RideTech StreetGrip suspension for competition?

[bret]

This question was originally posed in another thread, but I thought it deserved its own thread.


Originally Posted by eurotoys Bret,

Not to hijack the thread, but I am interested in the Streetgrip for my 73 Trans Am because of the lighter weight. I plan on mostly street driving, the occasional autocross and the occasional roadcourse (including OUSCI). I know the 4-link would be better, but will the StreetGrip work? I have people suggesting the Hotchkiss set-up, but I hate the ride height and heavy springs.

Also, why doesn't ridetech have a rear sway bar for 2nd gens? Are they not recommended?

Mike


The StreetGrip system would work very nicely for your application. A coilover/tubular control arm/4 link system would have more tunability for ride height and spring rates, but many times that aspect is lost on the casual driver. Here are the items in the StreetGrip package that I think would be most valuable in a competitive driving event:

1. dual rate coilsprings - the intial spring rate during the first 1" of suspension travel is quite tame to offer a great ride quality. When you hit a large bump or corner the car hard enough to compress the spring beyond that first inch, you transition into a much former spring rate that will resist body roll...and offer better handling.
2. tall upper ball joint - GM musclecars suffer from poor front suspension geometry...the loaded tire goes into positive camber on compression [tire leans away from the turn]. By installing a taller upper ball joint we change the camber geometry so the loaded tire leans INTO to turn...greatly improving the cornering power and overall feel of the car.
3. composite leafsprings - in addition to being 60-80 lbs lighter than traditional leafs, they offer a more appropriate spring rate for better road manners and handling.
4. delrin bushings - as far as I know, we are the only people to offer a delrin bushing system for the oem control arms. Delrin allows free rotational movement of the control arms and eliminates any unpredictable movement of the control arms during cornering. We also use Delrin in the leafspring busings for the same reasons.
5. larger swaybar with Delrin bushings - many companies offer larger swaybars to control body roll, but our use of Delrin bushings eliminates the sticktion that compromises ride quality and predictable handling.
6. adjustable shocks - our HQ Series rebound adjustable shocks can be tuned to optimum ride quality AND then turned up for optimum handling.

As far as ride height, we have images and fender height dimension published here : http://www.ridetech.com/info/streetgrip-dimensions/

We don't offer a rear swaybar for the leafspring applications because we have determined that it is not needed. The car is better balanced without a rear swaybar.

[Josue]

This is great, I just put new (to me) wheels and tires on my car, and it's forcing me to address the suspension sooner than I had planned. Every time I log into this site, I find another thread that helps me in the questions I had! haha I try to do my research before starting threads that people have seen a million times already.

I also posted in Josh's original release thread started in October, about ride height for my '68 Firebird.

It would be a dream of mine to get this thing out on a race track someday, I'm within 2hrs of Pittsburgh International Raceway, and even less from Mid-Ohio. Spent some time on both of those tracks with a couple Mazdas I had....GREAT FUN!!! Blows drag racing out of the water! I know how much better the bump up in suspension kits would be, but I just can't justify spending twice as much on my suspension at this point, when I wouldn't even be able to trust my powertrain to hold up in those conditions. My motor is original, we believe it to never have been rebuilt or freshened up, and leaks from every orifice, so street driving is all it's going to see for the next few years.

[bret]

I can tell you from experience that autocrossing is not terribly stressful on a car, even an old car with the original drivetrain, but road course racing is exponentially more stressfull [and expensive] on these old cars. Fuel systems, oiling systems, brake systems, power steering...basically anything with fluid in them...have to be significantly upgraded to survive.

I think there are a huge amount of hotrodders in your position...they enjoy racing but don't necessarily want to invest a huge amount of money/time to race their own car...then just want to have fun driving it.

[Josue]

Exactly!



To that point, and hopefully this is along the lines of the thread topic, but can you comment on the expandability of this kit to add better components in the future? How could you further improve your suspension with this kit? Or, would you just have to sell it all and step up to a Level 1 kit?

[bret]

Exactly!

To that point, and hopefully this is along the lines of the thread topic, but can you comment on the expandability of this kit to add better components in the future? How could you further improve your suspension with this kit? Or, would you just have to sell it all and step up to a Level 1 kit?

Several ways to go forward...the next step would likely be a front Tru Turn/StrongArm/HQ Coilover system to optimize the front suspension geometry even more. After that the rear 4 link system could be a step up. In reality, enhancing the streetgrip system with a good steering box, brakes, and tires would be my first improvements.

[Rod]

the new ridetech StreetGrip will be fine for autocross, leaf spring cars do very well on the autocross, the leafs that they supply in the kit have a swivel front bushing, much like the spherical bearing I ran in my leafs, that helps the car rotate on exit from a turn, I ran a leaf car for 2 years and won well with it, I think the addition of the tru-turn and tube arms to the street grip leafs would be a great next level combo

[Josue]

As much as I'd like to go all out on suspension now, and just do it once, I know the street grip kit would be ALL the suspension I'd need for years and years. At this point in my game, any difference in ride, feel, performance, etc. between a street grip kit vs. Level 1, 2, etc. would be negligible.

Bret - Are there anymore pictures of the 69 Camaro available? Different angles?

I have the same 235/45/17 on the front of my '68 Firebird, with 275/35/18's in the rear....but they spec out to be just about the same height as the 275/40/17's on the back of the Camaro. (.1 difference) I hope it's not a silly question, because I know that's why you put those pics up and list ride heights, but does that mean I can expect the SAME stance if I installed this kit regardless of where my car sits now with it's 48 year old suspension? Or it still an approximation of where this suspension puts each car?

[bret]

As much as I'd like to go all out on suspension now, and just do it once, I know the street grip kit would be ALL the suspension I'd need for years and years. At this point in my game, any difference in ride, feel, performance, etc. between a street grip kit vs. Level 1, 2, etc. would be negligible.

Bret - Are there anymore pictures of the 69 Camaro available? Different angles?

I have the same 235/45/17 on the front of my '68 Firebird, with 275/35/18's in the rear....but they spec out to be just about the same height as the 275/40/17's on the back of the Camaro. (.1 difference) I hope it's not a silly question, because I know that's why you put those pics up and list ride heights, but does that mean I can expect the SAME stance if I installed this kit regardless of where my car sits now with it's 48 year old suspension? Or it still an approximation of where this suspension puts each car?

The fender height dimensions will be accurate within a 1/2" range depending on exactly how much your car weighs. While we did build different springs for big block and small block, we did not build specific springs for A/C cars, aluminum head cars, or other minor weight differences.
We have published fender height dimension instead of quoting drop dimensions because of all the potential variations of where your car may be sitting currently...50 year old oem springs...recent reproduction springs...aftermarket springs...you just never know. By referring to a specific fender height measurement the customer can now be assured their car will sit just like ours.

[Josue]

Gotcha, makes sense! It's actually the reason I'm liking this kit more than my previous front runner, SC&C's Touring package. I'd put money on all my suspension components being stock, minus air shocks in the rear we installed 18 years ago, and I'd like to think SOMEBODY put new front shocks on there in the 28 years prior to us owning the car, so who knows where my starting off point is.

Pontiacs being the b astard step child they are as far as motors, which springs would you recommend? From what i've read, seems these motors fall somewhere in between a BBC and a SBC. I have an all iron 350 if it helps.