BriGuyMax

iTrader: (4)

ok...I was just confused...I'll have a time for the Z in about a month

droideka

No flame taken.

I HATE ragtops. Simple as that. I will not own one. I'm partial to Japanese cars (Z is my fifth one) although I have also owned five domestics. Since the S2200 (Coupe) is only now coming around as a concept and was not available when I chose the Z, here I am in my Touring 6MT.

Believe me, I am so much happier knowing that I've got a NISMO S-Tune kit coming I can't stand it. I've got a couple of rattles and grease streaks on the windows which I couldn't give a **** about. THOSE are not "issues" to me. Now I only need to figure out how to get a set of Brembos on my car.

Michael-Dallas

Aw, c'mon Brad, and we all know you're also a closet Creed fan.

This is going to be a futile question, but did you happen to ponder about the less expensive Nissan suspension kit consisting of springs, Bilstein shocks, and front sway bar?

Muuuuuuuuuuaaaahahahahahaha!

Michael.

droideka

You mean the one on this page? That $1430 GBP = $2,263.40 USD

C'mon, *****! Give in already!

jmark

iTrader: (1)

As Raceboy stated on another thread Nissan will probably do nothing. Seems to me we have determined that all they need to do is upgrade (stiffen) the shocks to better match the springs. I will still call Nissan to let them know. If enough of us call it may get looked and fixed for future models. I think that as the flagship of the Nissan line they will listen if enough feedback is given. I still love the car and will probably go the route Raceboy took (NISMO susp. kit). Droidekaus looking forward to hearing your opinion after the new susp. kit is installed.

Michael-Dallas

No, I mean the one on this page US $1,493.02

I wonder what the differences are besides the Bilstein shocks and only front sway bar...

Michael.

droideka

Ahhh, but w/air freight it's still more than what I'm paying for the NISMO kit. BTW, that's a rear sway in the pic. Look at all of the bends.

all_bark

iTrader: (5)

well I guess I have to learn more about cars.

so after reading all the posts after mine I see that maybe I was mistaken and jumped the gun a little to early. SORRY!

You guys are saying that the shocks are just not stiff enough to handle the bumps (porposing) that occurs on lousy roads, correct?

Seems plausible so I have to change my mind.

I AM IN FOR ANY LAWSUIT TO HELP FIX THAT!


Ha Ha, I am sure nothing will come of it but do you guys who have the Nismo suspension really not have that problem any more?
It really makes that much of a difference?

wow!

sorry for my lameness!

Inova

ok so let me get this right. when you guys drive on the cement roads that are separated by little gaps you get a really bouncy ride? as in it actually bounces like this thing here i guess i have not driven it enough to notice. my z has not been insured yet.... also, is EVERYONE experiencing or is supposed to experience a problem like this??

MannishBoy

iTrader: (1)

You got it right. It isn't necessarily every expansion joint highway, but when they are just right, you get the bounce.

You know how when some people slam their ricers to the ground, and the suspensions are too low for the stock shocks to work correctly? They bounce in an exagerated fashion over everything?

Think like that, but not as bad.

jmark

iTrader: (1)

I called and got my case # today. I also talked to my dealer owner who is a former Nissan employee and board memeber as well as a Z fan. He has forwarded my concerns to some Nissan people he knows. I hope something comes of it.

jmark

iTrader: (1)

This thread has some interesting info on the NISMO kit from someone involved with NISMO production planning.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....9&pagenumber=3

Boomer

No, everyone is not supposed to have any problem at all, just like a number of us early buyers are supposed to have a car which works well after the teething problems are gone. It doesn't happen just on the concrete for me, it porpoises on new asphault 1 mile from my house on a recently re-surfaced interstate. It bounces up and down as you drive at 60, 70, 80 , 90, etc. and it does it on what is supposed to be a smooth surface. There appears to be no rebound control at all and you can watch the cars beside you on the same surface glide blithely along w/o any bounce at all while my head is bobbing up and down and my kidneys are being squashed and pummelled. It is not just an annoyance, its very uncomfortable and it hurts my back and kidneys.

On concrete, it feels like your being hammered from outside the car as you move from one concrete strip to another. Think of crossing a railroad track that is raised 3" every time you traverse it. The problem comes that you are hitting the raised track at 60-80mph for every exspansion joint you hit. The sense of crashing into every expansion joint is not one you want repeated but it is repeated everytime I have traversed concrete strips like I described. When I drove down one highway stretch in OKC on Saturday, I held on to the steering wheel very tightly to avoid losing control of the car. Both hands on the wheel at 10 and 2, just like they tell you in driving school. The suspension behavior is not only uncomfortable or hurts you, it is dangerous on the worst sections of roadway that passes for Interstates and Intrastates where I drive. It makes me think the shocks and/or springs have no rebound or compression control at all, but I'm not a suspension engineer.

I am not overdramatizing the suspension's behavior, I am telling you how it performs under adverse road surface conditions which most cars seem to handle with ease where I live and drive. I also want to know the VIN#s of those who are experiencing no problems to ascertain if a running change has been made by Nissan after a certain date, like when the preorder cars stopped being made and the factory started on another production cycle.

If a running change was made, I want the change made on my car and the others whose cars have exhibited the same behavior.

Boomer--I've already said the gist of this post to a NNA representative Friday.

jmark

iTrader: (1)

I called and got a case # today. Was told to take it to the dealer. I have already talked with my dealers owner who happens to be a Z fan as well as exNissan employee. He has forwarded my complaint email to some Nissan contacts he has. Hopefully something will come of this. My VIN number is below. I say again if it isn't a shock/spring problem why does the NISMO kit fix the problem?????

Boomer

It is pretty simple,isn't it, Mark?

fairladyZ in Japan

Boomer's description is right on the mark.

The roads in Japan are great. But the bounce comes at speeds above 25 MPH.

The bounce comes on one, two lane, expressways (with or without expansion joints) -- on all types and surfaces of road.

This past weekend... I hit a section of an expressway that has horizontal strips which are meant to slow drivers --- and I swear to god ... I was bouncing like a jack-in-a-box. It is really unnerving to bounce like that while driving.

Sooo.... my original plans for getting the NISMO S-tune suspension have advanced considerably.

jmark

iTrader: (1)

I guess the US and home versions are tuned the same. Interesting.......

jmark

iTrader: (1)

Seems to me it is. Now if Nissan will do anything about it......Heck they jumped all over the stereo problem. Isn't a suspension mismatch a bigger problem? I find MR350Z's answer interesting especially the beginning.

"All I am willing to say at this point is that Nismo prides themselves in tuning suspension that does not degrade ride quality, however, vastly outperforms the OE suspension, provided all elements of the Nismo suspension kit are purchased.

The preformance is staggering and will be better than anything else currently on the market. I have driven Z's with "other" kits on them and they have flat-out unnnaceptable ride quality. Many "other" (whomever they may be, HKS, Tien..etc..) essentially just tighten everything with different dampening rates and stiffer springs. This is not the philosophy behind the Nismo suspension. The philosophy behind the Nismo suspension is to add and maintain the OE balance of the chassis while increasing it's overall capability...WHILE maintaining acceptable ride comfort, and getting rid of some of that understeer we all love so much.

Hope this gives you some insight...." I personally don't feel the part about maintaining acceptable ride comfort exists in the current cars suspension settings. The NISMO kit seems to exceed the stock car in this regard. It least thats what I hear.

Boomer

So, would anyone construe from Mr. 350's remarks, the NISMO suspension would cure all ride problems? I damn sure would. Nissan expects owners to spend another $2000? to correct any "softness" there might be in the OE suspension, a suspension they designed and sold to us as a integral part of the stock car's complete package? I really smell a rat here and I am wondering about corporate integrity from Nissan. BTW, I e-mailed Mr. 350Z myself and have not received a reply from him and I e-mailed him the same day jmark did.

I am a big James Bond fan and one movie entitled "Tomorrow Never Dies" features a private statement from the bad guy who has just released some new software that is intentionally flawed to increase profits for his company by the purchase of upgrades needed to make the software perform properly. I am NOT accusing Nissan of deliberately selling a flawed product like that but the analogy makes me wonder. I will admit to some paranoia since nobody will ever answer my questions!! Why should owners need to change the stock components to obtain an acceptable ride on a brand new sports car? Maybe Nissan should make a movie titled "The Excuses Never Die".

Boomer--maybe the ******** never dies would be a better title. 'While maintaining the balance of the OE suspension" and "not just tightening the springs and dampers like aftermarket tuners", what in the hell does NISMO do thats vastly different than tightening the springs and dampers, etc that the tuners don't do? Oh, yeah, Nismo adds antiroll bars too. BFD! If the NISMO kit does that, why isn't it OE equipment?

Boomer--furious and getting worse.

TCL

My guess is that if Nissan considers the bounce to be a problem, they will alter the stock shock valving or spring rates in future model years. For those who only want a better ride, it might be worth waiting to see if this happens since it would likely be less costly than the NISMO kit.

For those who also want significantly improved handling and dont mind a slightly stiffer ride, the NISMO set up seems to be the way to go. Raceboy's comment about it making the car feel 500lbs lighter was one of the things that reinforced my decision to go for the NISMO kit.