Im doing a suspension upgrade for my 25th anny. Trans Am.
How does Bilstein shocks compare with koni and edelbrock?

 

Let's try moving this to the "Suspension....." forum, rather than here on LT1/LT4 Engine Tech.......

 

I'm not sure I understand what you are asking.... Koni's are the shock for this car. I run them on my car, they are durable, have great valving, you can adjust the rebound valving for your needs (or wants), and they allow you to change springs without having to buy new shocks.

Bilstein's are great quality, but the valving sometimes is not the best for all situations. They aren't speced to damp lowering springs, but stock springs which is fine. That's why we offer Revalved versions to up the damping and give you a less expensive (but not adjustable) option to Koni's. Even for stock springs, I feel they are just a touch weak-kneed for my tastes in that regard. I'm a handling guy, and I like a very positive car kind of like BMW M3 and Porsches with Sport suspensions are. The HD would have been a fine OEM shock, way better than what came on the cars, nothing more, nothing less.

Edelbrock. Wouldn't even bother. We sell them, but given the price, the complexity of the "IAS" valve, and the fact I feel they don't really understand the suspensions on these cars as well as they should, I'd pass. Now, if you really want to use them, I'll be happy to price them for you.... but the other shocks are better options.

Again, I don't know what you are really looking for from the shocks, and that changes what shock I'd recommend. Which is why I don't do recommendations by e-mail.

 

If you had to pick by cost what would you go with? My stockers are completly shot at 130k miles.

The bilsteins are 420 and the konis 700 from SLP. For a DD would it really make a difference? And I thought the stock decarbons were supposedly a good shock. Do they still sell takeoffs anywhere?

Damn, I just checked the strano site and the prices are much lower on the bilsteins at 350, might have to call you later.

 

Yes, SLP isn't the best place to shop for parts.

 

LOL. I'm learning quickly.

 

Although SLP is high--I mean expensive--I would think that they would be the place to pick up some stock take-offs. But they would have been sitting around for several years.

 

I didn't see them on the site, I'm going to call them.