SSC Springs all the way, there amazing and i LOVE THEM.

 

is it safe to keep the stock struts with the sportlines?

 

safe no, can it be done yes, the stock shocks/struts arent meant to handle such an agressive spring rate. you'll blow the shocks if u are an agressive drive, they might last longer if u arent agressive but will eventually go.

 

The Sportlines only drop it about an inch and a half, well within what would be the normal valving area of the struts. You figure if you had 4 350 pound fatties in the Cobalt it would drop it about what the Sportlines would.

Seriously tho a drop of about an inch to no more then two inches can be handled just fine by stock struts. More then that and you need after markets.

Sportlines do just fine with the stockers.

 

thanks jack. that's all i needed to know.

 

No problem.

 

your not driving around w/ 4 350+ lbs fatties all the time are you. so the stress on the shocks is always there then when u add additional weight ie those 350 lbs fatties then u have a problem. the shocks and struts might last but they are not doing the dampening fast enough for those springs. remember guys its not a vette gm does lots of stuff cheaply. I say do it right the first time u save more money in the end result.

 

just ordered sportlines from THmotorsports. can't wait to get them.

 

Buuuut no one makes bolt on replacements for the Balt yet. And what if you ARE a 350 pound fatty with a 350 pound wife and 2 350 pound a piece kids? It would ride like that all the time then right? They have to have a safe range for loads to be figured in and anything under 2 inches falls into that safe range. Thats not my talking but all the strut companies too. It'd be nice to "do it right the first time" but I'm not gonna cut up the factory struts to kit the Koni's in when there's no reason too.

Now sure if your auto crossing then yeah you'll want to get the Koni's but for everyday, stockers work just fine.

You are gonna LOVE EM! And you'll see what I mean about the ride and then you can post for yourself if I'm full of crap. And be honest, if you think it sucks then say so. But seeing how my wife, kids, and MOM thinks its not rough then I think you should be ok.

 

i'll be sure to post up my opinion on the sportlines. . ill keep you guys posted.

 

Looking forward to it. I mean I wanna see if your more girly then my wife and daughters!

 

Basically minimal price difference, sportlines lower more, sportlines have a higher spring rate, for a more firm ride.

We have both the pro kit and sportlines in stock at a great price.

 

we'll see.

 

thats why u be patient and wait for kyb or tokico to come out w/ full replacements.

 

well i guess we could make this the sport line pro kit thread lol

ok so the sport line are stiffer then i guess

so much mixed answers

 

put it this way i've lowered tons of cars, from camaro's, civic, integras, sentras, cavaliers, is300's and the list goes on,

i have a camaro and had a cavalier, camaro id id it right the first time when i lowered it, since it is RWD i bought adjustable lower control arms, adjustable panhard rods, sub frame connectors, B+G springs, SLP revalved Belstien shocks. I had learned from my cavalier. my cavalier i chopped the springs, then just slapped new stock shocks and some B+G springs, i'm an agressive driver and take turns as fast as possible and as hard as possible so about 6 months shocks and strut, as well as the mounts were destroyed, so i bought KYB AGX shocks, the bouncing and worrying about blowing the shocks were gone. very comfortable after that.

lowered IS300 w/, watch it here it comes TEIN springs, stock shocks, road like crap imo, shocks blew in a matter of 5 months so he bought garbage ass TEIN coilovers, he didnt want me to install so he had someone else do it that did a half ass job, and well that road even worse lol.

sentra, Skunk 2 coilovers, stock shocks, very bouncy, shocks blew in 2 months.

integras and civics w/ just springs actually went from any where between lowering it w/ already blown shocks to lasting 6 months.

oh yeah and a focus or 2, which lasted less than 6 months,

so even if ours are slightly better shocks they will blow.

 

And I blew out Tokicos my first week owning them on my lowered Cavi. Aftermarkets will blow out too they are not the be all and all of struts. Neither are our factories. The point I was trying to make was that all strurs and shocks have a normal valve range of about 1 inch to no more then 2 inches so in droping a car a inch to an inch and a half still has you in that normal valve range. If you want aftermarkets knock yourself out and I wish you all the best with them. But as for your NEEDING them, you don't.

Your being an agresive driver does not mean the whole of the driving population will encounter the same problems you do while driving your car like being chased by the cops 24/7. But I did say if you intend to race it then yes aftermarkets will be a better bet then stockers, but for NORMAL daily driving the stockers with a drop are perfectly fine.

 

seem like u guys cant come to an understanding

 

That pretty much describes the way I drive!

 

We're not argueing Just discusing, BIG DIFFERENCE!

 

ya i no

 

yess just discusing. I HATE YOU lol, j/k. come on now coming from 2 people that owned cavi's and were on the JBO, and know how bad our shocks were, u couldnt lower it without blowing the shocks within a 6 month period driving easy. and we jumped for joy second koni's came out with shocks and struts for our cars and then RK came out w/ their coilover kit. lol.

i'm sure the cobalt shocks are stiffer to be able to handle more agressive spring rates i'm sure gm "learned" from the cavalier. atleast i hope they did. so you might be fine w/ no more than a 1.5" drop and thats pushing it. all depends on 1 the install, 2 your driving. if you install them properly and tq all bolts to their spec then thats already a good step, now if u drive like an old lady then thats step 2 in making the struts last.

 

im thinking of buying the pro kit, because i bottom out as it as with stock ride height, but the back could use some lowering so imma do that

 

i ordered sportlines

 

I had a Cavi. too! And yes when I dropped it I went with the Tein Tokico setup from Gravana, but so far nothing like that exists for the Cobalt. True if you want to get the Konis and cut your factories they will be better then stock. But droping the SS around an inch shouldn't pose a problem for the stock struts. Its only an inch!

Yeah the Pro Kit only drops the rear on the SS cars. Hell you may as well just leave the stock ones in the front and just do the rear, it'd save you some time and trouble.

Your gonna love em!