blackbeauty74

Im in need of some new strut rod. I was thinking about buying the smart struts kit or the dragvette suspension kit. Is there really any difference between the 2? Which of the 2 is more preferered amoung you guys?
Thanks

Gordonm

Sent you a PM

Pat71vette

Gordonm, I am in the middle of a front suspension and the rear is next and I was looking into drag stuff too please send me your opinion

thanks
pat

jb78L-82

I had stock strut rods with Poly bushings for 2o years and while they performed better than stock strut rods with rubber bushings, they did tend to squeak. About 1 year ago, I decided to change them and considered, smart struts, adjustable strut rods with poly bushings, and competition/heavy duty adjustable strut rods with the heim joint endlinks. I decided against the smart struts after looking at some vettes with them installed since I was a little dubious about the lower mounting position under the differential and exhaust clearance issues and was not keen about poly bushings again in this component based on the axis that the struts pivot. I went with the competition struts with the heim joint since the heim joint allows freer movement in the strut and at the sames time eliminates any play from a bushing with the heim joint ends. I could not be happier with the result!

blackbeauty74

Who sell those competition strut rods?
Thanks

jb78L-82

I got mine from Mid America but others have them as well.

gkull

Black beauty74 - I'm a pro smart Strut person. I've had them on my Vette for about 20 years. I work on race cars and no race car is set up for camber gain with vertical wheel travel. It is the same with bumpsteer on the front. You don't want things changing with wheel travel.

Even though I run my Vette on the track I don't have steel heim joints. I still use poly. I drive enough on the street that I prefer poly

jb78L-82

gkull-Just an FYI-my competition struts are only very marginally stiffer riding than the the poly bushing struts I had previously-almost no difference in the ride quality versus poly.

gkull

Poly when encased in a metal bushing only has marginal movement. so you are correct on the ride being very similar when compared to heim metal joints. it's just that I always try to determine where my next best bang for the buck is going to go.

IMO - the tires and wheels with optimal alignment settings are the biggest improvement factor. compared to the heim/poly difference in performance. Because most people are not so close to the edge that they can tell the difference of a pound or two of air in their tires. Or all their alignment settings are near some baseline out VB&P and they never do tire temps after a couple of hot laps at the local road course

As for me wish me luck at this weekends year end SCCA finals. I'm racing my old 79 Vette in Vintage Production 3. last year I got first place. This year I'm so far trophyless I'm going to go burn up my slicks because it's the last race

naasaa

may I then ask how big the difference is driving with poly compared with rubber bushings?
Besides no squall, how much will it affect driving comfort and handling?

Thanks
Lars

7T3C3TTZ07

I have not seen the projected improvement in camber with Dragvette but a forum member posted the projected improvement in camber obtained from the Smart Strut.

gkull

At the race shop I work at I was looking at the first place winning Vette from a big event. Smart Struts............ He took on a a big field of cars and left them

blackbeauty74

Do any of you have any pictures of the smart struts mounted?
Thanks

Gordonm

Dragvette 6 link. Wha tyo ucan't see is the upper mount and just the tip of the upper rod is visible.



Not my car but some I installed on another forum members car. These are poly links.



Yet another forum members car with Heim jointed ends with half shaft loops.



I have the dual mount spring with the poly rods now on mine. No recent pictures though. I can take some up on the lift if you need them.

69vettester

In the past, The new geometry Stut rod Bracket (closer to parallel with the Ground) was a Big marketing feature for the Smart strut Kit. I installed it as one of my first rear suspension upgrades 8yrs ago. More recently I have heard the geometry critisized by reputable C3 Vett. suspension tuners. Not actual criticism more Like "exersise caution" . Which I believe to be wise feedback.

blackbeauty74

Thanks for the pictures, I was trying to get an idea if my exhause would clear them.

Gordonm

None of these cars including mine has the Smart strut bracket. The ends of the SS bracket are lower than the standard bracket so the exhaust would have to be run more in the middle of the bracket. These are just the strut rods on the stock bracket. I have the bracket but am using the original bracket because it would hit my exhaust. Check yours carefully it might hit.

blackbeauty74

Ok, I thought they looked a little different. So do they work as good or have the same effect with the stock bracket?

gkull

The lower inner mounting point is the key to limiting camber gain. My older style of smart strut has the cam variable mounting point for the strut. It actually says street on the top and race on the bottom. I've always just left it in the race position. But it is ruffly parallel to the half shafts while sitting on the ground. both level. I had my exhaust made after installing the Smart s.

Gordonm

At some point I will modify my exhaust to fit the bracket. The stock one allows for more camber gain than the smart strut bracket. The holes go up and down instead of horizontal like the stock ones. They are not for adjusting the camber, the adjustable rods allow for camber adjustment the vertical holes are to get the rods parallel to the half shafts.