suspension tuning

M · April 23rd, 2003 06:42 PM

my car has already changed front springs (OEM) and the shocks are weak.

so now, my car seems to be uneasy. it feels so light that i feel like i'm literally bouncing off bumps. it's like the bumps (even small ones) unsettle the rear of the car giving me the feeling of lightness (like being thrown about).

would OEM shocks fix this? or would i need to install aftermarket ones to improve my car's ride? what about adding weight (ballast) to the rear? because the car feels more stable with 2 people (including driver) on board.

the car is a mazda astina (7 years old). thanks.

**pdc2** · April 23rd, 2003 08:02 PM

M,

Astina's relatively has a soft suspension, not ideal for our roads :oops: I have one (93 model) and what I did was to change all the OEM springs to a newer one and replaced all the shocks (gabriel gas type, though they say that kyb is better). The ride did not improve much so I tried to have those rubber 1 inch lifters and the ride improved but it became stiffer. hope this helps

**pdc2** · April 23rd, 2003 08:16 PM

M,

Astina's relatively has a soft suspension, not ideal for our roads :oops: I have one (93 model) and what I did was to change all the OEM springs to a newer one and replaced all the shocks (gabriel gas type, though they say that kyb is better). The ride did not improve much so I tried to have those rubber 1 inch lifters and the ride improved but it became stiffer. hope this helps

M · April 24th, 2003 11:09 AM

hey pdc!
your right about the softer suspension. ever since, i've been scraping some humps on full load. :|

well, the shocks are about to give in soon. i'll look into those kybs. i don't think i'd go with the lifters though. the car looks good with it's stock ride height that's relatively lower than regular sedans. 8)

thanks.
any other comments would be highly appreciated. :idea:

**woodfire** · April 24th, 2003 11:53 AM

lifters? it will adversely affect handling because of the higher center of gravity. the lower the car, the better is the handling.

try putting in sporty shocks - the gas type- like kyb gas type. if you have the budget, i suggest you go for the bilsteins - its will really improve your ride like night and day especially the handling part. later on, you can go for aftermarket springs like H&R,eibach, and the like.

good luck

**RS Sprint** · May 4th, 2003 09:32 AM

Try also installing front and rear strut-tower bars. It helps mnimize chassis flex, improves both ride and handling. Feeling ko since its a 7 year old car may chassis / metal fatigue na car mo kaya parang weird ang ride / handling dahil the whole body / chassis might be flexing under load. .

Suggestion lang po...