Everyones Hero

I just finished a brake upgrade on my '86 foxbody & I realized I'm running struts that are likely 26 years old. It has a lot of body roll. I'd probably drive an SUV through corners faster than I'd drive my fox through them.

I figured the struts would be the best initial upgrade, followed by springs, then onto other things.

I'm looking for a slight increase in performance & to tighten the car up to make it more fun to drive. It'll be DD 99% of the time with the occasional trip to the drag strip but I'm not looking for drag performance.

I was looking at the KYB GR-2s but they seem to be hit or miss. I was thinking the Koni STR.Ts would be a good choice, or maybe the Tokicko Illuminas.

As for springs I have no idea. Maybe some type of Ebiach. Again I'd like to stiffen the car up & maybe get a 1-2" drop.

Jazzer The Cat

I have seen this since yesterday, but still don't have any time ATM I will get back to you later on today

Jazzer

Everyones Hero

I appreciate it. I'm not in a huge rush (well- to be specific I don't have the funds ATM. :P)

Jazzer The Cat

It is important to match the springs with shocks/struts, so that they dampen the movement of your car well over time. If you have too light a shock/strut for the spring, they can get beat up trying to limit the rebound of a spring that is not helping enough. If the shock/strut is too light, it does not dampen enough to avoid you pogo'ing down the street... lol. Norm has TONS more experience with the above than I, so hopefully he will chime in with a good matched set for your needs.

As for amount of drop, I recommend no more than 1.5". Going beyond this can introduce some negative geometry issues. Either way, I recommend you consider a set of CC plates if you drop your ride. The Fox can stand a bit more caster, and if you are running wider than OEM wheels/tires up front, this can be very beneficial in the corners for improved contact patch of tires.

Jazzer

Everyones Hero

Could you recommend any good brands?

I was looking around at maybe the Koni STR.T or Tokicko Illumina struts.

I really don't know what the good brands are for either springs or struts.

Jazzer The Cat

I am gonna let Norm chime in on this one as he is MUCH more knowledgeable than I regarding shocks/struts.

Probably the most popular brands mentioned on this forum:

#3 = Tokico D-Specs
#2 = Bilsteins
#1 = Koni

Jazzer

Everyones Hero

Thank you for the information. Does anyone know if the Koni STR.T struts are good for a fun DD?

Norm Peterson

STR.t's should be OK for a daily-driver and occasional dragstrip or autocross use as long as you don't get carried away with the spring rates. Supposedly they're about where the Koni yellows (adjustable) are at or near their softest setting.

GR-2's are really OE replacements, IOW better than your worn-out/dead originals and probably what you'd install in a car that you were going to get rid of in a year so you could claim that it has "new shocks".

Illuminas are OK but tend to be harsher-riding than necessary, and in my experience when you dial them back (i.e. softer) you lose body movement control quite a bit faster than you gain any ride comfort going over short, sharp bumps like concrete expansion joints or railroad tracks that aren't absolutely flush with the adjacent road surface.

You might give Sam Strano a call (stranoparts.com, site vendor), as he's reasonably local to you (western PA) and has an even better handle on the relative merits of the various shocks and struts. The phone will work lots better than email or PM.


Norm

Everyones Hero

Thanks a lot! I'll definitely contact Strano when I have more money put away for this project.

From the way you describe them the STR.Ts might be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm not looking to make the car ride on rails & I'm not looking for road race quality at this time (maybe after college & a real job. :P)

And if I'm understanding you right the Illuminas would be a good entry level choice if I wanted a stiff/harsh ride but they're not a good choice for comfort.

Tangopapa

Jazzer's list is good.... You can always hit up a Swift springs for customized spring rates.