Suspension for These Crummy Streets
 

First let me start of by saying I live in the #2 city with the worst streets. There is construction going on just about every street in every direction to include the highways and interstates. So after a month of the Z being in the bodyshop the wife and I decide to take a little road trip on our anniversary this past weekend. I decided after her wreck that we would keep the car and I would do a moderate build on it. I figured taking it for a drive would give me a better idea of what exactly I wanted to do. It's been raining like cats and dogs off and on for the past month (more on than off) so all of the woodland creatures are out and about trying to reach dry ground. So as we are just about to pull out of town I spot a turtle trying to cross the road. We are on a 2 lane road and there is a car approaching from the other lane so I can't go around so I decide to go over the turtle. It was an average size snapping turtle nothing huge but just as I get mid way over it I hear a thunk and from the rear view I spot the turtle flopping and trying to run. I decide at that point that I definitely won't be lowering her. So now I'm left with the question, what do I do about the suspension? I've heard of guys running road courses on factory springs with Hotchkiss sway bars and upgraded shocks to Bilstein, Koni, Tokico, etc. Being that said with this being mainly a DD with the weekend road trips on the twisties, would this be a good set up, or should I suck up the potholes and turtles and just put a set of CO's on and call it a day?

Welcome.

On your spring setup, if you want to maintain the stock height, keep your '03 springs (obviously) OR "upgrade" to the '04.5+ springs which have a slightly better, revised spring rate for performance. Not a terribly big upgrade but they are a little stiffer but still compliant enough for a good DD ride. Most importantly, the '03-04.5 springs are somewhat jouncy when coupled with stock shocks - aftermarket will tame them somewhat.

Hotchkis (or Stillen or....) adjustable bars and Bilsteins would be my rec. because you do DD the car. Bilsteins give a good ride (relatively speaking) and better than Koni on the street. (I have/had both on same car.)

There isn't enough justification, IMO - given your DD/occasional twisties criteria - requiring coilovers unless you really need the adjustability for specific track conditions. At that point, street/DD comfort becomes a moot issue.

Coupled with a good alignment, you should be set. But on that note, if you do want to track the car and want some adjustability besides the sway bars biasing, consider an adjustable camber setup (adjustable UCAs front, camber arms rear, etc.) - setting toe and caster to factory, a little negative camber... -1.5-2.0 for track day then re-set to more moderate setting (-1.0 or so) for DD to save your tires.

Try this most recent thread of additional datapoints concerning street setups:

https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...coil-over.html

Have fun!

Mic

Now that I move this post to the suspension section, let's begin.

Shocks will actually be a huge handling improvement, for some odd reason plenty of kids think the car needs to be lowered to do well on track or twisties. Stock springs will be a handicap if you really know what your doing, but you and most people don't.

Just get a nice set of shocks, if you feel the need to stiffen things up (you really don't have to , unless your running wide sticky tires) get a set of Hotchkiss sway bars.

I put the Hotchkis TVS on my 04 at around 110k miles and it actually lifted my car.

I no longer drag the bumper pulling in the driveway.

Sorry about putting this in the wrong thread, I realized I did after I hit post.

I definitely won't be tracking this car, it's strictly DD, and the occasional weekend drives. It's the wife's and an AT. I'm pretty much done with racing, I just like to drive and my wife, bless her sole, unless it's drags, isn't coordinated enough to track.

I know Bilstein is a good brand from my euro days, but how are the Tokico DSpec, or Koni's? I want to get this suspension knocked out so I can get started on the brakes, I might go with the Akebono's.

Thanks for the information.

Did you have them on when I saw the car last time? I thought you say pretty low.

HA! I didn't even know this was your thread.

Yeah I should have had them on when you saw it.

Oh and I'll suggest Bilstein but only because my buddy works there.

Live in the #2 city with the worst streets didn't raise suspicion 😆

I heard there is a Z Crew in town.

Discount? 🙏

If you want to improve the ride quality put in a set of Swift Spec-R springs...yes...they'll lower the car a little, but the ride is better than stock springs, and if you do go with Bilstein shocks my understanding is they actually raise the car back up about half an inch...so overall you'll only have dropped the car half an inch and improved your ride comfort, improved the handling, and even improved the looks as a big fat layer of chocolate frosting on top of all that goodness.

Swift Spec-R's are fantastic for DD guys, and good for track use too in many cases but not all...that gets more complicated than I can speak to.

The only other option really is to go Fortune Auto 500 or 510 coil overs, but have them provide very soft springs (they'll give you whatever spring rates you tell them for no extra charge)...then you've got adjustable ride height and you can have even softer than oem ride quality...just be careful not to go TOO soft on the spring rates or you'll have a Buick 350z. ;)

Saved

Honestly I didn't read the first post. lol

There is a Z club but it's all old people and kinda boring. I went to like 2 meetings and said F-that.

I wish. Family only. :(

I have KYB shocks.

Nah this is a group of 20-40, the dude we met was mid 20's. Did you go to that import show a couple of weeks ago?

Nah. If it is something other than sleep or work I don't do it. My clutch master cylinder is starting to go out and I've been limping it along for a couple weeks now since I've figured out the problem. I'm planning on ordering the wilwood MS but I know it will sit for a month before it gets done.

Here comes the hate, but if you want the best of both reliability and performance... wait for it.. Air suspension. Extremely versatile going from slammed out to 2" above factory in under 2 seconds, so never need to worry about steep driveways or speed bumps. Super low ride height if desired for cruising or parking. And more hate here, but performance. Good friend of mine has a bagged VW that tore up the time attack track for 3 years without a single issue along side daily driving all year long in MN. (I know a LOT of people will tell you bags are slow and sluggish in turns, but do a little research, they most certainly are not) Heres the downside. Price tag. Im roughly $6000 deep in my air setup running only the best parts. Accuair E-level, Exo mount, Air lift bags and performance struts, ect. If you can afford it, i would highly recommend. Best of luck.

My job revolves around air suspension.

Reliability is not a common word.

I'm actually getting 4 bags replaced right now for $1300 in California.

***DIGRESSION ALERT***

Let me start by saying, "I'm not offended" because when I was young, I did a lot of things to my cars that in retrospect, well, I laugh now.

That out of the way, I find that commentary pretty interesting and amusing. When I first got into Z's (that'd be Gen 1, folks), most of the guys racing Z's (and the rest of the Datsun contingent that I supported) were older, established people. And were it not for them, I would not have learned as much as I did about D-I-Y, tuning and racing before paddle shifters, EFI, computers, and understanding WHY car modifications had a proper, stepped and sequenced methodology to it (versus "reading about what the hottest race setup is and buying it off the shelf"). Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, as good info is good info no matter where it comes from.

But now that I'm one of those "old people and kinda boring", I now see and understand the expression they used to use all the time.... "Talk less about how fast it is, BUILD it!" :icon17:

Honestly, I learned EVERYTHING I know from older people because I took the time to listen and learn. In turn, I still made mistakes but when one of those "older guys" saw that I was making mistakes, they didn't tell me I was stupid; rather, they took more time to help me understand what I did wrong.

Because I listened and respected their opinions and knowledge.

Oh, and there are guys I hang with that are 20 years my senior and they can and do still drive circles around me, a fairly experienced driver. (Note I never said or inferred "good driver" because that's totally the wrong attitude when behind the wheel.) A good friend of mine is in his 70's and still races SCCA, SVRA, and NASA.

Anyways, I truly find humor in this because while I'm a few years advanced of most of this forum's members, I have no regrets about being one of the old fogeys because the only person I have left to please with my cars is me. No illusions.

Cheers,

Mic

PS I apologize for the off-topicness of this post. Ignore the old man. After you get off my lawn! :icon39:

Don't take this to be offensive but bags belong on low lows not sport cars. I've had my share of bagged rides, from full size Chevy Truck to a Cutlass on 13x10s. They can be fun and the ride can be unbelievable but these roads here flat out suck.

On a side note, my next rat rod will be bagged. I'm looking at buying a friend's project 49 Chevy Truck chopped 3, sectioned 3, with the Z frame in progress.

Ill be 38 this August and used to ride Sport bikes with a 68 year old that wanted nothing to do with any other bike other than his Busa drag bike and R1 DD. The guy was super knowledge and could out ride most of us youngsters.

I don't mind hanging with the older crowd as long as they're ready to drive and not sit around drinking coffee and talking about the good ol days.

Hahahaha..... I drink far too much coffee but I don't do it sittin' around talkin' about the old days....

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/my350z....1b1110f67f.jpg

....goes with me up into the hills!! Adrenaline re-fill and brings color back to my knuckles. :icon17: