ok so i have searched the site extensively looking for the answer to my question and although i think i have found some i am not very knowledgeable when it comes to jargon and such.
So here is my dilemma:
i work in the City of Pot Holes (Pittsburgh, PA for those not familiar) and my job requires my to drive back and forth across town to our 3 main offices. i have a 99 Z24 that mechanically is complete stock. i would like to make the ride a little smoother and softer. i REALLY hate how hard my car hits the pot holes.
Any info for a dummie would be great.
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
im assuming you dont want to lower your car, so id say just replace your struts with something nice like the monroe sensatrac or the kyb agx or something along those lines
it might be a better ride with better struts but you will never have a decent ride in a j
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Primer Counts as Custom Paint Right?
BTW: This is my Sig.
why not?
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
because it is a cheap piece of crap to be honest. if you want a more comfortable ride buy a better car
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Primer Counts as Custom Paint Right?
BTW: This is my Sig.
lol well i dont need BWM/Audi smooth but anything has to be better than what it is now.
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
try a d-spec or a koni yellow then something adjustable should help you out a good bit. i wouldn't recommend stock replacement from a parts store
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Primer Counts as Custom Paint Right?
BTW: This is my Sig.
are the adjustable ones capable of a more comfy ride than the gr-2's?
Dave De Stefano wrote:are the adjustable ones capable of a more comfy ride than the gr-2's?
yes gr-2's are just stock replacement
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Primer Counts as Custom Paint Right?
BTW: This is my Sig.
so where is a good place to get these?
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
either ttr or a+ performance
____________________________________
Primer Counts as Custom Paint Right?
BTW: This is my Sig.
if your not lowering your car d-specs or koni yellows would be overkill and there also expensive, its a cavalier its not going to ride great esp. on pittsburgh roads but better struts will make a difference.
We carry them... www.TurboTechRacing.com
We specalize in the cavaliers
-Aaron
www.TurboTechRacing.com
Performance Parts For Cavalier, Sunfire, Cobalts and More!!!
After being in quite a few Jbodies with different set ups, I feel your pain lol.
Your struts are most likely shot. Replaing them with somethign like Tokico HP's or KYG GR-2s will definately make for a more "controled" ride, but your are already riding on the softest spring made for our cars - stock. Outside of drastic changes like an IRS swap, it will not get much better other than replacing the crappy OEM struts with something mentioned above.
For what it's worth, I don't think an adjustable strut would help you - you are looking for comfort on stock springs, and with any adjustable strut you get, that would be on the softest setting, and you would probably never change it.
More food for thought - on koni yellows and tein s.techs, my car rides nearly as comfy on the softest setting as it did with stock springs and koni yellows.
Word of warning: KYG AGX, Tokico D-Spec and Koni (Koni I know for sure) are all valved stiffer than OEM replacement struts.
So it will be a firmer ride. More controlled and less jouncy, but firmer.
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Sleeper style, they don't see it coming that way.
ok well maybe i am asking the wrong question? when i run over a pot hole or a bump or whatever....it seems like the car is hitting them really hard.
for instance hitting a pot hole in my car @ 25mph feels the same as hitting a hole 2x bigger in my wifes 05 caravan doing 40+. it feels really hard and harsh like riding a skateboard on a cobblestone street. am i truly looking for a softer ride or a or am i totally retarded and looking to go the other way entirely. my car seems to stick to the ground rather well as i like to take turns a little faster than i probably should.
so am i way off base with what i am asking?
if not are the various struts you are recommending going to have a neg. affect on my cornering?
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
it sounds like your on the right track, but maybe you have a blown strut or 2, the struts everybody here has mentioned will in no way make your cornering worse, if anything it may improve it but wouldn't negatively affect it at all.
also if you do take apart your struts and such make sure to check out your strut mounts when you do, they might also be in bad shape.
how do you know if the mounts are bad?
The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch
