Bakerdd"s '99 GT: Project stance

[Bio248]

cutting the strut shaft will only allow you to reposition the valve in the middle of the cylinder, but most likely it already is.

and in the front you have a ton of room to move the lower mount down, an inch will have lots of clearance still. the only thing you're worried about is the CV boot, which is the only thing that 'moves'.

 

[Sandman]

You mean the spring perch? I was thinking lower mount=where it mounts on the hub/spindle.

 

[Bio248]

that's exactly what i mean. move that up a little and have the strut stick down a little more closer to the CV boot and axle.

plenty of room to go down another inch there.

 

[Ricky21]

I was hanging out at my grandma's today and the sun hit my back tire just perfect to light up the goodyear letters and make them look painted. I think it looks kinda cool but I haven't decided if painted letters are coming back lol.

White lettering!! It looks so sick on white cars

 

[Sandman]

that's exactly what i mean. move that up a little and have the strut stick down a little more closer to the CV boot and axle.

plenty of room to go down another inch there.

On a stock strut I guess you could, I have retrofits so I have a bolt sticking out the bottom.

 

[Bakerdd]

that's exactly what i mean. move that up a little and have the strut stick down a little more closer to the CV boot and axle.

plenty of room to go down another inch there.

My friend mentioned something about moving the mounting tabs up and that might just be my best option for right now. I just hate the idea of having to take them all out again

The koni's are shorter than stock and I would like to get some, but I would like to try and find some coilovers made for a different car that could fit mine so that I could get everything to my specs exactly how I want it. Also I'm not sure how much the AXG's can handle, but I really think that I need to do a 500# spring for the fronts so unless I revalve them, the bouncing is gonna get worse and I'm a little concerned about damaging them.

And for the letters, I was thinking maybe gray paint might be cool so that its a little more subtle and I don't have to try so hard to keep them clean

 

[Sandman]

The bouncing will just get worse with 500# springs since the struts can't handle it.

I just remembered a guy on CGP selling his Bilsteins that he's had revalved for 400# springs. They're almost a complete coilover setup, it just needs the top mounts. You'll have to dig to find the for sale thread, I don't think they ever sold. His SN is Chippey599 or something like that.

 

[matt5112]

Thats what you should make. Konis are twin tube so theyre slower to respond than bilsteins.

 

[GTP in RTP]

My friend mentioned something about moving the mounting tabs up and that might just be my best option for right now. I just hate the idea of having to take them all out again

The koni's are shorter than stock and I would like to get some, but I would like to try and find some coilovers made for a different car that could fit mine so that I could get everything to my specs exactly how I want it. Also I'm not sure how much the AXG's can handle, but I really think that I need to do a 500# spring for the fronts so unless I revalve them, the bouncing is gonna get worse and I'm a little concerned about damaging them.

And for the letters, I was thinking maybe gray paint might be cool so that its a little more subtle and I don't have to try so hard to keep them clean

Send me a message when you want to take them out and I will come help.

 

[Bakerdd]

The bouncing will just get worse with 500# springs since the struts can't handle it.

I just remembered a guy on CGP selling his Bilsteins that he's had revalved for 400# springs. They're almost a complete coilover setup, it just needs the top mounts. You'll have to dig to find the for sale thread, I don't think they ever sold. His SN is Chippey599 or something like that.

alright thanks man

Send me a message when you want to take them out and I will come help.

Okay, thanks for the help


Man I've been doing a lot of looking around lately and its kinda making me mad at how primative of a setup is offered for gp's. Well that and just the fact that there really is no option for good coilovers. I was looking at BC's and they come with so many options and features. I really just want to see if I could find some that might fit the gp. Or just buy a different car that suspension companies care about haha.

 

[Bio248]

ill be honest with you, BC are bottom of the barrel for me. yes, they advertise well and tons and tons of people run them, but that's about as low of a quality as i would go for suspension now that i know better.

if you found a set of used BC, got them revalved nicely, and put a better set of springs on them (swift springs, maybe? or hyperco?), they'd be awesome. the double adjustable nature of them (spin the whole shock body down into the lower mount to lower the car) is great for setting the preload on the springs and calling it good. they also have a 'extreme low' version that has a shorter shock body and redesigned lower mount.

however, a couple of companies i would look at at the same time for comparison purposes (the same style of coilover): stance and feal. if you want a single adjustable coilover then you should look into ST suspension's stuff. they are an arm of KW suspension, but they do galvanized bodies instead of stainless bodies like KW does. overall there are lots of choices for coilovers...if you own the right car...

this is why i tell people to make their own. buy junk struts, move lower mount up, smash on some sleeves, pick spring rates, revalved struts to match spring rates, and use a spring seat that'll work with stock upper mounts so there is some form of comfort left in it and cheaply replaceable.

 

[Bakerdd]

I don't know if I could handle making some myself yet, that seems like quite a bit of work and I'm still learning my way around this suspension stuff. I've only heard good things about stance coilovers and I like their stuff. What do you think the chances are that they would make some for me?

 

[Bio248]

the likelihood is kinda low, but no reason you can't ask.

the good thing about stance (for me) is that one of the main distributors in the US is out of chicago (togue factory).

 

[blakgtp]

i wonder if we could get someone on this forum to start making coilovers. hint hint

 

[MoarkatsINmuhtrailer]

I wonder if everyone could realize its not hard to make your own.

 

[blakgtp]

if it were that easy, we would see way more cars on coilovers here

 

[MoarkatsINmuhtrailer]

... It is easy.. You can order everything you need from summit. All you do is chop up a set of struts and attach all the necessary pieces. I've done it.. Not hard. People are just too thick to realize this.

 

[SeanGTP]

Found this thread and skipped through for the pictures. Sub'd for sure.

Stance-wise how do you want this car to end up looking?

 

[Bakerdd]

the likelihood is kinda low, but no reason you can't ask.

the good thing about stance (for me) is that one of the main distributors in the US is out of chicago (togue factory).

I emailed both stance and bc and I'll see what they say. I did stumble across a cool article today about airbags and I gotta admit I'm pretty interested. I just need to take some welding lessons and learn how to make some stuff.
Stance Works : Using the Air Lift Universal struts to bag your car.

... It is easy.. You can order everything you need from summit. All you do is chop up a set of struts and attach all the necessary pieces. I've done it.. Not hard. People are just too thick to realize this.

Well, I am just starting to see some issues with quality or I guess functionality for something like this. It is easy, but its not necessarily that simple to make some that would compare to legitimate coilovers. Some of things that bio listed are things I don't know how to do myself or at least I wouldn't trust myself making yet. So as far as an upgrade from stock home made coils are definitely better, but for what I want to do, they aren't cutting it. But thats totally fine with me because I know these weren't made with the thought of stancing a grand prix in mind and I'm just learning with every problem I run into.

Found this thread and skipped through for the pictures. Sub'd for sure.

Stance-wise how do you want this car to end up looking?

Thanks man! My goal is to have it look like the more commonly stanced cars with the rim as close to the fender as I can get it. I want to go with wider wheels with a lip eventually and probably go up to a 19" rim and get back to the stretched tires. If anyone remembers how Kuntzie's car sat, I want to be about that low but the rim/tire fitment will be way different with some poke and camber.

Think something like this for the wheel fitment

 

[gtpeddie]

you gonna go that low on coilovers? i thought Kuntzie's car is bagged