obviously most would agree that mechanically the z32s greatest fault is space, that engine is in their snug! which causes and creates a whole hoast of other issues. however thats not what im thinking about, been thinking about bobs car today and how well it goes round corners. thinking back i seem to remember pete saying that nothing drastic had been done to the chassis. so what is it about the stock setup of the z32s suspension that makes it less good through the turns than many other sports cars of a simular weight class, im led to believe the z33 and z34 go round corners far better? obviously other cars of a simular age im thinking yank tanks have issue slike crappy leaf springs etc but the zeds quite modern under there with the double wishbones etc and our cars use quite a few of teh same parts that are used in teh skylines which are renowned for great handling. so i guess what im asking is whats the best way to make a z32 go round a bend faster and under more control, and what is the major limiting factor in that game.

id say weight is a big factor as they do weigh roughly the same as a small planet and most of it is hanging over the front wheels, having said that ive always thought they handle fairly well for an older car

The setup is not bad, just need good Suspension, bushes, geometry and tires which most z32 don't have anymore. With a good base, then you can add stiffer suspension, stiffen the chassis, adjustable arms etc to make improvements

Replacing all of the old and worn bushes helps transform the handling and of course sorting the wallowy old suspension makes a huge difference

 

 

Of course the right choice of tyres and pressures for the conditions is in my opinion the most important

id say weight is a big factor as they do weigh roughly the same as a small planet and most of it is hanging over the front wheels, having said that ive always thought they handle fairly well for an older car

the z is fairly close to 50/50 on weight distribution 53/47 from memory

id say weight is a big factor as they do weigh roughly the same as a small planet and most of it is hanging over the front wheels, having said that ive always thought they handle fairly well for an older car

 

I did day aside from weight I actually dont think its that heavy comparitivly the z3y is just as heavy and the average sloon these daus is def heavier

Could the z33 suspension be adapted to fit the z32?.

Could the z33 suspension be adapted to fit the z32?.

 

Can't really see the point as a good set of adjustable Coilovers would be better and less hassle

 

The ones I've drove with Coilovers and adjustable arms ect handled really good, they have good stiff chassis with abit of tweaking are really good, as has been said a lot is down to setup and tyres ect

Edited December 21, 201212 yr by 111mattin111

 

Can't really see the point as a good set of adjustable Coilovers would be better and less hassle

 

The ones I've drove with Coilovers and adjustable arms ect handled really good, they have good stiff chassis with abit of tweaking are really good, as has been said a lot is down to setup and tyres ect

 

The only problem with coilovers is the fact that you always lose the comfort from that of a stock suspension.

If some stock z33 or others could be made to fit then the comfort level would be retained with better handling.

The only problem with coilovers is the fact that you always lose the comfort from that of a stock suspension.

If some stock z33 or others could be made to fit then the comfort level would be retained with better handling.

 

In that respect (ie. you want the comfort but less slack) just replace the old worn z32 OEM suspension with brand new z32 OEM suspension

KYB AGX adjustable shocks with Eibach springs are a nice upgrade & you can tweak the damping level to suit you.

 

I went with these & adjustable front upper arms & tension rods & it really does make a big difference. If you did not want it too hard then I would probably not fit the adjustable arms as they replace the rubber bushes with bearings & just replace any worn bushes with stock (although some bushes I believe are not available so you may need to buy new arms!)

The only problem with coilovers is the fact that you always lose the comfort from that of a stock suspension.

If some stock z33 or others could be made to fit then the comfort level would be retained with better handling.

 

Not sure with the 300 but with the 200 you can get a comfy Coilover with a softer spring rate but alot better than standard, but as said shocks and springs are a good compromise

Edited December 21, 201212 yr by 111mattin111

Could the z33 suspension be adapted to fit the z32?.

 

i dont really see the point in terms of components they are very similar in design simply purchasing or adjusting shocks and springs that match your requirements will be just as effective.

Replacing all of the old and worn bushes helps transform the handling and of course sorting the wallowy old suspension makes a huge difference

 

 

Of course the right choice of tyres and pressures for the conditions is in my opinion the most important

 

i think your getting on the answer here technology of bushes etc the compouns they are made of has moved on, but even replacing with oenm wiuld make a massive duifference but its pushing teh car beyond what it was orginally capable of is where my mind is puzzling.

the current setup ive got is tyres: front falken 452s 225x30x18 rear perelli pzero 265x30x18 the shocks are bilstien with ebiach spings witha 30 front drop 20mm rear drop. few polybushes here and there but not everywere, the hicas i think is a big weak link in my car the rear feel rather floaty. in terms of a fast road car set up are aftermarket camber arms necessary ? srry for the sp

obviously most would agree that mechanically the z32s greatest fault is space, that engine is in their snug! which causes and creates a whole hoast of other issues. however thats not what im thinking about, been thinking about bobs car today and how well it goes round corners. thinking back i seem to remember pete saying that nothing drastic had been done to the chassis. so what is it about the stock setup of the z32s suspension that makes it less good through the turns than many other sports cars of a simular weight class, im led to believe the z33 and z34 go round corners far better? obviously other cars of a simular age im thinking yank tanks have issue slike crappy leaf springs etc but the zeds quite modern under there with the double wishbones etc and our cars use quite a few of teh same parts that are used in teh skylines which are renowned for great handling. so i guess what im asking is whats the best way to make a z32 go round a bend faster and under more control, and what is the major limiting factor in that game.

 

Modifying suspension is a huge area of interest.

And the answer to your question would cover more pages than I can type in one evening.

However lets make a start.....

There is no single "best way" item or even group of items.

You firstly need to define the ultimate use of the car. You cant create a "best " compromise car to multitask.

 

So lets look at Bobs car(Bobgenie) for those who dont know.

One of the best ways to make a Z32 go fast round bends is to choose the correct Z32.

Well as you might guess there is only one "best " configuration... the slicktop.

Lightest. Stiffest shell..End of discussion. Everything else is just second best and I am being serious AND objective here.

So now we have a shell we are going to create a fast cornering"Time Attack" type of car.

Jaffas slicktop fits the bill just as much as Bobs.

Every stock component that can be uprated and or made adjustable needs to be done.

You need to pick new high quality items, designed and fit for purpose.

There is one key component that many people overlook... more of that later.

Clearly wheels and tyre combo are of huge importance. Big fat and sticky are the order of the day.

Now try and think of weight as "mass" in a dynamic situation not a static xxxxkgs.

Less mass means there is less force trying to chuck you in the armco.

And then we progress to aerodynamics. Often overlooked at club level.

Now I can go on but maybe you dont want me to.

How much more detail etc do you want/not want........................:innocent:

The zed is a super handling car. Just a case of out of the old and in with the new.

 

Most parts are almost 20years old now so well beyond there sell by date.

 

I've tweaked and replaced everythingon my car and I can push evo7/8 around the twistys and ctr etc.

There is nothing wrong with the car

I've tweaked and replaced everythingon my car and I can push evo7/8 around the twistys and ctr etc.

There is nothing wrong with the car

 

Rubbish! The evo wasn't trying :p

The zed is a super handling car. Just a case of out of the old and in with the new.

 

Most parts are almost 20years old now so well beyond there sell by date.

 

I've tweaked and replaced everythingon my car and I can push evo7/8 around the twistys and ctr etc.

There is nothing wrong with the car

 

Rubbish! The evo wasn't trying :p

 

 

Fiat Punto Evo More like! :p

 

http://fiat-punto-evo.sgpetch.co.uk/pages/new/single/make=Fiat/model=Punto%20Evo/type=Punto_Evo_GP_1.4__3_door_MANUAL_2526

 

I have n.a. rear so removed hicas, have new oem shocks, and car handles great and is comftable.

But changing to meister r coilovers once car is back on the rd..

 

I find my zed ain't that great around tight little corners, even more so if the roads wet,

But through higher speed country lanes and motorway it's great.

 

Last time i drove the car i took my aftermarket wheels off with wide tyres and were dunlop and went back to a standard set of rims with new tyres but crap budget tyres and the handling is crap, again not to bad at higher speed but around tight bends it's slippery.

 

It's a wide and low car that looks more suited to higher speed corners anyhow,

http://www.aus300zx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298056

 

It's a long thread now but this fella from UAS on the Oz site changed the front pivot point of the upper camber arm and a load of other bits and reckons it's a whole lot better than stock for performance

The setup is not bad, just need good Suspension, bushes, geometry and tires which most z32 don't have anymore. With a good base, then you can add stiffer suspension, stiffen the chassis, adjustable arms etc to make improvements

 

Agreed - the Z32 was every bit as good, some say better, than its peers back in the early 1990s. The problem most of us have now is simply the age and associated wear and tear of the components involved in keeping the ZX glued to the road!! That and the fact that times and standards have improved in the last 20 years - hence the Z33 and Z34 (stock for stock) will no doubt handle better. They are a much more modern design!!

 

That said, if everything is in good working order and a few little improvements have been made, a Z32 can still hold its own today. All I have done is fit Meister R coilovers and poly bushes at the front - plus a decent 4 wheel allignment - and I prefer the "feel" of the Zx on the road as compared to my 3 year old SLK350 AMG sport spec...!

 

Richard:chef:

I started to type and then got bored and deleted it all

 

so some food for thought: Centre of gravity, corner balance, longitudinal and lateral load transfer, brake bias, roll centers and spring weight versus wheel rate etc etc

 

there are a plethora of technical books out there on the subject and it's just a case of applying what's relevent

Don't know very much about setting the zed up for the best handling etc.. But I would have thought that the biggest thing would be driver ability.

Rubbish! The evo wasn't trying :p

 

It's my mate Gary and yeah he was trying. He was amazed when we got to his garage. But to be fair I am far from stock and his is. Same go's for my mates Scooby :wink:

I read an interesting introduction to one of David Hornsey's books on race and trackday driving techniques, it went something like "We'll start with this little known piece of advice: it doesn't matter how good you are, whether you are the next Ayrton Senna or about to embark on your first ever driving lesson....the car is always better than the driver. If the driver were better than the car then each lap would have an identical lap time."

 

I'm not entirely sold on this par se (back to variables again) but I can see where humility would play a part in this, because ultimately the driver is continuously learning and adapting to these variables.