TPIJay

HE guys, I need some help. I am currently running an 86 Z-51 with SCCA in AS. I need help with shock selection and the best alignments settings to go with. My shocks are shot but am unsure of what would be best to replace them with. I hear and read great things about QA1's but have also heard that just sticking with the Z-51 Bilsteins will work well too. Any help with this is appreciated.

90Z51

The guy at the race shop where I go said that unless you really want to spend a lot of money on shocks the Bilstein Sports are good. For autocross you want as much camber as possible in the front, and a matching amount in the back. Having 6 to 7 degrees of caster is good, and a little bit of toe.

TPIJay

I found a set of Z-51 replacement Bilsteins for $279 for all four. Sounds like a pretty good price, beings I paid $600 for my Koni's for my Firebird. I was told to run a little bit of toe in on the rears. What's the max camber I can get on the fronts with everything completely stock? How much should toe should I run in the front? Toe out I am guessing.
Thanks!

AUTO_X_AL

We run in BSP but we have an 86 Z-51 as well and the Koni single adjustable's we have seem to work well and withstand quite a beating with two unsympathetic drivers. The way ours are set is 3/4 of a turn from full stiff. Good luck

Al

Solofast

Most all of the nationally competitive C4's are running the single adjustable Koni's. They aren't that expensive and give you some easy ability to tune the car to your taste...

90Z51

If you're lucky you can get almost -1.5 degrees of camber in the front. You'll just have to see what your specific car will let you do. There are aftermarket parts that'll allow more camber, but stock is limited to about -1.5. I don't remember my toe settings, if I can find my paperwork I'll post them later.

L98 DRIVER

pull all the shims from the front-camber is what it is-castor is what it is
set the rear camber to -1.5 I have tested with up to -2.5 rear but I like 1.5 best.
set toe to 0 ft and rear. some guys will adjust the front toe out at the event and adjust it back for the drive home-very easy to do with the clamshell hood.

TPIJay

Thanks for all the info. Can you guys give me a heads up as to where I can get a set of the adjustable Koni's. I have the single adjustables on my Firebird and she carves pretty good on the AutoCross. The only Koni's I found for the Vette where a set of sport's, non-adj. Thanks again for the help.

Cashmo

If you can get more than 1 deg neg camber up front you're very lucky. Sam at Strano parts can get you a price on Koni SA's.

Jeff

BrianCunningham

I've got the QA1's, the Konis are a superior shock, but the QA1's are easier to adjust. You either need to remove the rear Konis to adjust them or drill a hole from the inside of the car down through the frame. No thanks. The QA1's also 'click' so you can repeat your settings. QA1 also came out with double adjustables So compression and rebound can be set seperately.

USAsOnlyWay

Al, are you talking Koni yellows or reds?

AUTO_X_AL

Ours are an old set but they are yellows. I am not sure if they still sell them for the pre 88 suspension. They seem to work good. With the rally cars in BSP I am not sure the car is as good as it once was in that class but it is great in NCCC Group IIE.

Al

USAsOnlyWay

I wish they still did...they don't.

AUTO_X_AL

That's funny that you say that because everyone that saw our shocks told us to keep them. What makes the yellows better than the reds? Just FYI we are not selling them for those who were going to ask.
Was it a diffrence in valving or construction?

USAsOnlyWay

From what I have heard/been told/read. The sports have stiffer valving than the reds. The reds are more of "more than z51 but not quite sports" I guess. I don't know if that makes sense at all. But damn...I wish they still made those!

Note: I believe the fronts will bolt up and work and then you could just run a bilstein z51 on back. This is the set-up I am currently thinking about. You get at least some adjustability this way.