well, i finaly got my project camaro running and driving on sunday and took her for a spin (its a 83 z28), it handled very well with no play in the steering and didnt lean in the road...........but god it rode like ****, just stiff as hell. for
example, my lifted dodge truck rides better..........is it normal for these cars to have a harsh ride like mine does?

 

My car rides rediculously bad. But it handles pretty good, so its a trade off. Also, my WS6 springs are probably stiffer than your 83z.

I have read that really expensive shocks will help it ride better, because they can control the stiff springs. No money to try that tho.

Just for reference, I went for a ride in my buddies Taurus SHO tonight. Not only is it like twice as fast, but it rides like a caddy compared to my car. Which is weird, because he has stiffer springs in that thing than I have in my car!

 

part of it is becasue it is a uni body and flex's alot, SFC's are supposed to help with that, I will report on that once mine are installed, but your not the only one who thinks his car rides rough.

 

^^ SFCs aren't the answer for a softer ride. I had a nice day to take my car out last weekend after installing SFCs and a steering brace. I honestly didn't think I would feel the difference because I've only driven the car a handful of times, but just going down my driveway the ride was a lot worse than I ever remember. Noticeable on the roads I drove it on too. Still 100% worth it, feels awesome! Just don't think it's going to ride like a caddy after putting them in

I think I have to agree with the shock comment by Slow_90firebird. From everything I've ever heard, the more expensive the shocks/struts, the better the ride and handling. Koni's seem to be the cheapest that do both, the next step up being a couple of grand more expensive

 

My 87 rides PERFECT in my opinion. Its no caddy, but it soaks up the hard bumps good enough. I feel its all in the shocks and their valving. I mean..yeah if you put super stiff springs on its going to make it harsh. But I have Eibach springs, and Bilsteins all the way around. And its wonderful.

Cruising...rides comfy enough and its quiet. Start pushing it, and the valving allows the shocks to act alittle different and it will feel stiff. I have hardly any body roll (ws6 sway bars help with that), and its pretty hard to upset it in the twisties. The thing will carve and turn whereever you point the wheel. And act completely civil when you back her down.

If you want a super soft ride, you are going to have to sacrifice atleast alittle performance. But as others have said, good shocks (get what you pay for), and good maintenance will help (good bushings, all suspension parts greased) etc.

SFCs and other unibody reinforcements are just good because they make the car feel tight and probably stiffer than from the factory. I didnt notice any ride change at all with mine. But I noticed less squeaks and noises and the steering and handling felt much better. Still a wise investment to get SFCs...

J.

 

a car that handles well is going to be stiff.

I think the best way i've heard it described is;

"..like a crate of bricks falling down the stairs..."

 

worst riding car I have ever driven was an 82 Z28.

My Formula rides way better.

2nd worst was an 88 IROC with Monroe Sensa-Tracks (garbage---I swapped them for KYB)

 

My 88 Camaro rides like a covered wagon. My 04 Impala rides so nice that it makes me want to take a nap.

 

i can fall asleep in mine.
its pretty much drag suspension, sfc, drag wheels and tires.
hugs the wear spots on some roads, but drives and rides like no other 3rd gen ive been in.
id compare it to a caddy, maybe not a new one.

 

When I first put it on the road, it was like driving with steel tires, every bump, every crack in the road vibrated through the steering wheel. Now that I've changed bearings, ball joints, tightened the steering, and put on new tires, it's a ton softer.. But it's running on factory springs, and they've softened..

 

There are times I seriously miss my '94 Crown Vic on these....*cough wonderful *cough*... Michigan roads.

One quick turn, though, and my blues are gone

 

When I first bought my Z28 in high school it was a jarring ride, but after I rebuilt it about two years ago it rides much softer. Even the alignment guy said its the best 'ride' of any thirdgen he'd been in, but still handles like its on rails. I think its due to the progressive Eibach Pros. The only trouble is that it bottoms out easier. Eh, take the good with the bad.

 

so its the sensatracks huh? i was under the impression it might be my homemade torque arm mount (L shaped braket welded to x member with two bolts holding the t arm)

 

*shudders*

Put sensacraps on my '91 RS back in high school. HORRILBE shock.

 

My car wasn't very bad when I got it. It wasn't a smooth ride, but it wasn't harsh. Mine came with the F41 suspension option, which, from what I can tell, is similar to the base Z28. Now, with the mods in my sig, it's like a bob-sled on rough roads. On smooth/fresh roadways , I wouldn't trade it for anything (well, anything less than a C5 or C6 and some BMWs).
If you want a smooth ride and good handling, don't lower the car. Go with some of the WS6 or IROC springs (Moog replacements), KONIs, and sway bars that fit your taste. I've heard that the stock spring ride much better than the Eibachs that I have.

 

Tires make a BIG difference too, if you have low profile tires on big wheels you will never get a nice ride on a Camaro, I just replaced my old Cooper Cobra 235/55-16 tires, put on some new Cooper Cobras, 235/55-16 and 295/50-16 in the back and even with all original struts and shocks it went from rough riding to very smooth. Granted it's not handling like a race car but still handles very well.

 

Like everybody has said, get good shocks.

koni or bilstein if you can afford it, or Tockico HP's at the least.

Tockico HP's are only a little more money than crap shocks (monroe) and are lightyears better. They should last longer too.

How does it feel over bumps or dips? before I changed the shocks and struts in my car (87 IROC-Z so as stiff as a ws6), every bump or dip was very harsh, and loud.

After I changed them, the car wasn't any "softer" but it dealt with road irregularities MUCH MUCH better. Nothing was harsh anymore, it just hit the bump or dip and was done with it. No more Ka-BAM!

My advice is go get some shocks and struts, I guarantee you'll notice a difference.

 

replace your springs, as suggested by someone above Moog IROC replacements are good. Fresh shocks and struts (don't really have to be high dollar, just newer than the likely worn out ones on there now). New bushings on the a arms and rear LCA's. Check front wheel bearings and ball joints for play, replace as needed. Also, get your tires balanced, it's surprising how much vibration out of balance tires cause.

I rebuilt my IROC suspension with Moog and TRW parts and it makes a world of difference. No need to spend big $$ on aftermarket parts, when the stock set up is pretty darn good. Unless of course you plan on autox or laying down serious 60' times.

 

what about getting swaybars, will that help?

 

My Firebird S/E Rattles, shakes, Knocks, Jarrs into gear....but i LOVE it...I drive my dads 2006 Charger SXT sometimes but it feel less connected to the road...I love getting in my car and "feeling" the driving experience through the wheel.

 

if it doesnt have any on it now, yes. won't really help the ride, but it will help handling. if it does make sure the bushings are ok, and replace the end links with poly ones. not a source of harsh ride, but it can be a source of noises.

 

I dont mean to hi-jack this thread but I have a similiar question. I just started to restore a 91 RS Vert. The shocks are original and need to be replaced. I see Monroe is not the way to go but what about the KYB - GR2's? Are they going to give me the tight smooth ride and handle the curve feel I'm looking for vs the Tickico HP's? As you can see I have a small budget...Any info helps....

 

I have the GR2s on my car. It rides pretty decent. They are not all out performance by any means. A nice balance of comfort and moderate performance

I have owned several thirdgens and this is the best riding one. I just hope it stays that way when I put my Eibachs on!

 

Mine has 6month old -1'' drop ebachs and 8-9 month old bilsteins and it rides a little bit better then the fork lift I use to drive at work.
I need new tires, the ones on my car have been junk for a few years now. They just won't ware out so I haven't replaced them.

 

Thanks!! I will start with the KYB's first.

 

My car is bone jarring. GR2 fronts, Gas-A-justs Rear, Eibach Sportlines, 17" wheels.

 

I am just going with the pro-kit and I have the GR2s in the back., Hopefully it won't be bone jarring

 

Mine isn't bad at all. Tokico progressive rate springs, KYB Gas-a-Just and GR2 shocks and struts, Boxed LCA's and panhard, STB, poly suspension all the way around.

I daily drive this thing and I really don't have problems with ride comfort. It isn't a caddy, but it isn't exactly a full on road racer either. The best thing i've done to help the ride was to install progressive rate springs. It really helped.

 

i know this is an old thread, but just curios, do the v6 cars ride different than the v8? mine(v6) rides fine until i put the kids in the back seat, then it feels like its gonna shatter the rear window over bumps. would it handle the wait of rear seat passengers better if i used v8 rear springs?

 

torque arm

 

replace the torque arm?

 

rear springs are pretty much the same except for z28/iroc....I would suggest buying a set of springs from your local parts house (advance runs about $70 bucks for the set and they carry moog) and replace the shocks (nothing fancy, just fresh parts), basically what it sounds like is that the weight in the rear is letting the suspension travel too much. If you have the original springs or even old replacements, a new set will help. And while you are looking check your sway bar links, lca bushings and such. Also, seems silly but what's your tire pressure and what size tire?

Torque arm only keeps the axle from twisting under load, doesn't really have anything to do with the ride. Lots to do with traction, but ride no.

Just rebuilt much of the suspension on my 87 last week...big difference, again unless you are hot rodding around, stock replacements are just dandy, especially if you're still riding around on 20+ yr old factory parts.

 

I daily drive my car, and with my current setup it sounds like the car will rattle apart over really bad roads (a bump in the concrete every 10' and pot holes everywhere). However, when it comes time to turn, my setup is absolutly amazing. If I was always on smooth surfaces (like I am for autoX) I would want my front springs to be a little stiffer, but I can live with it. Another factor making it ride really bad is that I have my front Koni SA's at almost full stiff. I've got poly and heim joints everywhere on my car too. I'm going to try and calculate how many lateral G's my car can handle sometime soon... probably over spring break.

I can live with the "harsh" ride because of all the autocrossing I do. I'm at well over 10 events a year and this is in the rust belt where we can't terrorize cones all year long. My occasional passenger complains how rough my car drives, but as soon as we get to the turns they are absoluty astounded.

If only it was practical to go lower and stiffer...
Mike

 

You mirror my thoughts and experiences exactly...I just don't auto-x near as much haha
For what it's worth, mine showed a 1.05 G on a G-Force meter (or whatever they're called) compared to a 1.00 WS6 and a .95 EVO. And that was with the skinny 245s and stock front shocks. I know it's over exagerated, but I still beat them lol

 

i think you are right, its letting the suspension travel to much, should i replace the springs with v6 or z28/trans am springs? I dont mind a stiff ride, but i also need to be able to put kids in back . like i said, with 1 or 2 people in the car it hits the bumps fine. its when i put weight in the back seat it rides horrible. i dont remember my brothers 91 formula having this problem. we used to put 4 adults in that and hammer down with a normal ride.

 

There isn't much variation in the rear spring rates for 3rd gens. Advance lists the same springs for all Camaros (CC635 Moog Hefticoils @ $66).

Front spring rates vary widely between suspension packages and models/engines. I think I remember someone here had done a table or chart on spring rates for various suspension packages, try a search if you are curious.

The only real differences is for IROC's, since they came with slightly shorter springs.

 

yeh mine rides pretty stiff, and still has the stock stuff from day one on the car.

 

So are the kyb worth the buy? Im not wanting to spend to much money just keep the front end from smacking the pavement. I think the car handles great, but I drive diesels most of the time so take it for what its worth.

 

advance auto sells Gabriel Ultra struts. those are cheap and work well. not sure compared to kyb and such, but a lot better than what I had. I just replaced rear for now.

 

I'd get the KYBs over the Gabriels. From what I've read, the KYBs are in the same class as the Monroes.

 

Monroes are crap---sensatracks are anyways. Made my IROC ride like it had wooden wheels!

 

If you want a DECENT ride and handling? I guess it depends on the definition of decent. KYBs are ok (I have the GR2s on mine, 3 years old with 10k on them), but I'm swapping for either Koni Reds or Bilsteins. It rides stiff, and the handling is decent but not spectacular.

When I bought the KYBs in '06, I had $3k total tied up in the car, and couldn't justify spending the $$$$ on Bilsteins. Now, I have $12k in the car, and I'm pissed I went cheap in '06. These are the ONLY thing I cheaped out on...