Hello...I have a couple questions for you guys. I have gotten lots of good info from here. I appriciate it. I have a '99 GT with Steeda u/d pulleys, Steeda Timing Adjuster, 18x9 rims, 265/35/18 tires. It is stock beyond that. I am ready to do some upgrades. Figured i would start with suspension so i don't kill myself with power. I ordered Steeda Sport springs, caster/camber plates, offset rack bushings, spring isolators, tokico struts and shocks, Steeda bumpsteer kit, Steeda front and rear swaybars, Max Motorsport Subframe connectors, Steeda strut tower brace. I want to get upper and lower control arms to. The aluminum ones are much more expensive. Is weight the only difference? I am just concerned with handling. I do not race. Do i need anything else for suspension? Also ordered Bassani X-pipe with Magnaflow catback. Going to order 3.73 gears and bearing kit because i MAY supercharge later. basically my question is (after all that) do i need a programer or chip yet? What is the difference? I really don't understand. It seems $400 could be better spent elsewhere for now. Anyway i can make my speedo correct though after new gears? I plan on more upgrades in the future to the intake and so forth. Sorry so long. I appriciate any help....
do i need a programer?
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Good choice going with the suspension upgrades, it will payoff in the end. I for one am not that patient and want the power first and foremost. You did not state whether your car was stick or auto, that being said, with an auto you would need a programmer because of the gear. With a stick you could get away with a Speedcal. You also didn't mention what kind of x-pipe you were getting, o/r or high-flow cats. With o/r you can get MIL eliminators, but from what I hear they are not very reliable, and a programmer would shut off your O2's altogether to eliminate the problem. If you plan on a supercharger, a custom tune is your best bet, and the programmer would be a waste of time.
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WOW!!! That's a heck of a suspension. Funky is correct on the speedcal stuff. However I disagree, a programmer is a good investment all the way around, especially if you're thinking of a blower. The programmer can be adjusted by your tuner and you maintain control of the programmer. Most of them hold the stock tune in a backup file so if you ever decide to remove the blower, you still have the stock tune and you can forego any further tuning costs. Also, the programmer can turn off the O2's and adjust the speedo for new gears. The most beautiful thing about the programmer is datalogging, even after you get the car tuned after the blower install and tune session, you may want to do some datalogging to make sure everything stays safe under varying weather and traffic scenarios. If you see something that's not safe, all you have to do is adjust the tune in your driveway instead of going back and dropping the cash for more dyno/tune time. Also, keep in mind that if your area requires an OBD and emissions system check for the inspection, you will have to turn the O2's back on before taking the car in for inspection. I went through this and it was an absolute nightmare to get the car to pass inspection, all because of some silly readiness codes that wouldn't set.
Thank a lot guys! I have a 5-speed. Would a programer make my Steeda Timing Adjuster useless? I am buying upper and lower control arms. Steeda sells both steel and aluminum. the aluminum ones are much more expensive. Is that just a weight thing? I don't race. the steel ones should be fine right?
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Yes, with the programmer you would need to remove the adjuster or simply set the timing back to stock with it. The programmer is already going to advance the timing electronically.je99gt said:
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Yes, you can ditch the timing adjuster if you get the programmer. If you're not trying to put the car on a diet, then the Steel ones will be perfectly fine.
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Sorry, I was referring to the performance tunes that come preprogramed with the tuner that would not work with a S/C, just didn't come out that way. Just be sure to check with the shop that will be tuning your S/C to see which brand they work with, SCT seems to be the most popular.
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Oh yeah, I agree. The 'canned tunes' aren't that great. Yeah they give you a little more power, but the best way to get a tune is to just cough up the cash and have one done for your specific car. ESPECIALLY if you're going to put on a Power Adder of any kind.
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