hows the ride on these cars if you lower them 1-2 inches with springs and use stock shocks/struts? Also how is the wheel clearance?

 

Wheel clearance and shocks have nothing to do with each other. I do recomend that you replace the shocks at the same time that you lower the car though. The stock decarbons are crap and wont last long when its lowered. You will end up having to replace the blown shocks in about 5-10K miles.....no sense in doing all that work twice i think.

 

for general daily driving, i wouldn't recommend lowering more than around an inch and a half on our cars. i mean, even stock ride height, i have to look out every now and again so as not to scrape.

as far as just wheel clearance....even lowering 2 inches, i'm pretty sure you'll be fine....i don't believe you'll have to worry about your tires rubbing or anything.

 

i know a guy who lowered his SS with DMS springs and used his stock shocks w/ only 10k miles or so. he was not very happy with the ride quality and is possitive it's the shocks.

and like stated, why do all that work twice?

 

I know what your saying about "why do the work twice" but i was asking because i've lowered my two past cars with stock shocks and they rode fine. I just wanted to know if anyone knew how a z28 would react to being lowered like that.

Since you say i should use aftermarket shocks, which would you recommend for a reasonable price?

 

depends on what you plan on doing with the car....
i would recommend different shocks if you plan on taking the car to an autox or roadcourse event....
but if your car is simply a daily driver with a possible trip to the strip...then i would recommend different shocks....
..so yeah, depends on the intended use of the car.

 

bilstein HD's

www.bimmerparts.com had them for about $325 the last i knew

or you could try KYB adjustables

 

its only a daily driver and i make a trip to the dragstrip a couple times a month.

 

as far as i know, i think hal's are more geared towards non-corner carving driving....
bilstein hd's are a better handling sort of shock....

i really don't know how these two shocks compare to one another on the drag strip on a mildly modded f-body.

i'm sure you probably can't go wrong with either, although since it is your daily driver....i would get the bilsteins.

in the end, you really can't go wrong with bilsteins....

 

well i guess i'll save up for some bilsteins probably. thanks a lot

 

after giving it a little more thought....i would possibly consider some koni sa's too....that way you could modify the suspension a little if you feel the need. and i'm pretty sure the sa's won't run you much more, if any, than a set of bilsteins. give it a thought...

 

You do NOT need to replace your stock shocks just because you are lowering your car. I have over 60,000 miles in lowered Camaros using stock shocks and they all worked just fine. If they are high mileage or if you are planning on replacing them soon then you can save a lot of labor on the front shocks by doing it when you replace the springs. But new shocks aren't a necessity. As for ride, there are several different brands of springs on the market and each rides differently. The best I have found are the LG Motorsports Supersprings. They are more of a road racing spring but are a progressive wound spring so they ride firm but handle great and almost never let the car bottom out.

 

I have 5K miles on my DMS lowered Camaro w/ stock shocks and have had no problems and the ride is just what I thought it would be with a lowered car.

 

I too have lowered my car by cutting the stock springs. The car rides fine with the stock shocks. Usem till they wear out as crappy as they may be. Just my .02 cents

 

I lowered my 99 TA w/ DMS springs, and bought new front struts, Monroes, just b/c the shaft broke when we were trying to remove the retaining nut. I did not plan on replacing the front struts. I left the stock rear shocks in. The ride is just fine, and I am not complaining.

You do NOT HAVE to replace the shocks/struts. Sure, it would ride better if you did, but it is not required

It would save labor in the future, but that is totally up to you if you want to replace them. Now granted, if you have like 90k+ miles on the car, and have never replaced them, it would be a good idea, lol

Good luck, and don't worry about it.

BTW, I agree w/ robvas on the track issue.