Eibach Drag launch vs V6 springs

Which springs help you hook up better. Im changing out my pro kit because their too damn low with LT's:o If I have to be up high, I might as well hook up. Which spring would be the best for the $$. If the V6rs arnt as good, how would they compare with my 100k mi stock springs that I still have? I want at least stock height, and hooking ability.

I do not have a quantifiable answer for you. However you are comparing a product designed and marketed specifically for drag racing with a stock product with 100k on it. Shocks are anothe rhuge factor when it comes to launching and I did my shocks and springs at the same time.

Having used a set of V6 springs in back I have two comments:

1) 93-97 V6 springs are the ones to use, the 98+ ones are the same rate as V8 cars.

2) V6 springs in the back in my opinion are great for cars that don't have adjustable shocks. Once you get QA1's for front and back it's time to go back to V8 springs. Back when I had ET Streets but no drag shocks, I used 95 V6 springs in back, and was 60ft'ing better than other cars similarly modded at the same time at the track. But drag shocks ultimately work better, the V6 springs are just a good low buck way to help a car hook by making the rear squat a lot more.

Can you still get the V6 springs (93-97) or did they stop making these and just stock only the 98+ style ?? I would like to get a set for my car.


JK

Just have to hit up V6 folks.

So is it all about the rear springs? I might put my stockers back on for a week or so to get me by. If the rears make the most difference, ill just do them later. If the fronts are important too, I want to put them in when I take the pro kit out.

Originally posted by Josh'95Z28conv
So is it all about the rear springs? I might put my stockers back on for a week or so to get me by. If the rears make the most difference, ill just do them later. If the fronts are important too, I want to put them in when I take the pro kit out.

front springs and shocks will do the most to improve your launch by transfering the weight to the rear better.

V6 springs are just a bandaid for a suspension not set up for dragracing. They let the rear squat to soften the hit to the tires.
Ideally you want the front to come up and the rear to stay put so that the weight that is transfered pushes down on the tires and is not wasted just pushing the back of the car down.
It works for cars that don't want to go the full drag suspension and the compromised street handling that accompanies it.

Originally posted by AL SS590 M6
front springs and shocks will do the most to improve your launch by transfering the weight to the rear better.

V6 springs are just a bandaid for a suspension not set up for dragracing. They let the rear squat to soften the hit to the tires.
Ideally you want the front to come up and the rear to stay put so that the weight that is transfered pushes down on the tires and is not wasted just pushing the back of the car down.
It works for cars that don't want to go the full drag suspension and the compromised street handling that accompanies it.

That helps. I was wondering about that. I noticed some people concentrating on the front, and some on the back.

How much is my handling going to suffer with the drag launch springs?

Running a soft rear spring might allow you to hit the rear tires hard, but they can also unload the rear and cause you to spin after the initial hit.

Daren

Originally posted by Josh'95Z28conv
That helps. I was wondering about that. I noticed some people concentrating on the front, and some on the back.

How much is my handling going to suffer with the drag launch springs?

I have the QA1 12 ways and their drag springs. It's either a little bouncy or stiff. So I would imagine that one of the stiffer shock settings would be good for corners.

How about the actual ride hieght difference between stock springs and drag launch springs? How much higher does the car sit if at all?

Mike

Originally posted by OrangeIROC
How about the actual ride hieght difference between stock springs and drag launch springs? How much higher does the car sit if at all?

Mike

Mike, forget suspension, it doesnt matter how your car leaves the line so long as it gets out of my way when I go by. ;)

I have the drag launch kit on my car and the front went down and the rear went up.
Not much in the front but quite a bit in the rear.

My car appears about 1/4 inch higher than stock. The handling is fine with the springs, it is the shock setting and the lack of a front sway bar, and skinny front tires that will screw up the handling.

I had eibach drag springs on my car (only got to use them at the track for about 8 passes though) They definitely improved my launch, and took 2 tenths off of my time (on street tires) My ride height didn't change either. But to acheive that 1 coil was cut out of both rear springs.

Well i'm definately gonna have to pat attention to my suspension this summer. To keep this on topic i am definately choosing the Drag Launch springs over the V6 springs simply because the V6 springs just seem like the easy way out like was said above.

That ride height doesn't sound that bad, i was expecting worse (a much higher stance). I'm not at all concerned with my cornering or anything like that, i dont plan on doing 50mph around turns haha, just 125mph in a straight line ;)

Mike

2 tenths off with drag launch springs and street tires? Not too bad...

If you are making enough horsepower to trap at 125 mph, I would suggest that the factory springs will be just fine in the rear. I would add an air bag in the right rear and, if you are on a budget, Competition Engineering rear shocks. Good shocks and springs on the front are a must.

Daren

Gump,
thanks for the reply, u raised and interesting point and i'd like to pick ur brain on it a bit. First off, I'm not totally sure what my motor will do (new rebuild), all i know is that it will trap between 125-130mph, i won't really know until i get out to the track, i am getting about 625hp at the crank.. Now, i am concentrating very heavily on suspension, so far i have a Spohn Torque Arm, Lakewood LCA's, 9" rear with 4:11's.. As for Springs/Shocks i am looking for feedback wherever i can get it, doing alot of reading. I do intend on getting an airbag for the passenger side rear, Hal/QA1 12-way adustable's, Eibach Drag Launch springs (so far..)..

I went down to Norwalk, Ohio and ran into a guy with a Super Stock 96 Camaro Z28, he was running mid 10's in the 1/4 and and made a point to pick his brain and ask him all i could about his car, he was running QA1's all around, and the drag launch springs all around. Which is why i thought to copy, what do u think? Why stick wiht the stockers in the rear? (this is new to me)

Thanks, Mike

On my Stock Eliminator cars I have experimented with a lot of different springs and different shock settings.
In all cases the right rear liked a stiffer spring and about 15 psi in the air bag. I currently have a six cylinder spring on the drivers side on both cars. This is mainly because that spring doesn't see much load and the cars leave straight without any rebound. I probably wouldn't do it on a street driven car.
I have run with and without a rear sway bar. I find that the run is a lot smoother with one installed.
The rear shocks are usually set at about 5 clicks from zero.
On the front I have Hal shocks and springs. I tried a lot of springs and these worked best. I usually have the front shocks set really loose (0-1 click). If you get to doing big wheel stands stiffen them up.
One thing to make sure of is that your LCA's don't work against your torque arm, putting the suspension in a bind. If you set the rear shocks on zero the rear suspension should move freely through all points of travel when you bounce it up and down.

I am in no way the expert on this stuff, but this is what works on my cars.

Good Luck,

Daren

Very very interesting and very helpful Gump, very much appreciated. I will take all that into consideration. I guess i will just have to do a trial and error with it to find out what works best especially since i've never played with this style suspension. I also have a 67 Camaro, pure drag car (10.61@126mph), backhalfed, ladder bars, the whole 9 yards but that is entirely a different setup. Not to mention my IROC is also a street toy (mostly for little cruising and car shows) So it will need to be setup as a street/strip car, but i am still in that ballpark with all we have discussed.

I think i may try to keep the stock rear springs in for now (with the airbag or course), put the eibach front springs in, and get the HAL shocks at all 4 corners and go from there. Any other Shock recommendations?

Any other advice, comments, questions, answers greatly appreciated.

Mike