First off, I've done plenty of searching around and research on the matter - but it's hard to sift through the hundreds of threads talking about SSSSSL rear springs with stock shocks etc to find the information I actually desire. I know VLs and commodores in general are not known for their cornering ability, and I'm quite tired of the boat remarks. I know it'll never be a Lotus but I'd like to bring the handling capabilities of my VL up to par - Hopefully to make driving through the twisties more pleasing, the car more competitive and to stop the stereotype that all VL drivers just want to do skids and have the loudest dose. Currently my car has stock suspension. I'm not 100% sure what'd be my best bet to achieve my goal of more sporty handling - I know that the chassis is a weak point but surely it can still give some silvia drivers a bit of a scare. I was thinking:27mm front sway bar, with new relevant bushes Stock rear sway bar Lowered springs of course, unsure about what spring rates or brands would be best, I was thinking 'Lovells superlows' but I'm open to recommendations. Unsure of what shocks, I know the monroe gt ones are common when lowering but I'm not sure where to start with for improved handling (Koni's?) Strut brace (Dat chassis flex) Adj. panhard rod, of course And most importantly I'll try and get some lighter wheels with good quality tyres. What are people's thoughts on this? I know suspension questions can get annoying but I'd like the advice of people who have tried to make their cars turn better! Keep in mind I'm a student working part-time, so a full cage and coil overs aren't exactly on the cards. I'd like to keep this fairly cost effective if possible as that's an aspect I normally like about VLs. Cheers and sorry if this annoys anyone. Would like some clear guidance and confirmation.

Realistically with a tight budget you are limited. Suspension setups can cost a fortune. Even just replacing the bushes with new items can make a drastic difference to the car. I would start with finding a reputable suspension shop (IE not pedders), let them go over the car and highlight maintenance issues etc first and then let them guide you in the direction of what bits to start out with. You might want to do the work yourself but you will still need someone to do wheel alignments and set the camber, toe etc etc depending on how far your suspension setup gets you.

Definitely new bushes and some quality tyres will make a world of difference, especially if it takes time to save up the cash. Do it gradually and eventually you will get there

not sure if this has been done on a Vl without a cage, but a rear strut brace (would have to be fabricated) could be a good, cost effective mod depending on how handy you are with a welder

I have done a fair bit of research about suspension on this forum before , here is some of the information I found, please note that a lot of this is just copy and pasted so when it says "I" it is not me and also there is some contradictory advice in there: The easiest way to tell if your car has FE2 is to measure the diameter of your front sway bar, - 24mm = FE2, 22mm = V5W, 26mm = standard. (makes for a cheap and easy upgrade if you want a bigger swaybar ) KYB shocks King springs SuperPro bushes Whiteline Plus adjustable radius rods KMac or Wilkinson Supension strut tops Whiteline sway bar (front only) Or just get KYB shocks first up. I had a Signature 30mm adjustable front anti-roll bar with a stock rear bar and I reckon it was perfect. Stock rear bar gives the rear a little bit of roll which is required for traction in a car with a live rear end I run a full koni setup and I tell ya the best ride of my life in a VL. I had pedders in and found them to be a tad harsh for my likings. Oh and avoid monroe sensatrac u tend to **** them real quick on bumpy roads. My Monroe GT Gas fronts collapsed with Kings Superlows after 40,000 kays. Then, as a result of the f*cked shocks, the bearing plates got bashed to bits. I rang Monroe directly and was told that nothing in their range was suitable to be used with such high spring rates, not even their "performance" AGX shocks. I then went on to ring almost every other shock manufacturer in Australia (KYB, Gabriel, Boge, etc etc) and was told the exact same thing. I eventually settled with Pedders GSR's all round (9750 front, 9094 rear) as they (according to my research) are the only non-adjustable shock that is capable of handling such a spring. I guarantee you that your Monroe's will be the best shocks you have ever driven on in terms of handly ability and comfort, for the short time they last before failing internally. I will never buy another Monroe product. If you want real good handling I would do the following: New bushes all round, decide on rubber for all or some parts as nolathane will destroy rear trailing arms King low springs or superlows depending on preference. I dont like cars that are too low and remember it doesnt necesarily mean better handling the lower you go. Whiteline fully adjustable front struts/shocks and the best whiteline rear shocks you can get matched to the spring rates. The heaviest whiteline front swaybar you can get and a slightly uprated rear bar. Adjustable panhard rod strut brace whiteline adjustable radius rods pedders strut tops If you want to go hard out you can get whiteline adjustable rear arms for diff pinion angle but its a waste unless you get it setup by a professional. 17x8 inch wheels of your choice with some 235/45 pricey rubber. New ball joints and tie rod ends

You're limited heavily by budget. Best shocks you can afford Best springs you afford Adjustable panhard rod Full mixed bush kit (nolathane and urethane) Front strut brace If you've got a bit of extra cash and can be without the car for a few days, it's not hard to get the rear end converted to a watts linkage using a Ford BW78 diff "hat" (diff cover), adjustable watts linkages, and watts linkages mounting points welded to the chassis.

Thanks for the helpful responses guys! Exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I am aware that my biggest enemy is budget and I don't intend to make a track car, I just want a decent improvement with some bang for buck upgrades mostly. Don't want to waste my time trying every brand spring on the market etc like some people have had to. Will do the work myself, gotta learn somehow right? :P I think my best bet would be KYB shocks (Thanks for the recommendation LOACH) and superlow springs (I know low would handle just as well as superlow but that's mostly just for looks) I've heard that King springs are fairly soft - what are people's thoughts on different spring rates? Looking on ebay there is only KYB kits for low/stock height springs + shockers, would they work with superlows safely? I assume that when getting a wheel alignment asking for more negative camber would help aswell? Or would I need the kmac strut tops to do that?

Don't want to make lots of threads so I'll ask this here. Would it be possible to use VL V8 (superlow) king springs in the front, to make it a slight bit stiffer than the normal springs? (And superlows in the rear etc) I don't think I've seen anyone do this so I'm skeptical as to if it would be retarded or not. Plus it would be a nice bonus if it kept the front a mil or so higher too...

Check the rate of the springs..

S13 front end into vl can it be done ?? I know all the 31 guys are doing it and I would happily start the conversion if its possible in the vl as coil overs would be readily available and pretty cheap

I doubt it without significant effort..

Fairly sure you can use S13 rear coil overs in the front of the VL, similar bolt pattern. You still have to weld the bottom half of the macpherson strut onto the coil over, same as the ksport kit anyway