Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! - Page 17 - 3000GT/Stealth International Message Center

ProwlerGT · 06-02-2008, 04:05 AM

Does it make a difference if you adjust the dampening when the car is in the air vs on the ground on all 4's?

bluemax_1 · 06-02-2008, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

Does it make a difference if you adjust the dampening when the car is in the air vs on the ground on all 4's?

No. I adjusted mine while the car was on the ground. All the adjustment does is make the little holes in the strut valve bigger or smaller.

I adjusted mine to 90 degrees from full hard based on how they reacted while driving over a bumpy stretch of road and then cornering hard

Max.

ProwlerGT · 06-11-2008, 06:40 AM

What dampening settings have you all set yours at for daily driving?

Apparently setting them back in front and rear to the softest setting is a bad idea. I can't help but realize that some of you are driving around on these daily and are just fine with how they are so there must be a "sweet-spot" huh?

ProwlerGT · 06-11-2008, 08:22 PM

I adjusted both front/rear FROM full soft using the S<--->H on the dial as a marker.

Fronts: Back towards harder 1 1/2 full turns
Rear: Back towards harder 1 full turn

Results: WOW !!! WHOA!!! You guys cannot believe how much happier I was. Grinning ear to ear. Its a dramatic improvement in ride quality. I think the front is perfect and the rear probably could go back 1/2 turn more. In any case I'm very happy that adjusting it to find a "BALANCE" (which I always say is necessary) is possible and that its not just soft or hard. I am amazed actually.

The best tests I've got for it are to 1. Ride at 20mph in my neighborhood which has the old style segmented concrete kinda slightly humpy streets and 2. Ride over speed bumps in parking lots and/or find a decent pot hole. The rear definitely seems to be causing most of the bounce so in any case this looks to be a complete turnaround on how I felt about these things. Pending further adjustment tomorrow in the daylight I'll make my final decision on whether or not I keep them.

BigTyla · 06-12-2008, 10:32 AM

The rear end should be a little more rough than the front end. Mine is the same way. You'll also notice the car will give the impression of oversteer if you take turns tight enough if you have your suspension set up like I do, mainly because the rear end is so much tighter now. Quite a different feeling in a FWD car.

ProwlerGT · 06-12-2008, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigTyla

The rear end should be a little more rough than the front end. Mine is the same way. You'll also notice the car will give the impression of oversteer if you take turns tight enough if you have your suspension set up like I do, mainly because the rear end is so much tighter now. Quite a different feeling in a FWD car.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! WTFFFFF??? I noticed that too...... that it was like EASIER to steer or something? It didn't seem oversteer too much or at all..... but it was like "easier to steer" HUH!?!?! Interesting. I guess if it felt easier to steer though then it had to be oversteering. hmmm....

Was thinking about getting strut bars now. When I first started driving on them I could hear them breaking the frame in.

Rear tighter than Front - Well the spring rates are different so shouldn't the damping adjustment be different on the rear/front too? or should they both be at the same turns?

BigTyla · 06-12-2008, 03:25 PM

Tightness will come with experimentation since there is no quantitative value available for the different dampening settings.

I have a rear sway bar and I'm considering taking it off. I could afford to lose some of the oversteer I have.

ProwlerGT · 06-13-2008, 06:54 AM

I have been using the "sides" of the turning knob/adjuster that you slide into the top of the Ksports as a point of reference before turning them. I will either hold my finger in place pointing at the position from which I started turning to match it up 1 full turn or whatever other turn radius or I'll just pay attention to what side turns to where.

I was thinking too about numbering the sides of the turning knobs with a "new" sharpie. This would be easier to see and give a basis from which to go by as you are turning the knobs.

I have found cruising yesterday with two women (good test because women don't like their boobs bouncing too much

- and they will complain immediately - hehe) that the best setting seems to be 1 1/2 turns (or 540 degrees) from soft in the front and anywhere from 1 (360 degrees) to 1 1/2 turns from soft in the rear. If I variate even to 1 1/4 turns or 2 full turns...... NOPE ..... NO GOOD.... ride quality becomes shit. My base model too is around 3200lbs stock and factor in weight of 3 people I had in the car.

Even at the 1 1/2 turns from soft I've settled on with the help of the two complaining women (believe me its good to have two human gauges in the car) it is dramatically better than when I had it backed all the way to softest (no damping) or the hardest (full damping)....... though now that I have found this "sweet spot" and come full circle in learning how to use these things I am wondering if coilovers are for me.

It may just be that I need lighter spring rates and while SuperCar is about to start selling some lighter springs for the Ksports, it seems just as easy to just sell my Ksports and buy another set of coilovers with the lighter spring rates on'em.

However, now that the "sweet spot" is in play it would seem reasonable to ride around on them for about 2 months of driving to see if they break in as someone in this thread mentioned a while back.

ProwlerGT · 06-14-2008, 03:21 AM

I have not ever heard that. It comes with 36 different levels of damping adjustment according to Ksport. I wouldn't think they'd allow those levels if it meant a lesser life.

Also, I have mine set nearly at stock height. I'm about .5" lower and no preload so maybe this means my setup would last longer. Dunno for sure though.

Anyone got anything to add on this?

06-11-2008, 06:40 AM	#163 (permalink)
ProwlerGT King Detail Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New Orleans area Drives: 95 3000GT Base DOHC Trader Rating: (11)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! What dampening settings have you all set yours at for daily driving? Apparently setting them back in front and rear to the softest setting is a bad idea. I can't help but realize that some of you are driving around on these daily and are just fine with how they are so there must be a "sweet-spot" huh?

06-11-2008, 08:22 PM	#164 (permalink)
ProwlerGT King Detail Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New Orleans area Drives: 95 3000GT Base DOHC Trader Rating: (11)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! I adjusted both front/rear FROM full soft using the S<--->H on the dial as a marker. Fronts: Back towards harder 1 1/2 full turns Rear: Back towards harder 1 full turn Results: WOW !!! WHOA!!! You guys cannot believe how much happier I was. Grinning ear to ear. Its a dramatic improvement in ride quality. I think the front is perfect and the rear probably could go back 1/2 turn more. In any case I'm very happy that adjusting it to find a "BALANCE" (which I always say is necessary) is possible and that its not just soft or hard. I am amazed actually. The best tests I've got for it are to 1. Ride at 20mph in my neighborhood which has the old style segmented concrete kinda slightly humpy streets and 2. Ride over speed bumps in parking lots and/or find a decent pot hole. The rear definitely seems to be causing most of the bounce so in any case this looks to be a complete turnaround on how I felt about these things. Pending further adjustment tomorrow in the daylight I'll make my final decision on whether or not I keep them. Last edited by ProwlerGT : 06-11-2008 at 09:08 PM.

06-12-2008, 10:32 AM	#165 (permalink)
BigTyla Resident rocket scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Auburn, AL Drives: '93 3000GT ATX TT Trader Rating: (179)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! The rear end should be a little more rough than the front end. Mine is the same way. You'll also notice the car will give the impression of oversteer if you take turns tight enough if you have your suspension set up like I do, mainly because the rear end is so much tighter now. Quite a different feeling in a FWD car. __________________ Topline Engineering - "Driven to Perfection" 1993 3000GT FWD ATX TT - mods coming<---------------->2009 Honda Fit - 40 mpg ftw Topline Engineering ground wire kit Nov/Dec ground wire GB!!!

06-12-2008, 03:25 PM	#167 (permalink)
BigTyla Resident rocket scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Auburn, AL Drives: '93 3000GT ATX TT Trader Rating: (179)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! Tightness will come with experimentation since there is no quantitative value available for the different dampening settings. I have a rear sway bar and I'm considering taking it off. I could afford to lose some of the oversteer I have.

06-13-2008, 06:54 AM	#168 (permalink)
ProwlerGT King Detail Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New Orleans area Drives: 95 3000GT Base DOHC Trader Rating: (11)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! I have been using the "sides" of the turning knob/adjuster that you slide into the top of the Ksports as a point of reference before turning them. I will either hold my finger in place pointing at the position from which I started turning to match it up 1 full turn or whatever other turn radius or I'll just pay attention to what side turns to where. I was thinking too about numbering the sides of the turning knobs with a "new" sharpie. This would be easier to see and give a basis from which to go by as you are turning the knobs. I have found cruising yesterday with two women (good test because women don't like their boobs bouncing too much - and they will complain immediately - hehe) that the best setting seems to be 1 1/2 turns (or 540 degrees) from soft in the front and anywhere from 1 (360 degrees) to 1 1/2 turns from soft in the rear. If I variate even to 1 1/4 turns or 2 full turns...... NOPE ..... NO GOOD.... ride quality becomes shit. My base model too is around 3200lbs stock and factor in weight of 3 people I had in the car. Even at the 1 1/2 turns from soft I've settled on with the help of the two complaining women (believe me its good to have two human gauges in the car) it is dramatically better than when I had it backed all the way to softest (no damping) or the hardest (full damping)....... though now that I have found this "sweet spot" and come full circle in learning how to use these things I am wondering if coilovers are for me. It may just be that I need lighter spring rates and while SuperCar is about to start selling some lighter springs for the Ksports, it seems just as easy to just sell my Ksports and buy another set of coilovers with the lighter spring rates on'em. However, now that the "sweet spot" is in play it would seem reasonable to ride around on them for about 2 months of driving to see if they break in as someone in this thread mentioned a while back.

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06-14-2008, 03:21 AM	#169 (permalink)
ProwlerGT King Detail Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New Orleans area Drives: 95 3000GT Base DOHC Trader Rating: (11)	Re: Ride quality HORRIBLE after Ksport Coilover install! I have not ever heard that. It comes with 36 different levels of damping adjustment according to Ksport. I wouldn't think they'd allow those levels if it meant a lesser life. Also, I have mine set nearly at stock height. I'm about .5" lower and no preload so maybe this means my setup would last longer. Dunno for sure though. Anyone got anything to add on this?