Eibach suspension question

[FatHemiDude]

I'm looking to upgrade my stock springs next week, and was wondering if anyone on the forum had an opinion on or could compare and contrast the Eibach PRO-KIT vs. the SPORTLINE kit? The price difference is substantial.

 

Car is a nice-weather daily driver, just looking to help The Red Titanic ride a little lower in the water and turn a little flatter, as it were.

 

Thanks very much for any input, as I know exactly dick about automobile suspensions. Zymurgy? Yes. Rear sway bars? No.

Edited August 16, 2014 by FatHemiDude

[TurboRust]

I think those questions for each car are more specific..i.e a mustang, or camaro will ride different with those springs than your car will. I'd look into some vehicle specific forums and see if someone can answer that better. I've had both kits on mustangs before and ..meh both drove like a lowered car

[El Karacho1647545492]

I've got the pro kit on my focus st. My coworker has the sportlines on his Abarth. I think the difference may be a SLIGHTLY greater drop with the sportlines. I like the pro kit, hasn't really affected my every day ride quality at all, just lowered the car about an inch and made it stiffer in corners.

[ImUrOBGYN]

I have a prokit on the Supra. It's great. I have not had sportlines so it's hard for me to compare. I will say that littleguy and I were just talking about the supra's suspension not even a week ago and we both commented how much better that car handled without much sacrifice to ride quality. We both commented how it may even be a bit better. I combined my springs with some nice adjustable bilsteins. Beautiful. Who needs f'n coilovers? (I mostly back road my cars, so the setup's great.)

 

(The pic in my sig was pre-eibach/bilstein suspension, so ignore that.)

[FatHemiDude]

Thanks for the input. It's appreciated.

 

Pro Kit it is.

[FatHemiDude]

I have a prokit on the Supra. It's great. I have not had sportlines so it's hard for me to compare. I will say that littleguy and I were just talking about the supra's suspension not even a week ago and we both commented how much better that car handled without much sacrifice to ride quality. We both commented how it may even be a bit better. I combined my springs with some nice adjustable bilsteins. Beautiful. Who needs f'n coilovers? (I mostly back road my cars, so the setup's great.)

 

(The pic in my sig was pre-eibach/bilstein suspension, so ignore that.)

 

Car has the Super Track Pak option, which came with Bilsteins, so I'm set there. Just need to get some better sway bars and I'll be carving Shelbys like so much supercharged roast beef.

 

Well, that's probably a bit optimistic, but I bet I'll be able to out corner a Minivan with a full load of Baptist, an issue which at the present time with the stock suspension is in question.

[POS VETT]

Outcornering mommyvans and pickemuptwaks is a good goal.

 

One thing to consider is to compare spring rates due to the fact that your car has the factory suspension package. I would consider an anti-sway bar set before replacing springs and, if possible, increasing chassis rigidity and bushing compliance.

[FatHemiDude]

Outcornering mommyvans and pickemuptwaks is a good goal.

 

I'm a simple man with simple dreams. And a car that corners like John Goodman on methaqualone.

 

One thing to consider is to compare spring rates due to the fact that your car has the factory suspension package. I would consider an anti-sway bar set before replacing springs and, if possible, increasing chassis rigidity and bushing compliance.

 

Already ordered the Pro Kit. ($248 from AutoAnything with a 10% rebate)

 

Anti-sway bars are next on the list.

[FatHemiDude]

Please excuse my ignorance, but by " increasing chassis rigidity" do you mean sub frame connectors? Because those are available for the car.

[Cordell]

Please excuse my ignorance, but by " increasing chassis rigidity" do you mean sub frame connectors? Because those are available for the car.

 

Yes that's what he means, also things like strut tower braces, anything to add structural rigidity. Makes a pretty substantial difference on a lot of cars.

[93 RX-7]

I agree with tom. I think you are looking for bigger bars first.

[Richard Cranium]

I'm looking to upgrade my stock springs next week, and was wondering if anyone on the forum had an opinion on or could compare and contrast the Eibach PRO-KIT vs. the SPORTLINE kit? The price difference is substantial.

 

Car is a nice-weather daily driver, just looking to help The Red Titanic ride a little lower in the water and turn a little flatter, as it were.

 

Thanks very much for any input, as I know exactly dick about automobile suspensions. Zymurgy? Yes. Rear sway bars? No.

 

I can't help on the springs, but for the SS Impala I did shocks and sway-bars when I first bought the car. That with new tires made an incredible difference in the handling. The new sway-bars are HUGE solid bars, and body roll was reduced significantly. I can corner hard enough now that I have trouble staying in the seat.

 

I'm curious what you think of the new springs since that was one of the next purchases for the Impala.

 

Good to know there is another home brewer here on the board.

Oh, and I'm a home brewer too.

[ImUrOBGYN]

Have you spent a lot of time really getting to know your car at the limits you want to drive at? Far too many people rush out for all the goodies before they even know what their car wants.

 

Does your driving style tend to have you oversteering too much? Maybe it understeers? This can be adjusted depending on your sway bar sizes.

 

For example, on many front drivers who tend to understeer, ie; my Vibe, a simple rear sway bar replacement now has me neutral to slight oversteer. Does your steering need to be a bit sharper and you've tried new tires?

 

Your spring rates can affect this, too. But it's too late for that now.

 

How's your turn-in? Would you like it be sharper? Perhaps you'd trade some stability for that? That's going to be affected by camber and toe.

 

And of course, the more you brace the car, the more likely nvh levels will increase. You have to consider these and decide what your tradeoffs are worth.

 

Anyway, that's just the quick gist. There's so much more I could add to those statements plus some new ones. lol Of course, there are others that I'm sure here who may have some more time to add things I didn't or know more about your car specifically. Either way, I'll check back here later or you can pm me and I'll help any way I can.

 

Half the fun for me when purchasing things like this is the research and knowing exactly what I want.

[FatHemiDude]

Yes that's what he means, also things like strut tower braces, anything to add structural rigidity. Makes a pretty substantial difference on a lot of cars.

 

I have a Petty Racing strut tower brace (front) and plan on installing their rear brace as well over the time the car is in storage.

 

They also offer Bolt-in Sub-Frame Connectors ($269). From their website:

 

Do you already have our front strut tower brace and rear shock tower brace? If so, make the next step toward increasing the structural integrity of your Challenger chassis and add these Petty's Garage Sub Frame Connectors.

 

The Bolt-in Sub Frame Connectors are made from 1" x .120 wall square tubing for brute strength. These Sub Frame Connectors offer triangulation which greatly increases the structural integrity of your challenger. This Bolt-in Sub Frame Connectors are a removable structural addition to your Challenger once they are installed.

 

For those who hit the drag strip or like to hard launch their car once in a while on the street, these are a must have upgrade!

 

Thanks again to everyone for all the information being supplied. I really do appreciate it.

[coleyounger3]

When you wrap that bitch around a tree. I Will Take ALL Of The Good Parts For mable...Lol

[POS VETT]

In a rather literal "wrap that bitch around a tree", the chassis parts meant to increase rigidity would have been damaged likely severely.

[coleyounger3]

Just messing with my brother don't need them parts.want the ones in his spare room...

[FatHemiDude]

Have you spent a lot of time really getting to know your car at the limits you want to drive at? Far too many people rush out for all the goodies before they even know what their car wants.

 

Just clocked 18K miles over the last three (really fun) summers. Drove it bone stock for two of those. I'm certainly not a race-quality driver, just an increasingly avid enthusiast, But I do feel at this point I've acquired a relatively good understanding of the car and the way it performs.

 

Does your driving style tend to have you oversteering too much? Maybe it understeers? This can be adjusted depending on your sway bar sizes.

 

OK, at the significant risk of further exposing my utter lack of automotive acumen, I don't know what oversteer or understeer even is. To me, that sounds like a bucket that is either under the bovine or suspended over it.

 

For example, on many front drivers who tend to understeer, ie; my Vibe, a simple rear sway bar replacement now has me neutral to slight oversteer. Does your steering need to be a bit sharper and you've tried new tires?

 

Sharper steering sounds great. As for tires, thanks to Brian Turner and his ass-kicking tune I'll have to replace the tires in the spring. The car was factory equipped with the Goodyear F1 Supercar tires as another aspect of the Super Track Pak option. Are there significantly better tire options?

 

Your spring rates can affect this, too. But it's too late for that now.

 

At my age man, it's too late for a lot of things.

 

How's your turn-in? Would you like it be sharper? Perhaps you'd trade some stability for that? That's going to be affected by camber and toe.

 

I'm loathe to affect the daily drivability of the car, so keeping it stable sounds the better option there. "Camber and toe" at least as the terms are applicable to automobiles, might as well be written in Thracian. No idea what they mean. But I will find out.

 

And of course, the more you brace the car, the more likely nvh levels will increase. You have to consider these and decide what your tradeoffs are worth.

 

I'm cool with it being noisy. I have the upgraded sound system (which is quite good) and I listen to The Byrds really, really loud.

 

Anyway, that's just the quick gist. There's so much more I could add to those statements plus some new ones. lol Of course, there are others that I'm sure here who may have some more time to add things I didn't or know more about your car specifically. Either way, I'll check back here later or you can pm me and I'll help any way I can.

 

Half the fun for me when purchasing things like this is the research and knowing exactly what I want.

 

Thanks very much for your time and useful elucidation. I'm here to learn.

Edited August 20, 2014 by FatHemiDude

[FatHemiDude]

I agree with tom. I think you are looking for bigger bars first.

 

Ordered both front and rear anti-roll bars from Eibach (through AutoAnything) today.

[Aaron]

Under steer, front pushes wide of the natural arc when turning

 

Over steer, rear swings out when holding an arc

 

In the most simple of examples

[FatHemiDude]

Under steer, front pushes wide of the natural arc when turning

 

Over steer, rear swings out when holding an arc

 

In the most simple of examples

 

Thanks very much. Under steer would be my issue. Hopefully, the anti-roll kit will help ameliorate the problem.

 

Also, has anyone had any experience with the Eibach PRO-SPACER kit for the wheels? They are available for my application as well.

[POS VETT]

I consider Goodyear F1 Supercars an average tire in the summer tire category. There are quite a number of better tires in this category. Depending on your tolerance to noise, what you expect a tire should achieve, and your budget, they can vary greatly.

 

The fact that summer is winding down and whether the car is driven in the snow also play a significant role in deciding which tire is the better choice.

 

Eibach Pro-Spacer is just, well, wheel spacers. Unless you're having a slight clearance problem or you're hell bent on fitting a wheel with certain parameters, let's stay away from them for now. There are more elegant solutions to increase grip.

[FatHemiDude]

I consider Goodyear F1 Supercars an average tire in the summer tire category. There are quite a number of better tires in this category. Depending on your tolerance to noise, what you expect a tire should achieve, and your budget, they can vary greatly.

 

The fact that summer is winding down and whether the car is driven in the snow also play a significant role in deciding which tire is the better choice.

 

The car is stored over winter, so it will need new summer tires in the spring. My tolerance to noise is high. It isn't an issue. I guess I'm essentially looking for the best all-around performing tires for a street-driven application. I'm not Bill Gates, but budget isn't a primary concern. Let's say 2K?

 

Eibach Pro-Spacer is just, well, wheel spacers. Unless you're having a slight clearance problem or you're hell bent on fitting a wheel with certain parameters, let's stay away from them for now. There are more elegant solutions to increase grip.

 

Understood. No clearance problems, just curious as to handling performance (if any) gains.

 

Again, thanks to you and everyone else that is providing much appreciated input. The car is going to be dropped off at IPS today (schedule permitting) to have the springs and anti-roll bars installed.

 

We'll go from there.

[FatHemiDude]

OK. Dropped off car at IPS for the springs and anti-roll bar(s) install. They say they're backed up, so they probably won't be able to get to it until next week. Got a good CR lead on summer tires for next spring as well.

 

Sub frame connectors next? Or is there a more obvious modification choice to improve overall handling that I'm overlooking?

[FatHemiDude]

Got the R/T back a couple hours ago, hit some favorite twisty roads and although it's an overused term, the difference truly is like night and day.

 

Car stays flat as a board in the turns. Far less nosedive under heavy braking.

 

This suspension upgrade is going to make the car much more enjoyable to drive for sure.