Suspension modification

[jumpah]

Hi everyone,

I know this has been asked a lot....and I know everyone asking these threads begin with what I just said lol....but I've tried searching and reading a lot of threads about suspension stuff...

trust me, i've tried to learn from the threads I've read..but i'm such a nub at this stuff and i'm hoping for help. yah and i know people say it's better figuring it out yourself...but i have no clue!


use: street, autox (hopefully), spirited canyon drives

with that, I was just wonder what people recommend?

bushings? tie rods? coils or spring/strut?

another thing, i'm totally confused as to all the different control arms, tc rods, etc.

again, i've tried searching and reading the NUMEROUS threads but i'm a total nub at this stuff and it's confusing for me...am i the only one?

can anyone point me in the right direction/thread to learn about this stuff?

like what should be replaced just because it's worn out or faulty design etc.?

thank you for any advice you can give!

[PoorMans180SX]

My first piece of advice would be to pick up a good book on suspension tuning. This will help you with a lot of the general questions that you have.

But here's some advice from my personal opinions:

It's generally agreed that the bushings in our cars are shot, just from old age. It's also agreed that Nismo hard rubber bushings are the best replacement for them, as urethane bushings wear and squeak when in moving joints (you can use it in places where there is no moving friction (steering rack bushings)).

I would also recommend replacing your tension rods with some good aftermarket ones, and I think pressing out and replacing the bushings in the stock ones is stupid.

http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/ is a good place for those. They're a advertiser on the forum and you can contact them through the advertiser section.

For your needs, it seems like you want some comfortable coilovers. I've heard great things about Fortune Auto's coilovers. Definitely check those out. They're also on sale in the advertiser section.

You're going to want at least some good RUCA's and toe arms if you're trying to fit wheels or go really low, as you need the adjustment that come in aftermarket versions. Again I recommend http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/.

Tie rods aren't really a necessity (unless yours are original factory items, they're probably done), but are nice to have. I run SPL PARTS (http://www.splparts.com) tie rods and ends on my car and it's great. They also correct for bump steer when lowered.

But overall, keep doing research and always make informed decisions when buying parts. There's a lot of crap out there for S-chassis now, and the phrase still applies "You get what you pay for". Keep that in mind.

[RAMM]

Just do everything. The car is old, and it will need to be replaced down the road. And by replacing everything you have that piece of mind when ripping through canyons.

[g6civcx]

I recommend staying the stock suspension geometry until you know what you're doing. A lot of people buy adjustable suspension parts but don't actually know how to adjust them. You can do a lot of harm if you don't know what you're doing.

I would replace every single bushing with solid bushings. That should take care of any slop you have on the suspension.

The only adjustable parts I would recommend would be coilovers and swaybars. For a beginner, you shouldn't be messing with anything else.

[jumpah]

hey guys,

I just wanted to say thanks for your input. I'll keep at lurking through the old threads and try to learn more.

damn i need cliff notes lol

[g6civcx]

If you're hardcore you need a good shop to do corner balance for you. Bolting on a bunch of parts is useless and will make it handle worse.

Just do what I said and set the ride height to stock. You can adjust coilover preload and firmness and swaybar stiffness as much as you want.