Eibach's

**Whitefish** · 11-02-2012, 06:29 AM

Found a steal on CL for a set of Eibach's 1" lowering springs, but have a few questions before I pull the trigger. I have an 02 SS with 100% stock suspension & ZR1's. If I buy these springs 1) will I have to buy shocks too (my car only has 19k on the clock)?
2) How much does a shop usually charge to swap springs?

**DaytonaBlues** · 11-03-2012, 05:16 AM

Im gonna say stock shocks are okay, BUT...i would recommend Bilstiens or a more performance oriented shock with firmer valving since the car will be lower to the ground, thus making bumps and potholes more apparent when driving. Better shocks than the stockers will help with soaking up the bumps since the car is closer to them, but you dont need to replace shocks with drop springs. (Im glad your not dropping the car like 3 feet like all the teenyboppers around here do)
Shops usually charge $65 to nearly $100 per hour labor...im gonna say maybe 50 bucks per spring? you gotta shop around and find out which shops got the the cheapest labor rate and find out how much swapping springs pays. meaning that that a certain job, like changing your left front strut spring takes 1 hour, the shop charges you that much, regardless of how long it actually took the guy to take out the spring (yea its f'd up) but thats the way it is. probable $200-$300 to change all 4 springs, maybe more.
I know a lot of us dont have access to a garage, or even a parking spot to work on our cars so im gonna assume you cant do the springs yourself, which is not that hard to do. the front struts are kinda of a PITA because u need a spring compressor and the rear springs are easy to do with basic hand tools.

**Whitefish** · 11-03-2012, 05:23 PM

I have a nice garage, what I lack is the confidence to change them myself.

**2002ssslp** · 11-04-2012, 06:10 AM

Shocks and springs are easy to change in the F-bodies. You can do it with basic hand tools, basic air tools and a spring compressor which you can rent. I would not replace the springs without doing te shocks at the same time. Buy a set of Bilsteinsand use them with the Eibach springs and you will be a happy camper. I did and I am.

**silverWS6** · 11-04-2012, 06:56 AM

The lowering springs will eat the decarbon shocks alive real quick. You can ride them out for a little while like I did, when I first got my Eibachs I rode my decarbons since they only had like 65k miles but they threw the flag in quick. I got the Strano Bilstein shocks and I love the stiff ride now instead if feeling floaty.

As far as swapping the springs yourself, you can at least do the back yourself. The back will take you like 30min tops doing both shocks and springs. If you don't feel to confident on doing the front then you can pay for maybe only the front and maybe it'll drop the install price a bit.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-04-2012, 01:18 PM

I will agree with Edgar. You really should upgrade your shocks when installing aftermarket lowering springs. The OEM shocks are not valved to work well with lowering springs which have a different spring rate.

**Hot Black Trans-Am** · 11-04-2012, 03:54 PM

DeCarbons are crap, I gave a set away with 20K on them. You really only want to do the work once if possible so get some shocks.

**DaytonaBlues** · 11-05-2012, 10:07 AM

Damn right the stocks shocks are POS. You don't HAVE to change the stock shocks, but u definitely should. I ordered KYB GR2 rear shocks cause I got 112k on the stock shocks and damn its like not having shocks at all. I know the KYB gr2's are the lowest price shocks u can get ($50 from rockauto.com for the pair) but Im poor and I wish I could shell out the $300 or so for a nice set of Bilsteins.

**Whitefish** · 11-06-2012, 07:23 AM

Thanks fellas. I haven't heard from the seller of the Eibach's, so he must have sold them already.

**Whitefish** · 11-07-2012, 07:48 AM

Ok, the deal is on. I will tell you guys more about it when I actually have the springs in my hands. Is there a cheaper alternative than the $400+ Bilsteins? Or is everything out there not called Bilsteins, junk?

Daytona, how are you liking your KYB's? Any other good brands to explore?

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-07-2012, 08:25 AM

Koni are the best. Bilstein are second best. You get what you pay for. Get at least the Bilstein's. If you can't afford them, save up.

**Whitefish** · 11-07-2012, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by 35th-ANV-SS

Koni are the best. Bilstein are second best. You get what you pay for. Get at least the Bilstein's. If you can't afford them, save up.

I appreciate your bluntness! Seriously. I guess I am saving up for the Bilsteins. Thanks!!!!

**DaytonaBlues** · 11-07-2012, 11:04 AM

yeah the only reason I picked the cheaper shocks is because the car these are going on need a lot of other parts and I don't have the means. My budget is strict. they are actually really really good shocks but KYB does make decent shocks above what I bought, in the future when the car is more complete I will upgrade. for those of us who cant spend $400 on just shocks when your car may have way more important things to spend that money on no harm in getting something mid price instead of the top. Just my situation. But if you can get the Bilsteins by all means get them.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-07-2012, 02:26 PM

I can attest to saving up. It took me 4 years to get to where I am today with mine.

**DaytonaBlues** · 11-09-2012, 09:54 AM

I just put the KYB Gr2/Excels on the back and they are actually quite nice for the money.good build quality and the ride is great. Now I just need to get the struts, cheap too at just $85 a piece. I like em...

**Whitefish** · 11-09-2012, 02:59 PM

So, I got the Eibach's today. Guy had them on for a while, but didn't like how they made his car drag at his favorite car wash. He has headers & I think he was using his stock shocks. Anyways, they look almost brand new & I ended up getting them for $100 for all four! I am pretty stoked.

**SuperSSguy** · 11-09-2012, 08:13 PM

^ Cool good deal! now you can save for the shocks!..like 35th said, I have to agree with that advice although im still stock suspension except for lca`s- adj.phb- and rear shocks(all Edelbrock)..If i had to do it over i would have done my sfc`s first and went with UMI or BMR possibly BUT were i did wait and save for was my exhaust KooKs Lt`s-Y- cats & Magna flow cb...at the time i put in my exhaust system they didnt have a TD exhaust or i would have gotten that but oh well. Point is its good BUT hard to wait and save for the good stuff that way you only have to do it once, regrets are costly to replace .Its too easy to get excited and rush-i know ive did it before. Good luck and keep us posted!

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-10-2012, 04:28 AM

Just think how you would feel spending close to 12K on your car upgrades and it not being any faster at all. THAT was really tough for me to swallow.

**Whitefish** · 11-10-2012, 07:23 AM

Yeah, I am going to wait & "do it right"......I too have had the hurries come back to bite me in the ass. Kinda interested to see if I can change these myself when I do get the scratch for the bilsteins.

12k & no faster? How is that even possible? Was it all suspension? If so, I bet it handles like a ferrari! Haha

**35th-ANV-SS** · 11-10-2012, 11:29 AM

Suspension, trans, clutch, rear end, shifter, drive shaft, springs, shocks, etc. Allowed me to run drag radials finally without worrying about anything breaking which did cut my ET from 13.79 to a 13.019. Car had 12's in her, I just didn't get enough runs in. HP wise though I actually decreased since the 9" is a lot less efficient than the 10 bolt.