Suspension mods: which ones can be done alone and which need others

[brucelidat]

I am not too knowledgeable about this stuff and was wondering how different suspension mods affect one another. For example, could one do just springs without modding anything else? Or would that adjustment cause something else to be out of whack, thus requiring another mod. As I understand it, these are the main suspension mods: springs, coilovers, camber arms, toe kits. There's also sway bars, but I know those can be installed independently of the rest.

So which, if any of these can be installed without requiring another mod. And those that would require other mods, which ones require which supporting mods?

Just trying to learn as much as I can,

Thanks

[kenchan]

tein sticker requires no other mod.

[brucelidat]

doe sit give you as much horsepower as the the370z.com sticker? or is it more of a handling sticker as opposed to a power sticker?

[MattP725]

All suspension mods can be done solo but it depends on how far you drop it. Once you hit a certain drop you will need camber/toe adjustments beyond that of factory. Every car seems to be a bit different but generally if you drop much more than 1" you start to get into that area.

Sways require no other suspension adjustments.

[brucelidat]

So if I was to drop an inch or less with springs, I wouldn't need any other mods? Does this help you in any way other than just lowering your center of gravity?

[techfracture]

It lowers the center of gravity, and most lowering springs will be stiffer than stock ones.

[brucelidat]

So I went on a cruise this morning with a few other Zs and one was lowered on swifts without any other suspension mods and his negative camber looked a bit extreme. He's not slammed or anything so I am wondering how much would it affect my camber if I installed just springs and lowered just an inch or 3/4 or an inch? I am worried significantly increased neg camber will cause my tires to wear out rapidly on the inside.

[memorylasts]

your best bet is to go ahead and at the least get the rear camber arms... this way you can negate that "extreme" camber look. and then you can can actually control it to drive better.

[brucelidat]

Any recommendations for popular camber arms her eon the forums? I don't know/haven't read much about them.

[brucelidat]

Thinking of getting the eibach springs. .8/.9" front/rear drop isn't too drastic. My tires are currently wearing out faster on the outside so maybe a little extra camber will balance that out anyway. Do you guys think this is safe without camber arms or a toe kit?

[Niztalgic]

With that setup, in my opinion the toe and camber parts would not be necc. Just get an alignment. I am siting at a -3 on rear and -2.1 on front. Actually handles better than before. Just make sure the toe is near perfect. This will make the car feel incompetent. also i dropped about 1.5" all around in coil overs.

[MattP725]

Originally Posted by brucelidat

So I went on a cruise this morning with a few other Zs and one was lowered on swifts without any other suspension mods and his negative camber looked a bit extreme. He's not slammed or anything so I am wondering how much would it affect my camber if I installed just springs and lowered just an inch or 3/4 or an inch? I am worried significantly increased neg camber will cause my tires to wear out rapidly on the inside.

Keep in mind even with a mild drop, camber still needs to be adjusted and the car needs to be aligned. It is possible the owner installed the parts and never got an alignment. Any change in suspension heigh requires an alignment.

[brucelidat]

Can the camber be adjusted without aftermarket camber arms if the drop is mild? (.8/.9 in this case). I understand alignment will need to be done as well

[MattP725]

Yes it can be within 1 degree each way I believe. You may or may not get enough adjustability from the stock setup.