Body after suspension

**karpetcm** · 04-13-2009, 09:08 AM

Well ive noticed this alot and since i dont drive the car much it doesnt bug me as much as it should. Ever since putting on Eibach pro kits and the car came with bilstein shocks the car feels like the body front to back and side to side flexes or each corner goes up and down or does its own thing. Its really hard to explain correctly but if it was a framed car it feels like the frame bends in every corner as if there is soo much load on any one corner even in light driving. The shocks and springs work great it recovers really well, goes into corners excellent and very little body roll although i would still like sway bars.

It feels like to me and would be the best guess i could come up with that it needs SFC's badly. Making the suspension stiffer has multiplied the effects of how badly the car needs SFC's and Sway bars and torque arm, lol. I noticed this on my stock 01 SS i had a few years back when it was brand new. Did the same exact thing, most of it on that car went away with KYB cheap shocks gas adjust and sportline springs but still somewhat had that body bending thing going on but wasnt as bad guessing it was a brand new car.

**vetteemt** · 04-13-2009, 11:04 AM

It’s a Fbody and SFCs should really be your first mod!!
With your mods you are applying even more cornering gforces on the car and it’s really in need of SFCs if you don't want to get dents from the body flexing

**karpetcm** · 04-14-2009, 06:23 AM

^^^ im gonna have to do SFC's. Its really way more noticable now after my spring install and its just weird when driving. Even during hard acceleration the body feels funny like it bends or flexes too much, especially going WOT and changing lanes feels the worst.

**9T8W66** · 04-14-2009, 10:39 AM

IDK
I did Springs Shocks and Swaybars (Strano/Koni) last year on my car and it feels 100% better then when it was new. It currently sits at 131K miles and the chassis isn't flexing anymore then before. If anything the car feels more solid and planted.

**Carlos01SS** · 04-15-2009, 02:46 PM

Truly, SFC's aren't necessary on the 4th-gen f-bodies.
3rd-gen, now that's different.
The 4th-gens have a pretty stiff unibody. You could and it would tighten things up but you can also do that with aftermarket swaybars, but then again, I'm talking about making a 4th-gen into a canyon carver.

Swaybars wouldn't be detrimental for the 1/4 mile, okay, a larger rear swaybar for better traction, then SFC's would be a good thing.

For the twisties, SFC's arent' necessary.

I don't know if he's still a sponsor here, but theres stranoparts.com, Sam Strano's place, that guy has won I think 3 NATIONAL AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS within the past 6 years in a 4th-gen f-body and he doesn't have SFC's, never used them, THAT says something.

All he's got is Koni's, his own Strano springs, his own Strano swaybars, an aggressive front wheel alignment, a couple of other aftermarket parts and there you go, he's beat everyone else out there including STI's, EVO 7's 8's & 9's, Miata's, you name it, he's beat them.

**wenn_du_weinst** · 04-15-2009, 03:05 PM

they are necessary if you like your car and want it to stay nice with no tweaking of the body and to keep all the rattles and squeaks down

**coprod** · 04-15-2009, 03:31 PM

Sorry, but what are SFC'S

I have a 1997 Trans Am, that has Eibach lowering springs on it. I would like it a bit taller, but not stock.

Are stock WS6 springs taller than the Eibachs?

Thanks

Richard

**cmb570** · 04-15-2009, 03:41 PM

SFC = Sub Frame Connectors

**coprod** · 04-15-2009, 03:47 PM

Man that was too easy,,,brain not working today...thanks

I will post my question as its own post...Thanks

**karpetcm** · 04-15-2009, 04:30 PM

The body twisting is really bad, i dont know if its a combination of both putting on wider and stickier tires out back so when i take off puts alot of strain on the body because i can easily tell it bends and twists when i go WOT in 1st or 2nd and especially changing lanes WOT to pass someone is the worst. Also the other thing would be the eibach springs that caused it as well stiffening up the car magnifying how much flex the body has. The shock and spring combo i have no complaints at all, the car handles really well recovers from dips and bumps very quickly and has a very small amount of body roll but hardly noticable. Just this twisting is more pronounced on this 01 LS1 then it ever was on my other camaoro's and ive had 5 of them, lol.

**Carlos01SS** · 04-15-2009, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by karpetcm

The body twisting is really bad, i dont know if its a combination of both putting on wider and stickier tires out back so when i take off puts alot of strain on the body because i can easily tell it bends and twists when i go WOT in 1st or 2nd and especially changing lanes WOT to pass someone is the worst. Also the other thing would be the eibach springs that caused it as well stiffening up the car magnifying how much flex the body has. The shock and spring combo i have no complaints at all, the car handles really well recovers from dips and bumps very quickly and has a very small amount of body roll but hardly noticable. Just this twisting is more pronounced on this 01 LS1 then it ever was on my other camaoro's and ive had 5 of them, lol.

Well you know what, even though Sam Strano would swear on the bible that SFC's aren't necessary, that doesn't mean that folks still don't add them on their cars.

I got SFC's on my car, and it did make a noticeable improvement.

You'll also hear the peeps with SFC's SWEAR that the weld-in SFC's would be the ones you would want to buy and others will SWEAR to you that their bolt-in SFC's are freaking outstanding too.

Good luck with whatever you do.

**Carlos01SS** · 04-15-2009, 07:00 PM

I'm thinking that, if you want a better handler then you need to get front & rear swaybars cuz well, you know, they greatly reduce body "sway", isn't that what you are trying to lessen/eliminate???

**karpetcm** · 04-15-2009, 07:57 PM

well im gonna definilty get the sway bars either way, ive had sway bars on all 4 of my past camaro's and will on this one as well. All have been strano up front and 21mm 1le rear. But this time im just gonna do front and rear strano's.

**blk99ws6ta** · 04-16-2009, 02:11 AM

I had the same problem. When you wiggle the steering wheel going down the road the ass-end would float around. I bought koni shocks, and what a change!!!! I have the hose mod w/shocks. It lowers it about 3/4". It tighten me up abunch. I just couldn't belive the difference. I'm really pleased with what I did.
And yes, e-mail www.stranoparts.com or call 814-849-3417. Sam he will help you out. He helped me.

**Sam Strano** · 04-17-2009, 10:52 AM

FWIW, I sell SFC's... and I don't in any way think they are bad things. They don't hurt the car, or the performance, and can help if the chassis is pretty worn down. The older the car, and the longer it was on stock dampers, the more SFC's help becuase the uni-body is that much more tired.

**shady milkman** · 04-17-2009, 12:08 PM

i am pretty sure that those rear quarter fender dents are caused by wheel hop...sfc will tighten things up and help with squeeks and rattles...i love my umi 3 points...and i am glad i added them..has a much more flat and tight feeling when i take corners or do anything with elevation..feels tied together

**Sam Strano** · 04-17-2009, 12:23 PM

Quarter panel dents are caused by hop, both on acceleration and braking. SFC's do nothing to prevent them. We've seen them form on cars after SFC's were installed, and not at all on cars that aren't driven that hard without SFC's.

Again, I'm not anti-SFC. It's just that they are often used as band-aid to suspension issues.