Quote:
Originally Posted by hdrewh
tension link (is it the tension *strut*?)
sub frame isolator bushings
control arm
I'm looking for basic handling improvements: tighter more precise steering, conservative drop, less brake dive. Car won't be tracked and I live in the NY/tri-state area so I *may* stick with 17" due to pothole concerns especially if I go with the performance suspension because I know its lower and tighter than ZSP.
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Yes tension strut is right. The other two sound right too.
tighter more precise: springs, shocks, subframe bushings
conservative drop: springs obviously
less brake dive: shocks
I think the ZSP equipment will address your needs very well. I have only driven in a non-sport a short time (when shopping for the car), but it is very soft.
Be careful lowering the car below ZSP level. Look into "bump travel" or "compression travel" and make sure you have enough. These cars can be lowered, but it's tricky to do it well.
For example: coil bind. Let's say you lower the rear to 13.5". In the rear of our cars is an approx. 12" spring that operates at about 7-9" long compressed while driving. At 7" the spring is quite nonlinear and at 5.5" it coil binds. But the bump stop limits travel before coil bind occurs. (I am making up these numbers but they are within 0.5" of the truth.)
So, let's say you lower the car and find you lack travel, so you shorten the bump stops or use a short body shock in order to get more travel at the shock. Now you risk coil bind because you're allowing the spring to compress more than before. In the front, there's also the roof of the wheel well to worry about at some point, and the bad geometry of the struts. At a point in its compression arc the front wheel starts tucking inward. Meantime the bump stops are being partly triggered because of short travel space, throwing your car around and making your life miserable...
So, I'd be careful going below ZSP height.