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So after putting about 7k miles on my 370z... I'm really not happy with handling... I hate how the car handles like a buick. My 2004.5 350z stayed relatively flat during acceleration, braking, and cornering... this 370 feels like a boat in comparison. (my base 350z was also lighter stock for stock)
The car does seem harder to rotate due to the wider tires, but it seems to rotate quicker once it decides to go, due to the shorter wheelbase I suppose. Not so much of an issue really.
When cornering, the slightest little bump will completely unsettle the car and send it sailing... it can take way too much finagling to recover. You had better anticipate the recovery room or else you're going to be going off-roading or hitting walls/barriers. Not confidence inspiring to say the least. My 350z would take bumps in stride, like nothing ever happened. Not sure if it's due to the wider tires, spring rates, etc... but it certainly sucks in this respect.
All these things in combination leave me a little disappointed. Granted it does bite harder, the other things seem to negate this strength. And yes, in perfect conditions there is no doubt it's a faster car all around... it just doesn't feel as nice.
I also hate the VLSD, but I expected that much. I hate how the inside tire has to start slipping before it really applies any power to the outside wheel. That transition is not always smooth and sometimes seems to take too much effort. I guess I might get used to it, but I'd almost rather all or nothing. Mechanical LSD or open end differential. VLSD should be renamed PLSD (pansy limited slip). Sure it's quiet... low maintenance... and technically better than an open end, I just don't like it. Sue me.
So... my question. Has anyone else had these same gripes, and done anything about? I didn't feel like my 350z needed any serious "fixing" suspension wise. Even after removing 150lbs from various places and a lack of corner balancing, it still felt great to me. This 370 just feels a little blah in comparison.
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I got a chevy with a mopar cam, I'll be your jonny on the spot!
“Rotation” - in a turn, it sometimes can be beneficial to rotate ( slide the rear ) the car to position it for a straighter exit, thus enabling you to be almost full throttle sooner. Typically it is achieved with a slight lift of the throttle.
(engilsh is not my first language... so i hope that makes sense )
Good feedback! I have no expertise in tracking the car nor good at feedback on this level for suspension. I am still learning the ropes, so my opinion would not count. Will be intersting to hear other opinions and the solutions offered. I will be visiting the track for the first time in the next three months. Your opinion is valued. Thx Curtis
I test drove a 370Z 7AT and kind of agree... the suspension felt softer and more compliant. I'm sure it's the spring rates and shocks that are to blame here. The steering felt lighter, although i'm running 265/35/18 on my fronts and stock 370Z is what? 245/40/19? I frankly like the heavier steering... I get more feeling during cornering and less understeer.
I did like the power band of the 370Z, it seemed to pull really well at all revs. The 7AT was nearly as slow, dimwitted, and annoying as the 5AT from the 350Z. It wont let you into higher gears very early, and there is still about a 300-1500 millisecond pause between when you request the next gear, and when it actually does it. Sure it's not a Ferrari trans... but it's a freaking sports car, it should be bang on fast!
I don't really like the 370Z overall. I don't care for the looks, I think its too funky and trying too hard to be 'curvacious'. They got rid of the digital speedo in the pods too which sucks. I wasn't really impressed with the 370 when I drove it.
__________________ You go ahead and do your 'zoom zoom'. I'll be over here doing my 'win win'.
Maybe it's my age, but "boaty" (i.e. floaty) sounds better that jittery/harsh, ride-wise. I love my 04.5 Touring Coupe, but would sure improve on its suspension, if I could!
“Rotation” - in a turn, it sometimes can be beneficial to rotate ( slide the rear ) the car to position it for a straighter exit, thus enabling you to be almost full throttle sooner.
Rotating does not mean sliding. Everything else is sort of correct.
OP, when I test drove the 370z, it rotated much better than the 350, however what you're experiencing is probably factory dialed understeer on the 370z. I would assume they dialed in more than the 350z because of the shorter wheel base. I would get alignment done to eliminate some of that understeer. As far as the rear getting unsettled, my 03 base behaves similarly and that's mostly due to dampeners not being matched up to the springs adequately. Also, remember, tires are a part of the suspension.
Quote:
Typically it is achieved with a slight lift of the throttle.
Well, that's the lift off method. The goal is to have more weight distribution going to the rear. Many ways to achieve that. This one can also vary on the driving style.
Well, that's the lift off method. The goal is to have more weight distribution going to the rear. Many ways to achieve that. This one can also vary on the driving style.
more weight going to the rear - understeer - more weight to the front - oversteer
So... my question. Has anyone else had these same gripes, and done anything about? I didn't feel like my 350z needed any serious "fixing" suspension wise. Even after removing 150lbs from various places and a lack of corner balancing, it still felt great to me. This 370 just feels a little blah in comparison.
Nope. My only mod in this area was heavier sway bars. Now, almost no body roll.
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'09 370Z Sport/Touring - Stillen HFC's, CBE, Gen II CAI, Sway Bars, 20" Volks GT30
I test drove a 370Z 7AT and kind of agree... the suspension felt softer and more compliant. I'm sure it's the spring rates and shocks that are to blame here. The steering felt lighter, although i'm running 265/35/18 on my fronts and stock 370Z is what? 245/40/19? I frankly like the heavier steering... I get more feeling during cornering and less understeer.
I did like the power band of the 370Z, it seemed to pull really well at all revs. The 7AT was nearly as slow, dimwitted, and annoying as the 5AT from the 350Z. It wont let you into higher gears very early, and there is still about a 300-1500 millisecond pause between when you request the next gear, and when it actually does it. Sure it's not a Ferrari trans... but it's a freaking sports car, it should be bang on fast!
I don't know what you're talking about. But neither my 5AT shifts slow, nor does the new 7AT. The problem with delay is not related to the actual gear change, it's just electrical delay (ground kit fixes this), which is nowhere near as bad you make it seem. The gear changes in these ATs are actually extremely quick (the quickest of any conventional autobox, fyi), which is why 2nd and 3rd gear in our cars makes a pop from the rear - that's your lightning quick shift, most advanced automatic (SMG and the like) do this.
But then again, you do have an 04, so you don't have the updated 5AT, anyways. But yeah, we already know that the 7AT does not suck - 370Zs with the autos are running the fastest 1/4 mile tracks so far. And having driven my cousin's 7AT G37 Sedan, there's no way you can call that transmission slow and dimwitted - it's extremely responsive.
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2010 6MT Black Cherry 370Z | Sport | Navi
I test drove a 370Z 7AT and kind of agree... the suspension felt softer and more compliant. I'm sure it's the spring rates and shocks that are to blame here. The steering felt lighter, although i'm running 265/35/18 on my fronts and stock 370Z is what? 245/40/19? I frankly like the heavier steering... I get more feeling during cornering and less understeer.
I did like the power band of the 370Z, it seemed to pull really well at all revs. The 7AT was nearly as slow, dimwitted, and annoying as the 5AT from the 350Z. It wont let you into higher gears very early, and there is still about a 300-1500 millisecond pause between when you request the next gear, and when it actually does it. Sure it's not a Ferrari trans... but it's a freaking sports car, it should be bang on fast!
I don't really like the 370Z overall. I don't care for the looks, I think its too funky and trying too hard to be 'curvacious'. They got rid of the digital speedo in the pods too which sucks. I wasn't really impressed with the 370 when I drove it.
The stock 370z base tires are 225 up front and 245 rear(weak haha) I had 245 up front and 275 on my 350. I also had KW V3 on my 350 and I just got them for my 370. The 350 was easier to set up mainly because so many people already had them on and dialed in that I went based off their settings and it made it easy while as the 370 I am having to do all my own testing, pretty much, which is making things take longer but the car handles AWESOME with these coilovers fyi and takes a LOT/MOST of the body roll and that sloppy understeer feeling away. The tires are the weakest point on my vehicle right now since they are so thin that they give before the suspension breaks a sweat so either an LSD(since the base doesn't have one) or wheels/tires will be my next upgrade. ANOTHER THING is if I want gears changes on demand I don't buy a damn autobox, I buy a manual transmission and forget the ********.
Rotating does not mean sliding. Everything else is sort of correct.
OP, when I test drove the 370z, it rotated much better than the 350, however what you're experiencing is probably factory dialed understeer on the 370z. I would assume they dialed in more than the 350z because of the shorter wheel base. I would get alignment done to eliminate some of that understeer. As far as the rear getting unsettled, my 03 base behaves similarly and that's mostly due to dampeners not being matched up to the springs adequately. Also, remember, tires are a part of the suspension.
Well, that's the lift off method. The goal is to have more weight distribution going to the rear. Many ways to achieve that. This one can also vary on the driving style.
Tires are what i noticed to be the culprit to a lot of little suspension problems. For one the rear end seems to be very unsettled when the tires start wearing down. I opted for a new set of 295s in the rear and it helped a pretty good amount. As for the buick feeling, I understand completly what you are getting at. It feels as though the car sometimes lifts during steering giving you a very "disconnected" feel. I put springs on my car, and while they did get rid of some of the body roll, the increased the problem of being unsettled in turns if you hit a small bump, and when i say unsettled, i mean unsettled as in if you are turning, on a two lane road it could almost throw you into another lane. I am going to go ahead and order sways and see if this helps at all, so I will let you know. Also i noticed that having a little more aggressive offset in the front helps a little with the tracking i was experiencing. Just what I have noticed... hope that it may help a little.
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09 6mt 370-M. blue /Berk/Invidia/Takeda/Nismo/Evo-r
not at all happy with stock suspension (rant)
That was one of my favorite things on the 
