Which would you choose (bang for the buck)

[khiser0001]

I am picking up my 1995 SHO today and I use to have a 93. I would like the car to handle somewhat better but I will not be going through and doing coilovers, etc.

With that said what would make the best first mod to build on.

1. Replace the factory 95 Sway Bars with used 24/26MM sway bars

2. Do upper strut tower braces front and rear.

I eventually will do the Police SFB's as I do not want all of the vibration and noise that the solid ones generate. I have also thought about doing the Sub frame connectors as well.

What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[NJshofear]

I would do:
1:SFC
2:Strut Tower Braces
3:Sway bars

make sure you shocks/springs are good and not worn out.

 

[khiser0001]

So you would do the SFC even without the Solid SubFrame Bushings? What are the down sides to the SFC? I would assume that in an accident there would not be the designed "flex" thus causing major damage to the frame. Am I wrong?

(Not that I want to get in an accident)

NJshofear:
I would do:
1:SFC
2:Strut Tower Braces
3:Sway bars

make sure you shocks/springs are good and not worn out.

 

[AutoXSHO]

My order would be different I guess. Assuming nothing is worn out in the suspension (a big assumption). To improve handling:

1. Wider wheels and tires
2. SFCs
3. Sway Bars
4. Shocks/Springs (Depending on what kind of ride you want)
5. Bushings, including subframe bushings
6. Strut tower braces

John V

 

[luigisho]

I think the sfc's would give you more bang for the buck as handling goes. As for the crash scenario I think that is a good and overlooked point. I believe the car is designed to have the engine slant downward in a front impact to lessen intrusion into the foot area of the cabin. I would think sfc's would alter this charactistic along with other crumpling designs.

 

[NJshofear]

khiser0001:
So you would do the SFC even without the Solid SubFrame Bushings? What are the down sides to the SFC? I would assume that in an accident there would not be the designed "flex" thus causing major damage to the frame. Am I wrong?

(Not that I want to get in an accident)

NJshofear:
I would do:
1:SFC
2:Strut Tower Braces
3:Sway bars

make sure you shocks/springs are good and not worn out.

i would also add wider wheels and tires to the list. the reason i put sfc on first is they also help with traction. Between those and STB you will have essentialy connected the 4 corners of the car to each other. then you should worry bout springs shocks and swaybars

 

[fredhurderjr]

I totally buy into John's schedule except for one thing - bang for buck. Wider wheels & tires are going to run you a pretty penny - my 17's with BFG's ran about the $1800 range.

• SFC's - I have the shorties, and installed ran me $105. SFC's are not really subframe connectors in the way they sound like they are - they don't weld to the engine subframe. They are body-front & body-rear connectors.

• Rear Bar / Front Bar - I only did the rear 26mm and ES poly bushings. The set was $150 for the front and rear bars (used) and the new bushings were something like $30-40 from SP Motorsports

• The Eibach / Tokico combo is nice, but also a little pricey. It IS worth the handling money, though. Figure what, $250 range for the Eibachs & the $500 range for the Tokicos or Koni's?

• The STBs I did last in my upgrade. By the time they went on, there was only a marginal difference noted on my 95. For their cost, I'd save them for last. At a few hundred for the bars, it's a considerable investment.

I have not done the solid SFBs yet, but I'm thinking about it a lot. From what I've heard, the SFB's before the STBs makes performance sense, especially in Bang for Buck. At the $100-$150 range (depending on vendor), parts price is good.

Good luck, Kevin!

 

[AutoXSHO]

Oops. In my Ibuprofen and Pseudoephedrine induced stupor I missed the "bang for buck" part of the post. I was just going for bang

The SFBs are a great mod, but some people find that they are excessively harsh. Personally, I'll run lowered springs and tightly valved shocks as well as poly bushings on the street and be totally comfortable with it, but it's not for everyone.

The SFC's and sway bars are going to give the most noticable difference I think. Springs/shocks - big difference but as Fred said they are pricey. Poly bushings and aluminum SFBs are great, and not very expensive.

I personally have not been impressed with the effect of strut tower braces, so I'll probably skip those.

John V

 

[thebigjimsho]

On the Strut Tower Braces, I did those first. On a stock suspension, you will find that the front is helpful, the rear only marginally so. With a stock suspension, the front STB will help substantially keep those front tires square to the ground, reducing flex and keeping the contact patches on the ground. The increase of speed in corners to me was quite noticable. I did find that it compromised ride quality a little bit. Again, I didn't notice a huge difference in the back, as there is less weight and thus, less flex.