Coilover comparison

cloneman315

cloneman315

Active member
First of all this is not ment to start a back and fourth battle. I know RPM is selling a kit and Mike always has top notch stuff,I also know people that have ran the JS setup and been very happy also. And if I could find one I believe Dustan made a set a while back. I also think Sportmachines is thinking about doing a complete set sometime soon. I have been wanting to do this mod over the last few years and never did get to do it. One of the thing's that I did not like I saw a few people that needed to hack the truck up or use washer's to shim things and stuff like that,I am not interested in any type of cob job install. So I would like to know the difference between the options out there.

Material types
Wall thickness types
Weld
Are the angles the same as stock or different and if so why
Anyone have any storys of one or the other breaking
Any other info pos or neg you can share
Any pics of different sets on your truck
Install storys god or bad
Shock brands used pros and cons
Springs
 
BoostedSUV

BoostedSUV

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

Subscribed... Interested in this as well. One of the last mods I'm looking to do on my truck.
 
craig jones

craig jones

Formerly Scary Phoon
Re: Coilover comparison

I have RPM set up and it looks great . The only mod I had done which is not necessary I re welded some spots in frame. I also used Afco coilovers I had from Adp setup. You will have to shim w spacers i had made. But looks great . No worries w rpm. Adp needs alot of mods w that set up like better heims and its set up has heims loaded wrong from what im told. Not sure about other setups.
 
JSM

JSM

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

cloneman315 said:
First of all this is not ment to start a back and fourth battle. I know RPM is selling a kit and Mike always has top notch stuff,I also know people that have ran the JS setup and been very happy also. And if I could find one I believe Dustan made a set a while back. I also think Sportmachines is thinking about doing a complete set sometime soon. I have been wanting to do this mod over the last few years and never did get to do it. One of the thing's that I did not like I saw a few people that needed to hack the truck up or use washer's to shim things and stuff like that,I am not interested in any type of cob job install. So I would like to know the difference between the options out there.

Material types
Wall thickness types
Weld
Are the angles the same as stock or different and if so why
Anyone have any storys of one or the other breaking
Any other info pos or neg you can share
Any pics of different sets on your truck
Install storys god or bad
Shock brands used pros and cons
Springs
Click to expand...

I will answer your questions about my design for you.

First during development it became very apparent to me when GM located the shock towers on our frame and possibly even the a arm mount brackets (the key is the relationship between the 2) the tolerance allowed was fairly large. This made locating the coilover shock/spring a bit tricky. What worked for spacers on 1 truck, didn't work on the other or even the other side. Washers made it very adjustable for the user during install in order to get clearance. I believe the others suppliers did similar.

With that said if once you figure out what YOUR truck needs, it wouldn't be hard to make or have made custom spacers that exact width.

JS Arms

4130 Tubing, Mild Steel Flanges
Tig welded
I changed the balljoint angle to help with the lowered stance and center the motion of balljoint.
---
I know of one set of my arms with 100k miles on it, only issues have been install related.
QA Shocks are not the best, Bilstein or Penske are probably a better brand. If the OD with spring is the same you can run other brands though. I never sold the kit as complete with shocks to allow for owners to buy what worked for them and their budget.
Hyperco is my spring of choice for brands and I have had well known chassis guys confirm they are one of the best brands. QA1 springs are not so great. Don't know much about others.
 
It's just a six

It's just a six

Super Member
Re: Coilover comparison

My friend has Dustins coil over set-up in his Sy.

It is not designed great & has had problems w/that set-up. I know he would not recomment that set-up.

Dustin still owes my friend money.
 
0-60N4

0-60N4

Member
Re: Coilover comparison

This mod is on my list of to-do items sometime down the road. May be getting close.
 
Throws

Throws

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

cloneman315 said:
How do you even begin to get ideas on what spring rates and shock valve etc to get?
Click to expand...

Get the QA1 that everyone gets, opt for the 1" dropped coilover cap (so you don't need to buy/fab a 1" spacer).

As far as coil rates, 550 and 600 seem to be the norm. I have 550 and it's stiff if I set the QA1 up high. Just make sure you go with a 9" long spring. If anyone says otherwise, you want to punch them in the head. Trust me. I've learnt this the hard way. For spring companies, I chose Eibach. Why? 1/2 the cost of the Hypercoils. I can find Eibachs @$49 all day long.

-P
 
0-60N4

0-60N4

Member
Re: Coilover comparison

I recently did mine just as Throws suggested and it worked out great! love it!
 
MRKING

MRKING

New Parts for Old Trucks
Re: Coilover comparison

cloneman315 said:
One of the thing's that I did not like I saw a few people that needed to hack the truck up or use washer's to shim things and stuff like that,I am not interested in any type of cob job install.
Click to expand...

That is the only way we are able to have a designed kit work on these trucks .As Jeff had mentioned , the tolerances excepted back when these frames were welded up by the fourth graders are horrible . When I did my first stock arm coil over install on the Sy , it wouldn't fit on the other truck i swapped them to . I uninstalled them directly from my truck to then on to another with the same oem upper/lower controls arms as well . It wasn't even close .

Anything is an improvement over the stock torsion bar suspension in my opinion . You options now are limited to the RPM kit , finding a used JSM kit , or wait for the Sportmachines kit to come out . :tup:
 
Quickstop [UK]

Quickstop [UK]

Combating adversyty.
Re: Coilover comparison

Would it be possible to make a universal shim? Kind of a hollow bolt with a threaded insert that you can adjust to brace either side of the spring in the shock tower? The stock bolt goes through this and this is held in place with the top of the spring? I guess you might need one either side and then you may as well just have custom shins done...

The other alternative not mentioned is the stock a arms. I have them with QA1 shocks and hyperco springs and having seen the problems a few people had with some (can't remember who or how many) aftermarket arms breaking, I'm pretty happy with my setup. QA1 adjustables with 600lb springs. The setting on the QA1 was very rough at 8 and much more comfortable at 4.

:2cents:
 
fivetodrive

fivetodrive

CRISPY
Re: Coilover comparison

Throws said:
Get the QA1 that everyone gets, opt for the 1" dropped coilover cap (so you don't need to buy/fab a 1" spacer).

As far as coil rates, 550 and 600 seem to be the norm. I have 550 and it's stiff if I set the QA1 up high. Just make sure you go with a 9" long spring. If anyone says otherwise, you want to punch them in the head. Trust me. I've learnt this the hard way. For spring companies, I chose Eibach. Why? 1/2 the cost of the Hypercoils. I can find Eibachs @$49 all day long.

-P
Click to expand...

This was helpful for me. I need to get the springs for my Penske coilovers that have been sitting in a box, springless... :)
 
nallj92

nallj92

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

I am running a 8 inch 550lb spring with the QA1 taller spring cup, ride is not too hard, just right. and the 8 inch spring allows the shock to be installed right side up with ample room around the axle shaft area and the shock tower with the taller spring cup. I think I am on shock setting #3 currently for most driving.
 
cloneman315

cloneman315

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

I don't daily drive mine so little harsh ride is ok,Were and what was the cost of the Penske pieces?hopefully between this and rpms lightweight trans mount this helps out with weight etc.are you guys leaving sway bars on or off?i don't want to loose the trucks ability to 60ft like it does now.
 
Last edited:
Throws

Throws

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

nallj92 said:
I am running a 8 inch 550lb spring with the QA1 taller spring cup, ride is not too hard, just right. and the 8 inch spring allows the shock to be installed right side up with ample room around the axle shaft area and the shock tower with the taller spring cup. I think I am on shock setting #3 currently for most driving.
Click to expand...

Since you're running the 8" tall spring as well, are you using a 1" or a 2" spacer? I had a 1" spacer milled and it doesn't sit quite high enough for me with the stock top cup (or at least as far as I'm able to adjust without pulling the coilovers out). That's why, I feel, that the 9" spring with the 1" tall top cup is a much better choice.

-P
 
Throws

Throws

Active member
Re: Coilover comparison

cloneman315 said:
I don't daily drive mine so little harsh ride is ok,Were and what was the cost of the Penske pieces?hopefully between this and rpms lightweight trans mount this helps out with weight etc.are you guys leaving sway bars on or off?i don't want to loose the trucks ability to 60ft like it does now.
Click to expand...

I left the swaybar on, but ran a drill through the stock bolt holes on the lower arm and drilling through to the top side, then used a longer/thicker bolt. Much better than the stock crap.

If you've never ridden in a coilover equipped truck, it's like night and day... it's no longer bouncy or floaty... nice and solid. It's how it should have been.

-P
 
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