best handling setup?

[Fun_Bucket]

I'm looking to replace/upgrade some of my suspension components.Budget wise, i can probably stretch it to $500-600. Can anyone offer some helpful suggestions about what i may be able to do around that price range to improve the ride handling? I'm not after lowered, or anything impractical, just some that handles better, and rides better than a go kart missing a wheel which is what it feels like now...

I've heard that Holden still have FE2 springs available, and at a decent price too, compared to the likes of Kings, ect..If i did go the FE2, can someone reccomend a good shock absorber to go with it? I realise, that my budget is limiting me, but i will attempt all the work myself, in an effort to save as much money as i can.

Also, i've considered a front strut brace, as i've seen them going for under $100 in most cases. Having never dealt with suspension setups before, can someone tell me, are they worth the small amount spent? or i should i be putting the money towards something else?

[greenfoam]

FE2 are not real cheap from Holden, 60 bucks a spring maybe? unless you can get trade prices. But they do handle well. Lovells are supposed to be good also, who knows maybe they make the FE2 factory spring (someone has to). Any gas shocker is a good match for the FE2 sping, even the standard oil shockers and some new oil and seals inthe front struts is fine.

I will add, you can get FE2 springs secondhand for CHEAP (and stick a V8 front sway bar on it or whatever aftermarket one you can find that's a bit stiffer)

[Fun_Bucket]

$60 a spring is fairly cheap in my mind..so $240 all up, leaving me with about the same to replace the shocks, and possibly something else. I'd prefer to buy them new, but i will look into the V8 sway bar, now that you have mentioned it.I had thought of a strut bar, but not about the sway bar.. I'm sure i could find one of those for not a whole lot..

Oh and Foamy, while your here, i've sent you a message both on here, and to your nicefrog, about a tune?

[stocky]

$60 a spring is fairly cheap in my mind..so $240 all up, leaving me with about the same to replace the shocks, and possibly something else. I'd prefer to buy them new, but i will look into the V8 sway bar, now that you have mentioned it. I'm sure i could find one of those for not a whole lot..

Oh and Foamy, while your here, i've sent you a message both on here, and to your nicefrog, about a tune?

my v8 swaybar is about 28mm from memory. its much thicker than the one on my v6. shocks you are probably looking at 130 each for monroes. ive had no issues with the fe2 in the front of my clubby, which is why im not replacing them with a cheap set of king springs.

[Fun_Bucket]

Although i've never driven on either, i'd prefer to fit FE2, rather than something from Kings, or another aftermarket brand. I've also read that FE2 springs launch better, (not that it will benifit me,

[Fun_Bucket]

Is a sway bar such as this one suitable? says it's 30mm. If i purchased this one, or similiar, would i ned anything else to complete the swap over?

[greenacc]

30mm is very thick , it might cause problems , especially if you don't upgrade the rear bar at the same time. Any idea how thick the V8 front bar is ?

[bj42turbo]

My only advise would be do not go stupidly low
Fe2 pack not really the best package, but a simliar set up in a good brand name spring and Shock would be the go

Dazz

[Philthy]

30mm is very thick , it might cause problems , especially if you don't upgrade the rear bar at the same time. Any idea how thick the V8 front bar is ?

Do the V8's have thicker rear sway bars as well? I might check out prices at the wreckers

[greenacc]

not sure, just saying that if you put a really thick bar on the front of your car it will change the front // rear balance and cause oversteer or understeer ( i forget which it is )

[Fun_Bucket]

Stocky was saying he thinks his V8 sway bar in the front is 28mm. BJTurbo, I'm not after lowering at all, just improved ride/handling.I don't want anything impractical at all. I'm not at all doing this for appearance, nor do i want any attention drawn to the car. I'm also removing the mags on it, and re-fitting some 15x7's, with a set of hubcaps. Besides, i'm totally against really low cars, big wheels ect, i want a car i can drive and enjoy..

Im pretty sure i will purchase the FE2 springs new through Holden, then have a look around at some suitable shock absorbers to go with it. Interesting to hear though, about upsetting the handling by going to thick on the front sway bar. I'd be more than willing to upgrade the rear sway at the same time, if it will make a noticible difference, but like i said, my budget for this is going to be about $600 max- I may just do the springs and shocks to begin with, then see if i have anything left over, and maybe slowly pick up some other bits here and there.

And does anyone have any opinions on a front strut brace, whether it's worth wile, or there's better things i can buy for the money?

[bj42turbo]

BJTurbo, I'm not after lowering at all, just improved ride/handling.I don't want anything impractical at all. I'm not at all doing this for appearance, nor do i want any attention drawn to the car. I'm also removing the mags on it, and re-fitting some 15x7's, with a set of hubcaps. Besides, i'm totally against really low cars, big wheels ect, i want a car i can drive and enjoy..

I like you thinking

Dazz

[bennyt4036]

I have a vn commodore with lowered king springs and lowered monroe shocks, i replaced my front and rear swaybars with standard vr v6 swaybars, the front is around 4mm thicker at 26mm(from memory) and the rear is around 2mm thicker than standard vn item.

The car handles much better and if anything the front end has tightened heaps, as much as i have tried i have so far been unable to get the front end to lose traction, so thats gotta be a good sign, considering i'm still only running pursuit rims with 205's

The only problem i ran into with the conversion was that i tried running the standard link pins, after about a month or two i broke the standard rubbers clean off and the link pins were bent and outta shape. I replaced these with fulcrum heavy duty links pins and polyurethane bushes, and now it feels another 100% better

hope this helps

[greenfoam]

True about the link pins, I seem to break a rubber everytime I go around a corner

[jas98]

wen i lowered me vs i got a price from holden for fe2 springs and apparently they couldn't get them but were 15 bucks trade for teh front each and like 30 each for teh rears i was like ****!!!

[immortality]

i'd suggest KYB shocks. slightly cheaper then munroe but better in my opinion.

the swaybar linkpins/bushes in my VS are permantly stuffed. some of those upgrade items that havethe slight "S" bend in em are much better. another option is to fit the earlier VB-VL sway bar link pins that connect directly to the lower control arm. better again in my opinion. but can only be done on VN/VP models.

strut braces do make a difference

[padrickz88]

hmmmm interesting, does anybody have sizes for each model?(v6 and v8) front and rear?

Might be a cheap upgrade

[greenfoam]

The problem is you've got about zero chance in zero to find a 5 litre at the wreckers. So I don't know where you guys are going to find your cheap sway bars. Better off finding a VN S pac and raiding that of all it's suspension

[stocky]

The problem is you've got about zero change in zero to find a 5 litre at the wreckers. So I don't know where you guys are going to find your cheap sway bars. Better off finding a VN S pac and raiding that of all it's suspension

well you could, it just wont have an engine in it. they would probably remove the engine, then throw the shell into the yard, with all the suspension still in it. i remember finding a VN 5 litre at pick a part one day. it had no engine, but had a few bits in it that made it clear it was a V8.

[greenfoam]

I will add that my old VN in just dying in the front yard with new FE2 springs all around a V8 spec brakes :P

[Fun_Bucket]

I will add that my old VN in just dying in the front yard with new FE2 springs all around a V8 spec brakes :P

I may be wrong, but i thought that the VP V6 had the same brakes as the VN V8? I'm going to see if i can find someone in Cairns from the QLD Street Scene Forum who may be able to get trade prices from Holden.. Otherwise, Foamy, i may be interested in some of your setup, if you wanted to sell it. It would have to depend on postage costs though, I'm not sure what state your in, but posting to Cairns, it may cost more than it's worth. Anyway's, i'll see how i go with the prices first. Oh, and Foamy, still waiting on a reply from your Nicefrog account, about a memcal tune??

[Morton]

I'm pretty sure VP SII did have V8 brakes, yes

[greenfoam]

Yes series 2 vp has the V8 calipers, but doesn't have the 1 inch master OR double booster (which are the main two things). I'm not pulling my VN apart but you can have the whole car:P. I'll be replying to everyone re memcals later tonight. I sooooo needed a break from it before I went insane

[Peter89]

front/rear adjustable sway bars, thickest available.
front/rear strut braces.
front/rear lower springs are stocks, 5kg or 6kg fronts and 4kg rears (for spring rates) and would probably reduce ride height a few cms.

however, it's never going to handle like a gtr.

[padrickz88]

Is there even a point of putting a strut brace on the rear of a commodore? I dont know how true it is but i read a while ago that it wasn't worth it..... someone correct me if im wrong lol