My street is somewhat bumpy and I feel every bump in my Z.
With my sedan, I hardly feel anything. I love driving my Z so can anything be done to soften the ride a little?

 

grow some *****.

heh seriously, its a sports car, not a sedan. maybe if you said "my S2000 is much smoother" but not your sedan...

the same things that make the ride soft make the ride sloppy. either cope, or realize that driving a sports car is not for you.

 

lol, nice response from a moderator.

I think a G35C would probably suit you better.

 

Z=2 seat SPORTS car not a luxo-cruiser.

 

My 78 cadillac broham has a much smoother ride are there any after market suspension kits that will make my Z feel the same way?

 

Perhaps you would be a more helpful if you could read a little more carefully. I stated that I wanted to soften the ride "a little", not turn it into a sedan.
I love driving my Z, this is my second one. Some have said the new convertible rides softer than the coupe. Perhaps Nissan has modified the suspension.

 

Koni Sport Shocks will be out in a few months. They will have some rebound control, unlike the stock shocks which have none. Crashing over every bump in the road doesn't make a car a "Sports Car", it just makes a harsh-riding car, kinda like live axle trucks.

 

You can get a set of Eibach springs and really improve the ride. Eric1h has them on his car, PM him if you want more or do a search on Eibach.

Here - check the Eibach Pro kit $239:

http://www.gruppe-s.com/350z/zsus.htm

There have been some people who say that you may have tire wear issues, I'm not sure; do some research. Eric also hasn't had his car on the track since he installed them, but I know he's happy with the ride improvement.

Good luck!

(A little baby boy has *****. Grow some maturity, ares!)

 

i miss my 84' toy 4x4 with live axle suspension. indestructable.

a temporary bad idea for low pro tires but would work...let some air out of your tires.

anyway, u prob dont want to soften it too much. gonna bottom out on dips, speed bumps, and drive ways. the car is too low to the ground. maybe put a 7 inch lift on it. be the first off-road Z. heh

 

Considered and rejected, thanks. I won't lower my ride height to cure the bounce, but the purchase of decent shocks will cure my ride enough for me. My continuing rant is good street handling comes from shocks that can keep from bouncing help the handling, not degrade it. Watch your *****, ares. I collect knives and other sharp cutting implements of torture and mayhem, you could be NEXT!

 

Looking at the title of this thread, I was worried about testicular or breast cancer. Whew! Glad to hear it is just about how a sports car's suspension SHOULD feel.

 

Springs' purpose is to support the car and set ride height. Shocks provide ride quality (or lack thereof) and do the real suspending. If the Eibachs are shorter/stiffer, I don't see how they're going to improve ride quality. Shocks w/ lighter/more sophisticated compression damping, and maybe more rebound damping, would provide the biggest improvement IMO.

I'm basing all this on my knowledge of motorcycle suspension tuning, so forgive me if for some strange reason it doesn't apply here.

 

You are saying EXACTLY what I am referring to. I don't know who started the "Real Sports Cars Ride Like Dump Trucks", but he/she was an ignorant twit. The only time you want an unyielding ride is on a relatively smooth race course. Go to Sebring and race on the Airport pavement w/o softening your race shocks and you can break your teeth as you crash along, and you will be slower too!

The OE springs are very stiff and the shocks are flaccid on the rebound, it makes for a harsh, bumpy ride that only S and M Addicts could enjoy, IMO. My 1972 240Z w/73,000 miles and OE shocks on it rode better.

 

What if he collect guns?!

 

I do too. Never take a knife to a gunfight.

 

I'm basing this on personal experience. The Eibachs definitely improved the ride, made it smoother and less jarring, without going too soft.

Maybe this will help, Eibachs & stock side by side. Guess which is which?

 

Stock is on the right, non-progressive, Eibach are on the left, progressive. The Eibachs seem to work because they are progressive and allow spring action to mitigate the impact of bumps. The stock shocks are non-progressive and smack into bumps and the shocks are too wimpy to control the excessive rebound that is caused by the stiff springs. Konis or another good aftermarket shock would handle the rebound and smooth the ride.

I would prefer an OE Sport H&R Spring with Koni adjustables, but the Konis are probably good enough.

 

Regardless of the effect, it's like taking valium because you have a cold. It may feel better, but it's still not the correct solution for the problem. Better shocks w/ more rebound damping are the right fix IMO.

 

You might try replacing your current tires with tires that have a 'slightly higher' sidewall. You might also need to go with smaller rims to keep the tire aspect the same. It should take a little edge off those bumps without affecting the ride too much.

Sports cars, in general, have a harsh ride. If you really like the Z you'll just have to live with some bounce. The Z is not as bad as some of the other cars I've ridden in. Look into the G35c if the bumps bother you alot.