COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT
I just got coilovers put on my 2002 coupe.I got them from west coast corvette which are the exact same model as breathless performance.The ride is so soft the car almost floats.The car feels Extremely SPONGY, I guess thats the best way to describe it.The car feels way to soft and the tires rub when I pull out of my driveway.Yes the car is on the ground, but the tires shouldnt be jammed way up in the fenders going 2 mph.The car doesnt feel anywhere near as tight as it did stock.West Coast has got a call into the manufacturer.Has anyone else run into this problem with the breathless set up.I feel like Im in a damn caddy. :confused:
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
May I ask why you would spend so much $$ for that setup when you can pull 1g of handling with some good sway bars and bilstein shocks for under $1000 installed? :confused:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Palm Beach Shores, FL
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
I've got the BPP setup. My car doesn't feel spongy. The ride is much smoother than the Z51 that was on there, but I believe that is because of the elimination of the crosstalk between axles. The handling is definitely improved. Sticks better, corners better, feels safer. My car isn't as low as yours though. I'm at 26 1/4 front and 26 3/4 rear. I have a little bit wider tires than stock too. Eric
Le Mans Master
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From: Burlington ON
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (oceanaire)
Perhaps you got a set of softer springs for your coilovers? I imagine there are many different available springs for different applications. Springs designed for dragracing would be a much softer spring to promote weight transfer to the rear of the car upon launch.
I really like the idea of coilovers but I would want to be able to change to a bunch of different stiftness of springs without tons of labor involved. These reasons are why I think more and more that I am going to go with a set of HAL adjustable shocks. I want to be able to quickly swtich between dragrace, autox and roadrace mode with my car.
I really like the idea of coilovers but I would want to be able to change to a bunch of different stiftness of springs without tons of labor involved. These reasons are why I think more and more that I am going to go with a set of HAL adjustable shocks. I want to be able to quickly swtich between dragrace, autox and roadrace mode with my car.
Team Owner
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (OliverM5)
May I ask why you would spend so much $$ for that setup when you can pull 1g of handling with some good sway bars and bilstein shocks for under $1000 installed? :confused:
I'm curious. I have the Z51 package. Will the the Bilstein Shocks alone (without lowering) increase the handling closer to 1G? I thought the tires had a lot to do with that (I'm thinking of the S03's)? How much closer to 1g will I get If I lower the car 1"?
[Modified by Ha-Ha, 4:10 PM 1/7/2002]
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (Ha-Ha)
Ha-Ha - get the bilstein shocks, either Hotchkis or T-1 sway bars, and a set of good rubber (I prefer michelin pilot sports) and you will never need more than that. I have the T-1's and run winding roads at 120 mph with confidence. Don't forget the Z06 alignment as well..........
Team Owner
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (OliverM5)
Ha-Ha - get the bilstein shocks, either Hotchkis or T-1 sway bars, and a set of good rubber (I prefer michelin pilot sports) and you will never need more than that. I have the T-1's and run winding roads at 120 mph with confidence. Don't forget the Z06 alignment as well..........
S h i t, I had one guy tell me that lowering will cause springs to rub up against your oil pan if its not done right!!! He wanted to charge $300! But I guess if you ask to many people, you get too many different answers.
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (Ha-Ha)
I'm curious. I have the Z51 package. Will the the Bilstein Shocks alone (without lowering) increase the handling closer to 1G? I thought the tires had a lot to do with that (I'm thinking of the S03's)? How much closer to 1g will I get If I lower the car 1"?
[Modified by Ha-Ha, 4:10 PM 1/7/2002]
[Modified by Ha-Ha, 4:10 PM 1/7/2002]
To improve skidpad, the most important changes would be tires, sway bars, spring rates, and camber settings (I think camber, I always confuse it with caster).
Le Mans Master
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From: Toms River NJ
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
I got the coil overs ... don't feel nothing like what you describe... and these are the set from WCC, on my freakin' Z06! .... you better check your springs dude ! :D:D
Race Director
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (Ha-Ha)
Mark,
My car sits at 26 5/8 front and 27 rear, which is about what you are talking about lowering your car. I have the Bilsteins with no problems and the car looks and handles better.
Herb
My car sits at 26 5/8 front and 27 rear, which is about what you are talking about lowering your car. I have the Bilsteins with no problems and the car looks and handles better.
Herb
Safety Car
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (jschindler)
My car with the Z06 springs and swaybars, Bilstein sport shocks, Z06 alignment along with the S03's is a combo that is tough to beat in the real world. Any car can be made to push serious G's but it has to be driveable, meaning if there is a bump at the apex of a corner is your car going to absorb it and hold the line or skitter off into the rhubarb? My CD player stops playing when I jam it into corners :eek: and I can't even drive that well............
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (z06bliss)
Hell ya Im havn them checked.I wish you lived in my area so you could drive it and see.I have 2 friends drive it who own vipers and a ferrari 348 and they both agree that its very sponge like.Im hoping all it is, the manufaturer sent the drag springs by mistake? Im crossing my fingers, one thing I do know is craig at wcc will take care of it
Team Owner
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Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
I had the good fortune to finally ride in a car with coil overs. They were far from soft. The car seemed to handle great. I don't know how much better than my setup but I will see at the track this year. But the were purcahsed from a tuner with much roadrace experience. That seems to make the difference when I purchase things. Yea maybe a few bucks more but the real skinny and the proper advice latter. Lw may look cool but if you want to handle you ca go to low.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (BLISS)
Bliss,
Do you know what spring rates you have on your coil overs.The manufacturer is sending out new springs. They said they are going to be 550 lbs in the front and 350 lbs in the rear. Let me know what your spring rates are when you get a chance.
Thanks,
Mike :cheers:
Do you know what spring rates you have on your coil overs.The manufacturer is sending out new springs. They said they are going to be 550 lbs in the front and 350 lbs in the rear. Let me know what your spring rates are when you get a chance.
Thanks,
Mike :cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Stockholm
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
It's all about personal opinions about what is soft(spongy ?) and what is concidered hard. What matters is your personal taste and the spring rate to match. As Matt wrote earlier in this post the spring rate and the shock valving differs if you want to have the car setup for street, dragracing or roadracing(autoXing). Find a spring rate you like and tell the vendor how you will be using the car to get a matching valving of the shocks. To make it even more complicated the shock valving must match the spring rate. The next step of course is coilovers with adjustable shocks but it's high $$.
OliverM5,
It's a huge difference between the stock leaf spring setup and coilovers. With coilovers you get four completely independent corners that follows the road perfectly. Cornering at high speeds on rough surfaces is a dream with coilovers, no more sidestepping causing you to almost, or even loose the control of the car.
[Modified by seanr, 11:15 PM 1/8/2002]
OliverM5,
It's a huge difference between the stock leaf spring setup and coilovers. With coilovers you get four completely independent corners that follows the road perfectly. Cornering at high speeds on rough surfaces is a dream with coilovers, no more sidestepping causing you to almost, or even loose the control of the car.
[Modified by seanr, 11:15 PM 1/8/2002]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Dana Point Ca
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (seanr)
Seanr,
I understand that it is a matter of personal opinion but your car has either a firm ride or it doesnt.I am asking about the spring rates because I would like to see what people are running on the streets and do some comparison and see where I should go from there.There is something definetly wrong with the set up now.It feels like an amc gremlin with 200k miles on it.Since you do have the coilovers what is your spring rate.I also noticed that you chhged them out for ohlins.Do you mostly drive the car on the track? mine is purlety street. The answers to these questions would be appreciated so I can figure out how to solve my problems. :cheers:
I understand that it is a matter of personal opinion but your car has either a firm ride or it doesnt.I am asking about the spring rates because I would like to see what people are running on the streets and do some comparison and see where I should go from there.There is something definetly wrong with the set up now.It feels like an amc gremlin with 200k miles on it.Since you do have the coilovers what is your spring rate.I also noticed that you chhged them out for ohlins.Do you mostly drive the car on the track? mine is purlety street. The answers to these questions would be appreciated so I can figure out how to solve my problems. :cheers:
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Stockholm
Re: COIL OVERS WAY TO SOFT (vettethret)
vettethret,
I can not answer the spring rate question now, I have to check it out so it will take a day before I post. And yes, my car is mainly used on the track but I use it alot on the street as well but track performance has priority.
I did not change the spring rate when I changed my DRM Bilstein coilovers to Ohlins. The main reason to use the Ohlins is that they are concidered to the the best racecar shock available and of course they are 20 point adjustable.
I will soon post my spring rates :seeya
I can not answer the spring rate question now, I have to check it out so it will take a day before I post. And yes, my car is mainly used on the track but I use it alot on the street as well but track performance has priority.
I did not change the spring rate when I changed my DRM Bilstein coilovers to Ohlins. The main reason to use the Ohlins is that they are concidered to the the best racecar shock available and of course they are 20 point adjustable.
I will soon post my spring rates :seeya
