Handling Upgrades

[Anthraxnz]

Been thinking about this for a while now and was wanting to know what everyone has done about uprating their suspension and steering.

Im wanting to know whats the best option for suspension? Something a little more serious than just lowering.

And does anyone know anything about replacing the steering rack with something thats a lot more responsive? I think mines on its last legs and im wanting something a lot better.

Thanks,

[FusionX]

Apart from the usual spring and shock upgrades, if you want to go a little more serious look into adjustable/thicker sway bars, adjustable strut tops and adjustable radius rods.

[gslrallysport]

What's your budget?

[Anthraxnz]

My budgets floating so im not too fussed but not wanting to go to over the top.

Maybe Lower springs and better shocks + bigger sway bars are the way to go.

Any ideas about a better steering rack? need something thats more precise and less vague

[VN_Luke]

I run a manual steering rack - It took a few days of getting used to the extra few turns, but the FEEL you get from the manual steer is just great. - just ask Morton! - It's not the greatest for parking etc, but drifting and corner mountain driving feels a whole lot nicer.

Bigger swaybars are a winner. Adjustables are highly recommended because then you can experiment and 'tune' your bars to how you'd like them to work.

With the whiteline adj. front swaybar, they come with a link kit that mounts to your lower control arm - which is a much more superior design than one that moutns to your strut and alters mounting geometry while you turn lol. (otherwise you can run VL commodore front swaybar links as a budget method of achieving this)

if budget is no issue, then adjustable 'coilovers' is what you want in the front. Tthis lets you chose from a zillion different height and firmness springs - you can even change them very easily depending on where you're driving and what you're doing! - plus you can alter ride height to your liking, and easily change it if need be. - Kmack do a cool kit where you can use a rattle gun to easily adjust front/rear ride height.

Good quality adjustable shocks are also a winner - something like a KYB or Koni adjustable - this way you can adjust the rebound on the shock as much or little as you like.

Same again for adjustable strut tops, and adjustable 'z-arm' - so you can dial in as much or as little caster and camber as you want.

the whole theme here is that adjustable stuff is a winner - this way you can tune your car to drive just the way you like it, without having to re-purchase any other goodies. - it's always fun to experiment by adjusting things from one extreme to another, then slowly work out what achieves what, and tune the car accordingly. (or get everything adjusted to some one else's preferences, and see how the thing compares).

Don't forget bushes, also (if yours are no good) - no point having things adjustable at one end, and flopping around a few inches on another because the bushes are stuffed!

The best thing is, you can buy as much/as little of this stuff as you want - and just replace what you feel needs to be done!

i.e. start with new bushes & good springs... then if you're not satisfied, go adjustable shocks and swaybars - adjust away and see how it all responds... and repeat! - can't go wrong that way

[gslrallysport]

Something a little bit more serious than just lowering would be a proper spring and shock combo, like KYB/Kings:
KYB / Kings Commodore Lowering Packages!
Looking at $575 for a VN.

Going up from that you could do Bilstein shocks and Kings springs, and this would come out somewhere past the $1k mark...

Up from that would be a 40mm DMS suspension coilover package, and this would set you back around the $3k mark. Anything less than 40mm DMS coilovers (read: Tein/K Sport/D2/G4/Chinese Wizzbang brand) and you are FAR better off getting a quality shock like Bilstein, than getting a cheap coilover set.

[flanker]

I wanted something decent on the aero, so I rang around. Turns out im getting Fabricated adjustable front coilovers with bilstein inserts, same rear but not coilover. Heavy rate springs (lowered of course), adjustable sway bars(30mm front, 27mm rear), adjustable strut tops, front strut brace, adjustable panhard rod, adjustable rear upper control arms, bushes and all that stuff.

For a tad under 5g all up including labor.
I think that was a good price compared to other outrageous quotes using the same parts in excess of 7g.
This is a mild track setup that I plan to drive on the road, to the track

If your planning street only use, you don't need something so crazy or as stiff, especially on aussie roads. Just stop that VN body roll and firm everything up alittle more.

[Anthraxnz]

Cool thanks for the help!

Think ill go with a proper lowering kit, bushes and some bigger sway bars and see how that goes.