Owning an LS1 F-body is a rush. Besides the obvious acceleration benefits of the LS1, the brakes are good, and the Short Long Arm front and torque arm/lower control arm rear suspension provide decent handling, despite the live axle. In fact, many F-body owners keep these areas stock. Some do so because they are completely content with the performance of their rides. But some are simply gun shy regarding high-performance suspension modifications.
That fear is not completely unfounded. Modern suspension designs are complicated and delicately balanced; at a minimum there are front and rear stabilizer bars, front and rear springs, shock calibrations, and alignment specs to consider. Throwing on a haphazard collection of parts and hoping for the best is a bad idea.
Adding to those fears are the various aftermarket suspension kits out there that have spring rates and shock settings that are way too stiff for street driving. Some enthusiasts get all geeked when they see the "stupid fast road racing suspension package" on knuckledragger.com.org, buy and install it, and proceed to rattle their teeth out when the 900-lb springs have to deal with an uneven road. Hear enough of these horror stories, and it's no wonder many F-body owners keep the stock parts on.
When I bought 1SC-YA, its previous owner told me he was in the process of building a drag car before putting it up for sale. After one drive, I could tell that the suspension had been changed to benefit weight transfer. It didn't handle poorly, it just wasn't as stable as it should have been.
When I baselined it on Raceway Park's new road course, the characteristics that were mildly annoying on the street became big and problematic. I found myself really fighting to keep the Z under control, especially through elevation changes and over rough pavement. I remember one elevation-change braking zone on the course, where the Camaro would float dangerously during a 3-2 downshift when it should have been settled. When it finally came down, it wiggled the rear end hard, threatening to give up its grip before a hard left-hander and send me off into the woods. A set of drilled replacement rotors and no-name brake pads weren't helping matters either; I could only get a couple of laps before massive fade showed up.
 Problem: Soft suspension Solution:...  Problem: Soft suspension
Solution: Strano bars/springs, Koni shocks, UMI Panhard |  I pull the Camaro into Sam...  I pull the Camaro into Sam Strano's Brookville, PA, shop. We will be installing Strano's Handling Pack 3: this includes Strano Performance 1.2-inch lowering springs and 35/22mm hollow sway bar set, Koni single adjustable 4/3 shocks, and a chrome-moly, double-rod-ended adjustable Panhard bar from UMI. That 4/3 designation means the fronts are Koni's fourth-gen shocks, the rears are Third Gen. However, the rears work very well in a fourth-gen application as well. Pack 3 sells for $1,529, and shaves about 18 lbs off of a typical Z28 with stock springs and 30mm/19mm bars. |  He'll be starting up front....  He'll be starting up front. Sam loosens the master cylinder mount so we can get at the strut bolts. |