For the steeda ultralight vs sport springs there is so much conflicting information about the handling and the ride. I think I've read every single thread on the internet, but I still can't really get a straight answer on this. The problem is that it is so subjective depending on dampers, tires, etc. I really can't tell how much difference I would notice between the two.

Does anyone have first hand experience with both sets of springs that can give their impressions of the difference? I know that might be difficult as we don't all try springs all day. I will be doing Koni Str.ts for sure.

My inclination is to get ultralights for the slightly lower stance, and the sports for the handling. How do I choose which one is right? If I get ultralights will I be missing something that I just gotta have with the sports? If the sports were just a tad lower my mind would be made up. I'd get the sports. But I would like just a tiny bit lower stance.

I'm just a DD who came from a 350z so I miss taking corners and twisties in a spirited fashion. I'd love my 2014 GT to feel as similar as it can to my old Z.

 

I had a '14 GT track pack equipped ride for a bit. The ONLY suspension change I did was Steeda Sport springs. I did it primarily for appearance- lose that wheel to fender gap- however the springs really complemented the TP set up. The car cornered so much more flatly. Better, it barely impacted the car's overall ride quality in any negative fashion, maybe a 5% harsher ride.

The ultralites would have been too much of a drop; my car was a daily driver too & I didn't want/need that, as my car never saw a track day. The folks at Steeda can tell you what you need to know.

Good luck.
Lee

 

Springs alone aren't going to give that to you, nor in my opinion will STR.t dampers with either of the springs mentioned so far. They're at least a little too soft - they'll probably ride nicely enough, but the composure during your spirited driving won't be there. STR.t's are supposedly about as firm as yellows are when set to full soft - and I never ran the yellows on my car all the way down on full soft even with the OE springs. Not even in easy street driving.

To start with, you'll need more tire, and better tires. That's where things like cornering grip and steering response and precision really live. Everything you do to the suspension, as well as your wheel width choice, should really be done first as a matter of keeping your tires happy.

When you do swap springs, any actual increase in grip may bring along a 'heavier' feel, which is another way of saying it's understeering a bit more even though it can be cornered harder. Here's where adjustable sta-bars enter the picture, which you'd set to put the 'feel' where you want it (or at least where you're more comfortable having it). This does take a little experimentation, and starting with both bars full soft and working up (and sometimes back down with one of the bars) is better than either trying to guess or blindly follow what somebody else set their bars (that might even be somebody else's bars - mine are from Sam Strano) to.


I haven't even tried to relate any of this to some amount of lowering. Mostly because if you're serious enough about approximating the behavior of your 350Z you'll do what it takes and let the 'appearance' fall where it falls.

With wheel, tire (still true street rubber), shocks/struts (dialed up a bit from my street settings), and sta-bar mods, but still on the OE springs, getting a point-by from a 370Z at about 80 mph . . . intermediate run group.




Norm

 

Thanks for the input. I don't think I have fully thought out the wheel and tires contribution to this. I had planned on getting the suspension set up and then tackling the tires later. Maybe I'll have to rethink that approach.

I'm still not entirely clear on just how different the ultralight springs are from the sports. Maybe both would be fine, or perhaps neither if I really want the 350z feel.

 

More of the 'handling feel' is going to come from the shocks & struts. Springs add firmness and together with the sta-bars define the extent of body motions (and ultimately the geometries followed by the various wheels & tires), but the composure comes from controlling the compression and extension of the springs and the bending/twisting of the sta-bars. IOW, how far the car rolls, nose-dives, or squats is of less concern than letting it roll/dive/squat however much and then making it stay put instead of bobbing around somewhere near where it's supposed to be.

A car that's composed will impress a track day instructor, who will recognize it for what it is. Regular passengers will still appreciate it without being able to define why.


It seems that Koni (yellows at least) may be sensitive to how much lowering is done. Here, among springs of various rates and amounts of lowering I'd strongly suggest favoring springs with less lowering and higher rate. If it matters, the BMR springs that I now have (which are actually for the heavier GT500) still ride pretty decently when the yellows are dialed back a bit (but still not on full soft). 260 lb/in front, 220 lb/in rear (that's working rate for the rears, they're actually a dual-rate design that sits on the high rate when the car is just sitting there in the driveway).


Norm