Suspension MUST's

[Nis14]

So I've done my homework and it seems that the consenus is that stock suspension sucks ass. And needs to be replaced:

so from I could gather some musts are as followed:

1, coilovers (KTS, Stance, etc)
2, upgraded brakes
3, T/C rods
4, nismo bar
5, tower bars
6, RUCA
7, roll bar
8, tires + wider wheels

am I missing something?

like random bushings that should be replaced...?

[Jonnie Fraz]

Looks like you have most of it. Suspension bushings will make a big difference.
Guys correct me if I am wrong, but tires should be first or much higher on the list.

[naed240sx]

1, coilovers (KTS, Stance, etc)
2, upgraded brakes
3, T/C rods
4, nismo bar
5, tower bars
6, RUCA
7, roll bar
8, tires + wider wheels

am I missing something?

like random bushings that should be replaced...?

Wtf is a nismo bar?

Add:
Tie rods
Subframe spacers

[Macadoshus]

Wtf is a nismo bar?

I assume it is the Nismo Power Brace...

http://srownersclub.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/nismo_brace1.jpg

[mjjstang]

I think stock suspension is decent compared to many other cars.

[s14slide]

I would change it to:

1. Differential of some sort, whatever suits your needs
2. Seat
3. Wheels and tires/brakes
4. Track time
5. coilovers
6. Track time
7. T/C rods, Rear toe rods, RUCA, subframe spacers
8. Tie Rods/ends
9. braces; STB's F/R, fender
10. cage

I wouldn't worry about power mods till you've maxed out your driving skills with these and just can't get any faster or any more sideways.



So I've done my homework and it seems that the consenus is that stock suspension sucks ass. And needs to be replaced:

so from I could gather some musts are as followed:

1, coilovers (KTS, Stance, etc)
2, upgraded brakes
3, T/C rods
4, nismo bar
5, tower bars
6, RUCA
7, roll bar
8, tires + wider wheels

am I missing something?

like random bushings that should be replaced...?

[mistaanime]

don't need too much..if your juss starting out..juss get coilovers...and a vlsd..after that when you know what kind of setup you want..then you move to aftermarket struts, sways, arms, and braces...and probably upgraded 2 way lsd.i perfer...1.5 way lsd if your going to autocross

[kandyflip445]

Number 1 should always be maintenance. Bushings and whatnot would fall under this too. Since you can't learn right on a setup that isn't functioning correctly.

[trsilvias13]

sway bars .

[OptionZero]

wheels and tires should be way up there but unfortunately you may need suspension bits to make it fit on the car properly

[cgguy]

I don't know why you think the stock suspension "sucks ass" but, in order to answer the question it really depends on what you want to do with your car? If you dont plan on tracking it there's no real need to upgrade everythig. If you want to keep it streetable coilovers and poly bushings are going to make city driving a "pain in the ass" ..litterally.

[tre]

You're gonna do all those upgrades and and the car isn't gonna handle how you want it to at first and you're gonna be like WTF and have WAY to man variables to adjust.

I'd just do ONE thing at a time.

Get coilovers see how your car handles. If you need more slowly add it ONE at a time.

My car is almost perfectly set up. If i had a better compression shock, i'd LOVE how my car would be set up and all i have is.

450lbs springs all the way around
tokico blues
tanabe front sway
Hicas rear sway (off old car, and yes its nearly DOUBLE the size of a stock rear sway)

Everyone keeps saying you have to do big brakes. I still haven't found reason to upgrade brakes. You want a cheap brake upgrade. Get the 240 ABS brakes. They're bigger. Just get better pads/fluid. I can over power my wheels with the stock brakes.

BTW a nice thing to get (which i haven't done yet) Polyeurathane*spl* bushing kits.

And if anything get to know how you're car handles STOCK before upgraded. So you know if you're going forward or backward with you're setup.

[drew935]

Yeah def. learn how to handle your car first while upgrading the suspension. I did this:
1st - poly subframe bushings
2nd - Cusco Coilovers
next I am looking at 5lug conv. I already have z32 TT calipers.

[ManoNegra]

The most comfortable street set up I've ever had was on my first 240 - poly bushings, s-techs on oem shocks, front and rear strut bars, vlsd and hicas rear sway bar.
On my current ride I ride on Stance coils, a full set of adjustable arms, alluminum inserts and a J30 vlsd. I get awsome feedback but the ride is very uncomfortable here in Socal freeways and I'm wishing to go back to a much less aggressive street set up.

[aznpoopy]

"suspension musts" depend on what you do with the car and how you want it to drive. there is no universal answer.

the only universal rule is if something is broken, it has to be fixed.

[A Spec Products]

"suspension musts" depend on what you do with the car and how you want it to drive. there is no universal answer.

the only universal rule is if something is broken, it has to be fixed.

yeah seriously

there is no "must"

that list is overkill if you are just starting out

if anything maybe tension rods cause im sure yours are blown/leaking and replace shocks / struts with coilovers or something

other than that, arms/spacers/bushings are all overkill

dont just make laundry lists from what you read on the forums, you'll end up spending on stuff you didnt require

[az_240]

like people said earlier there is no must. its up to you how stiff you want your car to feel and how low you want to go. The lower you go the more you will have to replace. The more pillowball links you use the stiffer your car will feel.
If you wanna go pretty low id suggest replacing the RUCA, toe links and tie rod ends and tie rods with adjustable ones and get some good coilovers like stance or KTS.
Id say coilovers are pretty important if you want a solid ride. I will never go back to a spring combo since they are never stiff enough imo. Replacing the bushings is a good idea if you decide to keep most of the stock arms. For 240s getting the subframe spacers/bushings is a good bang for the buck

Some people say the pillowball tension rods are a lil too stiff for daily driving but if you think you can handle it go for it. They dont cost much anyway.
If you think the pillowball tension rods will be too stiff you could always replace your current tc bushings with some nismo ones

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

tires and rims could come later change your lsd, sway bar ( largus is pretty good), new bushings (or new arms), camber plates, tension rods, tie rods, new struts (coilovers if possible), and then use your crappy tires nd test out different settings, nd if you get it in a margin of where you like it, change your tires and rims. now cuz your settings are where it needs to be, you dont have to waste your new tires to get the settings you want, but you might have to do minor changes.

[yudalicious]

Your list is so long, in my opinion there's only a coupla of things you really need to improve your driving and have fun doing it, unless you just have money to throw around:
1. tires
2. brake pads and fluid
3. shocks/springs/coilovers
4. alignment, to get an ideal alignment, you might need some camber plates and rear arms, but if you're like me, don't lower your car too much and hope the stock arms will suffice

edit: if you want to learn how to drift, don't listen to me.

[s13poop]

Wtf is a nismo bar?

its a chocolate bar produced by nissan :yum:

part of your suspensions complete balanced breakfast..

[redsuns3838]

yeah, overkill unless ur going strait to the track and know what ur dealin with.

just get some coilovers. good tires and pads on a stock 240 will help more than upgrading to Z brakes. especially if your usin ga stock KA.
i bought tension rods early on, i really liked the increased stearing response. was a nice mod but not by any means neccessary.

just get coilovers and good tires/tire wheel combo, and nice brake pads. and see what u want from there. hell, see how much you ACTUALLY have in ur wallet after all that shit.

[s14slide]

Hey, I'm not saying do all this crap at once. I should have put it in there to do these one at a time, and see what would be "needed" next. And maybe say hit up a track day after each one. I was just suggesting that if he where to mod one part at a time, this to me seems like a logical order. I'd probably even change it from what I put and make the seat first and the wheel/tires 2nd. NEways, this is what I've learned from doing my 3rd S-chassis.

[Silverbullet]

its a chocolate bar produced by nissan :yum:

part of your suspensions complete balanced breakfast..


hello new sig. lol


the only suspension MUST is good tires. It will help ur cornering and braking. Shocks and springs are next on the list.

[CKAMC]

This is just my experience with 240's and found it to be quite a great way for many owners to learn the car.

1st fix your shit ( replace bushings but dont go into aftermarket ones headfirst)
2nd if your 240 does not have a vlsd or clutch type, look into one. I recommend vlsd for starting out.
3rd get some new tires on whatever rim you currently have on the car, I do not recommend stagered to start with.
lastly get it all straight (alignment)

from here if your going to be doing autox then shocks and struts combo, drifting then some budget coilovers. from this point onward I would not move beyond this point until you have become fairly comfterable with the car and its handling characteristics.

depending on your improvement and time spent on track...normally with lets say 1 or 2 events a month you may outgrow the setup within 3-4months and have a good idea what to do next.

[ronmcdon]

for those that have done track lapping on their 240's, how well do the stock brakes hold up? I like driving my s14 on the street for the most part, but i don't feel confident pushing it too hard the way it drives now, much less on a track.

I would have also wanted to do brakes (r32 brakes front, z32 brakes rear), but i honestly don't want to spend that if it holds up on the track ok. if i can get away with better pads, id rather stick with that for the time being.

i'm thinking about just getting good coilovers (tanabe 7's), rear arms, some cheap z32 staggered wheels i already have (16x7.5 & 16x8.5), hankook z212 tires, 20mm spacers. I'm also doing a 5 lug conversion at the same time, just so i can use the z32 wheels or any 5 lug wheels for the future.

On one hand, i'd like to save $$$, and get only the necc parts to track. On the other hand, it would be nice and cheaper to get everything at once installed.

[kandyflip445]

Why don't you go to a track and find out what it feels like? The best way to find out is to go because people have different ways of driving. You could be someone that brakes too long and ends up overheating the pads or you could be the person that knows when to brake and brakes hard not heating the pads as much but cutting your speed down to where it needs to be.

[ronmcdon]

I'll def go to the track for sure. I just want to go out with a better suspension. my S14 as is it right now, nearly fishtailed me once or twice with the relatively stock suspension and mis-matched all season tires it has on now. it also has an sr swap, so that makes things worse imo. i find it unpredictive.

ideally, i would just change the wheels & tires. good tires contribute to good braking and driving predictabilty the most (imo) anyways. i thought i might as well just throw in the coilovers and suspension arms.

with the brakes, i agree. i'll drive it with the stock brakes and upgraded pads for the time being, and see how it feels. i've driven a miata on a track before, and usually i don't try to brake too hard to keep momentum. with the s14, i think i'll drive pretty much the same way.

[Irukandji]

Hmm I'll bet you $100 that you personally don't need half of that.

[yudalicious]

for those that have done track lapping on their 240's, how well do the stock brakes hold up? I like driving my s14 on the street for the most part, but i don't feel confident pushing it too hard the way it drives now, much less on a track.

I would have also wanted to do brakes (r32 brakes front, z32 brakes rear), but i honestly don't want to spend that if it holds up on the track ok. if i can get away with better pads, id rather stick with that for the time being.

i'm thinking about just getting good coilovers (tanabe 7's), rear arms, some cheap z32 staggered wheels i already have (16x7.5 & 16x8.5), hankook z212 tires, 20mm spacers. I'm also doing a 5 lug conversion at the same time, just so i can use the z32 wheels or any 5 lug wheels for the future.

On one hand, i'd like to save $$$, and get only the necc parts to track. On the other hand, it would be nice and cheaper to get everything at once installed.



it depends on the track and your driving, I really think good pads and fluid go a long way, I might try some sort of brake ducting before big brakes.

[OptionZero]

Turdz ran on stock brakes (s14 SE) w/ Porterfield R4 pads, ATE blue fluid, stock lines, Azenis RT-215's on stock wheels (205/55/16).

Although they are loud as hell, those things haul the car to a stop like nothing else.

So yes, stock brakes will work, provided you upgrade pads and fluid.

[ronmcdon]

thanks for the info! I think i'll just go ahead and stick with the stock brakes from my base S14 (need to redrill the 4-lug rotors to 5-lug :( ), get some pads (prob axis ultimates) and fluid.

I drive mostly on streets of willow in socal, and occasionally spring mtn in Pahrump, NV. I like lower speed tracks with more corners, so usually overall braking isn't as important, or so id think. maybe an autox once a year. I just do regular track driving.

[usdm180sx]

1, coilovers (KTS, Stance, etc)
2, upgraded brakes
3, T/C rods
4, nismo bar
5, tower bars
6, RUCA
7, roll bar
8, tires + wider wheels
9, Tie rods
10, Tie rod ends
11, Subframe spacers
12, Adjustable toe links
13, Sway bars

[G-Force]

thanks for the info! I think i'll just go ahead and stick with the stock brakes from my base S14 (need to redrill the 4-lug rotors to 5-lug :( ), get some pads (prob axis ultimates) and fluid.

might as well get the SS lines as well since you're changing the fluid.

[ronmcdon]

The lines are a good idea, but i think i'll splurge on that when and if i decide to upgrade to the R32 front & z32 rear brakes. unfortunately they're not cheap. I'd rather not do them twice. Thanks for the suggestion though!

I am thinking of upgrading the master cyclinder to 17/16" tokico unit from the z32 tt (#46010-30P02). I'd figure a larger ms is always a good thing, an might as well take of that if i'm changing the brake fluids. It's something i'd eventually end up doing anyhow. I think the stock brakes on my base s14 feel sloppy and unpredictable (not necc saying that about stock s14's in general, just my car).

[chuy]

Why would you get RUCA if you can still get the vehicle to OEM specs.

[TurDz]

I also STILL run stock suspension, stock wheels, and stock everything else. I'm very happy to say the least.

I know exactly what I would like to do with my car from here on out. I suggest you experiment with your car in stock form, then as others have suggested, upgrade one at at time, targeting problem areas that you are personally experiencing as a driver (since our driving styles all vary).

[KA24DESOneThree]

The only real musts are to replace the worn pieces and get performance-oriented tires. All of you people running around with modified suspension and all-season tires make me laugh because you're numbskulls.

Everything else is personal preference. My personal preference is that if the suspension of my car doesn't look like it was pulled from a Can-Am car, I am not happy.

[ronmcdon]

Just by driving around town, i already feel my stock brakes feel inadequate (with oem 15" wheels and mismatched all-season tires, courtesy of the previous owner). Of all the cars I've owned/driven ( '99 VW passat, '89 CRX Si, '95 Civic hatch, '92 Miata, '06 STi ) the braking in my 240 feels the worst, and the braking feels a bit sloppy this is not to say all 240s don't have good brakes, but i just don't feel comfortable with mine.

I'm prob going to just upgrade to wider wheels/stickier tires first. I find usually that is the mod that makes the most difference in handling and braking. it made the most difference on my crx and miata, so i guess it should also do a lot of good on the 240 as well. :)

Lol, i got a bit impulsive this weekend and up getting some r32 gtr calipers and rotors. may end up throwing them on later though, when i save up for the z32 rears. i don't feel comfortable using them with the stock 240 rear brakes.

[ronmcdon]

The only real musts are to replace the worn pieces and get performance-oriented tires. All of you people running around with modified suspension and all-season tires make me laugh because you're numbskulls.

Everything else is personal preference. My personal preference is that if the suspension of my car doesn't look like it was pulled from a Can-Am car, I am not happy.
i agree with that there, esp when the same person is using some expesive wheels. i'd rather skimp on the wheels than the tires. although i don't go out and buy $$$$ michelins or advans, i believe the tires are the last thing you should skimp out on for the sake of handling and safety. I always try to get something decent, like the MX.