Suspension

GET LOW GET LOW – SUSPENSION

One of the best handling-improving modifications that you can do to a 350Z, and most cars for that matter, is a set of good coilovers. One of the main gripes with the stock 350Z chassis is its relatively soft suspension and high ride height. While that makes the 350Z a good daily driver, it detracts from its performance potential. The topic of coilovers is nuanced, as they come in different shapes and sizes. With that being said, they all serve the same general purpose. In general, coilovers increase suspension stiffness over a stock setup, allowing a car to run lower to the ground. This results in your 350Z, in this case, cornering better by having better contact with the road and by having a lower center of gravity. Coilovers offer adjustable ride height, meaning that you can raise and lower your car by rotating an adjustment collar on the strut assembly. Some higher-tier 350Z coilovers offer additional features like adjustable damping, adding another customization element depending on your application. Damping is good for a daily driver that doubles as a track day car, as it allows you to adjust ride stiffness on the fly. There’s typically a knob that you turn either clockwise or counter-clockwise to soften or stiffen the ride. For daily driving, you can set the coils to a soft setting to handle road imperfections better or set them to a stiffer and more planted setting when you get to the track.

If you’ve spent any time browsing through 350Z suspension forum posts you’ve almost certainly encountered the inevitable coilover vs lowering springs debate. In my opinion, there shouldn’t even be a debate because there’s truly only one correct answer. While lowering springs might provide a solution to the dreaded 350Z wheel gap, they won’t provide the same performance that you’d see from a sturdy set of coils. Unlike coilovers, lowering springs are not height adjustable and use your car’s stock struts instead of replacing the entire suspension assembly. In order to provide a lower ride height, lowering springs are typically shorter springs with a slightly higher spring rate over the stock 350Z setup. With that being said, they lack almost all of the customizability that you’ll find with a set of 350Z coilovers. However, due to the fact that you are only replacing the springs, they come at a significantly lower cost. Lowering springs might be a good option for someone that is lowering their 350Z for purely aesthetic reasons. Due to the fact that you aren’t able to adjust ride height after the fact, it is important that if you opt to go the lowering springs route, you do your research and find the right spring rate for your desired application.