Reluctant to upgrade suspension

[spearfish25]

I keep looking at other upgrades for the car, and the trackday instructors all say to focus on handling upgrades before horsepower. The obvious handling upgrades are coilovers and antisways, but I've been very reluctant to make these changes.

While playing Forza 3 today, I realized why. There are so many adjustments for the suspension that I don't think I'll find a setting that's better than my stock setup (ie I won't have the time to find the setting and may not even appreciate it if I did). Am I wrong? Does the upgrade alone with the 'middle' settings result in an improvement, or are coilovers only beneficial if you dedicate hours upon hours to track testing and adjusting? I certainly don't want to make my car handle WORSE than stock, but I don't have the time to fiddle with suspension adjustments (nor do I think I'd appreciate some of the fine nuances in these adjustments unless someone was demonstrating it for me).

Any thoughts?

[G35guy84]

Great question! I would really like to know also.

[370z4Steve]

if you plan on tracking your car then of course upgrading the suspension is the way to go as you can squeeze even better handling than stock for sure (even as good as the stock setup is)..the question you should ask is though at what expense literally $$$ and
what expense to overall comfort for street use if that matters... or just stick with stock if your not sure you want to explore the endless possibilities

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by spearfish25

I keep looking at other upgrades for the car, and the trackday instructors all say to focus on handling upgrades before horsepower. The obvious handling upgrades are coilovers and antisways, but I've been very reluctant to make these changes.

While playing Forza 3 today, I realized why. There are so many adjustments for the suspension that I don't think I'll find a setting that's better than my stock setup (ie I won't have the time to find the setting and may not even appreciate it if I did). Am I wrong? Does the upgrade alone with the 'middle' settings result in an improvement, or are coilovers only beneficial if you dedicate hours upon hours to track testing and adjusting? I certainly don't want to make my car handle WORSE than stock, but I don't have the time to fiddle with suspension adjustments (nor do I think I'd appreciate some of the fine nuances in these adjustments unless someone was demonstrating it for me).

Any thoughts?

Well, you could always start slow and do something that works on the street as well...... new sway bars. I put a 15mm spacer on the rear to widen the track a little and fill out the real wheel well, then ordered Stillen sways. I plan on leaving the stock shocks and springs. In talking with others that have done this, they like the reduction in body roll the stiffer sways provide, while not disturbing the ride quality. Of course I am approaching this from a "street" standpoint, but I think your ride is street and some track time, double duty correct?

John

[Brazilbro]

Buy k3s, some sways , drop it a 1/2in, put the front sway one on middle stiffness and the rear on full stiff and call it a day

[ChrisSlicks]

Don't buy coilovers until you are happy that you are maxing out the car as it is, which is going to take probably a year of track driving to get to that happy place. I would however buy uprated swaybars and front camber arms. With the bigger sway bars the stock suspension is pretty respectable at the track, and as most instructors will tell you, do driver upgrades first.

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Don't buy coilovers until you are happy that you are maxing out the car as it is, which is going to take probably a year of track driving to get to that happy place. I would however buy uprated swaybars and front camber arms. With the bigger sway bars the stock suspension is pretty respectable at the track, and as most instructors will tell you, do driver upgrades first.

Kinda what I was trying to say in my "start slow" post.

[SilverBullet]

Its not that big of a deal to adjust coils. Just set them around the med stiffness and adjust as you need it later on. Sway bars will make a difference. Hotchkis for the G37 has 3 settings in the rear. There are others though that don't have adjustable settings, so you don't have to worry.

[spearfish25]

You're correct...I'm a daily driver with a few track days a year. The sways sound like a good way to go and I like that I don't have to do an alignment afterwards too. As you guys said, there is plenty of improvement on my part as a driver to be had before the car becomes the limiting factor.

[import111]

The thing with fully adjustable coilovers is you have to get the spring pre-load set as even as possible at all 4 corners. If you mess that up no matter what else you do the handling will be way worse than stock.

[Modshack]

Originally Posted by import111

The thing with fully adjustable coilovers is you have to get the spring pre-load set as even as possible at all 4 corners. If you mess that up no matter what else you do the handling will be way worse than stock.

Corner balancing is the way to properly adjust coilovers, but few here do it...

[RCZ]

Spearfish, you are on the same boat as I am as far as what you use your car. Don't take forza as any sort of indication of what you will be doing when tuning your real car's setup. Forza has a level of adjustability you wont have. For example, your swaybars arent going to be endlessly adjustable, they are going to have probably one setting front and 3 rear.

I would familiarize myself a little with the effects of suspension changes before you do something. Also, try and only do one thing at a time. I would suggest starting out with a set of sways and by getting an alignment at your local shop. Tell them to squeeze the most negative camber they can at the front and then match the rear. Leave all other settings alone and set the rear bar to middle stiffness.

These two changes will put a big smile on your face already. After that you can invest in some camber control arms and lower, stiffer springs. Or if you feel like going straight to coilovers, even better.

[kannibul]

Forza has insane levels of adjustment...some of it is realistic, some of it...not even close...or if it is, it'll cost somewhere in the 5-6 figures to be able to.

I'll probably get KW V3's, sways, and upgrade the brake pads a step up...when I get around to it. sways will be first.

[Modshack]

Originally Posted by RCZ

I would familiarize myself a little with the effects of suspension changes before you do something. Also, try and only do one thing at a time. I would suggest starting out with a set of sways and by getting an alignment at your local shop. Tell them to squeeze the most negative camber they can at the front and then match the rear. Leave all other settings alone and set the rear bar to middle stiffness.

Good plan. Plus, review this chart to see what affect proposed changes will make on the car's handling...Ultimately you're looking for a good balance. Do one at a time until you get to where you want to be...

Roger Kraus Racing Enterprises, oversteer/understeer chart

Personally (for me) 15mm spacers all around and Stillen Sways (back set to the medium position) work just great for a moderately aggressive street set-up..

I've had a LOT of cars and modified a LOT of suspensions...This works for me.

[corner3garage]

I think that the z is completely capable how it is stock, and most average drivers wouldnt even be able to harness all of the power and handling until they get very comfortable with driving the car for a while on the track.