shocks vs struts........levin superstrut suspension

[lifeisviewtiful]

a few questions for the canadians and even a few americans on here.

first off is there some difference in performance between a car being equipped with shocks or struts?

also whats the difference between the superstruts that come with the levin gt apex and normal mcpherson struts?

also does anyone here know where i can get the parts necessary(levin rear big brakes) in the u.s. or canada to do a rear brake disc conversion on my 94 usdm ae101 corolla. thx everyone for the info?

[micro214_kp61]

pm VooDoo, he's using the levin superstrut set-up using the whole AE101 GT Apex underchassis.

check importers of half cuts coz i know most of the time when they sell it as half cuts they'll still give you the rear susoension and brake parts.

[VooDoo]

you'd need the whole underchasis off a Levin AE101 GT-Z or GT-Apex, or a Levin AE111 BZG or BZR to be able to install the superstruts. they're totally different from the mcphearson struts. they're actually closer to the multi-link type suspensions in hondas and mazdas.

btw, they're a pain to maintain.

[thespud]

^^ On an AE101, all you have to do at the front is pull some of the soundproofing off to reveal a panel, pull that off and drill a hole to line up, stick a nut on it and bolt away... The back is a bit of a pain tho, cause you have to remove almost the entire boot panels to get to the bit you have to drill the holes

As for the ride quality, they are a bit stiffer (acually alot stiffer) than the McPhearsons because they have two stuts holding them to a frame as opposed to a wishbone, but they got through ball joints and have a tendancy to ripp up CV Joint boots. So yes, they are a major pain to maintain.