My Situation: I live in boston (rated - "the city with the worst streets in American") with potholes and uneven pavement at every turn . I have a stock '03 Turbo and the ride is very jarring and unbearable on the road (This is my only car). I do not track my car.


A Couple Noob Questions About Suspension Setups:

1) Does softening the suspension of the car, so the ride is more comfortable, worsen the handling of the car ?

2) Also if the suspension is looser/softer does it mean you will generally have more "bounce" ? Where you have to drive slower when hitting ramps or speedbumps to lessen the likeliness of hitting the undercarriage because the car will move up and down alot easier with a "softer" suspension ? I'm asking this because I already sometimes hit the undercarriage when going down or up steep ramps/bumps with stock suspension.

3) When people say that a suspension system is "adjustable" (ie hieght adjustable (higher/lower), ride-comfort adjustable (softer/stiffer)) does that mean you have to take it to the garage everytime you want to adjust it, or is this something you can do from inside your car. Because ofcourse Option 'B' is alot more practical than Option 'A'....

4) What are "Coilovers" ?




Thank you to anyone who is kind enough to answer these questions

 

Ramone, first I would stop hitting those pot holes!!! The stock suspension is on the "comfortable" side already. Meaning the bump, rebound, spring rate etc is a generic setting to try to make "most" people happy. The biggest complaint is that it is too soft, poor on the track and too high. And all this is true. But you seem to have a "more comfortable" ride as your biggest concern.
First I would ask about your wheels and tires. Certainly 19's will ride harsher than 18's and 40 profile tires will be smoother ride than 30% sidewalls. Also certain tires are more compliant than others.
Assuming it is not a wheel or tire combo issue you may want to look into "coil overs" which are a strut type unit as opposed to a separate spring and shock.
Without going through all the options and just giving you a suggestion I would just consider going with the Bilstein PSS9's. They are a good upgrade for the stock suspension for cars not planning on many track days, but still good enough for the occasional track day.
Yes they are adjustable for firmness that you can do yourself. Your mechanic will select the ride height you desire as well. Again options are somewhat limited with this set up but still sounds like what you need?!
Hope some of this makes sense or helps?
Good luck

tom

 

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The adjustments have to do with bump and rebound while the spring rate stays the same. The softest setting would probably feel like the stock ride but with stiffer spring rates. I think you would still feel a noticeable improvement in your overall ride quality with almost any suspension upgrade.
There are systems to control or adjust suspension from inside the car but that's mostly F-1 stuff!! The ride height is ususally set at the ideal height at the time of installation.
The answer to your last question is no, not to my knowledge, but again I am far from an expert on this, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
Price wise, the PSS9 is also your best way to go.

 

I wish there was a system out there with the best of both worlds.


- Good handling with a comfortable ride.

I can't enjoy my car right now because I have to slow down every 5 seconds to go over commuter train tracks, potholes, or bumps in the road. I can feel every imperfection in the road and it makes the drive unbearable. And if I drive over them fast I can hear a bang and It sounds like i'm damaging my car


With my friends SUV you don't even notice the bumps, in my car you literally bounce in your seat and feel as if you're on an off road adventure...really wish there was a solution....

Thanks for the help Tom

 

Go with the pss9. I have mine set on the firm side, and still I find the ride better than the stock suspension.

 

Tarek, Bilstein PSS9's are for you!