Rear "float" in lowered car with stock shocks...

[DSC]

I drove a car with aftermarket springs that lowered the car about 2" but it is still using stock shocks. I got a floating feeling from the rear when cornering. what would cause this?

[adey]

I take it this wasn't your car? ... I used to have that feeling on my hatch, but after a while (and some mods) it kind of went away.

My best guesses would be: Shocks (blown/soft), subframe bushings (blown), dead or damaged sway bar (rear), or tire sidewall flex if you were running some 185/70/14s (or any high profile tire in general.)

I've since changed out wheels/tires, replaced stock shocks for coilovers, and put in the subframe bushing spacers. any and all "floatiness" of the rear end has gone...

[SaintlyCharBoy]

i have teins in my s14 with obliterated stockers for shocks, there is absolutely no damping at all - she definitely does not "float" - if anything she sinks right it, and thunk....

but i imagine that the damping on the stock shocks would be rather conservative, and if they were functioning propperly, i could see them causing this

*note - good subframe bushings w/ al. spacers; high profile snows at around 36 psi (maybe less, because it's negative 12 here and i don't want to fark with it)

also, i drive a base model with no rear anti-roll bar

[bbp]

could be caused by using shocks that are not valved properly to match the stiffer/lower springs. the springs are not being dampened ny the shocks enough, hence the light floating feeling. i threw a set of H&R on my wife's jetta (POS) and had the same result.

when choosing a suspension pieces make sure that your damper is valved correctly to the spring rates you plan on running, also if you are lowering the car you may consider getting shocks that have been shortened. all shocks have an optimum height that the like to operate at. running them too low can cause them to bottom out and wear prematurely.

truechoice in ohio has a shock dyno that can tell you how your shocks are valved. the can custom valve your konis to you specific application.

[transient]

Stock shocks aren't meant to take lowered springs either... depending upon how long they've been on there the shocks could just be blown.

[tnord]

i'm gonna go with blown shocks.

[240 2NR]

I saw some chick in an old (90ish) 3 series Bimmer on Lake Shore Drive the other day. The rear shocks were worthless and each moderate bump would result in 1ft bounces in the suspension from full compressed to full loose without ever settling. The rear was literally going through it's full travel. Just the day before I passed a caddy with a blown set of front shocks. I don't know how anyone could live with that for more than a day. I can tell when my tire pressure is low by 5psi because ths suspenion feels slow to settle. I mean cheapy monroe struts are like $30.