Best non-adjustable shocks ??
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Best non-adjustable shocks ??
Hi there,
can you tell I am in the buying phase of my project now? The TKO is on its way, the Steeroids are ordered...but I'm quickly running out of available cash
Anyway, I know that ultimately I want to install dual adjustable shocks, but in the meantime I want to get this car on the road and wonder if you have any feedback regarding non-adjustable shocks for a 77.
My default choice was 4 Bilsteins, which I can get for about $280 incl shipping. However, I wonder if you have any feedback for the other brands such as:
Koni
Edelbrock
KYB
Heck, I'd even install a set of Monroe's until I get serious enough where I spend some $$ on adjustable units.
Michael.
can you tell I am in the buying phase of my project now? The TKO is on its way, the Steeroids are ordered...but I'm quickly running out of available cash
Anyway, I know that ultimately I want to install dual adjustable shocks, but in the meantime I want to get this car on the road and wonder if you have any feedback regarding non-adjustable shocks for a 77.
My default choice was 4 Bilsteins, which I can get for about $280 incl shipping. However, I wonder if you have any feedback for the other brands such as:
Koni
Edelbrock
KYB
Heck, I'd even install a set of Monroe's until I get serious enough where I spend some $$ on adjustable units.
Michael.
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 70
From: Clearwater FL
Depends on your spring and spring rate. If you have a steel spring, the KYB GR-2's would probably be your best bet as they are cheap shocks and are good enough to get you by until your ready for the adjustable. If you have a fiberglass spring and it's 330# rate or less than again the KYB GR-2's (but special valved shocks). If you have a 360# spring or higher, you gotta go with the Bilsteins.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,123
Likes: 13
From: Hollywood, Florida
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
From: Partlow VA
Depends on your spring and spring rate. If you have a steel spring, the KYB GR-2's would probably be your best bet as they are cheap shocks and are good enough to get you by until your ready for the adjustable. If you have a fiberglass spring and it's 330# rate or less than again the KYB GR-2's (but special valved shocks). If you have a 360# spring or higher, you gotta go with the Bilsteins.
With a fiberglass rear spring a shock with more damper is needed. 
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Greg, more damper than what, though?
It seems that for a 330lbs composite rear spring I could either go with KYB GR-2 (with special valving) or Bilstein? if it's a borderline call I'll go with Bilstein as the price delta isn't that great.
I wonder if anybody's using Koni or Eledbrock as shocks...haven't seen much of this and I don't know what their characteristics are compared to Bilstein or KYB.
M
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 2,116
Likes: 156
From: Mid West
Cruise-In III Veteran
I'm running Edelbrock shocks with VBP fiberglass springs front and back set fairly soft. They ride slightly stiffer than the KB2's (special valving), but handle much better on a road course. The KYB2's were great for cruising, but I found them a bit soft when pushed hard. I've also tried the Bilstein sport shocks & KYB high pressure shocks and found both to be too stiff for Indiana roads. The Bilstein sports would probably be awesome on a road course, but it just wasn't worth the huge lose in ride quality.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
Depends on your spring and spring rate. If you have a steel spring, the KYB GR-2's would probably be your best bet as they are cheap shocks and are good enough to get you by until your ready for the adjustable. If you have a fiberglass spring and it's 330# rate or less than again the KYB GR-2's (but special valved shocks). If you have a 360# spring or higher, you gotta go with the Bilsteins.
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 70
From: Clearwater FL
The bilsteins are valved for higher rate of rebound along with the compression and nose pressure. The KYB-GR-2 for the fiberglass spring has a lot less compression and nose pressure.
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 70
From: Clearwater FL
Racer
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 325
Likes: 0
From: Partlow VA
Greg, more damper than what, though?
It seems that for a 330lbs composite rear spring I could either go with KYB GR-2 (with special valving) or Bilstein? if it's a borderline call I'll go with Bilstein as the price delta isn't that great.
I wonder if anybody's using Koni or Eledbrock as shocks...haven't seen much of this and I don't know what their characteristics are compared to Bilstein or KYB.
M
It seems that for a 330lbs composite rear spring I could either go with KYB GR-2 (with special valving) or Bilstein? if it's a borderline call I'll go with Bilstein as the price delta isn't that great.
I wonder if anybody's using Koni or Eledbrock as shocks...haven't seen much of this and I don't know what their characteristics are compared to Bilstein or KYB.
M
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,429
Likes: 20
From: Kingston Ontario
My first vette had the gymkhana suspension with poly bushings...now thats stiff.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
Likes: 230
From: Orange Park Florida
12 years ago when I got this '72 vert, I rebuilt the entire suspension, miss nothing, it moved, it was new...steering also, put on KYB with the VBP 460 fr/360 plastic rr springs....just last winter I changed over to the Bill Steins...and found it was a pleasant improvement, the roads around here are rough as a cob, and so it helped also with undulating bridges that tossing up and down gets old over 3.5 miles of bridge...gone with the Bsteins....
other changes over the years, but not with shocks...IMO...get the Bill Steins....right off, and don't look back....
oh, edit, I even tried going back to a steel rear spring....
forgetaboutit...junk.....
other changes over the years, but not with shocks...IMO...get the Bill Steins....right off, and don't look back....
oh, edit, I even tried going back to a steel rear spring....
forgetaboutit...junk.....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
Thanks for all of your feedback. 4 Bilstein Sport shocks are on their way. I think I'll be happy with them.Some confusion I ran into are the different models of Bilstein you find for 63-82. Here's the rundown:
(a) Bilstein Sport, Bilstein part #F4-B36-0222-H0 and F4-B46-0232-H0.
(b) Bilstein Heavy Duty, Bilstein part #F4-B36-0946-H0 and F4-B46-0956-H0.
Bilstein's web site legend describes these as applicable for most "full size vehicles and SUVs" - doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
(c) VBP has this Bilstein Xtreme shock (VBP1010), which is not recommended for street according to their catalog.
I went with option (a) above, but don't know what the difference is compared to option (b). Vette catalogs (VBP, VanSteel) typically carry the Sports shocks, but I also see the HD shock being advertised on Ebay and general Automotive sites.
