Suspension upgrades

[Tuck&Poke]

heres the deal.  i wanna lower the car slightly (maybe 1.5in) but i wanna pull more vert. g's and go faster in the slalom without sacraficing too much ride quality.  basically everyones goal.  i was thinking stiffer sways front and rear thicker anti roll bars and after that i dont know what to get.

[LanceS13]

vertical g 's?  It's a 240SX, not a F-14....j/k.   You mean lateral g's.  Eibach ProKits lower the car about that much and aren't that bad on ride quality.  I wish they were a bit stiffer, but they keep long trips comfortable and still improve handling.  And sway bars=anti roll bars...they're one and the same.  But they are a good thing to upgrade b/c they reduce body roll, and body roll is the nemesis of positive lateral traction.  You might also want to look into a good set of (preferably ride adjustable) shocks/struts...availability of these depends on whether you drive an S13 or S14.  BTW, what year 240?

[LanceS13]

oh...how could I forget?  Probably the most important thing is tires.  A good set of tires will go a long way in the area of handling.  Those $50 Wal-Mart all-seasons just ain't gonna cut it.

[Tuck&Poke]

97' i thought they were diff. and callin them the same was a misconception?  better check car and driver.

[Tuck&Poke]

97' i thought they were diff. and callin them the same was a misconception?  better check car and driver.
Anti-Roll Bar
A suspension element (used at the front, the rear, or both ends of a car) that reduces body roll by resisting any unequal vertical motion between the pair of wheels to which it is connected. An anti-roll bar does not affect suspension stiffness when both wheels are deflected equally in the same direction. Often incorrectly called a sway bar.

[LanceS13]

I'd like to know what is "correctly" called a sway bar.  I can't think of any other suspension piece that would have anything to do with "sway" except for the springs and shocks.  Unless, they're just saying "sway bar" is an inappropriate term or something.  I don't know many people that call them "anti-roll bars", simply b/c "sway bars" is less of a mouthful...they're still the same thing, just different terminology I guess.  However, the part about it not affecting suspension stiffness if both tires are deflected in the same direction is definitely right.
But anyway....S14's don't have as many shock/strut upgrade options as S13's.

[DuffMan]

Is a camber kit neccessary with ProKits? Like how much drop can you go before needing a camber kit?

[HippoSleek]

ha ha- sorry Lance... sway bar is a dummies shorthand (that I also use <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>). &nbsp;Technically, anti-roll bar is correct <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> &nbsp;

But otherwise, Lance is right on. &nbsp;I just ordered new tires last week from Tirerack - RE71's in the factory 205/55/16. &nbsp;I can't wait to check out how much they will improve handling over the Pirelli all seasons I've got now! &nbsp;If you are looking for a handling upgrade, it's hard to beat a good set of tires (TireRack has RE71s, AVS-intermediaties, Azenises, and Kumhos all for under $80 a tire - for the RE71s and AVSi's, this is a great deal on tires that are no longer widely available, but still among the best out there).

Duff - Pro-Kits won't require a correction kit. &nbsp;The number thrown around is 2&quot; = need for correction.

[whateverjames]

i have a 2&quot; lowering kit, and i just got my camber fixed tonight after having the camber off for 2 straight years! yeuh! i say anymore than 2&quot; you better buy a kit. they balanced my tires and all that stuff and my car handles like it has upgraded sway bars/anti-sway bars/anti-roll bars/roll bars. also had the rear diff fluid and radiator flued changed, new starter and labor. goodbye $540...i'll miss you.