Best Daily Driver Springs NON-PP

[ChitownStang]

Ron,
would you say the bounce is gone with the pro-action shock & struts with stock springs?
Also do the shock mounts cause anymore noise or negative characteristics on bumpy roads?
Thanks

I have a 2016 GT that I currently have Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts with Steeda Billet Shock Mounts with OEM non-pp springs. I have found this combination to give me the best ride quality. After I had the Steeda shocks & struts with billet shock mounts installed on my car I drove the car for about 2000 miles. Next I tried changing the springs to Steeda Progressive springs. I thought the ride quality on these springs was not as good compared to the OEM springs. On good roads they are great, but with roads with poor surfaces they suck. So after only 300 miles I ordered some BMR 089/082 springs and had them installed. The ride quality was better with BMR springs but still not as good as with the OEM springs. After only 300 miles I switched back to the original OEM non-pp springs. My GT is not my DD car so it sat in the garage most of the time with the Steeda and BMR springs, I just did not want to drive it. I know that there a lot of forum members who like the Steeda & BMR springs but you won't get the same ride quality from them as the OEM springs in my opinion. If you want to lower your car I would go with the BMR 089/082 springs but the ride quality will be stiffer than your OEM springs. Also I would recommend upgrading your shocks & struts to the Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts with the billet shock mounts when you change the springs. I spent a lot of money on changing springs only to go back to where I started with the Steeda Pro-Actions Shocks & Struts with the Billet Shock Mounts.

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[Norm Peterson]

I just hate throwing away perfectly good dampers from OEM (much like the stock exhaust I just gave away) and would rather get some use out of them while i can.

There's a difference between "perfectly good [condition]" and "perfectly good [match for the application]". Sometimes it's a big difference, and satisfying the first does not guarantee the second. Shock damping has not been a S550 strong point from the get-go, even with the PP cars.

Firmer springs don't have to give poor ride quality, provided that they're damped appropriately. For this reason, I generally prefer to get adjustables. Rebound only adjustability is sufficient for any street driving.


Norm

 

[RonStang6G]

Ron,
would you say the bounce is gone with the pro-action shock & struts with stock springs?
Also do the shock mounts cause anymore noise or negative characteristics on bumpy roads?
Thanks

1. Is the bounce gone with the pro-action shocks & struts with the stock springs? I think the answer is there is considerabe improvement in the bounce. But I think the billet shock mounts are as important as the pro-action shocks & struts. The billet shock mounts are worth doing even if you keep the stock shocks & struts. Stock shocks & struts and the non-adjustable pro-action shock requite the 10mm billet shock mounts. The adjustable pro-action shocks require the 12mm billet shock mounts.
2. The billet shock mounts do not cause any noise if the locking nut is properly tightened. Tightening the locknut requires a special socket https://www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/strut-nut-socket-21mm/003046sch01a-03/ because you need to hold the shock shaft while you tighten the locking nut. The locking nut is down in a counter-bore in billet shock mount. The Schwaben socket has a window cut in the side that allows you to put a 9mm open end wrench on the shock shaft. The allows you to lock the locking nut otherwise the shock shaft turns and the locking nut never fully tightens. I had one of the locking nuts work loose and make noise after about 60 miles when it was tightened without the Schwaben socket. This was a lesson learned the hard way.

 

[RonStang6G]

There's a difference between "perfectly good [condition]" and "perfectly good [match for the application]". Sometimes it's a big difference, and satisfying the first does not guarantee the second. Shock damping has not been a S550 strong point from the get-go, even with the PP cars.

Firmer springs don't have to give poor ride quality, provided that they're damped appropriately. For this reason, I generally prefer to get at adjustables. Rebound only adjustability is sufficient for any street driving.


Norm

I have a set of stock shocks & struts in my storeroom with only 1500 miles on them. As far as I am concerned they are junk parts. There was so much improvement with the adjustable pro-action shocks & struts with the billet shocks I would recommend them as a very noticeable improvement in ride quality that is well worth the cost even at the full price. I paid $810 for mine when they first came out and I don't think that was too much to pay for the improvement in the ride quality.

 

[terryz]

I have a 2016 GT that I currently have Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts with Steeda Billet Shock Mounts with OEM non-pp springs. I have found this combination to give me the best ride quality. After I had the Steeda shocks & struts with billet shock mounts installed on my car I drove the car for about 2000 miles. Next I tried changing the springs to Steeda Progressive springs. I thought the ride quality on these springs was not as good compared to the OEM springs. On good roads they are great, but with roads with poor surfaces they suck. So after only 300 miles I ordered some BMR 089/082 springs and had them installed. The ride quality was better with BMR springs but still not as good as with the OEM springs. After only 300 miles I switched back to the original OEM non-pp springs. My GT is not my DD car so it sat in the garage most of the time with the Steeda and BMR springs, I just did not want to drive it. I know that there a lot of forum members who like the Steeda & BMR springs but you won't get the same ride quality from them as the OEM springs in my opinion. If you want to lower your car I would go with the BMR 089/082 springs but the ride quality will be stiffer than your OEM springs. Also I would recommend upgrading your shocks & struts to the Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts with the billet shock mounts when you change the springs. I spent a lot of money on changing springs only to go back to where I started with the Steeda Pro-Actions Shocks & Struts with the Billet Shock Mounts.

Thanks for the feedback, I share similar experience with the ride quality of Steeda progressive over rough surface.

For pure ride comfort, I guess it is always better with a softer spring. It's really a question of whether someone wants to trade some comfort for handling by having stiffer springs. I wonder how much someone can improve the handling by only changing the shocks/strut and shock mounts.

 

[Norm Peterson]

If nothing else, the chassis would be more composed, which goes to driver confidence. At the very least, more of whatever handling performance is there would be comfortably and consistently accessed by the driver.


Norm

 

[terryz]

If nothing else, the chassis would be more composed, which goes to driver confidence. At the very least, more of whatever handling performance is there would be comfortably and consistently accessed by the driver.


Norm

Based on your sig, I would assume you prefer stiffer non-lowering springs. Do you think lowering the car has additional side effects other than scrapping (assuming the same spring rate)?

I am thinking of swapping springs again and I have already gone through stock non-pp, eibach pro-kit and now steeda progressive. I wonder if going back to non-pp or getting pp springs are the better approach for DD with tons of rough roads.

Sometimes it really amazes me that San Francisco could have such bad roads with such a large budget and not having snow (hence no salt).

 

[RonStang6G]

Based on your sig, I would assume you prefer stiffer non-lowering springs. Do you think lowering the car has additional side effects other than scrapping (assuming the same spring rate)?

I am thinking of swapping springs again and I have already gone through stock non-pp, eibach pro-kit and now steeda progressive. I wonder if going back to non-pp or getting pp springs are the better approach for DD with tons of rough roads.

Sometimes it really amazes me that San Francisco could have such bad roads with such a large budget and not having snow (hence no salt).

Terryz if you are looking for the best ride quality the best I found is stock non-pp springs with Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts along the Steeda Billet 12mm Shock mounts. Much better than with OEM shocks & struts and better than with Steeda Progressives & BMR 089/082 springs with pro-action shocks & struts. I went back to my non-pp springs because that where I got the best ride quality by a very large margin.

 

[terryz]

Terryz if you are looking for the best ride quality the best I found is stock non-pp springs with Steeda Adjustable Pro-Action Shocks & Struts along the Steeda Billet 12mm Shock mounts. Much better than with OEM shocks & struts and better than with Steeda Progressives & BMR 089/082 springs with pro-action shocks & struts. I went back to my non-pp springs because that where I got the best ride quality by a very large margin.

Thanks for the input! I have the koni yellow and steed shock mounts now, and I think I would experience similar improvement.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Based on your sig, I would assume you prefer stiffer non-lowering springs.

Yes. Particularly since my cars need to be at least reasonably street-drivable.

Do you think lowering the car has additional side effects other than scrapping (assuming the same spring rate)?

There are a few small geometry effects that make the gains you get from lowering springs somewhat less than the increase in stiffness suggests should be the case. The gains from the CG lowering part are not as big as you'd think - I've datalogged in excess of 1.3g cornering at the track before my car was lowered, and on true street tires (MPSS).


Ron has given you a great suggestion.


Norm

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