Last Friday, I swapped my Sport springs and struts for OEM 2005 350Z components. I got the parts with only 15 miles on them for $175 shipped from Jason at Performance Nissan. Many thanks to all who helped me with the torque specs and procedures especially Geeman49, G_Money, and of course GSedan35 - the Suspension Guru.

The job wasn't too difficult, especially now that spring compressors aren't required. I started around 7:30 in the morning, worked leisurely, had lunch, and was test driving by 2PM. I used GSedan35's DIY over on g-owners.com, but modified the front strut removal to exclude the spring compressors and to include disconnecting the upper control arm.

The quality of the ride far exceeded my expectations. The ride is firm and taut, but not harsh at all. It passed the Wife Test, and she's a real priss! Body roll while cornering, and dive and squat during braking and launching are gone. The car maintains an even attitude that really inspires confidence when taking it into a corner at high speed. The difference between this and the Sport suspension is extreme, IMO. That floating feeling I used to get when encountering bumps while cornering is gone. The car stays planted and flat. All but the worst road conditions are damped out.

The car dropped a uniform 1 inch all the way around (sorry no pictures). It looks really really good - a subtle difference but definitely a more aggressive stance. No problems with scraping yet, but the front fascia is definitely at a sub-curb level, so I'll need to stay aware when parking.

IMO, for the price, this is one helluva improvement over stock. I'm extremely happy with the results!! If anyone is considering this, I *highly* recommend it!

 

Another happy Z suspension owner. Congrats. Although they are a much better improvement compared to the stock sport suspension, they still leave much to be desired if you ever go to a road course. But a great starting point and bang for the buck value for newbie track drivers learning how to drive.

 

175 for all 4????!!??!?!?!

Is that a normal price from him or did you get a deal

Do you have the stock 17" wheels? Any clearance issues? I'm definitely looking to improve the handling of my sport suspension... sport or not it's way too soft and rolls a lot; definitely doesn't inspire me around fast corners, I feel like I'm gonna flip over before I feel like I'm going to start sliding.

Most uplifting post so far. Congrats on the install. Now let's see the drop. Pics!

 

Yes. I've got the stock 17s. No clearance issues at all.

I also have Hotchkis sways set to medium, front and rear. No doubt, that's contributing to the ride quite a bit as well. I should have mentioned that in my previous post.

As far as the price, I posted a query asking about 350Z components and Jason PM'd me stating that he had a set ready to ship. All 4 struts and all 4 springs were delivered in short order in some cool looking Nismo boxes. I don't know whether that was a special or not. I'm sure there are deals to be had over on some of the 350z forums.

I'll try to get some pictures taken soon.

 

I drove a sport suspension sedan yesterday that handles way better than my non-sport. When I bought the car it was for long biz trips with client consideration - now those needs have changed and I just want the best performance possible. I wasn’t planning on doing anything to the suspension for a while, but since your post and driving DaveO's sport suspension, I definitely want to do something sooner.

Your setup seems like a good moderately priced road performance option. Was it a one-time thing with Jason? Or does he sell this setup regularly? Also, will something like this work for sedan non-sport package? And do you think it will be worth it without sway-bars?

 

When I originally purchased my G, it was a non-Sport, then I upgraded to the Sport suspension about a year ago, and then to the Z setup last week. Of all of them, I like the Z best - the difference between the Sport and the Z is greater than between the non-Sport and the Sport IMO. Not that the Z setup is that much stiffer, just that the overall character of the ride is that much better. For those of us trying to mod on a budget, this is a great option!

The parts are a straight swap - so you'll have no issues.

I think the upgrade would definitely be worth it regardless of your sways. You may have a bit more body roll with the stockers, but you can always upgrade those later, if you want. Personally, if I could do it over, I'd upgrade the suspension first and then the sways.

I don't know whether that's a regular thing with Jason or not. He's a good guy - PM him and see what he's got cooking. You should also check out the classifieds on my350z.com or maybe post your own WTB there. I'll bet there are plenty of 350z drivers, who have upgraded their suspensions, and want to get rid of the old ones. Just make sure that you get either the 2004 revised suspension or the 2005 suspension. The early 350z suspensions had some bouncing issues and Nissan came out with a revised version in 2004. The part number for the new/revised front shock is 56110 cd700. Make sure you verify that before you buy anything. I don't know the rear part number, but GSedan35 does. You can PM him or maybe somebody else can respond with the numbers here...

 

Glad to be able to help!

One question - how did you do this without spring compressors? Can you please elaborate on that?

 

Right on - thanks townsley. (Just when I think I'm done for now, I get sucked right back in)

 

I only got about a day with my new 04+ 350z suspension, but I love the 1 inch drop and coupled with sways make the car handle TOTALLY different.

Concerning the 350z suspension.. yes..please watch out.. I got suckered out of 300

 

I don’t understand?... Is that a pro or con opinion of the 350Z suspension? At first I thought you were pro, but the last statement seems con. If you meant $300 vs $175 (or whatever it was) - the difference isn’t that drastic.. but if you are saying you advise against it, I'm all ears.

Thanks.

 

Yeah - no spring compressors! I used them when I upgraded from non-Sport to Sport and it was really a chore. This time around, the fronts were actually easier than the rears. Here's the PM that GSedan35 sent me to clear things up:

"Disconnecting the upper control arm IS the way to go. You will need to buy a pair of 3/32" pin's to replace the one's you have to pull out to get the nut off the upper control arm. I recommend either brass or stainless steel. The arm is offten stuck in place even when you have the nut loose. Use something to gently pry on it or even tap on it. DO NOT take the nut off until you unseat the arm or you will get a sudden suprise when it springs free and starts to fall apart."

So after you remove the wheel and then disconnect the lower bolt on the strut, the bolt on the endlink, and the 3 bolts on the top under the hood, you just disconnect the control arm from the upper link. It's what is blocking the strut's way out. Once you disconnect them, there's nothing impeding the strut and you can just pull it straight out. It's much much easier.

If I've been unclear, PM me and I can clarify.

 

is dropping the car 1" the only option? if it was up to me, i'd prefer to have maybe 1/4" drop... can you clarify?

 

townsley,

Sounds like a great bang for the buck mod. Nice write-up and get some pics posted if you can.

...Cru

 

^^^Ditto - I'd prefer stiffer suspension with hard cornering capabilities without clearance issues. Not as concerned about looks (even though I think it stands a little tall from the rear).

I realize lower center of gravity will help cornering but I don’t want to sacrifice ride quality. I trust Nissans aerodynamics enough to discard drag co-efficiency... I want a smooth riding sedan (without having to crawl around 3" bumps) that handles like a sidewinder!

Don’t we all

 

The stock 350Z suspension is not adjustable. Therefore the approximate 1" drop is the only option for that hardware without changing the springs. The only way to drop a sedan only 1/4" is by using height adjustable coilovers. There are no springs out there that only drop the sedan 1/4".