I have a 96 Z28 stock suspension. I drove up to the track with a full car load (peeps) and I bottomed out on the freeway on my way up there. I took a look when I finally got to the track lot and noticed I shredded my jounce bouncers.

Quick Question!

Sometime in the future I wanted to lower my car about 1"-1.5" inches of eibach springs but it appears I'll still be eating up my jounce bouncers everytime I hit a large bump on the freeway as I do now and I'm stock. So if I go with some bilstein shocks will I still have a problem with bottoming out with a full load of people in my car. I ask this because after I lower my car I do have a full car especially when I'm headin out to sac speedway. Hwy 680 is pretty bumping coming back over the hill and I wanna prevent bottoming out. I actually wanna prevent bottoming out in any case.

So any advice what I can do/buy/modify?

Here's my info
*17" wheels
*currently stock suspension

Thanks.!!!

 

I believe SLP sells jounce bouncers that are designed to help prevent this issue.

 

I have 17's with the Eibachs and I havent bottomed out with a full car yet (wife, 2 kids, and I). I'm also running 275/40's. Maybe your shocks are kaput.

 

GM and SLP sell the jounce bumper spacers (about $25/pair complete with longer screws) but they work with the stock jounce bumpers. The spacer is just a little aluminum piece that slips in between the chassis and the jounce bumper itself to limit the travel even more.

Not sure what you mean by wiping them out, is the rubber deteriorated? If so, I'd suspect it's due to something else like environmental conditions or corrosion or something. Try a new set, and add some jounce bumper spacers. GM recommends them on all 17" wheels, but I know lots of people running 17's with no issues at all. If the road is particular bumpy and you have a full load, the only option is stiffer springs or slow down. Eibachs and Bilsteins are a great combo, but probably won't do anything for your problem of killing the jounce bumpers, except likely make it worse because you'll be slamming into them more often.

 

I used to hit a little bit. I got the SLP jounce pieces and its been good since...

 

ok, i think i remember seing slp jounce bumpers..i'll check em out on the site. Thanks!

 

You might have worn springs and shocks.
I'd reccomend changing shocks when you do the springs.

 

Yeah, I think I'm going to put a rush on the shock & spring idea. I definatelly need some. I got a quote for $220 to install the springs & shocks.
For right now I'm going to get some new Jounce bumpers from a local speed shop but all the aftermarket bumpers I see have a one bolt install VS. the two bolt install on the stock j-bumper. I'm ganna take my wheel off tonight and see how I can mount an aftermarket one-bolt j-bumper pad.
Also, I know this is off the subject but kinda related & crucial..is the SLP suspension of springs & shocks necesarry to have the following componants of pan hard bar, sway bar & rear lower control arm. I know I will have to get a sway bar to handle the turns after lowering but what about the pan hard bar and lower control arms? I'm not a big wig with suspension so any feedback will help me out here. And if I do lower the car do I have to get that SLP j-bumper spacer like what "BLOWNF1 & IDOXLR8" were saying?

Thanks!!
PEPP

 

you may need an adjustable panhard bar after lowering. On both of my cars, the rear end shifted over to the drivers side I beleive, so I had to shorten the bar a bit to get it centered.

I'd go with a BMR Adjustable unit.

About the spring install, the hardest to do are the fronts since you need a spring compressor. You can take your new front shocks and springs and have them assembled at a local shop and then just put them on your car yourself.

Doing the rear shocks and springs is a piece of cake, takes about 20 minutes to do the rear springs and shocks.
All you need to do is jack the back of the car up, support the rear of the body with jack stands, place the floorjack under the pumpkin, undo the shock bolts from the rear, endo the upper shock bolts that is inside the car in the top corners behind the back seat under the carpet.
Lower the rear, pull out the springs, place new shocks in the car, but don't bolt the lower part yet.
put the springs into the rear, jack rear up, put the nuts on the shocks, tighten everything down, and you are done.

It took longer to type this than it does to actually perform the job.