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10-16-2016, 05:59 AM #1
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
Should adding a passenger be all that noticable to steering/
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?
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10-16-2016, 11:57 AM #2
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Alabama
- Posts
- 3,625
Black/ Silver- 98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette
Not normal I've never felt a difference in steering with passengers. I'd check your suspension out.
Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk1998 Trans Am WS6 - Phantom
421 CI LQ9, Tick Performance Custom Cam, TFS 255cc LS3 heads, Kooks 2" LT headers, Kooks 3" True Duals w/ high flow cats, FTP 104 lid, Speed Density Tune, 4" silicon tube, LS6 VCT, FAST 102 Intake, NW 102 TB, Oil Catch Can, SLP Bilstein Shocks w/ Vogtland Springs, CTS-V 4-piston Calipers w/C6 Z06 rotors, Stainless Steel Brake Lines, R1 concepts premium rotors, Hawk HP+ brake pads, VFN WSQ Hood, C5-R timing chain, SLP oil pump, E85 tune, Walbro 450 fuel pump, Deatschwerkz 95# injectors, Breathless performance headlights, Frost Tune, !HVAC.
(Coming Soon) BMR DSL, UMI TQ Arm
421 LQ9 14.8:1 on E85 Build/
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10-16-2016, 03:14 PM #3
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10-16-2016, 03:16 PM #4
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Alabama
- Posts
- 3,625
Black/ Silver- 98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette
Wouldn't hurt to replace them especially if they've never been serviced before.
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10-16-2016, 03:24 PM #5
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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.
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10-16-2016, 05:29 PM #6
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Location
- Greensboro, NC
- Age
- 39
- Posts
- 1,335
Pewter- 2002 Trans Am WS6 M6
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.Last edited by raynor139; 10-16-2016 at 05:35 PM.
Mods - Lid, Skip Shift Eliminator, MGW shifter, UMI SFCs, Founders Lower Control Arms, Founders Panhard Bar, Founders Adj. Torque Arm, UMI Torque arm mount, MWC Drive shaft safety loop, KONI Yellows, Strano Springs, Strano Sway bars, UMI Upper and lower A Arms, 160 thermostat, TSP headers and TSP true duals Monster stage 2 clutch, racetronix fuel pump, Strange S60 rear axle and tune by Frost.
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10-16-2016, 07:59 PM #7
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10-16-2016, 08:02 PM #8
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10-16-2016, 08:49 PM #9
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10-16-2016, 08:50 PM #10
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10-16-2016, 10:07 PM #11
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.Lid, Throttle Body, LS6 Intake, Heads, Cam, Magnaflow, LS7 Clutch, SFCs, STB, Panhard Bar, Strano Springs, Hollow Sway Bars, Poly/Roto LCAs, Konis, MGW Shifter
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10-17-2016, 02:45 AM #12
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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?
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10-17-2016, 03:03 PM #13
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10-18-2016, 03:59 PM #14
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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.SLP Air Lid/Smooth Bellows
L76 6.0L block, PRC Ported 243 heads, Texas Speed 224R cam.
Kooks Emissions LT Headers/Catted Y pipe
NGK TR55 plugs
Magnaflow Cat-back
Spohn Front Upper Tubular Control Arms
UMI Front Lower Tubular Control Arms
UMI Front Sway Bar
UMI Rear Lower Control Arms/ Adjustable Panhard Rod
UMI Welded-on Two Piece Subframe Connectors
Factory C5 Z06 17x9.5 wheels w/ 285-40-17 Continental Extreme Contact Sports all the way around.
Dyno Dynamics dynoed @:
415 rwhp
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10-19-2016, 12:39 AM #15
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Alabama
- Posts
- 3,625
Black/ Silver- 98 TA WS6/ 01 C5 Corvette
Sway bar end links if you haven't replaced them.
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10-20-2016, 06:59 AM #16
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12-20-2016, 10:26 PM #17
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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.
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12-21-2016, 11:02 AM #18
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 !'02 Black RamAir M6--Kooks LTH, Magnaflo, Lowered Eibach springs and Bilstien shocks, Tuned By Frost, K&N & SLP box, Smooth bellows, polished TB, Spohn perf. suspension, shock tower brace. UMI 3point SFC. Front & side splitters w/ canards. American Racing 18" wheels & Mich. Pilot SS titres
'76 LagunaS3 - 355ci , 350 turbo, 3:55's
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12-21-2016, 03:10 PM #19
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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.Last edited by Whamhammer; 12-21-2016 at 03:17 PM.
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12-21-2016, 03:19 PM #20
- Join Date
- Sep 2010
- Location
- Bel Air, Maryland
- Posts
- 1,675
Silver- '02 Trans Am WS-6, 6M
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.
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