Actually the SS front bar is smaller that the others.

All the "regular" HHRs have a 25 mm front bar. The SS is 23 mm.

The rear bar on the "regulars" is 22 mm. SS is 24 mm.

 

Yeah,Snoop changing those CAN change the handling-sometimes for the better,sometimes not.Depends on the shock valving and/or your expectations.Tighter valving will stiffen the low speed ride,looser valving will soften it at the expense of more roll.What do you prefer?

 

I have close to 70K miles on my '06 and will most likely be needing replacements soon. I have the 17" tires and would like to keep the sport feel to the suspension. Are there specific GM parts for the 2LT that would keep the FE3 package intact? How would you select aftermarket parts with the proper valving? Thanks for your input.

 

The struts and shocks are the main difference between the 2 packages(the front bar bushings are the only other difference).If you want to use aftermarket pieces,look for items listed as "sport" or "heavy duty" or possibly "towing".These may very well be stiffer than original GM,but with that many miles on your car anything will feel stiffer than what's on it now.