Handling

[Dan88SS]

Hello all, I'm also from the dark side, and started my Z fanatacism with a 280, then built a 240z.. Ive owned my SS for almost 4 years now and have only put 20k on it due to upgrading and vacations to the middle east.... anyway I cheaped and put the low-end tokico's on the car, but am still running the SS springs.. I did the adjustable rear camber mod to correct the rear, but am genuinely still unimpressed with the cars handling. the car is "twitchy" and hunts in the lane. And also doesn't provide me with confidence in the cars ability. Anyway $800+ is out of the question for coilovers, im wondering if anyone has used the aluminum and or poly crossmember mounts and how they affected the ride of the car? I want to eliminate the squat and just stiffen up the suspension without making it incredibly jarring. I think I am going to pull an entire rear suspension out of a junker because i have suspicions the gal' that owned it before me liked running over curbs. Shocks? seems like people like the bilsteins? Any suggestions to get this car under control?

[Rick88ss]

Upgrade the struts and shocks and replace the rubber bushings with poly.The twitchy steering can be a bad alignment or maybe the steering shaft U joint is worn out.

[Dan88SS]

I droppped the whole column a yar ago to check that and it looked brand new, I forgot to mention I did the whole car with the polYurethane and I have seriously had the car aligned 6-7 times in 20 thousand miles- thank goodness for firestones life time alignment! Any combo on the springs and shocks reccommendations?

[zed-031]

I run King Springs and KYB shocks and struts in mine and have no worries with the handling and ride. Will do the rear camber fix with the Kmac kit and am also looking at going with Cusco pillowball upper mounts for the front struts. Get front camber adjustment with these and i can get them for AUD$200 landed ex Japan. I've got a Cusco front strut brace and am also going to put a rear brace in to.

[FlawleZ]

Also consider getting Dan@ The Specialty Shop's custom spring set. They're rated at 300 lbs front and 324 in the rear. A significant increase over stock SS. He has a very fair price for a high performance spring set. If I was in your shoes, I would seriously contemplate purchasing his set.

[mark86t]

I have urethane bushings all over, the rear camber mod, solid diff & tranny mounts, urethane engine mounts. I have 88 front & rear control arms & tensions rods (also with urethane bushings) on my 86t.

I have the aluminum subframe bushings, Tokico springs & Tokico Illuminas (all set to 5-the stiffest). I also have fr/rear strut bars & a roll bar.

My car is planted. I autocross & track my car. Car rides well on the streets as well. I love it on the freeway, it feels like it gets sucked to the pavement.

At one track my buddy was behind me & said I was lifting the front inside wheel in a long right hand turn. I couldn't feel it, the car just stuck & I was accerlating gradually through the corner.

I will eventually go to coilovers but will keep my current setup in case I don't like the coilovers.

My buddy has Tokico springs & Illuminas, urethane bushings everywhere & 88 control arms like me. He has stock subframe bushings & his car squats. I will be installing urthane subframe bushings & the camber mod to his car soon. This should remove his squat I believe.

I love the Tokicos set up. Since you already have the rear camber mod you don't have to worry about the Tokicos lowering your car too far. To me, they lower the car perfectly. Lifetime warranty as well.

My two cents.

[Firehawk]

In reference to you tracking problem, your shocks should be fine. Could be a tire problem. What kind do you have on the car?

[Jason84NA2T]

I ran the tokico HP's with 88SS springs and thought it was under-damped, but your tracking and instability issue sounds like another issue entirely.

[Shiro-Steve]

Dan's Springs are extremely good, and will eliminate the squating in the rear completely if coupled with illuminas or something of similar performance.

[Dan88SS]

tracking

thanks for the feedback guys, I think the tracking issue is related to some slop in my rear suspension or something bent, metal, not bushings. I swapped back to my stock wheels (from G35 wheels) and don't notice a huge difference in track; just the different tires tendencies, grip, noise. I'm definitely gonna drop the rear suspension *for like the 8th time, and do the crossmember bushings with urethane. also on that note I think i'll step up to the plate with illumina's or bilsteins. Are the bilsteins stiffer? At one time I tried to keep this car for GT but that is quickly going to hell in a handbasket.. THanks Again
Dan

[Jason84NA2T]

Re: tracking

Dan88SS wrote: also on that note I think i'll step up to the plate with illumina's or bilsteins. Are the bilsteins stiffer?

There's really no comparing the two shocks. The monotube design bilstein uses provides far superior damping across the entire range... if you were to compare their dyno charts they would make illuminas look like crap. The difference is you get no 'adjust' ability; the damping constant is set from that factory at what they feel is right (which I think goes fairly nicely with SS/ST springs after driving Taris Blues car a few times).

If you want stiff, illuminas on the level 5 setting are all but hydraulically locked. They're quite comfortable on 2 or 3 for regular driving. If you had to compare JUST bump stiffness, the illuminas on 3 are about like the bilsteins.

[OR-Zman]

Re: tracking

Dan88SS wrote: thanks for the feedback guys, I think the tracking issue is related to some slop in my rear suspension or something bent, metal, not bushings.

Given you previous info I would suggest that you may have worn wheel bearings. The fronts are easy as pie, but the backs...can be a real pain in the arse. Personally I took the car to a local shop and let them do the work with all the proper tools. Cost me $80 + the parts. In the end my tracking issues were completely resolved and the enhancement of the poly bushings are really able to show their worth.

One other thought...if you have low rated tires then they could be contributing to some of the tracking issues as well. There are V rated "off brand" tires available for under $90 each. They aren't optimum but better than many. My guess is that the increased sidewall stiffness helps with the tracking and rollover issues.

I installed a pair of Champiro GTs and have been very pleased with them. They are basically a knock off of the Pirelli P8000 which I have a pair of also. The pairs seem to match well together for me. :wink:

[Dan88SS]

good thought

I'll have to check that out again as I really didn't even think of it (wheel bearings)! :wink: , i have been running Goodyear RSA's but I switched back to my Nitto's or some japanese brand that I am not terribly fond of.. thanks for the shock info as well, I think I just have to decide wether I need the adjustability or not. Dan

[craZed]

Also if the camber mod isn't done just right you can have issues like that.
If the slot is too wide or not square, the toe can move around on you.
I freehanded mine with a diegrinder and the slot came out to wide,
and now my rear toe moves around on me.