Giving up on new car

Okay..

I am giving up on buying a new car.

Why you ask?

Because I love my LGT....but..

 

I want it to ride a little smoother....

 

I have 66k on my car

 

#1

What can I do to make it less harsh....I am currently running stock wheels and 3 year old Nankang Sport NS tires in OEM size.

 

Tons of tire noise...pretty harsh ride.

 

#2

I have the original shocks/struts...starting to thump on bumps....loud.

 

#3

I'm sure the suspension components are worn as the front end is starting to rattle and clunk and bang.....

 

 

Question is:

 

Thoughts on how to make this car ride better?

Actually that is inaccurate....I just want it to quiet down a little....I can hardly hear the rumble over the tire noise and clunking...

 

Different tire?

Different tire size?

 

Aftermarket suspension parts?

 

Shocks/Struts/Springs?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I don't drive much as I have a work vehicle ( I am commercial sales manager w/ a demo at a car dealership )....and I'm not too concerned w/ needing winter tires ( I'm in Colorado ) as these Nankangs have been just fine w/ the type of winter driving I do in general.

 

Thanks in advance....

 

As a side note...I want to upgrade the rotors/pads at the same time as I'm starting to get some brake shudder and will do all 4 at the same time.

 

Not too worried about money as I will be spending money I would save because I'm not buying that new car

 

Thanks

It's tough to tell exactly what is wrong with your suspension by your description, but by miles I would say you most likely need new struts kyb gr-2 should keep a pretty comfortable ride. The clunking could be ball joints, sway bar end links, tie rods or control arm bushings. If a comfortable ride is top priority, then go OEM for replacing these parts. Have one of the mechanics at the dealership you work at take a look to find which bushings are shot. Have them grease up the bushings for the sway bars while they are at it too so you won't get any squeaking from that either.

KYB shocks with stock springs

Continental DWS in 215/50/17 (I'm assuming you're running 215/45 series)

Whiteline LCA bushings (your OEMs are more than likely shot)

Hawk HPS pads with Centric rotors and full brake flush

I want a new 300S myself but I'm not in a position for a car payment. Anyway, I put a set of Kumho KU-27's (Extasa LX Platinum) on my car last month. Smooooth, quiet, I love them. Much better ride. As far as struts I'd go with the Koni's, adjustable so you could tune in your ride.

To start with, buy better tires.

 

Both my Legacy's have the DWS's on them. The wagon has 225/45 x 17's

 

The Spec has 225/45x18's but I didn't buy them, they came with the car. I would have gotten 235/45x18's for it.

IMHO, get new OEM suspension stuff if you want a smooth ride. I have new OEM struts all around, with my stock springs. Only suspension upgrades I have are the front large LCA bushings are OEM STI units, and I have ES sway bar bushings for stock bars. I love it. Rides smooth, corners respectably. Only complaint is the front squeaks a bit over bumps when cold, due to the poly bushings in non-greaseable brackets.

 

Better tires will help a ton, and go with a 225/45/17 for a bit more sidewall and pothole protection. 215/50 would work too I guess.

Check out "re-bedding the brakes" if you do this it should clean up the brakes.

 

5-6 almost stops at almost maximum braking from 55mph in rapid succession and drive for a mile without touching the brakes.

You might have shot wheel bearings too. Subaru has extended the warranty on the rears. They can make a whole lot of road noise.

thanks for all the thoughts guys..

 

I think the rotors are warped....there is serious shudder now from high speeds...

 

as for the clunking....definitely the front end and not front wheel bearings....I have had both rear bearings done already...the dealership here in town would not honor that "extended" warranty but it wasn't too bad...that was year and a half ago.

 

I will put the car on a lift this saturday in a bay and have a mechanic buddy of mine go over the front end components with me and discuss....

 

I really just want a better ride..let's face it, most of us don't track our cars...i just want to be able to accelerate respectably on the on ramps and around town...don't need to go fast in a turn....

 

the thumping and bumping can be a bit embarrassing...kinda like the dash rattle ugh.

Oh...and I might be an idiot...but will 18" wheels improve my ride or make it worse?

Larger wheels will make it harder riding.

Make it worse. The sidewall of the tire acts as a cushion to a degree.

Gotcha....I figured so since when we put Dubs on used cars to make them more "exciting"..they ride like shart...

 

I'll stick w/ the 17's.....and get better tires....DWS seem to be a consensus.

Check out "re-bedding the brakes" if you do this it should clean up the brakes.

 

5-6 almost stops at almost maximum braking from 55mph in rapid succession and drive for a mile without touching the brakes.

 

The important part is to not come to a complete stop while doing those 55mph stops:

 

http://www.stoptech.com/technical-support/technical-white-papers/-warped-brake-disc-and-other-myths

 

Bedding-in Street Performance Pads

 

For a typical performance brake system using street-performance pads, a series of ten partial braking events, from 60mph down to 10mph, will typically raise the temperature of the brake components sufficiently to be considered one bed-in set. Each of the ten partial braking events should achieve moderate-to-high deceleration (about 80 to 90% of the deceleration required to lock up the brakes and/or to engage the ABS), and they should be made one after the other, without allowing the brakes to cool in between.

 

Depending on the make-up of the pad material, the brake friction will seem to gain slightly in performance, and will then lose or fade somewhat by around the fifth stop (also about the time that a friction smell will be detectable in the passenger compartment). This does not indicate that the brakes are bedded-in. This phenomenon is known as a green fade, as it is characteristic of immature or ‘green' pads, in which the resins still need to be driven out of the pad material, at the point where the pads meet the rotors. In this circumstance, the upper temperature limit of the friction material will not yet have been reached.

 

 

As when bedding-in any set of brakes, care should be taken regarding the longer stopping distance necessary with incompletely bedded pads. This first set of stops in the bed-in process is only complete when all ten stops have been performed - not before. The system should then be allowed to cool, by driving the vehicle at the highest safe speed for the circumstances, without bringing it to a complete stop with the brakes still applied. After cooling the vehicle, a second set of ten partial braking events should be performed, followed by another cooling exercise. In some situations, a third set is beneficial, but two are normally sufficient.

 

I do mine in a school parking lot (seriously) on a Sunday afternoon. Other options are a deserted parking lot at 2 am, an industrial park on a Sunday afternoon. Not a lot of places on the street to get away with that kind of driving.

DWS's have very weak sidewalls, prone to bubbles from potholes, FYI.

We also run the DWS at about 38-40psi.