coil overs and sway bars?

[JaredS]

Just wanted to get some more questions answered and some more opinions.

What is the difference between the "ride enhancement package" and the "performance handeling package"?

Do I want sway bars? I keep hearing people say they are to stiff. I have never owned a car without sway bars. I thought you always needed sway bars.

Are coilover shocks stiffer than regular coil springs? I know you can adjust the ride height with coilovers. Is that the only benefit?

What else do I need to know about suspension before I order my kit?

thanks guys,
JaredS

[JaredS]

I'm going to be using the car for crusing and around town tire smokin'. I won't be racing and don't want something way to stiff, but I still want to be able to rip around a turn. It will have a 351w with about 385hp. I'm also planning on getting 17" rims. So I know that will make the ride stiffer already.

I'm hoping Don would have some input for me.

[dscott]

JaredS, the ride enhancement package is the stock front and rear coil springs. The performance handling is the front and rear sway bars. The sway bars are very large diameter and are great for racing. They make the car a little stiffer for the street and I recommend not to use them if the car is just for street driving. The car will still handle great without them. The coilovers do not make the car stiffer. They will enhance the ride over the stock coils and give you the adjustability to set ride height anywhere you like. If you plan on using the car as a daily driver or for long trips the coilovers would be great. Otherwise the stock suspension works good as well.
Don

[Jack21]

Go with the coilovers front, and rear. The ride quality is substantially better than the standard coil springs. Ride height is easily adjusted initially, and as springs sag over time.

Sway bars maintain roll stiffness, particularly when softer springs are used. All my performance cars have had sway bars from the factory, or installed later for cornering improvement. Mine uses both front and rear CR sway bars and body lean in corners is zip.

[CobraEd]

I have a Classic Roadsters. For years I had the stock springs along with the front and rear sway bars. Theya are HUGE for a littl car!! The car ran like a Cadillac with the stock shocks and springs in spite of the roll bars. It was flat around turns, but the back would go way down and the front would come way up under acceleration. Now I have Edelbrock IAS shocks in the front with the same springs and NO sway bar. I have new 250lb springs in the rear with drag shocks and NO rear sway bar and the car rides nice and firm like a cOBRA SHOULD. fIRM, BUT NOT HARSH. tHE FRONT NO LONGER COMES UP, AND THE REAR NO LONGER GOES DOWN WHEN i NAIL IT. iT STILL GOES AROUND TURNS LIKE IT'S ON RAILS, AND i SAVE ABOUT 8,000 LBS BY REMOVING BOTH SWAY BARS

Ed

[CobraEd]

I seem to have experienced a "Cap Lock" problem midway thru my self egrandizing manifesto above. Oh well. It's 7:30 and I am on my second glass of wine!!!