Monkeyleg

OK, I was finally able to get to a garage and get the car up on a lift. It looks like the only change was the springs. I can't tell if they're Ford Racing, Steeda or one other manufacturer whose lowering springs are blue. Can anyone else?

I'd searched the forum for tire pressure, and someone had posted that 40 lbs was correct for the 255's and 285's I have. I called American Muscle, and they said I should reduce the pressure to 32-34 pounds. After I did that the ride got a bit smoother.

So what would be the next step? Struts? Can I keep the handling while smoothing out the ride?

The photos are at Left Front and Right Rear.

Thanks for any replies.

socalwrench

Well, it appears you are running Ford Racing springs with STOCK dampers. That would definitely give you a bumpy, and somewhat harsh ride. You have two choices at this point- swap back to stock springs (fairly cheap), or upgrade to aftermarket dampers. Depending on how many miles are on the car- you may find is more cost effective to buy a new performance set of dampers (as the dealer will probably charge the same for stock replacements).

Remember, though, that matching the dampers to the springs will provide a more controlled ride (IE less bounce), BUT will still be firmer (IE more harsh) than a factory setup.

Monkeyleg

Years back it was a given that, to get good cornering, you had to give up a soft ride. It sounds like technology hasn't changed that equation.

The car isn't bouncy, but the ride is harsh, although going from 40 psi on the tires to 32 helped some.

Maybe I can get a chance to ride in some other lowered cars and compare. For now, though, I'll just keep things the way they are, unless someone else has a fantastic suggestion.

socalwrench

Well, there's a relationship between ride comfort and handling. This is because stiffer cars keep the car from bouncing around, keep the car more level during cornering, provide better steering response, and keep the tire firmly planted during hard maneuvers. Unfortunately, the performance springs really do stiffen up the ride- providing less absorption during suspension movement, AND relaying more road defects through the car.

With that said, every spring needs a damper that can properly control the spring's movement (up and down; compression and rebound)- too soft and you could end up bouncing up to the point that you will hit the bump stops; too hard and you can actually hop the tires over rough or uneven terrain. Now, the dampers have just as much an impact on road feel (IMO) as springs do. Stiffer dampers will also relay more road vibrations into the car.

Lowering your tire pressure helped your ride comfort because you are now allowing the tire to absorb more road vibration (just like a shock does, but differently). Lower pressures (or a non-performance tire for that matter) will yield softer side walls with a slight loss to steering response. There's a definite balance that you can find for a tire (tread wear, tread pattern {level, flat, traction}, ride comfort and steering response).

Monkeyleg

Thanks for the reply, Socalwrench. I pretty much already knew the things you talked about, but you provided a good synopsis.

The stock dampers aren't bottoming out the tires on the bump stops, and I haven't experienced any wheel hop. With the really bad streets here in Milwaukee, I would have by now if the dampers were too stiff.

The 40 lbs. psi that someone suggested for tire pressure on the 285's and 255's struck me as odd. I have a hard time counting the number of cars I've had over the years, but I've never had one that used that kind of pressure. Of course, I never had oversize tires, either.

The ride with the factory wheels and tires was as smooth as can be. Aside from getting shorter sidewalls with the new tires and wheels, I also increased the weight, which I'm sure affected things. The rear wheels and tire weight went from 49 pounds to 61 pounds, and increase of about 25%. The increase on the front was about 16%.

I think I'll just have to bypass the worst streets in the city, which is pretty much every major street.

SlideWRX

looks like everything else is stock, but I would get under there and try to tighten down bolts. In the front the swaybar endlink attachment to the strut could be slightly loose; they are a pain sometimes to tighten down. Might just check the lower control arm bolts and the shock bolt in the rear.