udate or go with new sub frame

[70ssnova]

what r the pro vs cons other then price. when u just update stock susp. with upper lower control arms after market sway bar and going to coil overs such as going with the spped kit 3 from dse compared to doing the complete sub frame from dse? then who has really got the best aftermarket sub frame?

[ProdigyCustoms]

This is by far the most popular question I get on the tech line / project planning calls. It really depends on your budget, goals and requirments.

What your going to do with the car is very important, and how much you have to spend may be even more important.

A few grand in the stock sub will make it pretty killer. Will a high end subframe out perform a modded stock frame in a race enviroment? Yes. Are you going to race your car at 100% of it's capabilities............

[70ssnova]

This is by far the most popular question I get on the tech line / project planning calls. It really depends on your budget, goals and requirments.

What your going to do with the car is very important, and how much you have to spend may be even more important.

A few grand in the stock sub will make it pretty killer. Will a high end subframe out perform a modded stock frame in a race enviroment? Yes. Are you going to race your car at 100% of it's capabilities............

Frank
The plans are to do as many meets and autocross that I can get to I plan on using the car. I was down at the RTTH this past weekend and loved the autocross. I can't say money is no object but if i am spending it I like to get the best that i can get for the money. I just don't want to decide later that i should have just got the sub frame.

[Rhino]

Frank
The plans are to do as many meets and autocross that I can get to I plan on using the car. I was down at the RTTH this past weekend and loved the autocross. I can't say money is no object but if i am spending it I like to get the best that i can get for the money. I just don't want to decide later that i should have just got the sub frame.

Something to keep in mind is that there are a few subframes out there that are considered a drop in replacement which use the stock style A arms. DSE is the first that comes to mind.
You could always throw some parts at your stock sub, if it doesn't meet your needs you can upgrade at a later date.

[silver69camaro]

Something to keep in mind is that there are a few subframes out there that are considered a drop in replacement which use the stock style A arms. DSE is the first that comes to mind.
You could always throw some parts at your stock sub, if it doesn't meet your needs you can upgrade at a later date.

With the height of the C6 knuckle, I can't see how the A-arms would interchange between their complete subframe and stock replacements. Could be wrong...

[Marcus SC&C]

It`s not about how many shiny parts you buy or if your subframe is stock or not that makes the car perform. It`s how well designed the parts are and what they DO. A subframe that accepts all stock parts in the stock locations will do nothing. Tubular arms that mimic stock arms will do nothing. If they`re offset to add + caster you`ll gain what small advantage you get from the caster change and nothing else. A coil over of the same spring and dampening rate as a conventional spring and shock and mounted in the same location will perform exactly the same too.

If you do what you`ve always done you`ll get what you always got.

When you get into moving suspension pickup points,tall spindles,tall ball joints and subframes designed around those things then you`re getting into some serious change and potentially big improvements in performance. A stock subframe updated with much improved geometry will trounce a fancy aftermarket subframe with stock geometry. A aftermarket subframe that has good geometry and engineering should be as good or better than a well modified stock subframe but at a much higher price point. As with most things at a certain point you pass the point of diminishings returns and start to pay geometrically more for each small increase in performance. Mark SC&C

[Rhino]

With the height of the C6 knuckle, I can't see how the A-arms would interchange between their complete subframe and stock replacements. Could be wrong...

You're 100% correct. After I posed that, I realized DSE was a really bad example.

I think the majority of people will agree with Marcus on this one. I know I would personally prefer to have a stock frame with Guldstrand mod performed than a stock pick-up point aftermarket frame.