suspension advice

[GovernorKC]

my car sounds like ####, every little bump my car makes a horrible screetch. so i have decided to replace the suspension. now im not rich so i was wondering if it is smatter to spend more money on good springs or good shocks/struts. i want improved handeling, but i dont want a really bumpy ride. give me some suggestions. let me know what you did

 

[Doug99RS]

Does the noise happen when say... going over speed bumps? Without more info I don't know for sure but there's a chance it could be the sway bar bushings. They're rubber and insulate the sway bar from the brackets that hold the sway bar to the undercarriage. They're cheap and somewhat easy to replace on FWD's. Maybe look in to urethane sway bar bushings to get rid of some squishiness.
I'd go with Tokicos if you're not looking for something real agressive spring wise. Some tokicos and pro-kits or sportlines depending on how low you want it. Thicker sway bars will take out some of the body roll but don't forget the tires too. It's probably the best upgrade you can make. Braking, launching, cornering... all revolve around traction provided by the tires.
Doug

 

[GovernorKC]

yeah it happens all the time, when cornering and speed bumps, i heard it may because it is cold. but it is really bad. when turning the wheel it makes a bad sound too. unless im going straight and fast i hear the noise. i think i am going to take it to a garage to see what they think and then decide what to buy. but i want to know what is more important for a good ride. springs or shocks. i still want my car lowered however. so help me out

 

[Doug99RS]

Well, springs suspend the vehicle and set the ride height. The shocks/struts slow the rate in which the springs expand and contract. I've got tokicos on stock springs. On the 5th setting I feel every bump and almost feel like I can skip across the road while turning and hitting bumps (Too hard). Lower it by one setting and it feels like it's gripping without being too squishy. I'd say definitely go with adjustable struts. But they are more expensive than the springs will be. One very important thing to remember is that to replace one you must deal with the other. It's all overlapping labor if you're replacing them or paying to have them replaced. It's best to do it all at once.

Most importantly though you need to have it looked at and pin point the problem and don't spend money on performance parts. If the failing part is a component you want to replace anyways then it's ok to mod your way out of a problem.
Doug