IMO most of if not all that have installed the S-Tune have said the bounce is gone. That is what I want to get rid of. A firm ride is just fine. If the ride is too firm obviously you might want to look at another car. I believe coil overs would be even stiffer on the street. The S-Tune will drop the car slightly and not everyone is willing to do that.

 

See my threads regarding the Crossfire and the fact it dirves and feels more like a G35 or BMW 3 series. The wheel base is 10" shorter and the rear tires are 255/35-19's. Nissan needs to take a lesson from the Crossfire.

 

I don't know if you are still on the OE tires, but most of the ride problems are gone with the Michelin A/Ss. I have almost 5000 miles and the ride has loosened up to tolerable on I35 AND I40 which have to be some of the most tortured tarmac in the country. I'm not even contemplating a change to Konis even if they were out. The ride is stiff, but not unyielding like the 040s. I would dump them because they are most of the problem, IMO.

 

Good to hear. I assume you mean the bounce is mostly gone.

 

That is correct, Mark. The 040s are best as track or autox when its warm. Other than that, I consider them totally unacceptable as daily driver tires.

 

Boomer, thanks for your opinion on the Michelin A/S tires. I have the Track wheels and tires on my Enthusiast. I also have 5,000 miles and the car seems to be getting better. However, I have been considering the Michelins. FYI when I changed from the 17" to 18" some of the bounce was eliminated. I feel the side wall on the 17's are acting as a spring and fighting the springs and/or shocks of the car. We all know tire pressure and side wall flex are a part of the overall suspension system.

 

If I remember correctly, Boomer still has 17" rims, and these tires aren't available in the matching stock sizes in 18". Last time I checked was a couple months ago, so things may have changed.

The only tires I see available at Tire Rack in the stock sizes for 18" rims are:

Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position (max performance)
Michelin Pilot Sport (max performance)
Pirelli PZero Rosso Asimmetrico (max performance)
Bridgestone Potenza RE040 (ultra high performance)

Max Performance - These are W, Y, or Z speed rated. Technologically advanced tires which combine highly developed materials with precision light weight manufacturing techniques to provide superior dry and wet traction, handling and high speed capabilities.

Ultra High Performance - You want outstanding handling and response for the street... V or Z speed rated. 55 series & lower. Low profile tires designed to provide high speed capabilities and quick steering response along with cornering and straight line traction for both dry and wet road conditions.


I know people here have replaced tires with the S03's. I wonder what people say about the S03's in terms of bounce reduction?

 

Your welcome and your last statement is very true. I just dropped the pressure in my 17s to 33psi and the bounce seems even more suppressed and I have driven a lot of miles in the Metro on the reduced pressure, I hope it doesn't trigger any underinflation since Nissan recs 35psi. I will keep an eye on them, especially with a couple of 2-3 day trips upcoming soon.


If the ride continues to improve I will be ecstatic, if it doesn't, I will be deviling Koni to release their Sports NOW!

 

Hum...
how do u define "bouncy ride"?
i think my ride is really bouncy ,toO ~
but ..just want to make sure.......
if it's bouncy ~ ..do i get my suspension change>?~

 

It seems to be worse in 17" tires.wheels and the OE tires. I changed tires at 1600 miles, my bounce was so bad. A combination of OE 17s with sidewall flex, maybe, and underdamped shocks with strong springs. Some have described it as an extra bounce on some road surfaces which can and does toss you into the air a bit. I hit the headliner on one bounce and gave up on the OE tires. The ride is much better, but not completely cured and Nissan will not acknowledge it exists.

I am almost at 5000 miles, if it doesn't stop bouncing completely by 10,000, I will go to an adjustable shock to cure it. Koni is in development, but theirs may not be out for several months yet. One of their reps has driven their prototype on 17" tires and the bounce is gone, he says. We'll see.

 

Autoweek is asking for our "likes and dislikes". We can email them at autofile@crain.com and they want us to include the purchase price and options.

 

Pedal Pusher, can you refer me to where this request is in the magazine?
Thanks.

 

I agree with Boomer. I think the 17" wheels and tires in combo with the suspension tuning (which is the same for all Z's) & linear stock springs all contribute to the bounce. The NISMO & Eibach springs are progressive and both seem to fix the problem. Some don't want to drop the car so these might not be an option. My track's bounce isn't as bad as the enthusiast I had originally. It is still there on some roads. I have been running the Z with 34 lbs. cold and that seems to help too.

 

My touring w/ 18" rims and stock tires definitely bounces. I’m at 3,000 miles now and it’s no better (or worse) than the day I drove it off the lot with 8 miles on it.

I’ve been trying to pay close attention to when and how it bounces so that I can accurately describe the problem to other people.

It bounces like mad on most concrete roads, as many others have noted in these forums. The interesting thing to me is that it doesn’t seem to bounce when turning into a driveway or driving over a speed bump, pothole, or railroad tracks. In those cases, where there is one large bump or dip, the suspension absorbs the bump appropriately with no residual bounce. It’s firm, as it should be, but it doesn’t bounce like the shocks are worn out. Then, when you get into a situation where the road is a little wavy or rippled, it starts to do the porpoise maneuver.

I find this amusing because Nissan proudly advertises the "Ripple-control shocks" on the car. As for my experience, the shocks seem to do everything well except for controlling the ripples. I've tried varying my speed on the freeway to compensate for a resonance point in the spring/damper system, but it doesn’t appear to make much difference between 50 and 80 mph. The only advantage of going faster is that you get to a better section of road more quickly!

Can anybody else confirm my observations?

 

I tend to agree on the ripples. The place mine is the worst is a stretch of black top near my house with ripples in it. The car starts porpoising and can't seem to get caught up. I do think it was worse with the 17" rims.

 

I picked up my 350z Touring in SC and drove it 500 miles back to VA. I noticed that half way through the trip the car started "porpoising" down the road. My legs were bouncing up and down in the car. It started to make me laugh. I changed lanes and it immediately stopped. I have not experienced the problem since.

I modified the suspension in my VW Jetta and it feels the same firm/stiff/with a little bounce, but nothing like the 10 seconds on this stretch of the road.

Joe

 

The request is on page 16 of the July 14, 2003 magazine.

This week's magazine doesn't have a full review (review includes the avg pricing and owner likes/dislikes) so it is buried on the "Long Terms" page. I missed it myself.

 

Boomer,

Gordon says late Fall. It will be a Koni Yellow Sport shock 1 way adjustable. Probably the way I'll go.

 

Thanks, jmark. I will probably go this way too.

 

Here is a thread on the KONI updates.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=39310