EatCake

I've read plenty of post about lowering the HHR and all of the various suspension options that there are for achieving better handling, a more responsive feel, etc... but my use is a little bit different. I need to find the best setup for delivering Wedding Cakes.

I've had my HHR Panel for the last two months and on occasion there are some cake issues when arriving at my drop-off. Cracks in the fondant, borders rattled off, etc... and I'm looking for a way to smooth out my ride. It had a leaking passenger side shock when I bought it so I went ahead and swapped out both rear shocks but the ride is still pretty rough for the cakes in the back. I've contemplated adding memory foam padding to the cargo area for more cushion but I would like a permanent solution to the rough ride.

A little clarification for when I say "rough ride"... thats compared to delivering them in our Volvo XC90 (personal vehicle).

I know the HHR ride quality is closer to a car than an suv but does anyone have suggestions on which springs, shocks, struts I should be looking for to smooth out my deliveries? Should I be looking at swapping out the tires with a larger sidewall? Will any of the Eibach, Pedders, Koni, or KYB combinations smooth out my ride?

Thank you in advance.

whopper

Ok - this takes the "cake" for the most unusual posting so far.

No, I don't think any of those shock/spring combinations will smooth out the ride. They are more designed for performance, not smoothing out the ride.

A taller sidewall would help, but due to limited clearance you would need to downsize the rims to a 15" to likely get any appreciable benefit. Building a special cargo holding area with memory foam like you mentioned might be your best bet. IMHO.

Oldblue

I was just thru Charlotte on Saturday , very bumpy on the 77, so yes those spring and shock combos would not smooth out the ride.
I have KYB's and Canuck Motorsports coils and the stock 16 inch tires at 32 PSI.
The memory foam lined cargo tray may be the best solution to your problem.
I have wondered if air bags would smooth and soften the ride but haven't tried bags yet.

Silverfox

First off you do not mention what suspension you now have.
FE1 for LS and 1LT or FE3 for 2LT

There are several posts on the Cobalt SS/SC and SS/TC rear springs available to read.

My take is that the SS/SC rear springs will offer you a slightly lower rear profile but also a "Softer Ride" and still good handling.

I would install them and them depending on what tires you now have, also consider putting the tire pressures as low as your TMPS will allow with out triggering a low pressure warning.
My guess would be 27-28psi cold. The stock setting is 30psi cold
Keep in mind that tire pressures change thoughout the year as the seasons and temp's change so you would have to check them maybe 4 times a year for the best results over the long haul.

You can safely change your tire size to 205/60/16 which changes the aspect ratio slightly for a bit softer ride with the lower air pressures.

I did this on a 2LT and it made quite a bit of difference, however I was coming from stock 17" tires and wheels also.

Silverfox

EatCake

Sorry Silverfox... I meant to include that. I'm running an LS with the stock FE1 setup at the moment. Thank you guys for the suggestions, I'm going to start with the memory foam, read up on the Cobalt springs, and see where I'm at after the next delivery.

Oldblue

The cobalt springs have been noted to be more bouncy then the stock LS springs

donbrew

The trailing arm rear suspension kind of limits things. Bad shocks or springs give you clunk new shocks and springs give you bounce. It's just geometry. Remember the 70's 2 ton cars (boats) with four corner coil springs? The difference now is the throw is much shorter, those old cars had 5-6 inches of travel, an HHR only has 2-3 inches.

black Tara

why not buy an old 71 Cadillac, that's a nice soft floating boat for your cakes and they have huge trunks :) or if you need it to be taller for your tall cakes.
You could buy an old Cadillac Hurst have it wrapped with a picture of your cakes :)
Tim

Silverfox

I am not sure if you have read this particular post on the SS/SC Cobalt springs but it may shed some more light on how they perform.

Silverfox

Leveling – Comments on Cobalt SS Rear Springs

Posted on 4/8/2010


Hi Folks, I thought I’d share my experience with “leveling” my HHR called Elvis. My car is a 2009 2LT with the FE-3 “sport” suspension. Note that the 2009 and 2010 2LT’s have stiffer rear springs than earlier 2LT’s, and the FE-3 part number on the tag is 22712221. I would NOT advise anyone to buy these springs, unless you happen to need to carry a lot of weight in the rear of your HHR for some reason and need clearance.

After forum members’ advice was weighed, I decided upon the 2007 Cobalt SS Supercharged (SS/SC) rear springs, part number 10390024. I chose these because I wanted to drop the rear end to level, but preserve the ride as much as possible. The later Cobalt SS Turbocharged (SS/TC) springs are a little stiffer reportedly. The SS/SC springs are under $50.00 each, and at some places are considerably cheaper than that.

The springs installed just like the tutorials on the forums said they would. Many thanks to those who shared their experience.

Appearance - The springs on day one have settled to 1-3/8” drop in the rear, and I have been told to expect a little more as they really settle in. The car looks soooo much better to my eyes. It is now level, not raked with the rear end in the air. As someone said, it used to look like a stink bug.

Before.....
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After.......
Click the image to open in full size.

*** Ride – Here was the big surprise, it rides better. A friend who had done the swap with SS/TC springs said it would ride better, but I was still nervous. Basically, the “grainy” harsh ride is much reduced, as in I don’t feel all of the small pavement cracks and holes as much. That is reduced maybe 20%.

The really good news is that the back end no longer does a “pogo stick” bouncing motion. I didn’t realize it was doing it before, but it is clearly better with the new springs. Over dips and potholes the car would drop, then the rear end would take a big “BOING” bounce into the air and then settle back down. The same over speedbumps. Any bumps in a curve would send the back end bouncing. With the SS/SC springs, the car smoothly notes that there is a bump there, but there is no bounce. An amazing advantage. With the old springs it seemed like the stiff springs were overwhelming the shocks at each bump, allowing bounce. The same shocks with the SS/SC springs feel like total control.

I think a lot of the commotion and perceived bad ride in Elvis was due to the rear end bouncing around….and it wasn’t the Sachs shocks’ fault. Recall, I went from the stiffer 2009 FE-3 2LT springs to the softer 2007 Cobalt SS/SC springs (big improvement). If you have a 2008 or earlier FE-3 2LT (softer) spring and go to a current Cobalt SS/TC (slightly firmer) rear spring, the improvement may not be as pronounced. My friend did this latter change, and says his does ride better with the change.

Handling – Another dramatic difference, and one I would attribute to lowering the center-of-gravity and getting rid of that spring bounce with the stock FE-3 2LT rear springs. I chose not to install a rear bar yet, as I wanted to evaluate the rear springs alone.

The car before the new springs would go into a curve, and the nose would tip down and the rear end felt like it would jack up off of the outside rear spring. Any dip or bumps and you’d really get a “whoop-de-do” bounce and float, that felt like it was going to unsettle the tires. It felt like the rear end wanted to roll to the outside, and wanted to take the front end with it. In other words, the poor handling rear was messing up what the front could do. Lots of understeering, plowing feel when pushed.

With the new springs, I can feel the rear end sitting lower from the driver’s seat. In a curve, it is almost like the rear end of the car isn’t there. No bounce, float, or fuss. The steering response is faster and lighter feeling. The plowing feel is gone. The body roll feels like it is decreased by half. The rear feels totally settled and just wants to track behind what the fronts are doing. This is with SOFTER springs and NO rear anti-sway bar yet. What a transformation. I have no idea, other than for clearance with a load, why GM would have installed the lousy 2009 #22712221 FE-3 2LT rear springs.

You may not think your HHR handles or rides badly until you try a set of these SS/SC springs. I am convinced. Does anyone want to buy a used set of 2009 FE-3 2LT springs? ;-)

Normally, when you soften the springs on a car, especially in the rear, you might expect worse handling and more understeering “push”. It did not work that way here. I am betting the lower center-of-gravity is to thank. I am now pondering a Progressive rear sway bar, as I understand it is the softer choice.

I tried a few roads today with sweeping faster curves, including a few with big dips and bumps. What used to be a little edgy feeling with the old springs, is now “ho-hum” totally uneventful with the new SS/SC springs. Totally stable and confidence inspiring. It may be even better with a set of SS/TC springs, but I have no first-hand experience with those SS/TC springs.

If I can help anyone further, please drop me a message. God Bless, Marc



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