Forged Rods + stock piston !

[kyle's protege5]

I have 8.5:1 and my low end is just fine. I think I'm running the thicker Cometic head gasket too. I'm not sure what I put in. Some guys run straight 8:1 and still have a bit of bottom end, but running that much boost on 9:1 might be pushing it. Lower compression lowers your risk of detonation, which provides a bit of "cushion" whil you're tuning.

what size of turbo are you running?