Hi

well I cant sleep
so I thought Id ask this question Ive been wondering about for quite some time now
when it comes to fast cars handling is the thing I love the most so I thought about doing some mods to my Z to get it to handle nicer but I dont know where and with what to start
I was thinking Z06 brakes and suspension components (if I can find them at a decent price, if not then C5 stuff) - good idea ?

any advice ?


let me know


Thank you
Dan

 

www.bmrfabrication.com
www.spohn.net
Only two good places that make REALLY NICE suspension parts for f-bodys... EXCEPT SPRINGS & SHOCKS!! I would either go with some kyb shocks or some HAL QA1 shocks and springs!

Lower control arms
K-member
Lower A-arms
Pan Hard rod
Shocks
Springs
Torque Arm (Mostly for Drag)
Sway Bars (frt & rear)
Sub Frame Connectors

Should be enough to get you going

 

The most cost effective handling mod is wheels and tires! After that, I agree that SFC's are a good place to start. Then go on to springs and shocks. The next thing I would replace are the Panhard rod and the lower control arms.

Rich Krause

 

Listen to Rich.

TIRES and the correct wheels to handle them are the most important thing. However, you really need to take a "systems approach".

With 275/40-17 BFG KD's you have lots of dry-road potential. You'll find, after you mount them that now the car has sloppy suspension and is a little floppy. Here's where the SFCs, maybe new bushings in the control arms, and a stronger Panhard rod will help.

Next you might consider springs to lower it a bit (assuming tires clear: wheel width and offset play an important part here), anti-roll bars to balance the front/rear roll couple distribution for the handling feel you want, and finally adjustable shocks for final tuning.

This, done correctly, ain't cheap, and takes a fair amount of development time by a chassis guy. One possible option would be get 1LE chassis bits, or the Firehawk stuff from the era of your car, and the KDs on 9.5 inch wheels. If you are bucks-up, Fikse makes some nice wheels.

Good luck. Remember that tires are Job One.

 

Talk to sam strano.
First I would replace any worn parts tie rod etc.
Call sam, get some blisteins revaled or konis. Personally if I lowered I would talk to sam, but if you lower you really need a adj, a different alignment and the reclotions brackets. i think good shocks bars etc you can get some good reseluts still have room for longtubes too. let me know if you need more help

 

For the street, I went with the following. Made a night and day difference with the car. I talked to Sam Strano like mentioned above and he helped me with my decisions. www.stranoparts.com

BMR tubular subframe connectors
Bilstein HD shocks
Front Suspension Techniques 35mm solid front swaybar
17" OEM ZR1 rims waiting to be installed this spring, with 275/40-17 Goodyear GS-D3 tires.

Even with the 245/50-16 tires on there now, the above changes make the car ride awesome. Not a harsh ride, but very controlled and crisp. The front swaybar is incredible. I now have VERY LITTLE body roll and don't need to upgrade my springs. The subframe connectors made some difference, but not as much as I thought they would. It should always be your first mod though. Other work to the suspension will naturally work the chassis harder and the subframes will help keep it from loosening up.

Dan

 

would you recommend a specific model and size ? (for 16s)


Thank you
Dan

 

Thank you everybody !

 

My opinion:
First, bigger front swaybar
second, new shocks
third, SFCs
fourth STB/LCAs/PHB, research them LCAs before you buy them so you get the type you will be happy with
Tires when you need them, 17s if you can afford them, front brake upgrade ASAP

 

Do you plan to use the car in snow? Is wet traction important? How price sensitive are you?

Rich Krause

 

Hi

no I wont do snow, however wet traction would be nice, due to the lakes and all it tends to rain often around here

money is a bit of a problem


Thanks
Dan

 

Easy, Do what I have done. My car is setup for the street.

Start off with corvette sized rims and tires. YOu could even buy my spare set of 1999 C5 vette rims F=17x8.5 R=18x9.5 Goodyear Eagle F1 runflat tires. These rims are heavier and so solid it will splat your camaro to the ground.

Next get the bushing kit and do up the whole front end, While your in there give it new struts by bilstein. I went to bimmerparts.com and got a set of bilstein front shocks for somthing like 170 bux I think. You can also do the rear.

If you dont do coil over in the rear then get a set of eibach springs that suit your needs Pro kit, Drag launch kit etc.

Go to SLOTCARRACING.com and get their Double Adjustable billet panhardbar, Double adjustable rear control arms and stainless steel subframe connectors.

Then go to SPOHN and get their track link kit to replace your weak and inferior torque arm and also buy their control relocation brackets to give your rear suspension its much needed preload.

You can finish it off with a strut tower brace and possibly air lift airbags in the back to give your ride some more preload on that one torqued down wheel. This suspension right here is very affordable and extremely effective.

When you tie the frame together with the STB, SFC's and torque arm relocator from SPOHN your car will handle like it is on rails, It will almost never peel out because you have big enough rims (you can allways widen the rears) and the sphericle rod end parts from SLOTCARRACING will allowy for enough swivel without deflection!

My suspension has all this and to top it off slotted rotors with vette brakes in the front and high performance rears. I love hooking up the suspension in cars and literally *whipping around* in your car instead of going in one sloppy straight line filled with power. To each his own PEACE

 

255/50/16 rear, 245/50/16 front
Dunlop SP Sport 8000 ~$130/tire (Tire Rack)
Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 ~$90/tire

Rich Krause

 

Hi

I just took a good look at my tires and they got lots of thread left
and no one will buy 235/55s

by the way I got a set of brand new shocks and a set of brand new springs (stock stuff) sitting in the garage (I got these with the car)
what do you say should I bother installing these or should I just go for some aftermarket stuff (or maybe vette stuff, here I go again with the vette stuff , trying to save a bit by using vette stuff, college student )

while Im on the vette parts wave, what do you think of C5 brakes ? I hear they are quite nice (especially Z06) and will fit a Z28 without problems


Thank you
Dan

 

You need 17" wheels to use C5 brakes. Unless the shocks you have are quite worn I wouldn't bother with replacing them with the OEM stuff.

Rich Krause