Hey guys,

I have been looking around for sometime now to upgrade my oem shocks and struts.

what I don't want is to lower the stock ride height too much.

I've looked a a couple of options including coilovers and shocks+struts combo.

Tanabe sustec Pro S-OC coilover kit seems like it can emulate the oem ride height.

Height Adjustable Rates
Front : -1/4 - 2.5" Adjustable
Rear : 0 - 1.5" Adjustable


How about Tokico D-Spec or HP series shocks?

Any info will be greatly appreciated!
Kevin

 

Just about any coilovers that are height adjustable will work. Most people that have them just drop their cars because they like the lower stance. I currently have the Sustec Pro-5's and I can probably raise my car higher then OEM. The cost of a basic set of coilovers compared to a spring and strut combo doesn't differ much.

The Tokico shocks are a good set.

 

if you dont want to lower the car much....look into tein h-tech springs for the g35 or at a set of 350z spring/shock combo. both lower the car about .5", tokico are nice shocks

 

If I were you I would just get Tokico HP Shocks ~300$.

 

My vote goes to Tanabe pros0c http://www.tanabe-usa.com/s0c.asp?id=6 ... But why get aftermarket springs/coilovers if you're just going to keep the stock height? If you want handling with stock form... I would get me swaybars.

 

LOL, ever heard of corner weighting? Not to mention that some coilovers give you a nice range of spring rates to choose from. Couple that with adjustable dampening, and you have a car that will handle MUCH better without touching swaybars.

I did something similar with my last GTI. I got a set of Bilstein PSS9s, raised the front end up ¼" and dropped the rear about ¾" to get the F/R weight balance working in my favor. After that, I corner weighted each side down to a difference of 20 lbs. You'll never have that adjustability with a spring/strut combo.

At the track and auto-x course, the GTI absolutely LUNCHED near stock WRXs, not bad for a 10 year old car with no real engine mods.

 

In looking to replace the oem shocks and springs, you mention your looking for a "upgrade". What does that mean? What would you want to change ride and drive wise to consider such a upgrade being worth the cost?

If your looking for near oem or better ride quality, stick with oem springs and shock upgrade like D-specs. If you want a milde improvment in handling, go with a mild linear drop spring, with D-specs and Hotchkis or Progress adjustable sways. Springs I have and mind are Tein H-tech for the 350Z. Drop would be about .8"/.7"

Keep in mind that most of your coilover choices are going to use much stiffer springs then you have now. If your coilover setup should actually have damping matching the spring rates, (and that's a big if) remember that spring stiffness does have a impact no matter how good the damping or valving is. Any place you drive now that is less then smooth will be worse. If you think the roads you drive are in pretty poor shape, do not stray too far from the oem spring rates.

Where did you get the Pro S-OC drop specs? G35 coupe specs are not shown by Tanabe http://www.tanabe-usa.com/s0c.asp?id=6

When you convert the 350Z Pro S-OC specs that are shown into G35 coupe numbers you get Front: -.25" to -2.25" Rear: -.5 to -2"
^Still within the range I think your looking for.


Not many coilover can adjust to oem height, just to say it.

 

http://www.tanabe-usa.com/five.asp?id=20
-1/4~-1 1/2 in / +1/4~-1 1/2 in

Just about NO 350Z or G35 coilover system can adjust height can get to oem height, very few can.The market for that does not exist, search back to 2003 here and on my350Z, I don't think you can count on one hand the amount of inquires for little to no drop coilover products. Manufactuers are simply responding to demand. Are some preload only setups better off for not being setup at the max drop, absolutely.

Remember, when specs do exist they are most often 350Z measurements, which differ from G35 measurements. And most owners of setups that have no specs, aren't in the habit if actually measuring drop as defined in the FSM.

 

Ahh the rate choice myth. It is simply not needed or warranted for most owners. Manufactuers counting on clueless resellers not being able to educate their buying pray. Koni does not help matters, they think you can go far too high without a revalve then you actually can, use ProPartsusa or Performance Shock. Every tme I have seen rate choice pitched, it's for products that cannot be revalved or can't really cover the rates they were delivered with. And in some instances going up or down in rate will not be productive, Pss9/10 is a perfect example of this fact.

Picking rates should be saved for where it belongs.

A very VERY small select group of owners that follow,.....

1. A prodct that can be revaled. This also means you have a person or employee that knows what he is talking about that you can communicate with in absolute clarity. He also has to have experience with the G or Z or access to engineers that did actual G or Z R&D work. And picking off info that others have provided DOES NOT gurantee success, nor does past success with other cars(see my sig)

2. A product that can actually deliver positive things when respung. If the valving was terrible on the original springs, are you really going to slide things to the positibve for the cost of new springs. In the case of Megan coilovers, going softer in the front did turn something I was going to toss in the trash into something I was ok with reselling.

3. If your not willing to test to prove your change was a success, go home. And please do not subscribe to the other related myth, that you really do need stiffer springs for things to work out, beyond a certina point your on a downward curve.

 

The Tanabe PRO S-OC or HKS Hipermax III are good choices to keep it close to factory ride height.

 

This is true, but I wasn't saying whether or not it was something he needed. It's something that it more readily available with certain coilovers.

For someone who DDs their car and wants a more planted feel on an exit ramp, sure, nailing the perfect rate won't matter.

 

^^What you describe there is exactly what I would be looking for. Would you suggest upgrading the sways then instead? I have the sports package on my 06' coupe, will thicker sways be very noticeable? Will ride quality really decrease if I up the stiffness say +70% stock?

 

Well then I forgot how high my car was stock. If I were to raise my coils all the way up, my car would be fvcking high to my standards. Since the OP wants to do a slight drop, I still feel that most coilovers will work for his situation.

Op, if you still have questions research this link: https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...w-updates.html

 

You will notice a difference. The below link has good info.
https://g35driver.com/forums/brakes-...r-summary.html

 

I started with swaybars (Stillen) on my '04, which helped quite a bit, but I was still looking for a bit better rebound damping and handling precision, so I also installed D-specs this spring. I am still on OEM '04 springs, and so far I am very pleased with both handling and ride quality. I typically run them at 3.5 turns from full stiff all around. Roll control is even better than w/just sways, turn-in is crisper and I can play with understeer/oversteer without messing with swaybar settings. I have a pair of rear '06 springs I may try out at some point to dial out a bit more understeer, but I don't feel a burning need to do so. I have also thought about a mild drop to reduce wheel gap, but my driveway won't allow it, so I'm staying on stock springs for now. The ride quality, even after switching to Rays 19's, is still very good. Not jarring at all.