Hey guys.

The Chevy brochure is very vague. When I bought my Honda, it gave me specs for everything. All it say in the 2006 Cobalt one is that there's 3 different suspensions based on model.

What is the differences between the models? Like the spring rates, stabiliser bars, etc. Anyone have a link or anything to some specifications or at least basic information? I know the SS n/a is the FE3, and the SS s/c is the FE5...but I don't know much more than that.

Is the FE3 on my car similar to the old Oldsmobile FE3's in the late 80's? lol.

 

i think the ss super and ss n/a have the same suspension

 

No ...

 

Not at all. Yes, the SS n/a is better than the normal models. I love my SS n/a suspension. However, the s/c is even better. Maybe more stiff, I don't know a whole lot about it.

The 2.4 is the FE3 and the s/c is the FE5.

Does the FE3 have front and rear lower sway bars?

 

I might as well put the headlines of my posts:

"Look, But Don't Respond"

It'll be the same as now.

* shrugs *

 

your posts are too complex for us

 

All I'm asking is if I have front and rear lower stabilizer bars and how mine differs from the SS s/c's. lol.

 

well on my cars sticker it says i have sport tuned suspension so what else is different on the 2.4 then the 2.0?

 

oh well if it says sport tuned on the sticker it must be the same ....lol


The SS Supercharged’s standard FE5 suspension features aluminum L-shaped front control arms, sport-tuned struts and a 24-mm direct-acting front stabilizer bar. The rear suspension has monotube shocks and a 22-mm stabilizer bar. Sport-tuned springs at all four corners help reduce lean during cornering and lower the car 10 mm, giving the SS Supercharged a more aggressive stance


Although the aft end retains the standard Cobalt twist-beam axle, the front struts get light-weight aluminum control arms, as opposed to the steel hardware on a regular Cobalt, and far beefier stabilizer bars both front and rear. Of course, springs, shocks and bushings are all tuned for performance in this most athletic Cobalt.

 

The 2.4 has the "sport tuned", the 2.0 has the "performance handling". We've got stiffer shocks and springs on the 2.0 so cornering is a little better and the car sits a little lower...and basically everything c7045 said. I also read where we had less unsprung weight because the 2.0 had lighter weight components than the 2.4.

 

i thought that both ss suspension were the same i had no idea, well do you think all those parts from the ss/sc would be a direct fit to the ss 2.4?

 

thats rarely the case but you could do some research and let us know ...

 

They might be, but it'd be an expensive swap I'm sure in parts alone, let alone labor if you couldn't do it yourself (when compressing springs is involved, that takes a lot of DIY value out of it). A lot of people think the 2.4 SS is just the same as the SS/SC with a different engine and minus the supercharger and it's not. That's a big reason why a lot of people were angry with GM's decision to even badge it as an SS. Personally I think they would have been better served to bring back the Z badging and make it a Z24 Cobalt to eliminate a lot of the confusion and because it's higher performance than the entry level models, but it's missing a lot of key components of the SS. Dealers are as much to blame, though. When I was in to get my oil changed I heard 2 different salesmen telling people they could buy the 2.4 and get the EXACT same car as the Supercharged version.

 

I'm glad they didnt do Z24 we dont need any more association with Cavi's

it could go

Cobalt LS----- Cobalt LS Sport---- Cobalt SS

 

LS Sport would still be a Cavi throwback though. I just thought Z24 would fit because it is, in fact, a 2.4. I also saw it suggested that they use the RS badge which wouldn't be bad either. I just think they're being misleading by badging it an SS.

 

it is misleading becasue it made me think hey im getting the coablt ss without the supercharger and a bigger engine so i can turbo it and have all the other conveniences of the s/c but you all are definatly saying that the suspension of the ss 2.4 is the same as the 2.2? if not then what is differnt, height? shocks? sways? control arm? what distingushes the 2.4 suspension from the 2.2 suspension?

 

No, the 2.4 has a slightly better suspension than the 2.2. It's got slightly stiffer rear shocks so it corners a little better. That's really the only difference between it and the 2.2. So it is better but if you look at it on a spectrum from the 2.2 suspension to the 2.0 suspension the 2.4 falls a lot closer to the 2.2 end. I hope that makes sense.

That's exactly why I don't like the way Chevy badges the Cobalt. The 2.2 cars have three badges - LS, LT, and LTZ. They're all basically the same car underneath but with different options both inside and outside. So one would expect that the only difference between the SS models would be the engine since they are badged the same, but they're not, there's actually a lot more difference between them than there is between the 2.2 models. It's definitely misleading and I can guarantee you you're not the only one who bought the 2.4 assuming it was identical except for the engine to the 2.0.

 

i know that sucks then, so i guess those eibach springs will lower me a good bit , i still cant understand why the s/c eibachs dont lower the front at all

 

Also, just to add, the FE3 and FE5 suspension share the same alignment specs. as opposed to the FE1 set-up. The FE5 is more aggresive than the FE3. The control arms are the same on both, the sway bars may-be (I will try measuring them at work). I believe the difference between the FE3 and FE5 is the spring height, stiffness and dampening of the shocks/struts.

 

I would tend to agree...Although I have only had the car for a week, I am pretty sure that the front control arms are aluminum too. I bet it is in the spring rates, ride height, and damper (shocks). For production sake (knowing how cheap GM is). The probably changed the minimum amount of components to make the maximum difference. That would be springs and shocks.

P.S. Don't forget that 18" wheels with more agressive rubber will also improve handling.

 

so when the aftermarket opens up more and i get performance shocks and eibach springs then basically that will be close the the s/c and dont hose 18's slow you down a good bit compared to the 17's on the 2.4

 

What do you mean by lower???? I have never heard that in conjunction with sway bar.

 

I have driven base and 2.4L SS cars. The suspension is not close at all. I suspect the 2.4L is alot close to S/C SS then the base 2.2.

We have you fancy 5 lug axles and brakes too. The 2.4L SS is not a dressed up base or LS at all.

I'd like to know how someone figures a SS/SC is lighter. The supercharger and releated equipment adds weight.

 

I didn't think the suspension was close between any of the cars. I drove a 2.4 after I bought my SS and it didn't feel nearly as tight.

No one said the SS/SC is lighter, we're strictly talking about suspension components and unsprung weight.

 

Nobody said anythign about the car as a whole beign lighter ... the suspension components are lighter ..

dont turn this into a SS vs SS/SC argument (it wont be pretty) ...your allways tring to aggresivly defend the 2.4 ....I get it becasue you own one but some perspective is allways good