shock and strut replacement

[dethinboots]

So old blue is 10 soon with 80k on the clock. Need to replace shocks and struts. Is there anything else i should do while im down there? Is there anything else i should go with besides the monroes even though they get pretty good reviews. Any info would be much appreciate.

[SMWS6TA]

Belsteins would be a better choice.

[slims00ls1z28]

Probably good time to do strut mounts and end links on the front sway bar seeing how they both have to come off. That's what I did. I got KYB's on the wife's so far so good.

[dethinboots]

Bilsteins are a little expensive for me now. Is kyb a good alternative, will they perform well in drag applications?

[pajeff02]

I have run KYB on a few cars -- no issues here.

[cammed goat]

I run Monroe SensaTracs on the rear of mine. No complaints.

[dethinboots]

What about struts?

[slims00ls1z28]

Same brand, I put them on all 4 corners. Feel much better than the stockers, a lot more dampening.

[dethinboots]

Okay sounds good. Is installation pretty straight forward, or are there some things i need to know or own tondo this. Should i just take it in if ive never done this before?

[RONS98TA]

I have KYB struts on the front and the stock (these need to be changed BTW) shocks on the rear. You will need a spring compressor to replace the struts. It's not a hard job, but if not correctly done can be very dangerous. There is a ton of force in the spring when it is compressed and if you don't have the tool on it 100% correctly then it could be a VERY bad situation. It is also recommended to get a wheel alignment after the struts are done to make sure the wheels are correctly lined up.

[dethinboots]

Okay good to know. There is a do it yourself shop on post where i could get a little help and advice. An alignment sounds like a good idea as well. Will the stock springs suffice as well?

[slims00ls1z28]

Springs should be alright. Pretty straight foreward all the way around. Take whole assembly off, compress springs remove the nuts reverse the process. The insulator and strut mounts will no doubt need replacing, stock ones are usually shot from day one. Rears are fairly easy too. Biggest pain in the ass is the passenger side. The filler tube is in the way. You have to use a small wrench to hold the rod while you use a larger wrench on the nut. I had my son hold the rear shock from turning and it came off no problem. Front struts have the end links bolted to them so that will have to come off to remove the strut.

[RONS98TA]

The stock springs will be just fine....UNLESS you want to lower the car. This is the perfect opportunity to do that. Just remember not to go too low when doing this, cause you will def regret it. I think 1"- 1 1/2' is something that looks good, makes the car handle better, and normally won't cause any issue's with speed bumps or angled driveway's. Just depends on what your goals are. If you like the stock ride height and road manners, then don't mess with it.

[dethinboots]

Im looking forward to replacing these things because i know they will greatly improve the rjde of my car. Ive never really been interested in lower, because my long tubes already scrape if i take a bump to fast. Might just do some drag bags while im down there.

[Naaman]

I agree with Ron.

If you like your ride quality, don't mess with it. I switched to Strano Springs from stock and the ride quality changed. I like the new ride quality just as good, but there was a definite trade off between stiffness/handling and the smooth ride quality. I really like my springs--they're still very streetable, but they are definitely a firmer ride.

[dethinboots]

That makes a lot of sense. I dont plan on having her as a daily driver for much longer though. Would stiffer springs improve overall performance?

[RONS98TA]

Stiffer springs will make it corner better for sure. The car won't nose dive on hard braking. The trade off is the stiffer rear springs won't let you launch it as hard at the drag strip. The drag strip is where you want the car to squat down in the rear and compress the rear springs to give you better rear traction. Therefore the rear springs need to be soft. There is a fine line between handling good around corners where you want a stiffer spring and launching at the drag strip where you want a soft spring. Depends on what your overall goals are. Its kinda tricky to say the least.

[cammed goat]

With the GTOs, the owner can mix and match springs if desired. Companies like Pedders, Lovell's, Whiteline, etc sell springs that the customer desires. Example, if the customer wants, they can order stiffer, "zero drop" springs all around for the stock height, but without the drop. Or, they could just order "drag launch" rear springs, which raise the rear to prevent squat when drag racing or to clear wider rear tires.

[Naaman]

That makes a lot of sense. I dont plan on having her as a daily driver for much longer though. Would stiffer springs improve overall performance?

I think it depends on how you tend to use the car, like others have said. For me, I have not had a chance to really explore the capabilities of the Strano springs (even though I got them quite a while ago). Still, the stiffer springs seem to help the tires do what they need to do during directional changes. Though, the sway bars also made a significant improvement in the way the body responds to steering input.

For what it's worth, I noticed no difference with the Strano's when it comes to "launching" (but I never, ever, do a clutch drop in my car; the closest I'll do is a rolling start from about 2000-2500 rpm).

The stiffer springs do help me to get more of the car's communication about the road surface, though, which is something I enjoy.

[dethinboots]

How are the stock springs when it comes to softness? I want to have this up for drag applications only. Anyone heard of Shane Walley? Check out his gto lol.