agdamis

Thanks a million Mike. I will order it up this week.

fbfisher

Do the M030 sways also. I went with the complete ROW M030 kit (shocks/springs/sways) and it's great. I tried Gert but I found a supplier/installer locally that was WAY less. Not sure if it was the exchange rate or just good luck at the time. When it's time to change the shocks I will likely go with Gert's adjustable HD's - though I am happy with the stock ROW M030 ride height. Check out the latest Malibu Fun Run thread for pics of my car at that height.

mike cap

agdamis,

You're welcome. Assuming you have a shop install the suspension, make sure to find one that you can trust. There are a number of guys on this forum in the Chicago area, if you need a referral.

Also, before you have the work done, park your car in the garage (level floor) with 1/2 to 3/4 fuel and take some good measurements of the ride heights at all four corners. I used the centerline of the wheel to the inner fender lip axis. Not technically correct, but for my purposes it was adequate. My shop's results were 7/8" + - 1/8" lower at all four corners from the original (untouched) suspension. You want to make sure that the shop gives you the results you want, so you need a reference baseline.

Good luck.

akolodesh

Changing the sways makes a significant difference for the better. How beefy you want to go is up to you, but I think the m030 turbo sways (23 front, 21 back would be a minimum change) I had these on and liked them very much. Plus the Bilsteins do a good job of handling the beefier sways.
I also think a strut brace helps with lateral rigidity. Not as much as the beefier sways but it is a cost effective and significant mod.

David in Chicago

Alex has it right - the springs and (especially) the shocks are great, but changing the anti-roll bars is, IMHO, the real magic in this conversion. The change from the very "pushy" stock handling balance to a car which turns in much more directly and can be better steered with throttle is a thing of beauty and really makes the car.

Before I got mine installed, I asked the board several times about the change in balance from the sways and the advice I got was "do it." I could not agree more strongly. FYI, mine are the standard M030 sways.

The kit was purchased from Gert, along with the FPB (Mike's right - you need it). I also purchased the strut tie bar and, while the benefit here is less apparent, I've got to believe that further bracing the nose of the car is a good thing. I'm hopeful that this is also forestalling the onset of windshield squeak, alhtough I have no evidence that this is the case.

Regards to all.

mike cap

Alex and David,

Guys, I read your comments above re the sway bars. Being 'suspension disadvantaged', last year when I had my shop do the M030/HD's, I never asked about this, nor did they mention it. Seems like it would be very worthwhile.

A couple of questions:

- Is this a straight unbolt and bolt in that my shop can do?
- Re-alignment required?
- Gert has M030 stabilizer bars and Turbo bars for the 993. Cost difference is minor. I assume the Turbo kit is the one to buy?
- WIll the Turbo kit fit a '97 'C2?

Thanks for the help.

Craig W.

Mike,

Yes, straight bolt in.
No alignment needed after.
Which depends on your situation. Best is an adjustable bar. TRG sells one that people say is decent. I'm getting the adjustable front bar for $299 found here:http://www.theracersgroup.com/parts/...s/swaybars.htm

If you get an adjustable bar, you can sometimes just get either the front or the rear. Typically the fronts have 5 adjustments, and the rears 3. I ran my track car full hard on the rear, and adjusted the front bar - softer for short tight tracks, harder for high speed tracks. But heck, for $299 you might as well get both. Avoid the type that slide to adjust. While it gives you finer control, it also tends to slip causing nasty mishaps on the track. The ones with seperate bolt holes for each setting are the safest.

No idea about the turbo kit on a C2.

slant911

Just thought I'd toss in here that Gert is out of the rear bilsteins for a couple of weeks. I ordered the complete set last week and he e-mailed me right away saying that they were backordered for 3 weeks. He has the fronts in stock... So I am waiting (impatiently)

Craig W.

Update, I used Gert. I ordered the Bilstein HD's, 030 springs, FPB and GT2 Strut bar late Wed after the FedX cut off. I received everything at 9:15am this morning at the office. Impressive performance!

Adrienne

I thought the HDs from Gert had a 2-yr. warranty whereas ones bought stateside had a lifetime warranty. In this case, the higher price stateside may be justified, yes? Any ideas on that?

Craig W.

Yes that is a trade off that the buyer needs to decide on. Also, the front HD's from Gert have about 30mm of extra threads on the front that allow the car to be lowered. The ones without the extra threads are so limiting that many people had to go to a fabricated sleeve that extends the US versions. Hergeshimer sells them, and OH Yeah, I have a set for sale if anyone wants them for their US HD's.

DJD

I received my HDs from Gert last week, guess I was lucky to get them before he ran out of stock. I got the sway bars too!! The order shipped on Tuesday and fed ex delivered them to me Thurs.. Just amazing service. Be sure to get the HDs that have the extra thread if you want to lower the car, not all HDs come with this..but Gerts do!!!
Doug

agdamis

Craig,

I have a '97 C2S how is Gert's system working for you? How low have you lowered the car? I am worried that if I lower it much more from stock I will be scrapping everywhere. I am debating on using the stock US springs and lowering the front using the stock threads or going with Gert's M030's that I guess drop the car 7/8" of an inch as he told me. Are the HD's you have the one's that fit with the stock springs and are they brand new? What do you want for them?

Craig W.

Oops, sorry guys, I was not clear.

I have the extension sleeves for sale, made by Hergeshimer, not the actual Shocks. I bought the sleeves a couple of years ago when they made a batch so I'd have them if I ever bought HD's.

Now Gert has extra threads on the shocks, so I don't need the sleeves. They have never been installed, but have pulled 2 years of duty serving as paperweights on my office desk, GRIN.

Craig W.

To agdamis,

I haven't instaled the HD's yet, but I did lower a previous P car. Even 1/2 inch or 1 inch matters, and you will scrape more than at stock height. You will need to be more careful, and you should get Gert's Front Protection Bar. Once you get used to the lower height, it becomes second nature to drive at an angle over potential places where you'd scrape like driveways, etc.

There are two things that can lower you car: shorter springs, or shocks with threads that let you lower the perch that the springs sit on. Even with USA M030 or stock springs you can lower the car with threaded shocks. But I'd suggest at least USA M030 since when replacing the shocks you can just slap in the new spring.