Suspension Gurus I Need Your Opinion
12/1/08, 01:30 PM
#1
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Suspension Gurus I Need Your Opinion
Sorry if this has been discussed in the past.
I have plans to buy a whole range of suspension products. My two company choices are BMR and CHE. Theres things that BMR has that CHE dont have and likewise.
My Question to all the Suspension Guys is, what is the better quality product? Does BMR have better quality products then CHE or is it the other way around?
Is it ok to mix some CHE products with BMR products?
I have plans to buy a whole range of suspension products. My two company choices are BMR and CHE. Theres things that BMR has that CHE dont have and likewise.
My Question to all the Suspension Guys is, what is the better quality product? Does BMR have better quality products then CHE or is it the other way around?
Is it ok to mix some CHE products with BMR products?
12/1/08, 06:18 PM
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Tough choices to make. Best to make a list and settle on what you want to do, then decide who to buy what from. What works or feels best to one person can have a completely different effect on someone else. There are a lot of variables that come into play.
12/1/08, 06:32 PM
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i know , thats what i hate. nothing is simple anymore!!
12/1/08, 06:33 PM
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one thing i see that i like is the che axle brace? how does that work? does anyone have it or know if its worth the money? looks like a friggin cool setup
12/1/08, 06:49 PM
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Stiffens the rear axle housing. Functionally you probably do not need it unless you have some really serious horsepower to deal with.
12/1/08, 06:53 PM
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12/1/08, 07:20 PM
#10
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I went through the same dilemma when I was making my choices. Initially I was gung ho on almost all BMR products. Then I read a few posts decrying the BMR non-adjustable LCA. Other than the billet LCA's, they are one of the only ones that are square. I then looked at all the brands and saw a large variance with materials but most of the others all use a tubular design. I went with J&M because they were listed as having zerk fittings for lubrication. My J&M's did not come with them and now in retrospect, I would have probably chosen CHE or Steeda instead. Steeda is chrome moly and more expensive but are probably a one time purchase. If the LCA's aren't going to be able to be lubricated, I like the CHE design. I did chose the BMR strut brace and am very happy with the quality.
For the LCA lowering bracket, I chose the CHE, along with the CHE extreme adjustable panhard bar and brace. I didn't want the spherical bearings and the poly one from BMR has the adjuster in the middle of the bar which I did not like and thought would be a weak spot. The Steeda adjustable panhard bar is also very nice and a good design. My CHE lowering brackets are extremely beefy and I think the strongest of any design I have seen. The Steeda is more adjustable but you really should weld them as they are not boxed.
I went with the Steeda UltraLites and Steeda ProAction shocks. I love the ride and the quality is good. In retrospect, I was a bit dissappointed with how much it lowered the car. I would have preferred it a tad lower and if I had to do it again, I would go FRPP springs. I did use the Steeda HD upper spring mounts and highly recommend them. They are high quality and give you some camber adjustability. I will most likely purchase the Steeda adjustable UCA's in the near future. They look to be the strongest and are the usual high quality Steeda is known for. I have a set of FRPP sway bars (Eibach) sitting in my garage waiting to go on but I don't have the right hardware. Steeda claims their sway bars are the best and they might be, but they are a bit more expensive.
In short, you can mix and match with no issues. I picked different parts from different vendors to try and get the best quality for the money and have the best item in each area. All the vendors are pretty good but Steeda and CHE in my opinion are the best in quality with BMR a close second. J&M products are ok and I think it depends on what you buy from them. I don't have any expererience with Spohn or Granatelli but they are both nearly identical and I think their products come from the same manufacturer.
For the LCA lowering bracket, I chose the CHE, along with the CHE extreme adjustable panhard bar and brace. I didn't want the spherical bearings and the poly one from BMR has the adjuster in the middle of the bar which I did not like and thought would be a weak spot. The Steeda adjustable panhard bar is also very nice and a good design. My CHE lowering brackets are extremely beefy and I think the strongest of any design I have seen. The Steeda is more adjustable but you really should weld them as they are not boxed.
I went with the Steeda UltraLites and Steeda ProAction shocks. I love the ride and the quality is good. In retrospect, I was a bit dissappointed with how much it lowered the car. I would have preferred it a tad lower and if I had to do it again, I would go FRPP springs. I did use the Steeda HD upper spring mounts and highly recommend them. They are high quality and give you some camber adjustability. I will most likely purchase the Steeda adjustable UCA's in the near future. They look to be the strongest and are the usual high quality Steeda is known for. I have a set of FRPP sway bars (Eibach) sitting in my garage waiting to go on but I don't have the right hardware. Steeda claims their sway bars are the best and they might be, but they are a bit more expensive.
In short, you can mix and match with no issues. I picked different parts from different vendors to try and get the best quality for the money and have the best item in each area. All the vendors are pretty good but Steeda and CHE in my opinion are the best in quality with BMR a close second. J&M products are ok and I think it depends on what you buy from them. I don't have any expererience with Spohn or Granatelli but they are both nearly identical and I think their products come from the same manufacturer.
12/1/08, 08:31 PM
#14
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The Steeda stuff is built right. If you have the pockets, go all Steeda and call Steeda Gus for help. Ask about Dario Orlando's car and why he did what he did to his car. If the guy owns the company, he could have anything and everything. From what I saw in the write-up, he didn't throw everything into the car due to his desire to drive it to work.
My personal suggestion is start with lowering springs and camber adjustment bolts. After you drop the car check to see if you need an adjustable panhard or lower control arms. If you DO NOT need adjustable parts, go rigid, as it will give you less noise and rattles. If you buy any poly-bushing parts make sure they have grease zerks and are easily accessed. You will need to grease regularly after car washes to make sure you eliminate squeaks.
If you don't mind harsh, go with the most extreme springs you feel comfortable with buying. You can't really go too harsh as the Steed Competition Springs are on my DD and I love them. I never put in sways and I have stock shocks and struts. My car handles great with no rattles and no steering issues.
You can always go back in and add. I have had my car apart 7 times and each time it takes less and less work. I have it down to 1 1/2 hours to lower a car. I did 5 friend's cars last year alone.
I suggest you go step-by-step. This will be easy on your mind and your wallet.
Good Luck.
My personal suggestion is start with lowering springs and camber adjustment bolts. After you drop the car check to see if you need an adjustable panhard or lower control arms. If you DO NOT need adjustable parts, go rigid, as it will give you less noise and rattles. If you buy any poly-bushing parts make sure they have grease zerks and are easily accessed. You will need to grease regularly after car washes to make sure you eliminate squeaks.
If you don't mind harsh, go with the most extreme springs you feel comfortable with buying. You can't really go too harsh as the Steed Competition Springs are on my DD and I love them. I never put in sways and I have stock shocks and struts. My car handles great with no rattles and no steering issues.
You can always go back in and add. I have had my car apart 7 times and each time it takes less and less work. I have it down to 1 1/2 hours to lower a car. I did 5 friend's cars last year alone.
I suggest you go step-by-step. This will be easy on your mind and your wallet.
Good Luck.
12/28/08, 07:43 AM
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12/28/08, 05:58 PM
#19
Do you have any suspension mods at all right now? If not, start with a set of Koni yellows or Tokico D-specs and any of the aftermarket springs that give no more than 1.5" drop (Steeda, Eibach Prokit, FRPP, Vogtland, etc...). Since you will be building an all-arounder, definitely get adjustable dampers (Konis or Tokicos). See how you like how this drives and if you want to tweak the handling characteristics a little more (more neutral handling) add a set of the Eibach or FRPP anti-roll bars.
The above is a proven combination that won't break the bank and will give you a car that can hold its own against anything except the supercars. If you have more budget and will on the road course a lot, you could jump to coilovers. Not so much for the height adjustability and ability to corner weight, but more for the selection in spring rates. I really like the full Ground Control setup--custom Koni dampers, spring rates of choice and camber plates for ~$1,500. The KW's are also very nice.
Next up is an adjustable panhard bar so you can center the rear end, and also because the stiffer bushings make a noticable difference in the handling feel. Dual rod ends are fine here, since there isn't too much noise transmission through the panhard bar. For the lower control arms, a rod/poly combo will keep the noise gain to a minimum for a street car. Don't go with a poly/poly LCA, as you introduce bind into the 3-link design.
As for BMR vs. CHE, they both seem to make decent simple stuff, and BMR has exemplary customer service. I wouldn't go near any of their parts that require actual engineering, though. They are both good fabricators IMHO, but I don't have much confidence in their engineering.
The above is a proven combination that won't break the bank and will give you a car that can hold its own against anything except the supercars. If you have more budget and will on the road course a lot, you could jump to coilovers. Not so much for the height adjustability and ability to corner weight, but more for the selection in spring rates. I really like the full Ground Control setup--custom Koni dampers, spring rates of choice and camber plates for ~$1,500. The KW's are also very nice.
Next up is an adjustable panhard bar so you can center the rear end, and also because the stiffer bushings make a noticable difference in the handling feel. Dual rod ends are fine here, since there isn't too much noise transmission through the panhard bar. For the lower control arms, a rod/poly combo will keep the noise gain to a minimum for a street car. Don't go with a poly/poly LCA, as you introduce bind into the 3-link design.
As for BMR vs. CHE, they both seem to make decent simple stuff, and BMR has exemplary customer service. I wouldn't go near any of their parts that require actual engineering, though. They are both good fabricators IMHO, but I don't have much confidence in their engineering.
12/28/08, 06:09 PM
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Do you have any suspension mods at all right now? If not, start with a set of Koni yellows or Tokico D-specs and any of the aftermarket springs that give no more than 1.5" drop (Steeda, Eibach Prokit, FRPP, Vogtland, etc...). Since you will be building an all-arounder, definitely get adjustable dampers (Konis or Tokicos). See how you like how this drives and if you want to tweak the handling characteristics a little more (more neutral handling) add a set of the Eibach or FRPP anti-roll bars.
The above is a proven combination that won't break the bank and will give you a car that can hold its own against anything except the supercars. If you have more budget and will on the road course a lot, you could jump to coilovers. Not so much for the height adjustability and ability to corner weight, but more for the selection in spring rates. I really like the full Ground Control setup--custom Koni dampers, spring rates of choice and camber plates for ~$1,500. The KW's are also very nice.
Next up is an adjustable panhard bar so you can center the rear end, and also because the stiffer bushings make a noticable difference in the handling feel. Dual rod ends are fine here, since there isn't too much noise transmission through the panhard bar. For the lower control arms, a rod/poly combo will keep the noise gain to a minimum for a street car. Don't go with a poly/poly LCA, as you introduce bind into the 3-link design.
As for BMR vs. CHE, they both seem to make decent simple stuff, and BMR has exemplary customer service. I wouldn't go near any of their parts that require actual engineering, though. They are both good fabricators IMHO, but I don't have much confidence in their engineering.
The above is a proven combination that won't break the bank and will give you a car that can hold its own against anything except the supercars. If you have more budget and will on the road course a lot, you could jump to coilovers. Not so much for the height adjustability and ability to corner weight, but more for the selection in spring rates. I really like the full Ground Control setup--custom Koni dampers, spring rates of choice and camber plates for ~$1,500. The KW's are also very nice.
Next up is an adjustable panhard bar so you can center the rear end, and also because the stiffer bushings make a noticable difference in the handling feel. Dual rod ends are fine here, since there isn't too much noise transmission through the panhard bar. For the lower control arms, a rod/poly combo will keep the noise gain to a minimum for a street car. Don't go with a poly/poly LCA, as you introduce bind into the 3-link design.
As for BMR vs. CHE, they both seem to make decent simple stuff, and BMR has exemplary customer service. I wouldn't go near any of their parts that require actual engineering, though. They are both good fabricators IMHO, but I don't have much confidence in their engineering.
sorry if i gave the impression that car is a all weather daily driver.