I think im gonna have to mod the car...

[Teflonworm]

Ive been doing some reading and researching and as time has gone on, ive noticed things I wouldnt mine changing about my car.


The first and biggest and something I agree with Jeremy with, suspension. Im not sure how many of y'all have been privileged with driving a HHR but I gotta tell ya, its kinda cushy and floaty and a few times around curves...kinda felt like I was gonna die.


Here is the fun part. There are some fun toys to play with and I am seeking recommendations if anyone has personal experience with brands Im mentioning and seeing if maybe i missed something.

Also, if you have a hookup id appreciate that even more so :)


That being said:

Rear Sway Bar - Progress Tech. Kinda no brainer due to them being the only ones. Apparently takes about 15 minutes to install.

Lowering Springs:
Goldline
Eibach
H&R Sport Line

Goldline goes lowest, then H&R, then Eibach. Im leaning towards the H&R due to reputation but their price is much higher and i'd like to know if itd be worth it.


It is and will be my daily driver and upgrade to 18" rims will follow probably in 2 years or so. Also, we can all get together and install :)


Thoughts??

:wiggle:

[pgtatx]

Awesome news Tef...

I'll give you warnings first...

Larger/Stiffer Sway Bars are awesome. On most vehicles you can really even out the handling with them. Probably one of my favorite mods... HOWEVER...

Larger/Stiffer sway bars can break the sway bar mounts, wear out your end links bushings, or break them too... I ran into these problems on the cougar, and I had new mounts built and created for the coug. It only cost a couple hundred dollars, but it was a pain. I got lucky that the guy who did it, know exactly what to do, and I never had problems again.

Springs are nice... but will shorten the life of your stock struts. Also, to maximize handling increases... I would add some better struts and springs that work well together.

Of course... lowering the car can cause premature bushing wear, tire wear (alignments are key), ball joint wear, CV joint/boot wear, etc.

This is another reason I also recommend a better strut that will not fully compress do to being weak.

So... Did that scare you??

Here's what I would say...
-Springs and Struts (if struts are available... H&R springs are always a solid choice)
-Strut Tower Bars (minimal stiffness gains, but for cost and ease of install worth it... again assuming they are available)

Then wait... and see how everything settles. Get an alignment and decide what else is needed.

If we want more stiffness, then we can look into all the other options of parts we can get.

About install... I say, let's do it on a Sunday...

[Teflonworm]

Nah, didnt scare me at all.

Thats pretty much what I had read as well in regards to its increased wear and tear. Its too be expected naturally.

As for struts, right now there aren't any options. One reason I am fielding more responses then just straight dropping a few bills into it. I'd like to kinda see whats going to happen.

No bushings either currently but there are a few folks out there trying to make some strides for parts and the such. One of the issues is trying to create an after market for a car not really meant for "handling" but more cosmetics. I'm gonna email a few places.

I'm patient and gonna do it right. I plan on having this car for a while, so I can wait and watch it unfold, but I like planning ahead.

Sundays are good for me, except in April. I'm booked solid for every weekend. Once the house issue is finalized and I get some paint and such taken care of, i'd be more then happy to entertain some guests. Grill some food etc...


I should come by Baker someday and shoot the breeze with ya. I have someone interested possibly in a Charger

:wiggle:

[pgtatx]

Feel free to stop by at any time... And of course if you have a friend interested in a Charger, send them by, I will see what I can do.

Definitely, as parts come out for your vehicle, lets get something together. Make it like the old days... For the most part, I only run some errands and go to the gym on Sundays, so anyone will do.