A little summer rehab-suspension and seat questions
 

I have car #1867 that was produced in 2004 and it now has 13k miles on it. Over the summer we are going to pull the motor to dress it up and change the cam. The other 2 things I want to focus on are having the seats repadded amd getting the suspension improved. I'm very happy with the car and this is this the journey I am taking getting the car exactly as I want it.

1. The driver seat is like a John boat cushion. I currently weigh 215lb but the previous owner was probably in the neighborhood of 270-290lb. What is the recommended practice for having the seats freshened up? Do I just need to take them to a local upholsterer or do I need to source some OEM padding from SPF? I pulled the driver seat bottom loose in the rear over a year ago so it won't hurt to get that reattached while I'm at it.

2. The car has 17" PSE Wheels and Goodyear eagle F1's that were installed in 2010. It rides okay until you hit the slightest rough spot or bump and then it will jar your teeth out. Can this be contributed to the shocks or is it more directed at the 17" tires? The other issue I am experiencing is the rebound in the rear is like a Cadillac.....when you hit a good dip on the interstate it has a slow trampoline style bounce and will literally pitch you up out of the seat. We did notice the previous owner has the rear sitting too low and it need to be raised 1/2" or so. Before I haul off and start looking into shocks I wanted to better understand what I am experiencing....maybe just a shock rebuild would do it. I have only driven one other car and it had 15" wheels and Avons and road twice as good....I'm sure much of this can be contributed to wheels size but I can't imagine many people running 17-18" wheels if it was this rough all the time.

Talk to Cobravalley about new rear shocks. I don't know if your originals either can or are worth rebuilding.
Cobra Valley's SHOCK & SPRING Suspension UPGRADE
It sounds like soft old shocks, worn suspension and the 17" in combo are what's loosening your fillings. Check the rear shock mounts, number of bolts, crush sleeves are all as they should be on the back end. Front end I really like and feel a huge difference from their ball joint upgrade. Cobra Valley's R/T Super High Performance Ball Joints A good local trimmer should be able to re-web and or re-cushion your seats. Don't let him overstuff them or you'll be jammed up against the underneath of your steering wheel with your knees.

I have looked at the shocks and they seem to be a pretty good option for $1000 or so. As far as my rear shock mounts are concerned they were welded to the frame by Oltoff. I bought the cobra valley shock mounts and then discovered mine were welded to the frame when I pulled the rear wheels off. Note taken on over stuffing the seat......I have larger than average legs from years of working out and I would be in the steering wheel rather quickly

My cobra Valley shocks work very well.
When I first installed them the car rode to soft, like a Cadi so I added a few clicks to all 4 corners and it's a dream now.
Money well spent.

What size tires are you running and which suspension level did you purchase? I noticed there were 3 or 4 different levels of street to track options. I have a credit with cobra valley and the shocks aren't really a huge investment....I'm sure having the ability to adjust would be great.

I got the base single adj shocks.($1,100 or so)
My car rode like sh!t before these shocks (I had Avo shocks).
My tires are 15" but like I said, before these shocks it was ruff and super bumpy.

I upgraded my shocks, tires, sway bar, etc... All from RT and my car is 100% better, handles better, rides better.

Tires are a big thing check out the Mickey ST's (I have the 15's)

Glad to hear your car is so improved. I think I large contributing factor is the 17wheels and the tires that I'm running. I've driven a friends SPF that runs 15" Avons.....he has the RT ball joint upgrade but everything else is stock. That car rides great compared to my current setup.

ACE,
What psi are you running in you tires?
I run 22 psi in mine.

I am also looking at possibly upgrading shocks, so will keep an eye on what your guys think. As for a seat, maybe talk to Kirkey for one that fits you just right? Just a thought...

I am running 25lb in all tires at cold reading. I had heard that 1lb per 100lb was a good measurement to go by. I could experiment with lower pressure but the tires are stiff and don't have much sidewall to begin with

The seat actually fits well it is just the seat padding that needs to be redone

No work has been performed on the seat but some progress was made. The ride height turned out to be way off so the front was dropped 1/2" and the rear was raised 3/4" to get it back close to spec. Tire pressure was changed from 25psi cold down to 22psi cold. Had it out last night for a good 70 mile spin and it road MUCH better. It is still bumpy at certain times but much of that could be contributed to the crappy roads. The greatest achievement was finally locating a squeak in the rear driver side that was driving me insane. It had gotten to the point where when you got in the car it would squeak if you shifted your weight sitting still......turned about to be the joint where the top a-arm comes out and attaches to the rear rotor and caliper.

Hey Ace

I ADDED 1.5" high density foam. I am 6' even and this caused no problem with visibility. If you want to replace all the foam, just measure the current thickness and add based on deterioration or extra you desire.

Any form/upholstery shop should have foam. Key is hi density. Not sure if the industry color codes foam but it was light green.

Jeff