Deals exclusively with Suspension modifications? I did a quick search on the Supporting Vendors boards but the lack of a description with each makes it difficult to really gauge what one specializes in versus another other than its name.

Anyone dealt with a supporting vendor for suspension and will refer them?

 

john powell but hes not a supporting vendor on here

 

x2 Powell is your best bet for non-ricer suspension mods.

What is it exactly that you want, OP?

 

I'm sitting about 4 inches in the rear and 3 in the front (2008 NA Cobalt) and my rims are headed to powder coat in about 3 days. The gap between tread and fender well is atrocious and I want it dropped with Eibach Sport line (2.0 F / 2.5 R) and I don't want to botch this stuff up. Just need to know everything about putting lowering springs on it and what I'm going to need to make it a smooth transition from 4x4 to clean. I'm not trying to be super rice. I have no 3M adhesive tape chrome pieces or w/e from Autozone. No stickers or decals on the car. Just want something cleaner than the 4x4 mode I have now.

I've heard steering spacers, camber/toe, alignment, etc and I need to talk to someone on the phone about what I need and don't need for my application.

**EDIT**

And I don't mind paying a professional to install them because suspension is basically everything on a car besides the drive-train.

 

Just about any vendor can help you out with getting sportlines, I don't know how many will be willing to be your own personal tip and advice line though. Besides, calling them up not knowing what you need is a good way to get sold a bunch of **** you DON'T need.

How many miles are on your shocks/struts? Might not be a bad idea to replace them if they're getting up there in miles. A lot of people with sportlines run rack spacers. You shouldn't need a camber kit, but an alignment is a MUST any time you install lowering springs.

 

if u have the money get some coilovers..other than that, what she said^^

 

If it's purely for looks, coilovers aren't a bad way to go either. If it's for performance, pedders + FE5 and fuggedaboudit. They don't make a good performance adjustable coilover for the Deltas, at least not one that's on the mass market and affordable.

 

I know that if I protray myself as a dummy, they will take me for a ride like one. I know that I don't need to have new cv joints or wheel bearings when putting on new springs. Thinks like rack spacers, steering knuckles, shocks, and struts are though.

I financed it at 33,000 miles ( I bought it used ) and I've since put almost 50k on it. (Sitting at just under 81k) and I haven't had any issues with the suspension other than the sway bar end links going bad on me (Replaced). I am going to assume its never had the suspension parts replaced (Shocks, Struts or springs) because it still handles like the day I got it.

I understand that I get what I pay for and I need to know that with my budget for the upgrades I want to do to the car this month whether or not I can consider dropping it is feasible.

I have about 600 wrapped up in other things such as CAI, Powder coat, etc. but my wife is being a miser about what I put and how much I put into it because she's just a jew like that.

What about a toe adjustment? I know it will require an alignment and I honestly don't have anything for pneumatic tools other than what I can rent from the local on post auto center (I can rent a hoist for 2 bucks an hour and its covered. The rental also comes with tool rental but I don't think it covers the air tools rental too. I really don't want to do the suspension DIY but I don't mind paying a real mechanic labor to put the parts I provide him with on the car. I just need to make sure I'm not getting anything I don't need for the application and I am getting everything I need at the same time.

 

I also looked through the sticky about suspensions and I'm running the FE5 factory stuff and the JL9 break system.

If I upgrade to the Sportline series kit from Eibach, What shocks and struts do I need to upgrade / update / replace?

So far replacing the factory stuff with new factory stuff is going to run me about 225 Shipped. Plus cost of the Eibach springs is knocking on 500, thats not including spacers or anything else that has been mentioned required for the drop. It's starting to look like lowering is going to be out of the question...

Just beyond me why I would replace old shocks and struts with new factory stuff with the same specs.

 

Then don't. Go on crate engine depot, and get the fe5 shocks and struts, they're much better than your fe3. Also honsetly, if you want to do lowering springs the right way, do ones that will actually improve your handling, like pedders or ssc. Doing things the right way is never the cheap way. Rack spacers are not required, they just help reduce bump steer and axle bind. Personally, I've been running lowering springs on both an LT cobalt and an SS for a year and a half now, and I've never ran rack spacers.

 

i never bought rack spacers or new struts/ shocks. ive had my cobalt t lowered for almost 60k miles and never had a problem. i do need new front sway bar links tho asap. mine are shot

 

really as long as you do your best to avoid potholes and large bumps your struts will be fine.

 

So the Sport line series + Sway bars (I have none) and an alignment? And I'm sorry for being a noob but what is bump steer?

Would it be better to purchase the FE5's used off someone with an SS to handle the added stresses?

Of course I'm looking at bottom line and I just want to avoid spending more than the 1500 I have alotted for everything I want to upgrade.

Here's my budget:

Rotors + Pads = $275
Audio = $200
CAI = $250
Powder Coat = $300 (Its really $260 but I'm also adding the dismount fee for the tires)

That leaves me with about $400 for suspension. Can it be done? I can add another $250 if necessary so that would put me at 650 for suspension.

 

You can just do lowering springs without struts if you want. really you'll be fine. just dodge potholes. Also if you're doing a sway bar, go to ottp and get their street bar. Stay away from the eibach one. SSC springs are gonna be cheaper than sportlines, drop about the same, and handle better. If you get new struts, just get new ones. You're not very likely to find used tc struts, and you want ones with no wear on them.

Budget suspension setup I'd recommend

https://www.zzperformance.com/cobalt...=456&catid=146

Cobalt FE5 Struts and Shock Pkg FE5-S - Crate Engine Depot

OTT Rear Sway Bar Street - Over The Top Performance

Leave out the sway bar if you wanna save money. If you're not gonna do anything more than daily driving, you won't really need it.

Bump steer is when you hit a bump, the wheels get turned left or right. Lowering springs magnifies this. Steering rack spacers help this.

 

I have the 2.4L sport and the Eibach Sport series said 2.0 Front / 2.5 Rear for my trim level. The SSC ones you linked me show 1.0 / 1.3 respectively but I believe thats the lowering amount for the SS / SC-TC ?

 

Suspension Mods

Pedders Springs
Koni Yellow Shocks and Struts (Fully Adjustable)
Powell Hardcore Rear Sway Bar

Since you have a SS 2.4 you can upgrade your front sway bar to a SS/SC one 24mm or a SS/TC one at 25mm

Then Powergrid endlinks to accompany that sway bar

Optional Mods

Powell Stage 2 Rotated Mounts + Steering Rack Spacers
Check your front Lower Control Arm bushings and Upgrade them with Powells LCA Bushings

 

Yes, that's for the ss/tc/sc. In the end, it should look like this.



Nice two finger width gap between the fender and the tires.

 

I don't have a Supercharged or Turbocharged cobalt. Its the trim level right below the SS trim. The stock ride height is higher than the SS outright.

 

I know that. It's still going to be just as low. You've got the ss kit just without the lips, so it'll look similar. the only reason it says that it drops less for the tc/sc is because the tc/sc is already lower than the rest. The springs will put your car to the same height regardless of trim level.

 

ahh Ok, I just wrote my budget up and with the SSC listed at $250 shipped, My bottom line for EVERYTHING I want to do to my car short of Turbocharging it is $1,959.63

My wife gave me saucer eyes when I told her my bottom line and we argued about it (She thinks it juvenile to lower a car and has no idea it really makes handling and acceleration a little better) but I'm not a track type of guy. I just like a little "push me back in my seat" when I want it.

Whats the difference between the SSC and the Pedders?

I could save almost $500 by taking the headlights and sway bar off but the car wouldn't feel complete without those things in my first stage of upgrading.

The only thing I believe I could live without is the sway bar. I just replaced my sway bar end links, will I have to replace those again or will the stock ones suffice?

 

keep the rear sway bar from powell if your gonna buy it from there, theres nothing better than that on the market

night and day difference when driving and taking turns

headlights i would skip right away and focus on suspension

pedders will be higher than ssc springs

pedders are stiffer and great for the track

ssc are very similar to stock suspension softness but lower than pedders

 

Got it all figured out guys, Thanks!

 

what was the choice????