Should adding a passenger be all that noticable to steering/

[Whamhammer]

I usually dont have paasengers in my WS6 but the other day I had a passenger that weighs ~200lbs or so, and the steering immediately felt like it had more resistance, and the suspension felt burdened, it even creaked a little with bumps.

This is on the original springs and front control arms @154k miles.

Is this normal from what you guys experience, or a dead giveaway that the springs suspension are worn?

[98TransAmWs-6]

Not normal I've never felt a difference in steering with passengers. I'd check your suspension out.

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[Whamhammer]

Not normal I've never felt a difference in steering with passengers. I'd check your suspension out.

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Thats what I was thinking, Ive been becoming more concerned with things since I got the LTs and catback on, and pretty much scrape. Ottom no matter what.

Ive been thinking weakened springs and worn out front control arms.

[98TransAmWs-6]

Wouldn't hurt to replace them especially if they've never been serviced before.

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[Whamhammer]

Wouldn't hurt to replace them especially if they've never been serviced before.

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Other than ball joints, I havent touched the front control arms, also
Never touched the springs but recently
bought a set of factory same year SS/WS6 springs. I want
To put a set UMI tubulars (lower and upper) but am not quite ready to
Spend the money 'cause Im broke (just bought an expensive bed).

Guess the SFC's will have to wait after all.

[raynor139]

My car is just shy of 120k and I can tell you that after replacing every piece of suspension on the car it's actually a quieter drive then before even though I'm using all koni/umi/strano parts. It's definitely a harsher ride but all the worn out rubber and springs made alot of noise. Now if I hit a bump it's louder but not everything makes noise everytime I turn or go around a curve.

When we pulled the ball joints the rubber was seriously distressed and failing. My buddy who is a mechanic looked at it and laughed saying there's the reason for half your complaints. I also scrape less even though I'm lowered now. I'm sure that has alot to do with the suspension reacting correctly.

[98TransAmWs-6]

My car is just shy of 120k and I can tell you that after replacing every piece of suspension on the car it's actually a quieter drive then before even though I'm using all koni/umi/strano parts. It's definitely a harsher ride but all the worn out rubber and springs made alot of noise. Now if I hit a bump it's louder but not everything makes noise everytime I turn or go around a curve.

When we pulled the ball joints the rubber was seriously distressed and failing. My buddy who is a mechanic looked at it and laughed saying there's the reason for half your complaints. I also scrape less even though I'm lowered now. I'm sure that has alot to do with the suspension reacting correctly.

That and it was probably sagging due to the rubber being worn down and cracking.

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[98TransAmWs-6]

Other than ball joints, I havent touched the front control arms, also
Never touched the springs but recently
bought a set of factory same year SS/WS6 springs. I want
To put a set UMI tubulars (lower and upper) but am not quite ready to
Spend the money 'cause Im broke (just bought an expensive bed).

Guess the SFC's will have to wait after all.

Well for now why don't you replace the rubber bushings with poly it's pretty cheap to do so and should help your issue except maybe if the springs are bad.

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[raynor139]

Other than ball joints, I havent touched the front control arms, also
Never touched the springs but recently
bought a set of factory same year SS/WS6 springs. I want
To put a set UMI tubulars (lower and upper) but am not quite ready to
Spend the money 'cause Im broke (just bought an expensive bed).

Guess the SFC's will have to wait after all.

Well for now why don't you replace the rubber bushings with poly it's pretty cheap to do so and should help your issue except maybe if the springs are bad.

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It's a good step in the right direction and a complete kit isn't all that expensive until you can afford to do more.

[raynor139]

My car is just shy of 120k and I can tell you that after replacing every piece of suspension on the car it's actually a quieter drive then before even though I'm using all koni/umi/strano parts. It's definitely a harsher ride but all the worn out rubber and springs made alot of noise. Now if I hit a bump it's louder but not everything makes noise everytime I turn or go around a curve.

When we pulled the ball joints the rubber was seriously distressed and failing. My buddy who is a mechanic looked at it and laughed saying there's the reason for half your complaints. I also scrape less even though I'm lowered now. I'm sure that has alot to do with the suspension reacting correctly.

That and it was probably sagging due to the rubber being worn down and cracking.

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Oh I'm sure.

[Naaman]

So, I'll chime in here.

I too am having suspension issues. My rear shocks are done. Sucks going over any kind of crack in the road, let alone a speed bump. If I had it to do all over again, I'd skip buying anything that wasn't the stock spring (or same spring rate/ride height as stock) and just do shocks and sway bars. I like my Stranos, but on stock springs with beefier sway bars and good shocks, the car feels awesome as a daily driver. Now, after a while, I've gotten used to the Strano springs (and perhaps they've "broken in" by now), but there is definitely something to be said for a nice set of shocks and sways on stock springs. But the main reason I'd keep the stock springs is the ride height: I find that even the mild lowering of the Stranos can have me bottoming out on steep driveways and such... not fun... it only takes once to ripe your exhaust piping or cause some other kind of damage.

[Whamhammer]

Well for now why don't you replace the rubber bushings with poly it's pretty cheap to do so and should help your issue except maybe if the springs are bad.

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If I was able to do it by myself (no garage, and no press), so I have
to have a shop do the work, so the labor costs would be a wash, and I
was planning on doing control arms anyways, and I do have the springs on hand to replace.

I figure that if I am going to do it, do it right the first time. I have two weeks off in December, and I think I can make it until then, and build
up the money.

Does this make sense?

[98TransAmWs-6]

If I was able to do it by myself (no garage, and no press), so I have
to have a shop do the work, so the labor costs would be a wash, and I
was planning on doing control arms anyways, and I do have the springs on hand to replace.

I figure that if I am going to do it, do it right the first time. I have two weeks off in December, and I think I can make it until then, and build
up the money.

Does this make sense?

I was more of saying for a fix if it was going to be a long time. I would do what you just stated since its the best option and not that far away.

So, I'll chime in here.

I too am having suspension issues. My rear shocks are done. Sucks going over any kind of crack in the road, let alone a speed bump. If I had it to do all over again, I'd skip buying anything that wasn't the stock spring (or same spring rate/ride height as stock) and just do shocks and sway bars. I like my Stranos, but on stock springs with beefier sway bars and good shocks, the car feels awesome as a daily driver. Now, after a while, I've gotten used to the Strano springs (and perhaps they've "broken in" by now), but there is definitely something to be said for a nice set of shocks and sways on stock springs. But the main reason I'd keep the stock springs is the ride height: I find that even the mild lowering of the Stranos can have me bottoming out on steep driveways and such... not fun... it only takes once to ripe your exhaust piping or cause some other kind of damage.

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[Whamhammer]

So, I figure I will do UMI upper and lowers, plus the hardware, the springs that I already bought, and the upper shock mounts, should I be thinking of anything else?

I replaced the shocks (Billstein) and tie rod ends in 2013.

[98TransAmWs-6]

Sway bar end links if you haven't replaced them.

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[Naaman]

^^^^This!

[Whamhammer]

Just got the car back from the shop:

-Upper shock mounts were shot
-Bushings were shot
-Ball joints were shot
-Lower control arm had to be cut off at the rear to take it off
-One of the front Bilstiens were seized into the shock mount
-Springs weren't holding their weight anymore
-Spring seats were no longer there

We have some Gabriel's on it and new parts on it plus the low mileage springs I bought. Rides much better.

Also got the skip shift turned off, and the idle adjusted up, driving much better.

[TransAmTerry]

Just got the car back from the shop:

-Upper shock mounts were shot
-Bushings were shot
-Ball joints were shot
-Lower control arm had to be cut off at the rear to take it off
-One of the front Bilstiens were seized into the shock mount
-Springs weren't holding their weight anymore
-Spring seats were no longer there

We have some Gabriel's on it and new parts on it plus the low mileage springs I bought. Rides much better.

Also got the skip shift turned off, and the idle adjusted up, driving much better.

sheeze Scott,, with all that was bad with it, it's a wonder it handled at all !! Glad you got it all fixed. Who did your work ? I hated that skip-shift - - worse idea ever. I had mine turned off too.
I had Bilstien shocks and lowering springs installed a couple years ago (not TOO low though ) and the ride and handling are "sporty". It REALLY handles on the auto-X track. It has 110,000 + miles now and it might be time to inspect all those 'other' front-end pieces after reading about yours. I would LOVE to get that complete K-member set up from UMI but that is $$$$ plus $$$ for install -- maybe one day !

[Whamhammer]

sheeze Scott,, with all that was bad with it, it's a wonder it handled at all !! Glad you got it all fixed. Who did your work ? I hated that skip-shift - - worse idea ever. I had mine turned off too.
I had Bilstien shocks and lowering springs installed a couple years ago (not TOO low though ) and the ride and handling are "sporty". It REALLY handles on the auto-X track. It has 110,000 + miles now and it might be time to inspect all those 'other' front-end pieces after reading about yours. I would LOVE to get that complete K-member set up from UMI but that is $$$$ plus $$$ for install -- maybe one day !

Well, like I originally was saying, the feeling wasn't right, especially with passengers. The car had too much lean on the 95 off ramp to 924 ., while my wife's fusion was pretty flat at the same speeds.

I had Jason @API in Glen Burnie do the work (used to be F Body Central). He used Spohn control arms, the Gabriel shocks were a last minute thing because how hosed the ones on the car were (the Bilsteins would've taken longer for me to get back, and would've tied a lift up for that time, and would've been bad for both of us). I will give the Gabriel's a shot and see how they do.

Depending on the budget, when I do the engine work, I might do a K member but it's pretty expensive for a non-moving part, and it would be a good chunk of a beefed up rear.

[Whamhammer]

sheeze Scott,, with all that was bad with it, it's a wonder it handled at all !! Glad you got it all fixed. Who did your work ? I hated that skip-shift - - worse idea ever. I had mine turned off too.
I had Bilstien shocks and lowering springs installed a couple years ago (not TOO low though ) and the ride and handling are "sporty". It REALLY handles on the auto-X track. It has 110,000 + miles now and it might be time to inspect all those 'other' front-end pieces after reading about yours. I would LOVE to get that complete K-member set up from UMI but that is $$$$ plus $$$ for install -- maybe one day !

Well, like I originally was saying, the feeling wasn't right, especially with passengers. The car had too much lean on the 95 off ramp to 924 ., while my wife's Fusion was pretty flat at the same speeds.

I had Jason @API in Glen Burnie do the work (used to be F Body Central). He used Spohn control arms, the Gabriel shocks were a last minute thing because how hosed the ones on the car were (the Bilsteins would've taken longer for me to get back, and would've tied a lift up for that time, and would've been bad for both of us). I will give the Gabriel's a shot and see how they do.

Depending on the budget, when I do the engine work, I might do a K member but it's pretty expensive for a no moving part.