Hi,

I'm a newbie to the board. Just got my RX8 a few weeks ago ('06, man., sport pkg (which I got for the DSC & not for the suspension)). I knew it would be a firm sporty ride, but the jolts and bouncing on uneven freeways & expansion joints is starting to really bug me. I don't mind giving up some responsiveness in exchange for a smoother ride. I've read some other posts on this topic; my question is which option(s) would really provide the most benefit in this area?

1. Softer tires (I have the stock Brg. 040 which apparently is quite hard/noisy in comparison with other alternatives)
2. Larger sidewall (either go down to 17s and/or a higher profile tire)
3. Lighter wheels/tires (reduce unsprung weight) -- but how much lighter would really make a difference?
4. Softer springs or shocks (e.g. replacing with the setup from the automatic 16-in w/o Sport Pkg)
5. any others?

Is a difference of 1/2-3/4 in. in sidewall height really enough to make a difference, and is it same, better, or not as good as getting a softer all-season tire; and what effect do these have compared to swapping springs with 10% (or whatever) less spring rate?

Another question: would wheel/tire mods really have much effect on the bouncing? I understand that it would help with low-amplitude shocks such as rough pavement & expansion joints, where the tire deformation would absorb the energy -- but if we're talking about motions caused by freeway sections being bowed downward or whatever, would the tires absorb this lower-frequency, higher-amplitude motion? Or is that primarily handled by springs/shocks?

Any information is appreciated. I'm hoping to be able to improve the ride without spending a ton of cash, but would like to get advice on what to try first.

Thanks in advance.

 

Wow, you think the ride is stiff??? I thought in stock form that it was really cushy. I think 1, 2 and 4 are your best bet.

 

LOL - try riding in my car - I can feel a bubble gum wrapper

 

Didn't you drive the car before buying it?
This 'is' a sports car and the suspension is designed as such....I don't believe I have read any threads on trying to soften up the ride. Most are trying to improve an already good suspension by adding stiffer sways, springs and such.
Just as an aside - my wife and I thought that the 8's ride was 'luxury' in comparison to the MSMiata we almost bought!
You may want to re-think your purchase.

 

Yah, I know most of the people on the board bought the 8 as a sports car, but I bought it as a daily driver/commuter because it looked cool, liked the rotary sound, semi-practical (back seats) and was a good deal at the same price as a Civic Si (<$22K out the door). Yes, I did test drive it, but only on city streets and smooth freeway around the dealer.

Since it's not feasible to rethink the whole car, my question is what aspect of the suspension is most influential in transmitting typical freeway bumps/impacts to the cabin: tire composition, sidewall height, wheel/tire weight, or springs? And would changing any of these (within reason) make any significant difference to smoother ride quality? If not, then fine, there's nothing to be done. Just trying to get an idea of what's the biggest factor.

 

Springing is the thing that will give you the most gains, but I'm not sure if there's a softer aftermarket spring option as that wouldn't be a huge seller. You can go to tires with a softer sidewall, but sidewall flex is poorly damped in comparison to springs and dampers. What might be an option is getting the Tokico D-Specs and running the dampers at full soft. Though the Tokicos are a performance (hence stiffer) option, they have better damping control than the OEMs and running at full soft might actually produce a decent ride. The stock shocks are actually somewhat underdamped.

(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about the Tokicos.)

 

'Springing' is the change that will give you the least gain in ride quality. Very much stiffer springs (correctly fit w/corresponding stiffer shocks) or as coilovers units do not affect the ride all that much. Balance between the components is most important to maintain ride quality.

What would work best? Probably 17" rims and higher aspect tires to keep tire diameter. Something like a 215/55/17 might be best or 225/50/17 if that's all that's available. Also get a more pedestrian tire, one whose feature list includes comfort, luxury ride, etc., over performance. Total cost at Tirerack could be well under $1K if you shop a bit.

Aside from the price and ease of making a tire/wheel mod, it's reversible, while having the desired significant smoothing of the ride over bumps.

 

Yeah, tires make a HUGE difference, I have a 50 series winter setup on 17's and I really notice the change when I go to the stock summers.

The other options are not going to 'do it' for you.....

S

 

Your best bet is a Mazda 6
but 225-50-17 wheels and tires should work pretty well to soften thing up.

 

I was wonder what was going on with this guy. But then I realized that he is in NYC. The one time I drove my 8 in the city I realized how many bad spots there are. Never again.

Depending on where you are if you can figure out which roads are worse and which are better might help a quite a bit.

If you give us a rough idea of your paths other NYC 8 owners might be able to help you on that.

 

That is a good suggestion. In fact I bet you could do an even tires/wheel swap with someone on the Mazda 6 forum.

 

omg i read this topic and i thought i was losing my vision.
TOO HARD??????????

o man there isnt enuff bandwidth for me to tear u a new one.


too hard? u think its too hard? what are you, 90 years old?

get the **** out of that car and buy a prius

 

the Lincoln dealer is THAT way --->

 

Also, base ATs have a slightly softer suspension, you might want to do a trade. And if NYC is as I remember it with a lot of one wheel potholes, going to softer anti-roll bars is an option. I know the front bar is interchangeable with the NC Miata's, and I'm sure someone with a 3rd generation Miata wouldn't might trading for a stiffer bar. I'm unsure about rear fitment.

 

The RX-8 is not bad over normal roads, but they get super bumpy over rough roads. It's just part of life in NYC

 

wow this is a first. i suggest ya avoidng those specific roads. lol

 

I agree with this guy I think the stock ride is awfull as well. Im bouncing all over the place I feel like im riding in a civic with cut springs. I am glad someone posted this topic because I was wondering how to make the ride smoother myself. I am thinking about doing tokico d specs and running them at full soft but i dont know if this would help at all. I dont race the car and I would rather have it last a long time and not shake itself to pieces.

 

aftermarket springs are worse. it's not all about the springs, you also need shocks to match it.

 

I'm not an expert on suspension, but IMO tires are the biggest factor when it comes to ride quality. I do agree with the others that the stock set up is quite soft already but the stock tires are crap. Try some kuhmos spt's for about 100 bucks a pop.

 

Yeah, 17's are in my garage right now! one isn't perfect though

 

wow, and here I am thinking about making mine stiffer. I think tires are your best bet

 

Our forum is getting a bad rep because of comments like this!

Ease up on the guy! He likes the car and wants to customize it for his preferences. Just because you don't agree with him you don't have to be nasty to the guy.

 

Quick trade it in for a Mazda 6 or a CX 7

The roads wher you live are not fit for a sports car.

A taller side wall will make a big difference but I don't know if you can get a size 18x50x225 You need 50mm height. Stock is 45.

 

does anyone have the tokico d spec shocks? I hear they can be adjusted to ride very smooth. is this true?