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gearbanger
05-22-2008, 01:43 PM
I have a question about the Varishock coil over conversion for GM a-body. I want to use the Varishocks but i have read all the threads and some say you can't lower the car as much as with QA1s. However, the info I am getting is the extended and compressed lengths of each one are nearly identical. So what would the difference be? Also I am planning to modify my lower arms to lower the mouting point about .75" to the bottom of the spring pocket so this probably is a moot point anyway but I am just trying to figure out what I am reading. I am also going to modify the mounting point to accept the better crossbar, instead of the one made for the conversion using the stock shock mount.

Who can I get the best price on a pair of double adjustables?

ProdigyCustoms
05-22-2008, 05:32 PM
Neither QA1 or Vari shock allows lowering the car more then 1 1/2". If you go any lower with QA1 or Vairshock coil over, your going to knock the bottom out of the shocks.
If you want it lower you will need to use a conventional coil spring and shorten shock, or do a Chicane or SpeedKit conversion.

We sell any almost every possible solution you might use including

Chris Alston (Vari shock)
QA1
Hotchkis
DSE
ATS

Turbo67camaro
05-22-2008, 07:53 PM
Tread carefully if you try to lower the front more than a couple inches. You may create issues with your suspension geometry.

gearbanger
05-26-2008, 05:35 PM
Sorry for the dead air time on this, I have been out of pocket.

Anyway back to it, I don't really know how much lower than stock my car is but the cross member is only about 4" off the ground. I want to bring it back up a little as it is a little aggreavating sometimes. Looks killer though. Anyway, if I were to lower the mounting point in my lower control arm, say 3/4", how much would that gain me at the wheel? I am inclined to kind of beef that up anyway since it is going to be the "jesus nut" so to speak.

Do the aftermarket lowers give more room for adjustment?

gearbanger
05-26-2008, 05:39 PM
Oh, I forgot to mention my suspension setup in that post. I have the B-body spindles, so about an inch of that lowering may be attributed to those. I had new stock coil springs and cut 1 coil off if I remember correctly. It has the GW uppers. I would love to have the lowers to go with it but they are pricey if there is no real major benefit. I am sure they are much stronger but I am not punishing the car beyond what a stock control arm will do.

Turbo67camaro
05-26-2008, 10:16 PM
I'm no suspension expert, but what I've learned recently from experts, is you do NOT want your lower control arm pointing upward. It should pointing down toward the wheel, or at most level. I forget what they said about what points to measure the angle. Probably the mounting point versus the ball joint ?

another69
05-27-2008, 06:00 PM
I did the QA1 conversion and it's one of the better upgrades that I've done. I also reinforced the stock control arm like you're planning- I couldn't imagine putting ALL the load on the stock shock mount. Besides, its pretty easy to do- cost me less than $20 to have a shop cut me big "washers" out of 3/16" steel that I welded on the underside of the arms.

I have my ride height at about halfway and get 6-1/2" under my crossmember.

gearbanger
05-27-2008, 06:43 PM
Thanks alot another69,

That is good info. Sounds like if I raise mine to get 5" under mine, that I may be a little below you but still up toward the middle of the adjustment range. I am going to pull the shock and take some ride height and fully extended measurements and see tomorrow.

I'll post the info.

Marcus SC&C
05-30-2008, 03:01 PM
Gearbanger, give me a call on Mon. and I can go over it with you. The Varishocks are really nice pieces but like any coilover conversion they have to be installed and set up just so to get best performance out of them. The earlier setups were more ride height restrictive then the current ones. Our new SPC tubular lower arms were designed with them in mind and allow you to lower the car more too. I`ve worked extensively with Chris Alston on these so I can probably shed a little light on it for ya. Mark SC&C

gearbanger
05-31-2008, 10:14 AM
Okay, sorry for the delay, and thank you very much Mark, I will call.

My car has 4" ground clearnace under the front crossmember now. I am going to raise it to 5". At 5", the distance between the upper shock mounting surface and the lower shock mounting surface is 12.25". At full droop (with older style GW uppers) the distance is 14". Since Varishock recommends a ride height between 12.08 and 12.93" I am okay there. Also the extended length is 14.63", that will also be okay since it will not allow the shock to top out in my situation. Only measurement I haven't taken yet is the full bump measurement. That distance needs to be more than 10.38" to avoid bottoming out the shock.

I am going to beef up my lower control arms at the shock mount location. I will theoretically not be able to drop the shock mount more than .63" or I will be out of shock travel in droop. Probably not an issue unless I am going to be doing some jumping! I will probably shoot for 1/2", that will make the shock mount at about the same point as the bottom of the spring pocket. That should look pretty slick too.

Mark, I'll call you on Monday.