Hello all,
For those that don't know me, I have a 2007 Chevy HHR 2.4L A/T 2LT FE3.

I had a KYB shock recently start leaking and am hoping they will replace the front two here shortly, but I had a few questions.

So far the KYB are a great FE4 upgrade, much better than my stock broken ones.

The only thing I'm wondering about now is the springs, I have 150000+ miles on the car and live on a dirt road with ruts and pot holes.

I'm still not familiar with how the spring shock combination works, if someone can educate me about what they do. Springs absorb? Shocks dampen?

I would like to hit a pot hole and not have the car go BAM!
So better springs? But I don't want to lower it either, it's at a perfect hight, it clears every curb. :)

I believe a spring upgrade would be my best option because I have driven a SS cobalt with FE5 and the ruts on the dirt road didn't seem to be a problem, but I'm not for certain.

PS, I'm not purposely going fast over ruts and pot holes, just an example.

 

What is FE4?

The function of the springs and shocks is to keep the tires in contact with the road while giving a smooth ride. The springs push down, the shocks resist upward force.

The suspension has a few inches of travel in an HHR, I don't think you will avoid the BAM.

 

FE4 = KYB
Softer than FE5 but firmer than FE3

So then what is the benefit of adding stiffer springs?

 

Stiffer springs= less lean when cornering which generally means better handling.
The trade off is a harsher ride.

 

HHRs have FE1, FE3 or FE5.

KYB that I've seen follow those specs.

 

Just a quick lesson on springs and shocks. Springs resist deflection and store energy and shocks resist velocity, in both directions. Shocks damp the return of a spring from a deflected position, but only running through a water puddle will dampen a spring/shock. To damp something is to restrict it's motion. To dampen something is to get it wet.

 

FE4 is what I have heard people say on here that had FE3 on there before and then got KYBs and said they were slightly stiffer but not like FE5.

They might have had FE5 springs and KYB shocks and called it FE4.

So good idea to keep my springs the way they are?

So spring absorbes the bump and shock controls the release of the spring?

So off-road vehicles just happen to have more travel to compensate for rough terrain?

 

From Merriam-Webster:
1
: to become damp

2
: to become deadened or depressed


Okay, SSfan calls KYB FE4, I've never seen it otherwise.

 

Ha ha guess my Fe-4 is a thing now.......

If you are keeping the stock height springs, fe-5 might be the better shock, in fact if I were shooting at your goal I would go all Fe-5 SS spring and shocks. My panel is stock SS and it performs great and clears most obstacles with ease. Dentures stay in over rail road tracks..........

 

Well I already have KYB so I'll be sticking with that.

And I don't want to lower the vehicle, so I'll probably leave the FE3 springs.

Railroad track type bumps aren't a problem, it's the random deep potholes that you don't see coming.

Driving along and BAM! What did I run over?

Same with SS?