Im going to keep the stock springs for now and will eventualy replace them with a aftermarket. Not lowering the car either. And i do already have a set of Goodyear Eagles 245/50ZR16 tires on all 4 corners, as i intended to drive the car hard on the street. Im going to be in the neighborhood of 550 ish RWHP. 383 stroked and blown is how im doing it. So it wont have a stall in it, it will be a sleeper on the streets that i can have fun with. And is replacing the brake system with a "new" system much more worth it than putting drilled sloted rotors and HD pads on the car? Its disc in the front and drums on the back. Im running a 12 bolt GM rear, and i dont know what will be compatible as far as brakes go...

And btw GOOOD info if you ask me. I like these in depth explanations and real world driving reviews.

 

Is your primary goal drag racing? This makes a big difference vs. building for handling. Often for weight transfer, a softer shock gives better drag performance on the front & you need enough rear shock control to prevent wheel hop. Adding the rear KONI shocks stopped the wheel hop that I had.

GM 12 bolt... never made one for a 3rd gen. If going with Strange or Moser, you can easily get it with brackets for commonly available 4th gen LT1 style brakes that are very similar to those on later 3rd gens & will work with your e-brake etc.

As for brakes, the fronts are rather small for performance applications. I never recommend running drilled rotors as the will crack between the holes. Slotted do not seem to be a problem, but truely offer little from performance other than looks.

 

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Its going to be a street machine. Like i said, it might see the track a few times but thats just for fun. I go nearly every week to Summit Dragway in Norwalk Ohio with my uncle and his buddies. They all run sub 9 second Hyabusas'. I run my 03 z71 pickup for fun.. Nothing like talking smack to them then turning a 15.80 in the quarter at 85 MPH)). Anyhow, ive got all new aftermarket suspension to help the car aswell. New LCA's, Panhard Bar with on car adjustable ends, adjustable torque arm that bolts to the new tranny crossmember with drive shaft loop, aswell as boxed weld in style subframe connectors. The rearend is out of a truck i think. I picked it up from my local engine shop. It was in his 83 camaro. Hes got a machine that he can scan 3d images and laser engrave into something, so the rearend is setup to factory specs as far as bracket locations and the torque arm bolts up thru the housing as it did on the 9 and 10 bolts. I wouldnt trust my engine to any other shop within 100 miles, i kid you not. He has been doing this for 30+ years. Everybody in town goes to him, he rebuilds everything from 1900 Model T Ford motors to 16 cylinder diesel pulling tractor motors. He knows his stuff.... So as far as brakes go. I know where i can pick up a set of LT1 brakes from a wrecked z28. I assume all i would need to grab is the booster, master cyl, calipers, and the mounts that hold the calipers?

 

The money I dropped on my Koni yellows was well worth it. The Koni's are right up there with my T56 for my favorite mod of all the things I've done to the car, and that includes a 350 swap.

Ive got cut super stiff IROC springs on the car, and the car rides very firm, but it's only tolerable because I've got struts that can handle it.

I built my car to handle, and it's amazingly fun to throw around the twisties - that was just my goal with the car. If you want to build a drag car then I definitely dont see the need to spend $500 on struts in the front, as far as rear shocks go I have no idea - I didnt build a drag car so I didnt do the research there, but Konis are $200 a pair for the rear last I checked, not quite so bad as the front.

 

I did the bilstiens on the 84 and lost time on the strip, when I switched to the konis my time improved over the stockers and gave a great ride for cruising. I feel that konis are a good all around shock/ strut.

 

What about the best combination for a V6 RS for my daughter? I may keep this car for three or so. This car will obviously not see the track and will not be carving corners. This will be a home to school to the mall to friends homes and that will be about it. The road to our house out in the middle of nowhere is a pretty rough paved road so that may help.

Thanks, and sorry for hi-jacking the thread.

 

Tokico makes a very good product, I'd put them up there with Koni and Bilstein. You can't go wrong with anything that offers a Lifetime Warranty and all 3 of these brands offer it (there may be more that I'm not aware of). If you shop around you can get 2 shocks and 2 struts from thier HP line for around $250.