Suspension basics- HELP???

I'm just wondering, what are some basic suspension mods that are required for a street/drift setup? I'm guessing a good start is some coilovers?

I'm just trying to get an idea of what I need for a 240SX that's cheap, but reliable. Don't need the pro stuff, just the necessities for ride and comfort along with performance and capabilities to drift. I'm no expert when it comes to suspension, so if you guys could help me out, thanks.

Front and rear strutbars would be nice

Rear subframe spacers.

Also, anything that improves handling will demenish ride quality, so don't think your super dorifting 240 will ride like a bimmer.

Replacing old worn out bushings helps (speaking not from experience, from what others say), And subframe spacers. These will help you out a bit, coilovers would be the best choice in my opinion.

ok...i dont know what you mean by the pro stuff..but some tein flex coilover whould be good for about a grand...its not the HE's or the new SS coilovers 16 to 1800 $...but its a good start...but yea...subframe spacers and strut bars are a must...maybe some tie rods and sway bars even...if your in the mood

spl kts coilovers at www.splparts.com
greg dupree subframe spacers
spl tension rods
spl tie rods
tanabe front + rear strut bars
if you don't have an lsd yet, get an ATS deftforce LSD, the best LSD out there. (you can get some at redshiftdc.com)

I say get Megan Racing Coilovers on their Softest setting it feels like stock ride pretty much and then when you want to drift jsut pop hood and stiffen it up or whatever. I also recommend Front and Rear STBs

Eibach spring still make the car sit like a truck.

Well, I'll slam mine and I'll live with the broken shit.

i think lowering a car has more to do with the centre of gravity. if plans go well then my suspension goes in on wednesday morning. to me, like sr20 said, slamming the car is no solution to any problem nor does it help as much with performance. yes, it IS lower but there's a line that lots of people cross. i got the eibach sportlines and agx's cause they're popular with the 240, its a cheap setup and the car isn't slammed in the end. all i wanted to do is lower the stance so it handles better. i'm not into drifting although it looks fun; i'm more into torque and cornering. for example, i was at a light with an impala ss tonight but i was in the lane that ended within 300 feet of the intersection so i was thinking i'd just get ahead of him and go my own speed, but he was thinking different.. he took off at green and i did too but realized he'd be going pretty quick, so i pulled in behind him. we hit another light shortly after then both pulled off to an off ramp that has a real tight curve so i said this guy's a joke, pulled on the outside lane, let my hicas kick in and blew by him at not even my top cornering speed while he was probably about to lose it..

long story short is that if i had a lower centre of gravity, the car would turn harder with less strain on the chassis and i'd get my way a lot more around here. even if it was some lowered civic, i'd probably would have taken him on the turn. i love the hicas cause it helps out for sure. not many stock cars of the same type can handle like the 240. lower it and you've got something that can corner like a ferrari. ...maybe not but you know what i mean.

the 2.1"F and 1.9"R drop won't slam it so that i'm constantly breaking shit underneath but it will stil handle pretty damn well. yeah, i'll have to be more careful but that comes with the cornering abilities i'll have.

my wheels are a little big but they're doing one hell of a job right now.. and i'm sure they'll fill the wheel wells right up once the suspension goes in.

sorry bout the long post but to me, thats what suspension is for

Well Ilike the really low look. :-P

drive the car stock, learn from stock then modd it.

coilovers, tie rod, tension rod, rear upper control arm, relocate the harness in the front left, subframe bushings, all bushings, strut braces, role cage, nismo power brace, rims, tiers, LSD!


cool?

Relocate harness?

Relocate harness?

so your tires don't rub if you dump your car real low w/ some coilovers....

Wouldn't independant rear suspension make for a better handling car then a solid rear axle?

Wouldn't independant rear suspension make for a better handling car then a solid rear axle?

yep

the impala ss doesn't have the same skidpad rating as a hicas 240sx.. the hicas 240 is almost 0.1g's higher than the impala ss, and ~0.1 is a pretty big difference.

and skidpad rating is sort of a indirect measurement
considering tires play a disproportionately large role in the results, and once you travel approx 1/4 around the pad, weight transfer stops working for you and takes most of the benefits of a good suspension geometry out of the picture

brag about skidpad if you race people thru cloverleaf onramps all the time, otherwise id say use lap times.

what i was saying was that i got on the ramp after him and beat him clean out of it. with stiffer suspension and a lower center of gravity, it would have been that much easier

and LSD!!!

Thanks for all the replies guys, but I noticed some people mentioning HICAS... what exactly is that and where do you mount it? (I've seen pics, but I'm lost on where it goes...)

Also, Subframe bushings and spacers? What's the difference? (Sorry for my uneducated mind... I've searched pretty much everywhere...)

the cars either came with HICAS or they didn't, its a feature that allows all 4 wheels to turn when you are cornering at high speeds.

and the subframe thing, theres either solid bushings to replace the stock ones or just chunks of aluminum you put on either side and then tighten down on top of the bushings. pretty much same effect either way.

I think the collars are easier to install, but the round ones are betterm but you need to like drop the hole rear end or something.

drop the whole rear end, heat up the frame, freeze the bushings and then hammer them in.. haha it doesn't seem like a fun proces..

So was HICAS available on U.S. Models, and how do you know if the model is equipped with HICAS?

There will be a HICAS warning light on your dash. If there isn't one, you don't have HICAS.

IDK about you guys, but I can barely go over a speed bump with my Apexi N1 as is. IDK about me going any lower....

yeah speed bumps suck. the ones out on roads i have no problem with can go like 30 mph, but inside shopping centers and shit its all bad.

theres some that i absolutely will not go over, they just jut* straight up and look scary and mean, i go around those or just back up lol. but your average speed bump to avoid scraping the exhaust i just have to come to a stop in front of it and then baby my way over it. i just pretend i am in a 4x4 and climbing rocks with it.

yeah speed bumps suck. the ones out on roads i have no problem with can go like 30 mph, but inside shopping centers and shit its all bad.

theres some that i absolutely will not go over, they just just straight up and look scary and mean, i go around those or just back up lol. but your average speed bump to avoid scraping the exhaust i just have to come to a stop in front of it and then baby my way over it. i just pretend i am in a 4x4 and climbing rocks with it.


Yeah, I do that to...even tho I'm stock lol, I hear the little psshh from the shocks. :-P