I used the search button... I swear.

That being said, I know this has been discussed before but I can't find the info I'm looking for. How exactly do the SS and SS/SC (FE5) suspensions differ aside from the size of the stabilizer bars? Do the SS and SS S/C use the same springs/shocks/struts? What about the control arms?

I found this info online via a Google search.

The Cobalt rides on a MacPherson strut front suspension and a semi-independent, torsion beam rear suspension. Front and rear stabilizer bars – uncommon features for compact cars in Cobalt’s price range – are standard on all models. Suspension tuning for each model, including steering feel, spring rate and stabilizer bar diameter, is dialed in to provide distinct driving and handling characteristics. Three suspension settings are available:

FE1 suspension – standard on LS, LT and LTZ models, it provides a smooth ride and includes a 19-mm front stabilizer bar and a 16-mm rear stabilizer bar
FE3 suspension – standard on SS models, it delivers a firmer, more direct ride and includes 22-mm front and rear stabilizer bars, four-wheel disc brakes, monotube shocks and 17-inch wheels and performance tires
FE5 suspension – standard on the SS Supercharged, it was developed on the racetrack to deliver sports car levels of handling and grip; 24-mm front stabilizer bar and 22-mm rear stabilizer bar, higher-rate springs and bushings, four-wheel disc brakes, monotube shocks and 18-inch forged aluminum wheels with complementing performance tires
Cobalt’s strut-type front suspension is compact yet provides long wheel travel, with 90 mm of compression travel and 87 mm of rebound, which is substantially more than most competitors and enhances overall ride and handling. Monotube rear shocks are used for a more precise road feel. L-shaped front control arms contain a forward pivot bushing, which transmits most of the cornering force, and a larger, high-damped composite rear elastomeric bushing that allows rearward movement to minimize harshness from road surface impacts. The front control arms are made from steel on the FE1 suspension and are aluminum on the FE3 and FE5 suspensions.

The direct-acting front stabilizer bar connects to each strut for precise steering response and improved cornering agility with decreased body roll. All front suspension components are mounted to a new, rigid cradle assembly comprised of four large hydroformed steel tubes and two side members that are integrally welded to front and rear cross members. The cradle is mounted to the Cobalt’s space frame at four widely spaced points.

Cobalt’s torsion beam rear suspension provides excellent ride and handling, while maximizing interior space. A hydraulic rear suspension bushing is employed on the FE1 suspension to improve the ride and suppress road noise. Rear wheel travel, at 126.5 mm in jounce and 68.5 mm in rebound, is longer than most vehicles in the segment.

 

yea I don't know if the FE3 control arms are aluminum even tho it says it on that site. Maybe someone else with an SS could confirm.

The springs are obviously different, I dunno about the shocks/struts but since the springs are stiffer the shocks are probably revalved to be tighter. Is it worth upgrading springs/shocks from the SS to the s/c?
dunno, never been in a 2.4 Ss before and depends how low u want the car to be, how harsh a suspension, etc

 

Then FE3 is the suspension used on the HHR 2.4

The swaybars are the main; what you can feel diffrence,
The FE3 and FE5 both have aluminum control arms,
They use diffrent shocks/struts, the damping rates are diffrent
They they diffrent springs depending on non-SS auto and manual, FE5 are diffrent also. Reason = Weight

I now have aluminum control arms courtsey a butt smashed HHR