I've got an '05 Sedan w/OEM Sport Suspension. Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of inherent understeer. (AARRGGHH!!) I've installed Stillen Sways (Soft/Medium, F/R) to address this. They help a bit, but I clearly need to mod the springs and/or struts to get the performance I'm looking for.

I've heard great things about the 350Z H-Techs but am concerned that the 358/375 spring rate balance will transfer even more roll stiffness to the front, therefore INCREASING my understeer issues. This would be bad and a waste of time/money. Any experiences with 350Z H-Techs on Sedans to either confirm or deny my concerns?

-T

 

why don't you try setting the rear sway to firm?

 

[QUOTE=kenchan]why don't you try setting the rear sway to firm?[/QUOTE

I may ultimately go that route, but I'd like to get the basic spring/strut set to my liking and then use the sways to "tune". Don't you think that's a better approach?

 

Have you ever questioned your driving?
Understeering during what? acceleration or deceleration?
or just maybe your tires arent able to grip with a stronger swaybar?

 

not sure why you seem fixated that you have to change springs/dampers
to achieve turnability.

Your turnability can improve dramatically just by changing the rear swaybar
setting...which should take you no more than 10-15min to change settings....

try that first. It is best to keep the major components constant while
changing one part of the sus at a time.


[QUOTE=Teeter]

 

[QUOTE=kenchan]not sure why you seem fixated that you have to change springs/dampers
to achieve turnability.

Your turnability can improve dramatically just by changing the rear swaybar
setting...which should take you no more than 10-15min to change settings....

try that first. It is best to keep the major components constant while
changing one part of the sus at a time.


Point taken, but I want to lower the car for aesthetic reasons as well as performance reasons. So I'm DEFINITELY changing the springs, hence my original inquiry regarding others' experience with 350Z H-Techs.

 

I'm sure my driving is not above reproach, however I've driven sport-tuned sedans (BMW, Mercedes) for the last 10 years and none of them have had the "push" issues that my G35 Sedan does. As at least a "decent" driver, I'd much rather work to compensate for oversteer than understeer.

While I appreciate ALL suggestions, I'd love to hear how anyone has improved their suspension setup with springs and/or strut mpds.

 

>Point taken, but I want to lower the car for aesthetic reasons as well as performance reasons. So I'm DEFINITELY changing the springs, hence my original inquiry regarding others' experience with 350Z H-Techs.




there's nothing here on your first post talking about aesthetic reasons....



goodluck

 

Is it pushing on decel or accel. beginning or midway of commiting to turn?

 

It pushes during acceleration. If I don't "come off it" during any hard corner or on/off ramp, then the car simply resists the turn. I'm definitely feeling less body roll away from the turn now with the upgraded sways, but the car still seems to prefer going straight to turning.

 

Have you been driving more aggresively since installing the swaybars?

 

Not really. I pretty much ALWAYS drive aggressively. Except, of course, with my babies in the car!

But I did pull the trigger on the 350Z H-Techs - they should be here in a couple of days. Will probably upgrade the stock sport dampers at some point too. My main concern with the H-Techs was just that, even though they're firmer than my stock sport springs, they don't transfer any roll stiffness to the rear. Hence my question about how they'll affect understeer/oversteer. I considered going with the revised 350Z suspension but just haven't heard many great reports from G owners who went that route. On the other hand, I've heard nothing but positives about the 350Z H-Techs.

 

Ultimately, I'm thinking that the tires arent adequate enough. swaybars help with bodyroll...so while on your car was using the stock swaybars, it let the body roll enough letting the tires stay in contact with the pavement. when you upgraded the swaybars, all you did was make a stronger bond between the bodyroll and suspension. What's happening is that the inside tire gets lighter and puting more weight onto the outside tire with upgraded swaybars. you're limited to one tire for traction in an extreme sense. it doesnt matter whether your accelerating or decelerating...force is being applied to that outer tires in a turn that depending on how strong the swaybar is, you could pick up the inside tires. all swaybars are is to help make the lateral handling a little more predictable. it's to help reduce the gap you get from body roll. or to better put it, to tighten up the feedback between the body and the suspension.

aftermarket lowering springs are just what they car with added benefits depending on the type of springs you get. the h-tech springs you bought are good linear springs that help with predictability in your suspension, it's just added peice of mind, and bring the CG lower. what it will not help is the momentum of the car, but hopefully in your case...it will even things out. getting wider tires will help with handicapping momentum.

 

Thanks 636Racer for your help....your comments make a lot of sense. I actually just ordered some new Max Performance tires as well - no doubt they'll be an enormous improvement over the ridiculous stock Turanza ER33's. Can't afford new (wider) rims yet, so I'm sticking with 235/45/18's for the time being. (I'm just not comfortable going any wider on the 7.5" sport rims.) But I think the much firmer sidewalls should help the handling equation as you've suggested. -T

 

What kind of tires did you get?