I am wondering if any of you who drive on similar roads can help me out. I replaced all four shocks and the front springs on my car when I was restoring it. The car doesn't take bumps in the road too well and is bouncy. I know the roads here aren't great but even so. Maybe it's because it's such a big car. I have checked the bushings underneath the car and also the sway bars, they all seem to be tight. The tracking I think is fine but I will get it checked. I am wondering if I replaced the rear coil springs would that improve the ride, what about if I fitted stiffer ones.

Thanks.

 

Do the new shocks appear to work? If you push down on a corner at a time does it come back up when released without bouncing?

I wouldn't think that sagging springs would be a problem as such. They would just allow greater travel for a given bump, making the shock work harder I guess? The static push down method of testing shocks usually works for testing slow rebound.

Is it at high or low speeds that the problem is most noticeable?

Simon.

 

Well, perception is everything, isn't it? I never thought of a ThirdGen as a "big" car.

Actually, weakend springs can cause bottoming, since the spring rate doesn't change but the height does. Stiffer springs will not soften/smooth the ride to speak of unless the body is bottoming out now. TALLER springs (factory height) are probably the real solution. You can measure the ride height to check your springs for sagging.

It is also possible (likely?) that the isolators at the ends of your coil springs are compressed to the point where they offer no padding. While many people replace the stock rubber isolators with harder urethane or polygraphite impregnated plastics, you may want to use replacement rubber isolators since you are not seeking a firmer ride.

Another factor created by sagging springs is that the track bar (Panhard rod) tends to take more of the load at the lower height, unless it has been adjusted to compensate for th elowered height. This tends to transmit a bit more road feel to the body than the factory intended, and may actually affect rear end tracking.

Also, "heavy duty" shocks are often valved too stiff for reasonable ride. Valve design in a shock is everything. A little free oil flow is good to keep the road "jitters" out of the car, but when teh oil flow starts to go high, the valves need to shut it off quickly. Again, this is where many aftermarket "heavy duty" shocks fail, in that there is only a single or very simple dual rate/valve setting for oil control. Tuneable shocks can help. Variable valve rate shocks like the factory installed are generally the best for all-around driving.

Dive under that "big old car" and start looking.

 

Having replaced the front springs, I would've done the back too if replacing shocks...an easy enough job on a 3rdgen.

Was your car bouncy before you made the changes you mention?

 

Vader in my opinion a third gen is a "big" car, well compared to my daily driver, a Fiat Uno 999cc. It barely fits in my garage. I had a crawl around underneath the car and can't see anything wrong, all the bushings seem tight. I checked the rear shocks and lots of life left in them yet.

I relaced the front springs because the passenger one was broken at the top so I replaced both sides. Can anyone recommend a spring I should get for the rear. I guess something close to stock would be the best.

Thanks.

 

I noticed at the weekend, don't know why I didn't see this before but the boot lid or trunk lid is raised slightly on one side of the car which camouflaged this. But the rear driver side is slightly lower than the passenger side. I measured it and it is about half an inch. Would that mean that I have a weak spring?.