View Full Version : Fed up with harsh ride - possible hitting bumpstops?
A while back when I fitted new wheels to my car it looked silly so I got hold of a set of springs quickly that would do the job until I'd sorted out what I actually wanted to fit long term.
They were unkown springs and they lowered the car about 40mm at my guess, but here's a picture for anyone with a keen eye, 225/45 17 tyres by the way:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/Hallsy/lowered5.jpg
Now a lot of the roads I use around here are pretty rough but I still found the springs to make the ride a lot harder, but as I;d been so used to the soft ride as std I thought I was just a bit out of touch (I used to have a very low & hard 205). Anyway I've been finding the ride quite bad at speed, constantly correcting, this is possibly due to the neg camber the springs have caused, and any pothole or join in the road feels like you've driven through a ditch!! To top it off I've been in a coupel of other lowered cars lately and they don;t seem as hard as mine.
Is it possible with this drop that I'm hitting the bumpstops? I know the std shocks aren't helping, but they were in good nick when I removed them.
In the long run I'm looking for some new springs with a 35mm drop (as it is the car often grounds out on speed humps, can't reverse on my drive anymore!!), fairly soft (Chassis Dynamics?) and a set of AGX's.
What will I need to sort my camber out? Can camber bolts at front do enough? What about rear, adjustable arms?
I wish I'd been in an uprated S13 to compare but I haven't, and I think that mine is too harsh :(
The standard shocks are probably very tired now, as are a lot of the bushes no doubt.
If you're swapping to CD springs you MAY get away with just the standard rear camber adjustment, I doubt it mind, but you MAY. The fronts - camber bolts should do the trick (I haven't scrubbed any tyres on mine yet in 20k miles on apex springs)
I'm guesing mine is lower than 35mm then as there seems to be a lot of rear camber, can just about see it on that pic above, although I wasn't aware of the camber adjustment on rear, guess I better check the manual!!
there is a small amount of rear camber adjustment, none on the fronts.
You think yours is bad, you should see Mal's :wack:
How low is his? Or does he run neg camber on purpose?
His isn't actually that low, no-where near as low as mine on Apex springs. I think his is just one of those cars where he cant dial it out. He needs camber arms big time.
His isn't actually that low, no-where near as low as mine on Apex springs. I think his is just one of those cars where he cant dial it out. He needs camber arms big time.
arry I have an apex spring kit fitted and my ride is very harsh.. go over a small hole and it feels like you have just driven over an open manhole?
Shocks are fine?
What is your ride like?
Firm but not that harsh, but then I've got my AGX's set to 5 on the rear and 2 on the front. If I stick them up to 4 on the front it gets VERY crashy. And if I stick the rears up past 6 it's time to buy new kidneys :wack: as well as becoming very skittish under braking
Well, I'm even more fed up now. It really does handle shite at the mo unless you are on a dead smooth surface, when in suffolk, most of the time you're not!!
Drove home from Ipswich to sudbury yesterday and any manhole cover I went over sent the car about a foot sideways!! The car was veering all over the road, and any pothole felt like a ditch!!!
What are the softest springs that give at least a 35mm drop?
And with these springs and AGX's on the softest settings should I expect an improvement in ride over rough roads? At the moment it doesn't feel safe driving at speed on anything but the smoothest roads :(
MOT inspector picked up a coupel of bushes at start of year which I may look at, although if I upgrade them that will make the ride harsher - won't it?
Also get vibration at wheels between 50-60mph which doesn;t help, but I think (hope) this is just the wheels out of balance.
I'm basically interested in what people have done that lowers the car approx 35/40mm and improves handling/feel on ALL road surfaces.
Or am I asking too much :wack:
razza987
27-11-2005, 19:02
I'm basically interested in what people have done that lowers the car approx 35/40mm and improves handling/feel on ALL road surfaces.
Or am I asking too much :wack:
If you want, I can meet you in Thetford and take you out in mine, you can feel what the Tein's/AGX's are like. :thumbs: I need to sort out my rear camber though.
Raz :)
That would be good mate, I'll have to take you up on the offer some time :)
razza987
27-11-2005, 21:36
That would be good mate, I'll have to take you up on the offer some time :)
I'll let you know if I'm going to be down that way anytime soon :thumbs:
Raz
Sideways Danny
27-11-2005, 23:55
poorly matched shock and springs will give a harsh uneven ride, quite often stiffer shocks will smooth out the ride
My KYB shocks and Apex springs made the car handle like it was on rails on corners but you knoew when you were riding over ants!
poorly matched shock and springs will give a harsh uneven ride, quite often stiffer shocks will smooth out the ride
I did think that as often it feels like the std shock can't damp the rebound enough so the springs make the car fly up in the air again, giving the bouncey/harsh effect.
I'll definately be after a set of AGX's then I'm prob looking at either the CD (although I had heard these are a bit on stiff side ?) , Tein S-Tech or the H&R.
Next time i get back to Sudbury and drive there i will bring you my front splitter from my preface bumper mate, they look rather nice on the boat front you hae there. Im meant to be there next week but a place to stay is looking dodgy as families houses are full :(
Will have to meet up if i do and can help with a few things on your car if needed.
Sounds good mate, had considered the pre-face splitter before but never got round to it!!
Would be good to meet you, you could give me an idea as to whether my handling is actually that bad or it's me being :ghey: !! shame I won't get to see your S13 though :( What are you driving at the mo?
Getting another courtacy car in the morning, they still aint paid out on mine as its not been inspected manually yet!
Long story but short is that despite them knowing mods list claimed they didnt, didnt pass on lots on info on phone as i was onto them 4 times a day, had phone put down on me, left on hold for 20 mins at a time, lied to, and the list goes on! Norwich Union it is by the way, now i am at the Exectutive level with my complaints, their top engineer is looking over the car and will then try to get a price sorted, as they isnt anything on the market my end for sale to compare the full kitted, chrome engined sage 2 etc s13.
Im back in Sudbury monday via train at the mo, all depends how long they take doing my car, price, cheque etc. Looking at getting a 4x4 for now maybe, but hard to know what to get without knowing the budget!
PM me your number again and i will let you know what the score is, if i have the car for a week then i'll bring the splitter to you.
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