Swift springs + stock shocks = Awful ride?

vqpower

I recently modified my G37S by adding swift springs and eibach sway bars. I’m loving the drop and the way the car drives on smooth roads but I’ve got to admit that the ride is fairly awful on roads with even some bumpiness or undulations. Hitting bumps on the road is pretty jarring. I am running on the stock shocks with 22k miles. I’d really like to keep the improved handling and more responsive feel of the car but want to improve the ride quality. FYI this car is my DD and will likely never go to the track. I’m thinking I have 3 options here:
1. Get Koni Yellows to replace stock shocks
2. Give up on the swifts and go with KW V1s
3. Go back to stock springs and shocks
I’ve heard great reviews around here and other forums about the swift and koni yellow combination but I’m not sure how nicely it rides or if it will help with my ride quality complaints. I’m also not experienced in suspension setups so I don’t know if I trust my ability to properly tune the shocks to get the optimal balance between performance and ride quality. On paper the KW V1s seem like a good idea for a daily driver since I can only change the height and the spring rate and dampening is preconfigured by KW engineers for a nice balance between sportiness and comfort.

Which of the above options would you guys suggest? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

wheee!

IDK, my ride was way better with the Swifts and stock shocks. Bumpier, yes because of the stiffer spring rate, but no bounce or lack of rebound with the stock shocks...

Maybe a difference with the stock equipment on the G versus Z....

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vqpower

I don't seem to have much bounciness, but hitting some bumps feels more harsh than just stiff/firm. I've ridden in some cars slammed on springs with completely mismatched shocks that felt far worse but I've also been in cars with suspensions that somehow balanced performance and comfort more effectively too.

jujubii

going with kwv1s might not solve your problem as it's only height adjustable i.e. *not* damping adjustable. it may be that you're a bit sensitive so I would suggest getting something that's more adjustable than not work from there (konis or coilovers that are at least 2 way adj)

Chuck33079

Can you soften up the sway bars and see if that does the trick? I would do that first and see what happens.

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2011 MB Touring-Sport-6sp-Nav/GTM TT/FI TT TDX/JTran/Kosmic/Eibach/Hotchkis/SPC/CSF/RPS/SoThatsWhereAllMyMoneyWent

Joey o

I'm going with the kw v1's I have the swifts and stock shocks now..the kw v1 should be a much smoother ride. Ill know soon

Zoren 370

First time I heard sombody complain with this combo!
Best ride feel ever better than stock is all I can share.

vqpower

The sways in the front are already on the softest setting, the rears are in the middle. I think putting the rears on soft might bias the car more towards understeer but it might be worth trying.

I'd be curious to know how this turns out. What do you think of the ride quality of the swifts on stock shocks?

vqpower

Maybe the roads where you live are really smooth? My car feels fantastic as long as I'm on a nice road but hitting a bump or undulation in the road at good speed feels pretty harsh for me with the current setup. I've definitely seen cars handle those bumps better. It might have been excessive to call the ride "Awful". It is livable and performs well on smooth roads but there is a lot of room for improvement on rough surfaces.

I think I will either go for Koni yellows or just go with the KW V1s. The KWs have progressive springs which should make the ride better but at the same time the linear swift springs feel very predictable. hmm

Zoren 370

Im sorry man that your not quite happy with the current ride of your G with this springs but even on bumps and dips on the road I find the rebound comfortable and composed with the swift. I regretted selling mine just because I went to coils for more aggressive drop.

Have u tried checking your tire pressure? How many miles or how long have you been using the springs? You need to give it time to settle before you get yourself an alignment.

How many tread life do you have on your tires? Check it.
Maybe you need to change it since your at 22k now with oem tires?..,for a DD this should be close to be just about time to be replaced?
If your riding with Bridgestone OEM tires they are one of the noisiest and harsh ride ever. I changed mine to Hankooks. Man Im like a fat lard on a hammock.

Try checking this options before you change to coils or Koni's and see if it does makes a difference.

Joey o

I'd be curious to know how this turns out. What do you think of the ride quality of the swifts on stock shocks?[/QUOTE]


when I hit a bumpy road I lose confidence in this setup, it doesn't feel like the shock can keep up. The kw v1 spring and shock should be setup to work better and handle the bumps better. Plus I get to go a little lower!

Zoren 370

I really don't know how you drive your Z but I think Im pretty aggressive with the way I drive my Z...never had such issues you guys experienced.

Well possibly as far as I know FL has one of the best roads in the US.

Chuck33079

I'm curious if it's a bump steer or alignment issue rather than a spring/shock issue.

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2011 MB Touring-Sport-6sp-Nav/GTM TT/FI TT TDX/JTran/Kosmic/Eibach/Hotchkis/SPC/CSF/RPS/SoThatsWhereAllMyMoneyWent

Zoren 370

Just I suspect too. Thanks for the input.

vqpower

Good ideas. I will check the tire pressure. I've been on the springs for maybe 3 weeks, 500 miles. Still using the OEM Bridgestones and yes they are loud and harsh. They still have some life left but are on their way out. I was thinking about v12s but will probably go for PSS instead.

Pretty much same feeling for me. Hitting a bump, especially mid corner really takes away my confidence. Seems to really upset the balance of the car, like the car doesn't stay glued to the road. Suspension doesn't seem to really soak up any bumps.


I had an alignment right after the springs were installed. The rear camber is pretty off and the springs have settled since I did the install. I will be installing SPL rear camber arms and SPC toe bolts and re-aligning in a couple days.