Ground Control questions

[02RedWS6TA]

I'm looking into getting a GC coilover kit and had a few questions. First off, I read every time you adjust the front it needs to be realigned, I need the coil over kit because I trailer my car and if it lowers any I'll have to make custom ramps and won't have room to take them with me. Will I need to realign if I go from lowest setting up to the stock setting to get it on and off the trailer? I want the lowered look all the time and would only raise it to go on and off the trailer.

Second, how much work is required in adjusting them?

third, what spring rates should I go with? I'm still going to use the stock shocks if you can, I can't afford anything else. I don't care how rough the ride is I drive the car less than 3k miles a year. I want the thing to have improved handling more than anything.

Lastly, does anyone have any pics of them mounted on an ls1 fbody? I'd love to see them on a WS6 but anything is better than nothing.

Thanks

Justin

[MeentSS02]

Hey bud, sorry I didn't see this any sooner than I did. I'm getting ready to put a Ground Control Kit on my car this weekend, complete with new Bilstein shocks (revalved in the front, third gens in the rear), and 400# springs up front with 125# in the rear. I'll do what I can to get installed pics, and before and after pics.

Now to answer some of your questions:

Yes, you will need to get an alignment after you lower it, but this alignment will cover you for whenever your car is lowered. When you lower it, you are altering the stock geometry, thus causing the need for an alignment. Since you will only be raising it back up to get on and off the trailer, and lowering it right away, you will NOT have to get it realigned every time, provided you put it back to right where it was previously.

Adjusting them? Don't know, but I'll find out this weekend and let you know.

Spring rates and shocks type questions are best answered by Mr. Sam Strano. Chances are, he won't recommend that you use anything other than a stock rate with the stock shocks, and chances are (again) that he won't even come close to recommending using the stock shocks (yeah, they are that bad).

Stand by on the pics, I'll see what I can do after this weekend.

Hope this helps ya!

[wannafbody]

check out stranoparts.com and give Sam a call- he'll fix you up

[02RedWS6TA]

I sent him an e-mail for a price quote. I think I might wait a couple more months so I can get some bilstiens with them. I'll just have to ditch the cage idea for this summer :(

SS02- Be sure to post some pics when you're done. I'll be watching out for them, thanks for the info.

[MeentSS02]

Hey dude, there are some pics of my ride in both the Florida section and the Camaro section (both titled something like Steve's 02 SS on Ground Controls, or something like that).

Seriously, hold off on this purchase...we had a major problem with mine that could have easily resulted in, at best, a lot of damage to the front fender of my car, and at worst, complete loss of control. I'm working the issue as we speak, but hold off on this until I can get something figured out. As an engineer, this isn't very well designed or executed...there are some serious seating problems in the rear, and a collar tolerance issue in the front. Let me get this dealt with, and I'll post a more technical thread explaining the whole situation.

[02 WS6 TA]

Originally posted by MeentSS02
Hey dude, there are some pics of my ride in both the Florida section and the Camaro section (both titled something like Steve's 02 SS on Ground Controls, or something like that).

Seriously, hold off on this purchase...we had a major problem with mine that could have easily resulted in, at best, a lot of damage to the front fender of my car, and at worst, complete loss of control. I'm working the issue as we speak, but hold off on this until I can get something figured out. As an engineer, this isn't very well designed or executed...there are some serious seating problems in the rear, and a collar tolerance issue in the front. Let me get this dealt with, and I'll post a more technical thread explaining the whole situation.
:werd: As the installer of his Ground control kit, I'm disappointed with the product. Make no mistake, Strano is a top notch seller, and the failure of the product is in no way a reflection of poor business practices on his part.

[eboggs_jkvl]

From Sam Strano:


Elmer,

Please pass this along as a response (I have to sign up for your board still).

There is nothing wrong with the Ground Control's. As many who have them are aware (like Elmer and others) the coil-over sleeve sits down over the clip that held the original spring perch. The sleeve is not supposed to sit on the clip like the original perch. In Steve's case, one sleeve slipped over as it was supposed too, the other did not. Not knowing the former was supposed to happen they tried to prop the lower one up using a muffler clamp on the shock as a rest. Being that Steve has Bilstein's, this might very well be trouble since the outer tube of the shock that this clamp is on, is also the inner tube.

My best guess as to what's happening is this: the clips have paint on them and some paint gets in the groove. One was apparently covered thick enough, or the clip itself wasn't just set in the whole way and kept the coil-over sleeve from slipping over. It was assumed that that was the way it was supposed to be, where it is actually the other way around.

I've probably sold 200 GC kits, and have never had this problem. I'm sure the sleeves will fit over the shocks with a little patience.

I run them on my car, and every serious autocrosser and track guy I know also has them. There is nothing to be worried about. This is just a little glitch that started from a mis-understanding of how it works. Nobody's fault, just one of those things.


Sam Strano Jr.
Strano Performance Parts
www.stranoparts.com
800-729-1831 orders/price info.
814-849-3450 technical info.



I hope this answers the speculation on the coil over kits.

E:)

[02 WS6 TA]

Agreed. I think a bit more complete instructions could have cleared the situation up to start with. Like I said, Sam's a helluva guy, plus one of us. I knew he'd have the answers.:)

[MeentSS02]

Originally posted by eboggs_jkvl
From Sam Strano:




I hope this answers the speculation on the coil over kits.

E:)

It helps some, but this it was far from a scraping paint issue on my car. We had to beat on that clip pretty good to get that thing to seat properly on my car...I'm hoping this was an isolated incident, because it caused me a great deal of heartache and headache dealing with the problem. It finally works, but damn. I wish I would have gone a different route.

[eboggs_jkvl]

Honestly, when we put my stuff together, the parts just snapped into place and the entire project was easy. My biggest problems was the ratio between my "Volunteer workforce" and the numbers of "tool sets" I needed to have the correct wrench in all of their hands. I don't own 4 sets of metric tools!:D

Burgers, beer, and a couple of hours and I was on the road.

E:)

[02 WS6 TA]

For real E...:lol: I've just done so damn many of these spring installs It hurt my delicate pride! :haha:

[eboggs_jkvl]

Did I mention that I had 10 people in the garage "helping"? I think they were after the beer and burgers! My wife throws down some good vittles during one of our "tech days" at my house.


E:)

[02 WS6 TA]

Originally posted by eboggs_jkvl
Did I mention that I had 10 people in the garage "helping"? I think they were after the beer and burgers! My wife throws down some good vittles during one of our "tech days" at my house.


E:)
No Joke, I don't think these guys here really like LS1 cars, they just dig the Weber and the :beer:
http://02ws6ta.cz28.com/Jackass%20Stuff/PC%20Gang%202.jpg
http://02ws6ta.cz28.com/Jackass%20Stuff/PC%20Gang%201.jpg

BTW, can you pick out Nicknitro in the yellow shirt? :lol:

[MeentSS02]

Originally posted by eboggs_jkvl
Honestly, when we put my stuff together, the parts just snapped into place and the entire project was easy. My biggest problems was the ratio between my "Volunteer workforce" and the numbers of "tool sets" I needed to have the correct wrench in all of their hands. I don't own 4 sets of metric tools!:D

Burgers, beer, and a couple of hours and I was on the road.

E:)

I'm just glad it's over...I'm happy with how it is sitting right now though, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

[eboggs_jkvl]

Originally posted by MeentSS02
I'm just glad it's over...I'm happy with how it is sitting right now though, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.

There ya go! That adjustable height shit is really the shiznits!


E:)

[02 WS6 TA]

Originally posted by MeentSS02
I'm just glad it's over...I'm happy with how it is sitting right now though, so I guess it wasn't a total loss.
It's all good...;)

[02RedWS6TA]

I forgot about this thread, thanks for the replies.

So, would you go with GC if you could do it again? I think I'm just going to go with some G2's for now. I'm getting a duramax diesel and would rather try and get that into the high 14's than lower my car :D