Suspension guys, please help the ignorant...

[Konish]

...that would be me. I just bought a 240z that the PO said had Tokico inserts and lowering springs. The car is much lower but it handles like poo. It bottoms on *any* uneven surface which makes for exciting times when it runs out of bounce. Besides, I can't wait to see what the bump stops look like.

 

Anyway, I looked (and will try and get a pic later this afternoon) and it seems like the coils on the spring have little to no space between them along the entire length of the spring.

 

I searched and read the sticky about the Tokico struts and springs...which seems eerily like my problem. Stiff as a board until it bottoms...in other words it takes a lot to make the suspension move, but when it does it feels like it only has less than an inch before it bottoms out.

 

Bottom line for me is this. I want a lower than stock ride height but not at the cost of having some *reasonable* suspension travel. So:

 

What would be a good combo that keeps the strut housings the same length (i.e. no shortening), has a (slightly) lower than stock ride height and provides the best combo of ride quality/performance for a daily-driven street car that occasionally gets driven quite spiritedly?

 

R/

Dustin

[johnc]

Tokico Illumina shocks so you can adjust them to a softer or stiffer setting depending on your mood and new bump stops (shortened to 1"). You'll need to check the springs on your car and see what they actually are. The Tokico 280Z springs are stiffer and linear which should keep your car off the bump stops. You might have to cut a coil or two out of them to get the ride height you want.

[Kris.Is.Awesome]

Sounds like you're binding coils.

 

Pics may help!

[Konish]

Okay to flesh this out and as promised...pics!

Anyone know what kind of springs these are? Also, it may not come across the pics, but the coils all have what seem to be around 1/4" between them.

 

I am bottoming *badly* on pretty mild to intermediate bumps in the road. Her is the car as it sits now:

 

 

And the tape rear:

Front:

 

Both at 25.5" from ground to the top pf the wheel arch using the wheel's center as a reference.

 

I've read all the stickies and searched the issue. What is not clear to me is if I section the struts (doesn't seem too hard) but do NOT want to go with coilovers, then what option does that leave me for a spring perch (since I figure the stocker will get cut up beyond repair)

R/

D

[johnc]

You basically have 1.75" of bump travel before those spring coil bind. Repalce the springs with what I suggested above.

[Kris.Is.Awesome]

You basically have 1.75" of bump travel before those spring coil bind. Repalce the springs with what I suggested above.

 

Agreed- it's super obvious you're getting coil-bind.

[auxilary]

wow. those coils have no compression left in them. replace them asap before you destroy the struts

[Konish]

Confirms what I thought about the coils being pooped. Even though I'm newish to Zs, I'm not to cars and I've never seen a contemporary aftermarket coil this bad...I mean that spring can't be more than 5 years (probably less).

 

I'm just crossing my fingers that the strut isn't bent or tweaked or the gland nut assembly isn't beat to crap. As per JohnC's advice but with stock 240z springs and Tokico Illuminas should set me up.

 

Thanks!

 

R/

Dustin