Leaf it alone or Coil it up?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 411
Likes: 88
From: Hutto, Texas
Leaf it alone or Coil it up?
So the time has come that I start to look into suspension upgrades for my autocross/street car setup I am working on. I have narrowed it down to two possibilities after talking to a few people.
Route 1: Leaf it alone-
Koni Yellow single adjustable shocks, and Hyperco track front and street rear leaf springs, and adjustable sway bars from StranoParts. Approximate price $2700. 1200 for shocks, 1000 for springs and 500 for sway bars.
Route 2: Coil it up-
Vi-king Crusader double adjustable "AP" valved (Pro touring) coilovers with 500# front springs and 600# rear springs, and adjustable sway bars from StranoParts. Approximate price $2100. 1600 for the coilovers and 500 for the sway bars.
Need some input on the advantages and disadvantages of the different setups.
Main concern in my head with the coilovers is the fact that the leaf springs are the major load bearing apparatus on the car, and I'm unsure if the shock mounts in the frame are strong enough to handle the stress.
I like the idea of the fully adjustable ride height and shock tuning capabilities of the coilovers. They just seem like a more versatile setup that with some practice and knowledge I could adjust for the best possible traction in a variety of conditions.
Thanks in advance and I patiently await input.
Route 1: Leaf it alone-
Koni Yellow single adjustable shocks, and Hyperco track front and street rear leaf springs, and adjustable sway bars from StranoParts. Approximate price $2700. 1200 for shocks, 1000 for springs and 500 for sway bars.
Route 2: Coil it up-
Vi-king Crusader double adjustable "AP" valved (Pro touring) coilovers with 500# front springs and 600# rear springs, and adjustable sway bars from StranoParts. Approximate price $2100. 1600 for the coilovers and 500 for the sway bars.
Need some input on the advantages and disadvantages of the different setups.
Main concern in my head with the coilovers is the fact that the leaf springs are the major load bearing apparatus on the car, and I'm unsure if the shock mounts in the frame are strong enough to handle the stress.
I like the idea of the fully adjustable ride height and shock tuning capabilities of the coilovers. They just seem like a more versatile setup that with some practice and knowledge I could adjust for the best possible traction in a variety of conditions.
Thanks in advance and I patiently await input.
Acct Suspended APR 2026 by request
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 10,367
Likes: 1,272
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
C5 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
for the amount of money you're willing to spend no doubt I would go coilovers... the thing I hated the most about leafs is that the suspension is not 100% independent and when going over bumps you will feel the shock travel from one side to another, surely anyone who has taken their car over a hard enough bump has experienced this... and as far as the shock mounts go you will be fine, especially in a steel frame car... if you haven't seen this video check it out
not only that but coilovers are fully adjustable whichever way you want to go whether it be ride height, dampening, or both
not only that but coilovers are fully adjustable whichever way you want to go whether it be ride height, dampening, or both
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 411
Likes: 88
From: Hutto, Texas
for the amount of money you're willing to spend no doubt I would go coilovers... the thing I hated the most about leafs is that the suspension is not 100% independent and when going over bumps you will feel the shock travel from one side to another, surely anyone who has taken their car over a hard enough bump has experienced this... and as far as the shock mounts go you will be fine, especially in a steel frame car... if you haven't seen this video check it out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxTIkgC4-xs
not only that but coilovers are fully adjustable whichever way you want to go whether it be ride height, dampening, or both
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxTIkgC4-xs
not only that but coilovers are fully adjustable whichever way you want to go whether it be ride height, dampening, or both
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
The first thing that you need to consider is what class in autocross these modifications put you into. Autocrossing is great fun and in the beginning most folks are happy just to drive hard and go fast....
After a season or so of that, the real autocross bug kicks in and that is the competition, and of course winning. If you've put yourself in a class where you need other expensive mods to be competitive, or if to do so makes the car horrible and too stiff to drive on the street, that takes a lot of the fun out of a dual use car. Coilovers will drive you (in SCCA at least, and in NCCC) into classes where you're going to need a fully prepared car to be competitive.
For that reason alone staying with leaf springs is probably a better proposition.
Secondly, Sam can set you up with a leaf package that will give you so much grip that the real limitation will be the driver and not the car. That is, you're going to be turning the same lap times because the driver will be the limitation and not the car.. but with the coilovers you're in a faster class and running near the back of the pack.
In reality, if you want to go autocross/street, the best and cheapest thing you can do is go get a set of C5 Z06 springs and bars (or the Strano front bar), and the Koni single adjustable shocks and you'll have a package that is a lot less expensive and very live-able on the street and is more capable than you'll ever need for an autocross car.
Couple that with a set of serious wheels and tires, and an aggressive alignment, and you'll have a setup that will be capable of national level autocross performance, and you'll be able to live with it on the street every day.
Just because you put all those expensive parts in there doesn't mean it will work worth a darn if you don't tune it properly. Tuning a suspension that is fully adjustable like your coilover setup is like working a Rubix cube. If you know how to do it, it's relatively easy. If you don't you'll spend days and weeks and months mucking with it and it still won't be right. I can't tell you how many cars I've driven at track days and test sessions that were so screwed up that they were undriveable at any real speed. To a man each of the guys who put them together thought they "handled great", but generally they were way too stiff and had way too much oversteer to be fast. Double adjustable shocks are even worse since the general trend for amateur tuners is to put too much damping (in both directions) and the car ends up not having any compliance.
If you aren't a serious (by that I mean national level) autocrosser already, and you are learning to autocross in a car that is not tuned properly, you can and generally will learn a lot of bad habits trying to drive around the setup of an ill handling car. Those habits and bad techniques will stay with you for a long time and are often extremely hard to "unlearn".. For that reason alone learning to autocross seriously in a properly set up car is really important.
Unless you've got the experience and know how dial in a car and plan on doing several test sessions I'd strongly suggest that you go for the setup that Sam suggests and adjust it to his recommendations. That way you'll have something that is fast right out of the box and you know it will work and you won't have something that is ill handling from the start.
Trust me, been there and done that all a long time ago and learned those lessons the hard way..
After a season or so of that, the real autocross bug kicks in and that is the competition, and of course winning. If you've put yourself in a class where you need other expensive mods to be competitive, or if to do so makes the car horrible and too stiff to drive on the street, that takes a lot of the fun out of a dual use car. Coilovers will drive you (in SCCA at least, and in NCCC) into classes where you're going to need a fully prepared car to be competitive.
For that reason alone staying with leaf springs is probably a better proposition.
Secondly, Sam can set you up with a leaf package that will give you so much grip that the real limitation will be the driver and not the car. That is, you're going to be turning the same lap times because the driver will be the limitation and not the car.. but with the coilovers you're in a faster class and running near the back of the pack.
In reality, if you want to go autocross/street, the best and cheapest thing you can do is go get a set of C5 Z06 springs and bars (or the Strano front bar), and the Koni single adjustable shocks and you'll have a package that is a lot less expensive and very live-able on the street and is more capable than you'll ever need for an autocross car.
Couple that with a set of serious wheels and tires, and an aggressive alignment, and you'll have a setup that will be capable of national level autocross performance, and you'll be able to live with it on the street every day.
Just because you put all those expensive parts in there doesn't mean it will work worth a darn if you don't tune it properly. Tuning a suspension that is fully adjustable like your coilover setup is like working a Rubix cube. If you know how to do it, it's relatively easy. If you don't you'll spend days and weeks and months mucking with it and it still won't be right. I can't tell you how many cars I've driven at track days and test sessions that were so screwed up that they were undriveable at any real speed. To a man each of the guys who put them together thought they "handled great", but generally they were way too stiff and had way too much oversteer to be fast. Double adjustable shocks are even worse since the general trend for amateur tuners is to put too much damping (in both directions) and the car ends up not having any compliance.
If you aren't a serious (by that I mean national level) autocrosser already, and you are learning to autocross in a car that is not tuned properly, you can and generally will learn a lot of bad habits trying to drive around the setup of an ill handling car. Those habits and bad techniques will stay with you for a long time and are often extremely hard to "unlearn".. For that reason alone learning to autocross seriously in a properly set up car is really important.
Unless you've got the experience and know how dial in a car and plan on doing several test sessions I'd strongly suggest that you go for the setup that Sam suggests and adjust it to his recommendations. That way you'll have something that is fast right out of the box and you know it will work and you won't have something that is ill handling from the start.
Trust me, been there and done that all a long time ago and learned those lessons the hard way..
Last edited by Solofast; Nov 22, 2016 at 09:30 AM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 411
Likes: 88
From: Hutto, Texas
Solo fast, here's the thing with the class stuff, the engine in the car blew up back in April. I rebuilt it with the heads and cam that I wanted, aftermarket pistons, headers, exhaust, injectors etc. Because of the internal modifications, I am already forced into street modified or prepared classes, but I am actually looking at CAM-S. The restrictions are minimal, required street tires instead of the r compounds. Suspension mods are not limited so the coilovers wouldn't be an issue.
With the new engine and stock suspension I was door to rear quarter with a (possibly modded, definitely had exhaust) C6 Z06 on a highway pull from 65 to 120. I think on a better suspension setup (my 04 isn't even a z51) I probably could have beaten him.
As far as the setup and suspension tuning on the car, I have some local autocross friends that would be willing to help me get it right.
With the new engine and stock suspension I was door to rear quarter with a (possibly modded, definitely had exhaust) C6 Z06 on a highway pull from 65 to 120. I think on a better suspension setup (my 04 isn't even a z51) I probably could have beaten him.
As far as the setup and suspension tuning on the car, I have some local autocross friends that would be willing to help me get it right.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
The 200TW tires in CAM-S limit how much suspension work is worth.. That is, spending a lot doesn't buy you much when the grip is limited...
As for shocks, I'm not familiar with or have any experience with Vi King shocks.. I would strongly recommend Koni's or RideTech... Sam will set you up with something that works, and you KNOW it will work... Going off on a tangent a with an "off brand" shock isn't the way to go fast. Look at what Danny Popp uses and go with the same thing. Shock valving is critical and while the all look the same on the outside there's a huge difference in how they work...
Shocks are like women.. The good ones aren't cheap...
As for shocks, I'm not familiar with or have any experience with Vi King shocks.. I would strongly recommend Koni's or RideTech... Sam will set you up with something that works, and you KNOW it will work... Going off on a tangent a with an "off brand" shock isn't the way to go fast. Look at what Danny Popp uses and go with the same thing. Shock valving is critical and while the all look the same on the outside there's a huge difference in how they work...
Shocks are like women.. The good ones aren't cheap...
