Got my suspension
 

I finally ordered my suspension parts and I CAN NOT wait to get it on. I got BMR boxed sub-frame connectors, BMR drive shaft loop, Bilstein shocks, and FINALLY Hotchkis 1" lowering springs. I hope to get this on asap, and still have 1 more surprise for the year.

sweet, your stance should be nice with those springs!

i had someone put the front struts on. My strut plates were rusted as hell and im not messging with a springs. The rear shocks are the easiest thing in the world to install. It took me longer to fix my jack, and put my sound system back in then it took to install them. And the cars rides....nice... :)

jimmy- what are you doing for shocks? the bilsteins aren't made for lowering springs and you should send them out to be revalved.

i was told they are, by several people.

The Bilstein HD's can be revalved for lowered applications. Just make sure they they are, in fact, revalved and not left stock.

Hope you got relocation brakets, adjustable panhard bar too. you will need them if you lower the car.

He might be able to get away with it with just a 1 " drop, I've done it a few times. I had mine lowered and changed it back, everything is just too damn close to the ground with the mods I have.

I dont see how lowering the car can effect how the valving in the shock works. I have used alot of different front shocks, and i've setup my car with alot of different front springs and no issue has ever come up becuase of running the shock thoughout a further range of its travel.

I think what you may be saying is that there is a More Optimal shock valving for a spring with a different rate....but thats much different from saying they dont work with lowering springs....

lowering springs = more aggressive spring rates
bilstein hds are valved for stock springs

therefore bilsteins + lowering springs = bad :)

I would think a heavier spring rate would make life easier on a shock, similar to having more compression valving.

Do you have any experience to back up this, or is a theory?

I've used a few different shock setups with a few different springs....and its never become an issue.
Koni Street adjustable, Afco double adjustable, Koni SPA1, and factory shocks with
Small block springs, 260lbs/in rate springs, and 212lbs/in rate springs.

Never become an issue.

And what exactly is the change you're suggesting to be made with the shocks? where are they going with the valving?
I'm not saying you're wrong, simply interested in the facts/testing behind this.
I've what i would consider quite a bit of extensive research on stock based suspensions, including designing and building my own bolt-on subframe....and i've yet to come across something like this.
Brian

my statement is based on theory, and experience from some suspension guys who know their stuff. now, i'm talking about street driving rather than strip, just to clarify.

maybe i'll explain further tommorow, i'm just too tired right now :lol:

i've driven these mentioned setups on the street, all of them.

What problem is it that you're looking to cure by re-valving the shocks?
Many consider me a suspension guy in the know, i continously do testing on my ride as well as a few others.

Increasing spring rate would have a similar effect to increasing compression in adjustable shocks, since it takes a larger force to compress a stiffer spring.....a shock on the other hand, works at a rate of speed, so there are differences, but combined they work as a system.
However since the spring now sees more of the load that the shock is looking to slow down, i would imagine the shock's life is easier.....so are we removing compression valving to let the nose react similarly to how it would have with lighter springs.....and why are we doing that, what is the positive effect?

On the rebound side of this, the nose is going to "act" heavier, since the springs are shorter/stiffer leaving less stored energy, and removing a larger amount of stored energy per inch of travel.
Similar to having a heavier rebound-valved shock, the nose will be harder to lift.
What re-valving move is suggested for this, and why? what are we trying to accomplish by doing so.....by assuming this is not the effect we're looking for.

this makes sense b/c Bilstein SELLS a Shock and Spring package that is 1" lower (SLP has the same package on their site). I would highly doubt that they would sell that if the shocks weren't made to be use with lowered springs. I just don't feel like spending $1,500 to PRORERLY lower my car. that is y im at stock hight. Also i already scrape like a bitch. lol

(The spring and shock package is about $500, ADJ PAnhard bar is $100, LCA relocation brackets are like $200, ADJ TRQ Arm is another $350 and then i have to have someone put install the front struts ((Which i did and that costed me $650 (((incl new struts tops))))).

The SLP package is a special Bilstein shock to there specs, its a great package for road racing. With that package its been proven to out handle a C5 vette on a road course.

Just looks like crap, the car looks like its squating.

Talk to Sam Strano, he's one of the best when it comes to setting up a car for the kind of conditions you want to use it for.

and he personally doesn't recommend lowering without properly damped shocks

brian- your logic doesn't make sense to me. a properly valved shock that is matched to a spring will provide both comfort and good road manors since the amount of travel during a bump given by the spring is properly damped. your logic would prove efficient if the stiffest possible combination was the best. too stiff of a spring for the shock would not be damped enough and ride very harsh. thats why we revalve shocks. be it as you may and an untrained person probably wouldn't realize their suspension sucks because the stock setups or a worn out setup will still suck even more. :)

you need to change valving when going to a PROGRESSIVE springrate, its not as important on a linear spring,

after saying that i used stock valved bilsteins on my 1.25'' drop h&r's for about a year and they were fine when i took them out of the car......

I say leave them, and if find you don't like them, then call billstein and get their opinon.

Too stiff would not be dampened Enough??

Ahh, dont you mean too stiff of a spring would be dampened too much??

its not "my logic" i was making a point, and asking questions....you're the guy claiming this needs to be done, i'm asking why.

Do you know what i mean when i say rebound and compression?

If this were a road race setup, i'd want the lightest spring possible that would keep the car from bottoming out...

How many of you guys are road racing your setups....