I want to lower my car but all the springs are for v8s. Where can I get lowering springs for my 6?

 

Did you even attempt to look for a button? DropZones are the preferred brand when you do your search. You'll also find that you need lca relocation brakects I'm pretty sure.

 

dropzone are the only ones that really work on a v6. They are only 1". I've been hunting hard as I want more then 1"

Rear You will need:
LCA brackets
Adjustable Panhard Bar


Front
Bump Steer Kit

 

i have suspension max springs on my v6 and its way more than 1 inch drop....they seem to work fine, have had them for about a year now. i think they advertise a 1.75 drop but it was more like 2

 

http://www.paddockparts.com/Paddock/...4EEAAADA86244C

I found this website through a Firebird parts catalog i got in the mail. I haven't ordered anything from them yet so i dont know how reliable they are, but my friend said he ordered a couple things from them n doesnt have any complaints.

 

i have dropzones on mine, theyre a 1.5 up front and 1.75 in the rear.

http://members.cardomain.com/drdave88

pics of how it sits after about a year on them. good ride, not too low, just occasionally scraping the air dam on curbs, etc.

youll also need LCA relocation brackets to get them back to the original angle or youre gonna get axle wrap bad, trust me, lol.

 

try Suspension Techniques, p/n: 60115.

got mine from ebay two months back for $165.

 

Malaka, I have a curiosity question for you about your Suspension Techniques springs. Can you tell me if they are light to medium blue color like these. I have had these in the car for years and can't remember where exactly I originally got them from. It is possible I had them laying around from ones I originally bought for my pickup truck years back from Car Custom, I'm not sure. I use to have so many different sets of racing coils lying around in boxes from different applications.

I think these are Suspension Spring Specialist blue coils but I have been told by Thomas at House of Camaro that he thought ST made a spring that color years back.

 

mine were more of a gray/charcoal color

 

Thanks for the reply. I guess that still doesn't rule out the possibility because they may have just changes there paint color over the years. These are slightly lighter in blue color than the current SSS prings. What ever they are, they were not an over the counter fit for a 3rdgen. They were either for a Vette of a truck that I have. The vette has about 1100lbs springs that Guldstrand gave us out of a BB grandsport that he raced at LeMans back in the late 60's, and the truck I converted over to bigblock coils and arms years ago.

 

ugh, mines lower then daves and thats 1.5-1.75. Yikes I must be around 2, and dean at 2.25 or so.

I need to finish mine. Its only about half done

 

I have Eibach Sportlines in my V6. I'm sure the spring rate is technically a bit high but I like a firm ride and it handles great, though not as good as Dean's car for sure

Click on my www link, pics of the car are on page 2.

 

Jay, you're the person that I quote when I said it was lowered about 2.25" from stock. I truely have no idea how much lower than stock it is. But by the looks of Daves car above being lowered 1.5", I'd have to guess I am more like closer to 3" up front? I'm on 245/50-16's which are the factory 25.7" tall tire.

 

wow dean, that looks pretty low. how is it driving around town? scrape a lot or just avoid any area like that?

 

Its been that exact height for about 12 years and driven daily by my wife. It will scrape the spohn crossmenber on an occational very tall speedbump, but most speedbumps it never hits at all. Years back I put 1 set of 245/45-16's on it 24.7" tall rather than the 25.7" so the car sat 1/2" lower and looked goofy with those small dia tires. It also rubbed most of the time over anything so that extra 1/2" was a bad stance.

You have to remember that this car is very stiff so the suspension does not travel much at all when it hits a severe bump. It will travel mostly 1" with a maximum 1 1/2" travel at worst from stagnant ride height. These cars at stock height will have a suspension travel of about 4" or even greater on a severe bump.

So hitting a speedbump at 5mph my only compress my suspension a half inch where a stock soft suspension Camaro will compress about 1 1/2" on that same speedbump at 5mph. The nose of the car suffers every once in a while and I have repainted it many many times over the years. I am close to buying a new air dam peice because this one have finally seen better days. Its still the original. Other than that, If the bottom chassis of the car ever hits (which is fairly rare) it will run on the Spohn trans x-member braces that I rounded for that exact purpose to be used as a somewhat skidplate. Its the only thing that has ever made comtact. Note: the Spohn X-member hangs down lower than the factory stock trans x-member by about 3/4". But it solid mounts the trans and the torque arm unlike the factory unit.

You can see in the picture below how I angle grinded the two outer brace rails to absorb and glide over any hard possible groundout over a severe speedbump. It only touches at most the rear portions that I have circled. There is no paint missing on any portion of the angled plates in front of the yellow circles indicating that it never hits anything higher than that point. And even then it rarely hits these unless the "three" of us are in it on a large speedbump.

 

The only time I remember ever really grounding out hard in this car is when we entered a brand new shopping center parkinglot with massive new speedbumps on a very hot day (100*+). They were just finished the day before and this was the grand opening of the store. The car "shreaded" the speedbump about a 1" deep and 2ft wide groove taken out of the asphalt. but it was still very soft because the whether was so hot. The shp finally removed the speedbumps entirely after a few days because everyone was complaining that most normal cars were hitting also. Fortunately, it did no damage to my car and it was amazing to see the section of loose asphalt I shoveled off the top with the xmember tubing.

 

some day I will put my 16's back on and take a side shot.

If daves at 1.75
I'm guessing I'm about 2.00'ish up front, I know I've got solid 1.75 springs in rear.

I'm thinking you are 2.25-2.75. MAYBE 3. Your almost tucking them bad boys.

I'm looking into getting some s10 3" control arms that people claim should bolt right in. Install new moog springs. I'll see what that measures.

I scrape my air damn on the drive every morning, and leaving mall parking lot anytime I take the back way out. 1 speed bump I rub my exhaust dump on.

Only twice (cant recall where) I have rubbed the crossmember.

 

Hard to see in the picture but the tire tread level is definately tucked up under the fender line and can not be seen by looking under the fender. Its already recessed at stagnant height.I tried to lighten up a picture to show it better. The rear tread is flush height, but the front is tucked.

edit: well that didn't work. And its too small

 

Blah, its ok. We know its slammed

 

Redraif's car has the Eibach Pro-Kit, with 1/2 coil cut from the front...otherwise, the car sat higher than a stock V8 car with no engine in it! We may make some slight changes with her new wheel and tire combo (coming soon).

 

what is a bump steer kit. i did the ole' stock spring cut on mine without any other modification (front only. i like a higher rear)

and before anyone asks i cut a coil and a 3rd and i wish i had cut a little less.

NOTE: the sig pic is from before my modifacation when the shot springs were on there. they were light blue and i hit everything.

 

Bump Steer kit makes the tie rod end at the proper angle, rather then angled up with the control arm.

Sooo... when you go over an un-even surface it doesnt jerk the steering wheel out your hand. Like driving thru road ruts and trying to switch lanes, etc.

Tires that are narrow, tall sidewall that flex dont notice it this much. But go to a z rated low profile sports tire, and whoa

 

would this cause an odd feeling in the steering when you are... say parking at less then five miles an hour and turning to lock?

 

at that slow, I doubt it, but could be. Check your mounts on the steering box. And do you have a wonderbar?

Dean has posted some pictures of his steer kit over time. Along with a better description of what all it does.

 

The picture shows the Bumpsteer kit and "red" aluminum tierods with rodend solid steering links. Not the section I circled shows where the gold colored spacers have been added to lower the mounting potion of the outer rodend so that the anle of articulation is back proper geometry through the motion of travel.

When a car is lowered without correction tierod angles, the motion of the tierod at stagnant ride height already starts at about level#2 or even slightly higher between #2 and #3. The what happens is during the suspension travel, the articulation angle only progesses upward futher dramatically shortening the distance from line a to line b distance. This geometry change through articulation causes the tire that is traveling upward while hitting a road bump to actually turn inward shortening the toe setting between the left and right tires and cause the tire tracking to fight eachother causing unwanted steer. By shimming and relowering the staring articulation angle back to about #1 position, the steering geometry remains as close to uncahnged as possible traveling form #1 to #3 positon through suspension travel and causing very minimal change in toe settings-thus not causing unwanted bumpsteer. Its an adjustment provision to recorrect the steering geometry to factory angles when the car is lowered.

 

Also note that my suspension is far from stock and is very stiff and limits travel. My maximum travel upward is 1 1/2" where a stock suspension car is about 4" or more.

A stock tierod angle may start at about #1 position and move upward to #3 position when the suspension compresses 4".

My tierod angle starts more straight laterally at about the #1.75 position and then moves upward at a normal 1" and max 1 1/2" full suspension travel due to the 800+lb front springs. Most of you running stock front springs are about 450-500lbs rate. My max articulation angle is only at about #2.25 or maybe at most #2.50 position on the most severe bump. So my tierod angle does not change much from distance A to distance B on the graph above.

Without the bumpsteer kit and shims, My starting point would be about #2.25 position and would shorten traveling upward to about the #3 position or higher. THis starting point at or above the longer pivot distance from A to B is bad because the articulation geometry from this starting point only shortens as the arm swings upward and would show bumpsteer in the tierod distance from one side of the car to the other. This would make the car wander back and forth in the lane when I am compressing on road bumps.

 

This is only one example of a suspension adjustment setting that affects the way any car handles. There are numerous more things of this nature that can be altered and need to be altered correctly when modifiying a car with any aftermarket alterations.

Of hand there are at least about 20 diferent other setting on our cars that if you buy the proper aftermarket ADJUSTABLE componants, these different settings can be then adjusted properly to make the car handle at its ultimate potential.
Always buy adjustable everything! You need it especially when lowering a car from factory ride height.

Take a topic like roll cneters and how & why they affect handling. Then how to set them to where they help you and what other consequences or side effects throw havoc and need resetting or altering from a simple front or rear roll center change- I could write a novel that would take all of you over a week to read on that one subject. Buy one book and one book only to help you start learning on just what suspensions do and how to set them. Fred Puhn's "How To Make A Car Handle" Oh yes, and you had better have a good grasp of mathimatics. You head will hurt after trying to read it- I guarantee it but patients and time will yield an understanding.

 

That feeling is cuase by the ackerman angles of the front wheel turning tracks going out of wack when the wheel is turned to lock. The Ackerman steering angle can not stay is sink when the wheel is turned so far to the left or right of center so one wheel will have traction and the other will drag and skip because they are no longer tracking in the same radius arch point. Ackerman angles will stay fairly true in radius from inside wheel track to outside wheel track in a turn when the steering wheel is only turnsed about 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn each way from center. Form that point they go out of wack until turn back towards center within these angles.

So in other words, when the steering wheel is turned past a certain point (Very sharp turns) the front wheels will start to fight eachother and cause a skipping or hopping feeling. This is a little like what the bumpsteer does when it fights eachother and cause the car to bobble left to right in the lane while trying to drive straight over bumps. The widder the front tires and the stiffer the suspension, the worst this effect will feel when making a u-turn. Something you can not correct, its inherent in the design of a steering system, some cars more noticiable than others- just have to live with it or put high profile skinny tires on the car.

 

Thanks Jay, Look what you started I'm tired now from typing.

 

so will alighnment shops still align the car once it is modded like that?

 

so will alighnment shops still align the car once it is modded like that?

 

Any performance alignment shop will love the fact that you have added adjustment provisions to help them set the car properly. Don't go to a place like Sears where some alignment tech was taught his job by watching an 8 hr video to make him an "expert "alignment mechanic. Find someone reputable that does race car setups.

 

I don't know how far you could go but Id like to see a body drop on a 3rd gen. Really lower the car.

 

It could be done, if you went with a full frame and channelled the body over it. Since its unibody though, it would be near impossible to do other wise.

 

With the strut type front suspension the car is as low as it can get. My tires are just barly clearing the underneath fenderwells as it is. I am finally buzzing the plastic up underneath since I installed the new brake setup because it pushed my Scrub radius out equal to a 1LE offset like the IROC's have. So now I do touch where I have never in all the years this car has been this low. Could not go lower with the body even trying to retain the chassis in the same spot because the hood will not clear the strutmounts if lowered. You would have to go with a custom domed hood and flared front fenders.

 

So where can I get a bump steer kit? DropZone springs here, about 1-1.5" drop

 

We are turning this into the V6 suspension board

Applies to V8's also.

Here's a link for purchase. Disregard the picture on that link, and disregard the discription of what a bumpsteer does on that link- they both are wrong. It is the correct part # and the best price I found when I purchased mine a few years back.
http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/1635...-Steer-Kit.htm

This is a picture of the actually 82-92 f-body Baer Bumpsteer lit shoiwing how the spacers will adjust on topside of the rodend so the angle can be changed.

 

Ps- email me if you are interested in the Hotchkis tierod sleeves pictured there. I still have them and they are unused. I thought they would fit onto my truck but they did not (threads are larger on my truck than the Camaro) package is opened "partially", but all parts are there and never installed on anything. $40 + shipping.
They are a direct bolt-in replacement of the crappy stock tierod sleeves. These will not flex like the stock split sleeves do.

 

Everyone should have SFC and atleast a 4 point, just cut around the body seams and let it drop.
id also ditch the struts for more compact racing shocks.
Put some roadrunner bubble doms over the wheels on the fender so they don't rub on a full suspension compression... Once the gas tank is removed the read can be super slammed. Shock mounts can come all the way into the hatch area. Yea you need fender flares. A belly pan would be top notch work.

All of which might get a 3rd gen to break 300mph. As of now even a lowered 3rd gen is just a fancy looking brick when it comes to 200+

 

WOW! for $141 i will just purchase new springs (again) ang go back to stock ride. who am i kidding, i won't do that.... dang, that is spendy ....

 

i believe that i read somewhere that a 3rdgen bird was the most aerodynamic production car in america (test done in early 90`s) does anyone else know what i am talking about or is this completly wrong?

 

You are correct. I'm pretty sure a 3rd gen bird still holds the record at Bonneville for a doorslammer...300+.

 

doorslammer? what is a doorslammer? oh yeah and awsome by the way we freakin own

 

Whoa! @ $142, I might be waiting a little while on that, too

They replace the outer tie rods, I take it?

 

Watching "NHRA today" I seen a guy interviewed in a 3rd gen camaro. He had like 2000HP running low 8s but could not break the 200MPH barrier. Because the cars are a brick with fancy lines. The body sits to hi on the frame..


Now if you build a car especially to run a flat out top speed run. You can make a brick do mach1.

 

in the test i am talking about all that was modified was the drivetrain. the transmition was so high geared the car needed to be pushed/pulled to 80MPH.

but the body was not modified much, all they did was put a formula fin on it. that is why it is called the most aerodynamic production car. of course this was a bird not a "duel airbrakes disguised as headlights" camaro. i am guessing they had the popups down

 

A car with real functioning doors; ie, not a funny car body.

Aerodynamics aren't the problem with the NHRA today example; its likely traction/clutch/setup issues. 3rd gen TAs are still pretty slick, even by todays standards.

 

The Camaro I was a steel body 84ish , no hood monster 2000HP motor. Not sure on class but it was a stock looking except for the motor and tires.

 

Mine has 1.6 inch suspension max drop springs I got on ebay for 110 Shipped. I had no problem finding V6 ones Mine are yellow