The 370Z changed the front suspension to be more of a double wishbone suspension rather than a straight McPherson strut type. But it's really not all that different. The rear suspension is pretty much the same (I think -- I've never owned a 350Z-- someone please correct me if I'm wrong?).

If you define coilover as concentric shock/spring units, then the Z has a coilovers in the front, but separate mounting locations for the spring and the shock in the rear.

Aftermarket "coilover's" duplicate the stock layout for this car (not true for many other vehicles), but provide three big advantages:

1. different -- usually stiffer -- spring rates and shock valving than stock. Those with progressive springs can give you a softer initial rate that stiffen up as they are compressed. The shock valving of the "coilover" is supposedly matched to the spring rate to provide just the right amount of damping to keep the wheels planted as much as possible, and prevent oscillation of the suspension. The net effect is (maybe) a better ride, but certainly a car that is better glued to the road!

2. They also provide the ability to change the ride height by moving the spring perch up or down. For non-race use, this might be their primary benefit -- a lowered meaner "look"

3. They may provide shock valving adjustment. The best ones give you the ability to adjust the shocks control of the springs in both the compression stroke (when you hit a bump) and in the rebound stroke (when the spring pushes the suspension back). This level of shock control is particularly useful on race courses. Maybe less so on autocross, where an overall stiff, flat chassis is desirable.

As others have suggested, there's lots of information about suspension design on the web. Don't get hung up on the term "coilover." Think instead of "shocks/springs that allow me to tune my suspension" every time you hear the word coilover.

Hope this helps!

it somewhat does, but the real definition for coilover is coil spring over strut. the difference between coilovers and regular spring/strut designs is coilovers are all one unit, spring and shock are built together, where as regular ones are first seperate and then compressed onto the strut. a coilover itself, not talking about being adjustable or not, should perform far better than the conventinal spring/strut design, because they were built to be together and work more seamlessly. coilovers also look different than the convential type, the coil springs themselves are much more narrow than the typical fatter type springs. im wondering if the 350z has a coilover spring design like the 370z does, meaning the spring/strut were built together, and usually the coil spirng are much more narrow.

I think I see where you are coming from. This is a lot more relevant for true McPherson struts than it is for a wishbone suspension like the 370Z has.


For the Z, actual performance has a lot more to do with spring rates and valving than with the configuration of the strut.

You have to flush the Sentra suspension from your brain and look at the way the Z suspension actually works. The aftermarket coilovers for the Sentra DO work better as you state, because of their configuration, whereas for the Z this is much less true. My old '91 Sentra SE-R got a huge benefit from coilovers because it improved the suspension. For the Z, it's all about height, spring rates and shock valving.

Any clearer? HTH!

This thread is getting ridiculous.

Listen, you simply can't compare the performance of the stock suspension with a KW suspension. The KW are lighter, they have stiffer springs, better dampening capabilities and are adjustable, height adjustability. Overall as a package, the KW suspension provides much better control and works better as a unit.

Its not better because of the way its installed on the car, its better because it is made to perform, that is its purpose. The stock suspension is made, first, to keep everyone happy and then for performance. Too much is lost in keeping everyone happy.

No matter how badly you try to justify it, the stock suspension in either the sport or the nismo or the whatever version you want of the 370z will NOT be as good for performance driving as a set of good aftermarket coilovers.

ok, yes this cleared many things up for me. that was in fact my problem, i had the sentra suspension in my head lol. coilovers make a major improvement for the sentra because the stock setup isnt even a coilover setup, where as on the z it is. ive been asking this question many times and im going to ask it again, does the 350z have a coilover spring/strut design in the front like the 370 does? im not talking about the wishbone or mcpherson design, simply talking about the spring/strut, and whether or not the 350z's is a coilover like the 370.

i know the kw's perform better, thats not what i was asking. i was just asking if the stock suspension on the z was a similar (being coilovers) design as the kw's. i have now got my awnser.

is the sport package suspension on the 370z actually any stiffer than the model without sport package? it seems many people get this confused, even reviewers say it is, but i dont think it is? is it?

Suspension is the same with or without the sport package.

What was Nissan thinking on this one ???

$$$$$ maybe.......

Give me the suspension option at least. Ahhh ! They saved it for the NISMO Z and charged an extra $5,000 for it plus an extra $1,000 for some body molding. The tune cost nothing for Nissan.

Wankers !!!

this is the front suspension on a 350Z

http://www.z1auto.com/images/nissan-350z-design-05.jpg

A 370Z is the same for all intents and purposes (things are differently shaped but the design concept is the same

this is the rear suspension on the 350Z

http://www.z1auto.com/images/nissan-...suspension.jpg

Again, the 370Z maintains this type of setup

ok, so it looks like the main difference in the front suspension between the 350 and 370z is the 350z is a single wishbone and 370z is double wishbone?? u say they are basically the same, but i hear that the 370z is actually a large improvemnet in the front suspension compared to the 350. i have read many reviews that state this.

350z's have a double wishbone front suspension as well, as shown in the above diagrams. Upper and lower control arms (lower being split into 2 pieces so it has multiple pivot points). The overall layout vs the 370z is very similar. Changes were made to packaging since the wheel base is different, and thus the parts need to fit into different spaces, but the general layout is very much the same

ummm, according to every single reviewer, including nissans webside, the 350z does not have a wishbone suspension. only multi link, which is why in every review they made a big deal on how much of a improvement the 370z's suspension was. heres a quote comming from mike kojima himself, "The front suspension is greatly improved over the 350Z. It is a simple unequal length "A" arm designed with forged aluminum links, looking like a close relative of the parts on the R35 Skyline GT-R. In fact it would not surprise us at all if all of the FM2 chassis share many of the same parts. The all important suspension geometry looks to be properly done with decent lengths of the upper and lower links for reduced scrub and bump steer with a relatively aggressive negative gain camber curve to help keep the tire tread flat on the road under roll."

heres another quote from a reviewer that states the 350z does not have a double wishbone, "That is made possible by the new double-wishbone front suspension that replaces the lower multi-link setup in the 350Z and uses lighter forged aluminum arms, a lightweight rigid aluminum-alloy cradle, a lighter, link stabilizer bar with a 35% improved lever ratio, and new high-response shock absorbers. The new 3-piece strut tower brace stiffens and quickens the front’s response."

A 350Z has upper wishbones, and lower wishbones..the lower being split into 2 separate arms, the compression arm and the transverse link. Hence multi link AND double wishbone are both accurate descriptions of what the car has. A 370Z is similar, but does not have the split lower link, instead it is just 1 piece.

Nissan 350Z Sport Compact Car Magazine

http://image.modified.com/f/15584252...san16_zoom.jpg

http://image.modified.com/f/15584255...san17_zoom.jpg

2003 Nissan 350Z Review Summary - Motor Trend

Z vs. Z: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine Articles

then i guess all those reviewers didnt know what they were talking about. why then does the 370z handle noticably better than the 350z, are the small changes done to the 370z's suspension all for the benefit?

The last bone stock 350z I have driven was 6 years ago when I took mine home, so I can't answer that.

"handles better" is a function of lots of things, it's too general of a statement to really be meaningful, and I think it's getting a bit off topic from what the thread is about :)

When the sponsors who happen to own shops that do nothing but make cars perform better tell you something without them saying oh hey buy my w/e, SHUT UP AND LISTEN THEN STOP ASKING THE SAME QUESTION. Who gives a fart what it's called it involves a spring, a shock, some aluminum bits shaped like arms, and anytime you improve a piece of it it's going to handle better unless it says nismo on it because they failed on the 370z(rare for them).

I'll say it again because you're going to ask again, Coilovers literaly means having the coil over the shock absober. In the aftermarket and suspension world it refers to an adjustable unit that contains a spring on a shock most often used for racing and lowering.

Your sentra had coilovers too technically. They were arranged as a macpherson strut which just means that the shock body was used as the upper suspension link thats all.

You are stuck thinking that "double wishbone" involves arms shaped like turkey bones. True this is normally what the term double wishbone references like on an s2000. The 370z stuff does not again fit the literal use of the term but it is (proof enough is that Nissan hasn't been sued for saying it). The lower arm is questionable in my opinion to me it looks like a fancy version of the one off my old beretta, but that is only because the wheel is at least twice as large as the one on the beretta so the arm had to be squished a little on the sides into a wierd shape but it's still a whishbone.

The front on a 350z is a multi-link setup in a wishbone configuration. the reason it handles worse is complex as the 370 is lighter, has a lower center of gravity, wider, the tires are wider, the wheelbase is shorter, and all of that affects handling so if you want to find out whats better or worse why don't you go out and buy a 350z and shove 370z suspension into it somehow and then you'll have your answer.

The KW's are amazing stuff simply because they work so well with the rest of the car and cost way more than the nissan stuff(production cost as I'm sure nissan will still rape for the stock stuff) so more features and quality can be added to them. Would you pay an extra $9,000 for the car if nissan developed and gave you damptronic stuff for it? Hell no thats why stock stuff is simple.

why do you say nismo failed on the 370z?

why does it matter to u? thats his opinion.

why did i read most of this..:confused:

lol I'm not exactly sure when or how this thread turned into this lovely specimen it is right now.

Anyone have pics of the KW setup installed on the Z?

KW is among the premier names in performance suspension...I would say the best this side of Penske or Moton quad adjustables (~$13K). You definitely can't go wrong.

I'm with you on this one.
:wtf2:

I Like Bacon... http://www.mindspring.com/~boycekb/i...BaconDance.gif

Lance's 370Z | Altered Atmosphere Motorsports

They list them as KW Variant II in the write-up but that's a mistake.

Man KW's look great.

LOL i enjoyed reading the many many "WHY's" in this thread... reminds me when i was like 4! :D

I havent had V3's (not that ballin') but V2's were amazing on the road and on autox. simply amazing upgrade to have.

What a fail thread

dude, stop being a *******. its a simple god damn question, you dont like get the hell out. cause i curious. why the hell does anyone ask anything?

looks nice, but thats the variant 2 and not 3. whats the difference.

isnt the point of a forum to ask questions and get info? how come whenever i ask a question i get flamed? many people on here seem to be stuck up always thinking they know everything i ask therefore there better. this has to be one of the meanest threads ive been a part of.

V1, V2, and V3 :tup:

thanks dude. btw, i was just at the moto gp race at indianapolis speedway, the one where rossi crashed out. it was pretty amazing, cant believe how loud those bikes are and how unbelievably fast they are.

He's DA BEST.

He's THE DOCTOR.

He IS THE CHAMPION OF THE CHAMPIONS.


He IS ... OK sorry i got carried away. :tup:

Technically there is no KW coilover for the 370Z yet. What people have are G37 coilovers, that are a direct bolt on, and have shown to work well. There is a 370Z specific version being released soon. I suspect everything to remain the same except possibly valving. Price will be the same

There are no V1 or V2 made at all - no idea if they will, or won't, as the V3 was the most popular for the 350Z, and I suspect will be for the 370Z as well

^^^ these are facts.

Scott

really? no v2 made for the 370z? then why does that yellow 370z the guy posted on here have them?

I guess there is a fine line between asking a question and arguing. Probably even moreso since apprantly you don't have the car, yet are in tons of threads asking question after question. There certainly is room in a forum for fans of a car who aren't owners - but maybe a better course of action is to just take a step back for a second and take the time to just read and learn, vs questioning everything. Does it matter if there is a V2, or a V3, or a V94,156, if you don't have the car anyway? Call me crazy :)

As mentioned in post #65, it's clearly a typo. As I mentioned earlier, the only coilover made is the V3, and it's technically for the G37. There are 0 official 370Z part #'s as of now (the G37 kit fits and works well as mentioned), and there is no V1 nor a V2 now, or planned for the immediate future for either platform.

:ughdance:

could someone throw up that flash image of willy wonka going "you lose, good day sir"