Better Handling

[jayrob333]

Hey to all fellow Cb7 Tuners. I have a question. I have just put new shock/struts on my 90' CB7 to KYB GR-2's from stock and I have noticed a better ride but still rides kinda hard and pot holes are no joke. Do u have any suggestions for making the CB7 not ride so hard and have better handling without making the car's height any lower.

[thecrow7841]

have you check you tire pressure?
might be too much

it might run good if your tire pressure is from 35 to 40

[F22HB]

what springs do you have?

[jayrob333]

stock springs... i was thinking about changing to sports spring but never got around to it.

[RyanHartC2]

Bushings and sway bars might help.

[js593]

Sport springs are not made for high impact. They are made for better steering. They make your suspension stiffer, and you will feel everything. If you dont like potholes, dodge them... where i live you learn to dodge pothole very quickly. New bushings might help a bit, But in every car, you can feel a pothole.

[jayrob333]

oh i forgot to mention that when I make sharp turns like a u-turn, when i hit a really bumpy part of road or when I have extra people in the back, my CB7 make this really weird and loud sqeaking noise in the back sounds like the springs are worn... any idea of what that is?

[jayrob333]

could the noise be the springs or one of the arms... any advice?

[Chrisisiced]

Seeing as how your just now replacing the stock shocks its probably time for a major or total suspension overhaul. Things like ball joints, springs, tie rods, control arms, bushings, are probably all worn out or bent out of shape if they are all still original parts.

[NAiL05]

I thought KYB were adjustable.

[lokuputha]

if the ride is harsh with stock springs, I am going to say its the shocks...

try adjusting the dampers to a lower setting, it might make the ride softer.

[jayrob333]

Naw not these. I got the KYB GR-2(Unabjustable). The ones you're talking about ar the AGX(Abjustable)

[johnl]

The GR-2 damper is supposedly a stock replacement, but a lot of 'stock replacement' dampers are at least a little stiffer than the OE units. The stock CB7 springs are very soft. If you find the ride harsh on the GR2s with stock springs then I'd say you must be pretty sensitive to harshness.

With increased rate dampers and increased rate springs, all else being equal the dampers are probably going to create more harshness than the springs will. Springs are actually what absorb road shocks, dampers actually transmit then into the chassis, which is the exact opposite of what the popular name for them implies (i.e. shock absorbers, yeah right!). You can go a fair bit stiffer in the springs before the ride becomes a lot harsher, but then you really need stiffer dampers to keep the springs under control.

You say: "have noticed a better ride but still rides kinda hard and pot holes are no joke". If it rides better how is it "still kinda hard"? A soft suspension won't deal well with potholes because the impact of the pothole will use up all the suspension travel and the suspension will bottom out, which can be very harsh (and damaging to the suspension and dangerous for handling). In this case you'd be better of with stiffer springs and stiffer dampers to suit the stiffer springs, you'll bottom out on rough roads a lot less, but general harshness will increase.