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Ok, after calling JCWhiney and getting them to call Suspension Techniques I got the real specs on the front lowering springs on their site. They say they will lower the car 1.2" and that the spring rate is 170 lbs. Is 170 pretty low? Does anyone know what is stock on a Z34 Lumina? IIRC there were some people on here talking about using 300 lb springs but i think that was with the rear coilovers.
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170lbs is probally the wrong number, thats a tad bit low. -
I finally got the direct number to Suspension Techniques so i will call then to find out. From what people have been saying, the ST springs are pretty soft :-/Comment
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I'm also wanting to know the spring rate of the front st springsComment
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I just got off the phone with ST........They say the spring rate is 500 lbs. Does that sound about right? Is that good for autocross and dailing driving?
This information is for jcwhitney part # 810113 which is supposedly ST #89123 but ST just looked it up by application for a '96 non SS monteComment
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ok, now i am waaayyyyyy confused.................
i just got off the phone with Thy at Intrax. She knew right away what i was talking about when i said w-body group buy. She said she can get me the springs, that they are 1.8" drop, but that they are linear compression with 166 lb spring rate.
First, when i said that the STs were 170 lb spring rate i was told that was low. Then i talked directly to ST and they told me the spring rate was 500 lbs. Now I am being told that the springs that everyone has said are progressive rate (and usually stiffer) are really linear and at 166 lb spring rate. Now i am totally confused and have no idea what to get.
People with experience with both sets of springs.........
1) Do the Intrax look like they drop much lower than the STs?
2) Which spring is stiffer? Is there a significant difference in ride quality?
Also, can anyone cite specific spring rates for what is used on certain stock and race applications so we can get an idea what we are looking at as far as stiffness?Comment
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500 lbs is about right, I don't know what the corner weights are on a W body, but that doesn't sound to far off. If you want to learn something now, you need to find a stock spring, and put load on it, and figure out the spring rate of that for comparison. Not really sure this is going to be the best idea with out changing the rear spring rate too.Comment
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What problems would you run into with having a higher spring rate in the front that in the rear but at the same ride height? Is there any way it could be counteracted with the addition of stuff like STBs or bushings or something like that? I am just learning here. Much of my suspension needs replaced and i am doing autocross so i want to get a setup that will perform well but as always it is my daily driver and i do not have a huge budget.Comment
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wow, i just got an email from jcwhitney that says my springs shipped yesterday.................Comment
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LOL, did you even order them yet? Wouldn't that be cool. Free springs!sigpic
New 2010 project (click image)
1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
Original L82 Longblock with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.
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Theres no way to figure anything out here, unless you have the base line of whats going on. You're basically throwing money into the wind, ecspecially by not trying to do a front and rear that match in some way. But, its just a w body anyway, and it's really not going to handle that well anyway, so who care I guess. My suggestion would be to just leave the springs as is, get new shocks, shocks are going to be your best way to spend money anyway for handleing improvements, and enjoy stock class until you can afford a new car.Originally posted by radman3120Comment
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I ordered them on 5/15 and i was just about to cancel the order and get the Intrax. They didn't charge me until they shipped them, tho.LOL, did you even order them yet? Wouldn't that be cool. Free springs!Comment
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Intrax are really harsh I thought? Like strut killers. I think that was intrax. Been a long time since I was into springs.sigpic New 2010 project (click image)
1994 3100 BERETTA. 200,000+ miles
16.0 1/4 mile when stock. Now ???
Original L82 Longblock with LA1, LX9, LX5 parts
Manifold-back 2.5" SS Mandrel Exhaust. Hardware is SS too.
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From what everyone has been saying the Intrax are stiffer than the Suspension Techniques but when I talked to the companies and asked about spring rates I got 166 lbs from Intrax and 170 lbs from ST, which would make the STs stiffer but ST later gave me 500lbs for their rate. I guess the #s around 170 and those around 500 are for two different things but I'm not sure what. Both springs are linear spring rates, not progressive as a lot of people have said.Intrax are really harsh I thought? Like strut killers. I think that was intrax. Been a long time since I was into springs.Comment
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What do you mean by a "base line" of whats going on?Originally posted by RebelGT
This was my original plan:
Front:
ST Lowering Springs
KYB GR2s (Need anyway)
Strut Mounts and maybe seats and insulators (Need anyway)
TRW Tie Rod Ends (Need anyway)
TRW Ball Joints (Need anyway)
Bushings - Front and Rear Control Arm, Stabilizer Bar to Frame and Control Arm (Pretty Much Need anyway)
Rear:
KYB GR2s (Need anyway)
New LEaf Spring Isolator Pads (Need anyway)
GMPP Trailing Arms
Lateral Links maybe, they are pretty expensive but I might try to see about making them
Other than the sway bar and the leaf spring itself thats about everything right?
The rear already sits about 1.25" lower than the front due to the sag so the lowering springs will even up the ride height but I guess thats a pretty huge difference in spring rates, then. I figured some time in the future I would get STBs.
My question is: Is this a good idea since most of my suspension needs replaced anyway and I will be driving the car for a number of years in the future? Will it function well or will its only benefit be an even ride height? Will it cause problems with everyday driving?
I guess if I were to do this, my only option for "having a rear that matches" would be to go with the Flex-A-Form or Birchmont? In that case I would have a "decent" suspension?
Btw, I am in STX now anyway because I put on FFPs poly torque strut (when my original went bad) and their underdrive pulley (which I dont feel like changing back).Comment
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