Options for ECS struts and other concerns

[2fnloud]

I was asked to bring this out of the PM system and make a thread for all to see, so here it is directly pasted from the PM that I sent to DG.


DG,

Thank you for the reply,

I am definitely looking for more than "cosmetic lowering". On the flip side I am not looking for what Rakuny is trying to accomplish.

Brief story:

I happen to have a 1994 Stealth R/T TT Hennessey tuned stage 5 3s, The Hennessey part is cool, but I know that he barely scratched the tip of the iceberg in unlocking a 3S's potential. So combine that part of the car's history with the fact that the car only has 30,xxx original miles....I have a BEAUTIFUL example of the 3S platform.

My Goal: As I improve the car's performance, be it engine, suspension, breaks. Is to keep every function that the car came with. For example right now the car has the HKS D2 exhaust. In doing this the Active Exhaust was removed. My solution when I add my Stillen D/P is to also install an electronic cut off valvethat is wired to the A/E switch, thus bringing back the A/E feature of the car.

For what it is worth, 3S gatherings are probably the only events that I will track the car.

So now understanding my car and my goals, you can see that a non-ECS strut is not an option for me.

I would be willing to corner weight my car, honestly had to read up on what that was exactly, My assumption was correct on how you weigh it, just had no clue how you compensated for it, still kind of confused. Are you slightly raising / lowering the height of the C/O lspring perch to shift the weight around? That was the impression that I got after reading the article.

Also in your reply about OD of the shock matching Bilstein or Koni, do that make a insert that is compatible with the 3S ECS system?

Finally, you mention of the upper spring perch, I am not following. Granted all my research at this point is what others have done vs. what I have done, so if I tore into the project I would probably know what you are referring to.

Anyways the information shared on the website Stealth316 He made no reference to having issues with his "upper spring perch. The only thing I see that he didn't do but should of, was to install helper springs to keep the C/O sleeve system in a load while the car is the air be it on a hoist or from extreme cornering. Is there anything else that was over looked that you see?

My other concern is the spring rates that he listed for the GC springs that he used and what he plans on using. With my limited understanding, and I do mean limited, I was under the impression that there is a balance between a struts bound and rebound rate and the spring that is mounted to the strut.

At what spring rate does the spring become too high for a ECS strut properly dampen? or is my understanding flawed?

Again thank you for your insight.