Hopping Cobra

[InfamousSVT]

Ok, good so the Upper/Lower Control Arm bushings along with the Cobra R rear shocks will also help out with the wheel hop issue!

[RheacerDave]

Firme
I'm taking it you like the CobraR Bilsteins ;^)
My question is, since you want balance, it would seem you would want to be sure you have comparable struts up front. A too stiffly valved rear would affect initial turnin, making for oversteer, if fronts aren't up to the task. N'est pas?
Anything else we need to do to the front end, since we are taking all the slop out of the rear? Guess I'm thinking more street/roadrace NOT SAYING THE 2 ARE INTERCHANGABLE* than dragrace, but evil handling is evil handling.
civic minded disclaimer.

[Firme]

Balance is certainly important on street/road course, as opposed to just launching or no hopping on the rear.

Depending on what your intentions are for springs, I would go with Cobra R struts for H&R Super Sports, or Maximum Motorsports Race valved struts for 350#+ front coil-overs (they don't make race valved for the IRS yet ).

SVT did a great job on the Cobra R as far as the spring/dampner combo goes. For springs, they used special Eibachs, 800# Front and 750# rear. The Stock 03/04 cobra bilsteins are valved for 600# front and rear springs, so the 700-760# Front and 685# rear H&R Super Sports, will mate better with the Cobra R bilsteins (maybe a hair overdampened), than they would with the border-line underdampening Stock 03/04 ones (even though these work with the H&R SS spring just fine, we are talking about balancing out the Cobra R rear shock with a comprable front strut).

Your other option would be to contact Bilstein directly, who for a fee, will revalve you exsiting Bilsteins for you.

You would just have to tell them you need your dampners 20% stiffer valved in the front, and 15% stiffer on the rear dampners.

There is always adjustable dampners, but those are more for hard core racers IMO.

This is all just my preference and recommendations, other may like a different setup.

[Lumpydogs]

Thanks all for the input. One last question.
Will the Bilsteins work properly on lowered (1 1/4") cobras?
I have seen that some shock/strut manufactureres have
different products for stock ride height versus lowered cobras.

I have the Eiback Pro-Kit prog. rate lowering springs and like the way
they balance driveability with better performance.

I'm leaning toward the Bilstein Sports. I'm not sure the Eibachs are
stiff enough for the Bilstein Cobra R rear shocks. I sent an email to
MM to ask them what they thought, but have not heard from them yet.

Let me know, I have Xmas money burning a hole in my pocket

[Firme]

Lumpydogs, the bilsteins work fine for lowered Cobra's.

Also, IMHO I would personally never run progressive rate spring for road racing or auto-x, but if you are gonna stick with the pro-kit, a nice shock/strut set that works well is the 03/04 stock Bilsteins, they compliment the pro-kit. The stock 03/04 Bilsteins are fairly close in valve rate to the Bilstein Sports, so if you can find an 03/04 owner that upgraded their stock dampners, you can go with those if they are cheaper than the sports.

[Lumpydogs]

As always thanks for the info.

It's 60 degrees in Michigan today so I put the new/used 17X9 Wheels
on the cobra and gave it the last bath of the season. I appreciate
your opinion on the prog. rate springs, I agree that they are not optimum
for the track but I don't have the time to swap springs on a regular basis
and my street to track ratio is approx. 250 to 1. Besides I'm the guy who
spends half his track time pointing people past. ( I can admit it.)

But I have one hell of a good time while I'm out there

HAPPY NEW YEAR