Bunny-hop...
 

is what I like to call driving the Z on a SoCal highway. I have searched the forum for suspension posts but it seems that there is not a real coherent answer for the Z's hopping issue. I have been on roads where I can feel the car galloping like a horse beneath me. The only cool part about it is that I realize, I'm in the center of the bouncing, as if the car wants to rotate around me at the axis. But is looks rediculous having the car see-saw on the road like that, it also get's difficult to control at higher speeds.

Is there a reasonably easy, cost-effective solution to this problem? Does Nissan recognize the problem? How are people solving this issue without totally replacing the suspension?

known on here as porposing (spelled wrong im sure). It was talked about on a very very regular basis about 6 months ago. Many who lowered their cars lost this problem. Im sure someone will chime in with a good link.

Went to Eibach springs, lost the hop. ($220 for springs + $100 for install).

Now I have to fix camber front and back. Adjustable camber arms for back, $220. Install was about $45 + alignment.

Adjustable camber arms for front (not OEM adjustable) : waiting on them, expect $400 + install + align again.

So after $1,000+, I should be rid of the hop... :rolleyes:

All said, I am not sorry. The Eibach ride is much improved, besides loosing the hop. The 1" average drop is not to drastic. The camber arms in the back are very cool and worked great. The front is only .2 degrees off, I guess I could just leave it.

bunny hop? lol, thought you were talking about Counter-strike.

HAHA.. another CS player!

I thought you were having trouble getting going on a manual...

Bunny Hops remind me of my BMX days back in the 80s...

Re: Bunny-hop...
 

In all the post's that deal with this issue and believe me their's been a ton of them. I've never heard anyone say the stock suspension get's difficult to control at higher speeds. That speaks to me of something else at play.

Also, on the issue of if Nissan recognizing the problem. I have reason to believe that the 04 suspension was recalibrated to fix the problem.

As far as a fix for the 03's, many people have mentioned that going to progressive springs, like the Eibach's was a solution. But that leave's some of us, the performance purists, in that dark, as I'd never run progressive springs. Koni R&D'd their upcomming sport struts with elimination of the bounce issue's as a priority. Speaking of the issue, Gordon at Koni said that Nissan, in a effort to get awesome turn in performance, dialed in to much compression dampening. Koni's sport sturts will have less compression dampening than the stock (03) sturts and of course be adjustable for rebound.

I don't think the thick rear spring seat/bump stops help, and I don't think the seats help the overall effect either, but that's my own, unconfirmed observation.

ya know...

i think the z feels super bouncy because we feel the front of the car go over the bump... then go down then the rear go up and then down...

we sit in the dead center of the z...

the majority of the other cars we sit in the rear section of the car...

i think it is just placement of the driver

I get what your saying, but I'm running 350z springs and struts on my sedan, with the longer wheelbase and I've got same the bounce. Being in the center may make you notice it more, but It's in the strut tuning for sure. The G35 coupe has the same springs, but softer less aggresive strut valving and G coupes, do not bounce.

hahah seriously...I got all excited I thought it was a BMX thread!

G35 coupe has a longer wheel base then the Z... looks like the driver is a little further back in the G35c

To put it another way, if you were to install G35 coupe struts on your z, the bounce would no longer exist. Of course you'd lament the loss in performance. But you'd no longer get those sensations, no matter where you happen to be in the car in relation to the axis.

Here is Carter Thompson's response to my bounce question. Carter is a well known AutoX driver and was the top Z driver in SCCA at Topeka. Here is the link:https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....threadid=46715

quote:
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Can you tell us if you experienced the bounce with the stock suspension? Did the DA Konis fix the problem?
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Yes, I had the "Bounce" with the stock shocks. The First Koni set up that I had on the car eliminated the "Bouce" completly. I was very happy with the first Koni set up. Although I did get them re-vavled ( alot stiffer ) to improve my set up with the front bar I am trying to use. I would wait untill the SA's are availible, I am sure you will be pleased with them. Koni shocks are by far one of the best aftermarket shocks out there. I would not waste my money on the NiSMO set up or any type of coil over suspension for a street car that you plan to drive frequently.

CT
5 time Pro Solo class champion
2003 350Z Auto-X
1974 260Z

Thanks
 

Thanks for all the good relpies...

I realize I'm probably beating a dead horse here but I've heard so many different opinions when it comes to this issue.

I'm going to try and verify whether Nissan did in fact make some changes for '04. I might consider the Eibach springs as well.

I think Konverter had the right idea when he talked about the dirver being in the center that makes the porposing even more noticeable. It's like riding one of those motorized horses at the supermarket (not that I ever have...)

What I meant by the controllability issue is that in extreme cases (I 95 S, passing downtown Las Vegas) when the road is very buckled at the expansion joints, the suspension starts to oscillate up and down and I feel like I loose confidence with the steering. I remember my Accord coupe being much more composed over that stretch of highway than the Z, sorry to say. Or at least I felt more in control....