In depth review Lower Springs + F Sport Shocks + F Sport Sway Bar
03-28-14, 05:58 PM
#1
In depth review Lower Springs + F Sport Shocks + F Sport Sway Bar
I have added rear sway bars to both IS250 and IS350. I have driven them over a week or so now.
On the IS250, I have Eibach Pro Kit with Tokico shocks (sport shocks).
On IS 350, I have F Sport springs and F Sport shocks.
Overall, it is major improvement in handling especially at high speed corner. Body roll is greatly reduced and the wheels/tires seem to grip better at the road. I hear less tires squeezing noise when making hard corner.
Ride quality is actually softer on the IS250 (surprising!!! I had F Sport factory package before) but stiffer on the IS350 (upgraded from stock). However, both have this issue on highspeed bump on freeway, the car seem to float and hang on air longer than before which I hate.
Also the steering is so much more direct and to the point. Understeering was reduced and the car is so much more balanced now. I have more control and confidence in it now.
Ride height, very mild on F Sport (1.5 finger gaps front and 1 finger gap rear) on the IS350 while on the IS250 with Eibach springs (~1 finger gap all around). These height are perfect for me since these two cars are daily drivers and I have really steep drive way and bad roads locally. No scrap at the bottom driving through any road but I have to be careful with the stupid rock block in all parking lot, I can scratch my bumper if i park the head of the car in too much.
MPG actually increases on both cars (0.5 to 1.5) as I get about 20 to 35 miles more out of one tank than before . I think this is due to better aerodynamics.
Braking is improved. I suspect the stopping distance is reduced a bit (did not measure this yet) but I can feel it. The braking seems a lot smoother. The nose dive is greatly reduced under heavy braking, significantly different from before.
On a straight line or smooth road, it rides as smooth as stock. However, I feel the road a lot more. This can be good and bad. The bad is I can feel all the little road imperfection now. Every bumps seem to transfer to your seat lol.
Overall, handling is significantly improved with the lower springs + the F Sport sway bar.
I'm very satisfied with the upgrades. I'm sharing this in hope to shed some lights to all who are considering these upgrades. I hope you find this review helpful.
One additional question: Will the F Sport FRONT sway bar added for even further improvement?? I did searched and find mixed opinions on this.
Pictures of the IS250 lowered on Eibach Pro Kit:
Overview:
BEFORE FRONT-----------------
AFTER FRONT----------------------------------------------
Front: 18x8 with Continental DWS 225/40R18 tire:
BEFORE REAR------------------
AFTER REAR-----------------
Rear: 18x9.5 with Continental DWS 255/40R18 tire:
Pictures of the IS350 (coming soon):
On the IS250, I have Eibach Pro Kit with Tokico shocks (sport shocks).
On IS 350, I have F Sport springs and F Sport shocks.
Overall, it is major improvement in handling especially at high speed corner. Body roll is greatly reduced and the wheels/tires seem to grip better at the road. I hear less tires squeezing noise when making hard corner.
Ride quality is actually softer on the IS250 (surprising!!! I had F Sport factory package before) but stiffer on the IS350 (upgraded from stock). However, both have this issue on highspeed bump on freeway, the car seem to float and hang on air longer than before which I hate.
Also the steering is so much more direct and to the point. Understeering was reduced and the car is so much more balanced now. I have more control and confidence in it now.
Ride height, very mild on F Sport (1.5 finger gaps front and 1 finger gap rear) on the IS350 while on the IS250 with Eibach springs (~1 finger gap all around). These height are perfect for me since these two cars are daily drivers and I have really steep drive way and bad roads locally. No scrap at the bottom driving through any road but I have to be careful with the stupid rock block in all parking lot, I can scratch my bumper if i park the head of the car in too much.
MPG actually increases on both cars (0.5 to 1.5) as I get about 20 to 35 miles more out of one tank than before . I think this is due to better aerodynamics.
Braking is improved. I suspect the stopping distance is reduced a bit (did not measure this yet) but I can feel it. The braking seems a lot smoother. The nose dive is greatly reduced under heavy braking, significantly different from before.
On a straight line or smooth road, it rides as smooth as stock. However, I feel the road a lot more. This can be good and bad. The bad is I can feel all the little road imperfection now. Every bumps seem to transfer to your seat lol.
Overall, handling is significantly improved with the lower springs + the F Sport sway bar.
I'm very satisfied with the upgrades. I'm sharing this in hope to shed some lights to all who are considering these upgrades. I hope you find this review helpful.
One additional question: Will the F Sport FRONT sway bar added for even further improvement?? I did searched and find mixed opinions on this.
Pictures of the IS250 lowered on Eibach Pro Kit:
Overview:
BEFORE FRONT-----------------
AFTER FRONT----------------------------------------------
Front: 18x8 with Continental DWS 225/40R18 tire:
BEFORE REAR------------------
AFTER REAR-----------------
Rear: 18x9.5 with Continental DWS 255/40R18 tire:
Pictures of the IS350 (coming soon):
Last edited by FSportIS; 03-28-14 at 06:21 PM.
03-28-14, 07:30 PM
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The upgrades look awesome. To answer your question yes the front sway upgrade will help. But as a performance is a concern it really depends on your personal preference. If you add the rear that gives your more oversteer amd the fronts give a more solid steering response and control with more understeer.. So it really depends on you. On other cars i have done both and it is like night and day having both on makes you so confident in driving. But again you have to get the right mix that suits you since different brands have different size sway bars. Therefore different preferences, thats why a lot of people here have mixed reviews. Most ppl will go with the rear sway bar because its more fun snapping the rear more at the same time if you are serious with it, it makes it harder to drive if you are an inexperienced driver (counter steering when needed) or maybe too much oversteer. If you get both it makes the car more solid to drive giving you much more confidence to take on even tighter and faster turns. Again it all depends on you, im more of a handling guy than a power or drift fanatic. So I would go with both front and rear sway bar upgrades now sizes and types of sway bar upgrades thats all up to taste and driver style.
Great review!
Great review!
Last edited by azfsprt; 03-28-14 at 07:37 PM.
03-29-14, 11:16 AM
#3
The upgrades look awesome. To answer your question yes the front sway upgrade will help. But as a performance is a concern it really depends on your personal preference. If you add the rear that gives your more oversteer amd the fronts give a more solid steering response and control with more understeer.. So it really depends on you. On other cars i have done both and it is like night and day having both on makes you so confident in driving. But again you have to get the right mix that suits you since different brands have different size sway bars. Therefore different preferences, thats why a lot of people here have mixed reviews. Most ppl will go with the rear sway bar because its more fun snapping the rear more at the same time if you are serious with it, it makes it harder to drive if you are an inexperienced driver (counter steering when needed) or maybe too much oversteer. If you get both it makes the car more solid to drive giving you much more confidence to take on even tighter and faster turns. Again it all depends on you, im more of a handling guy than a power or drift fanatic. So I would go with both front and rear sway bar upgrades now sizes and types of sway bar upgrades thats all up to taste and driver style.
Great review!
Great review!
After installing the F-Sport front sway bar a year later, the handling and grip on all four tires felt very neutral. I did lose some of the fishtailing hi-jinks that made you feel like you're having adolescent fun but you also feel like you can approach the same corners at higher entry speeds than before without upsetting the balance of the car.
03-30-14, 12:08 AM
#4
I really appreciate feedbacks on the front sway bar. So it seems like adding front sway bar together with the rear will make the car more neutral and much more balanced while with rear sway bar only will give you more chance to oversteer. Should we distinguise this between a IS250 and IS350??
After testing for some days with rear sway bar only, both cars under-steering are greatly reduced to almost nothing. However, I don't encounter much oversteer yet. If I drive it real hard and fast in the corner with traction control off, the IS350 seems to oversteer while the IS250 still does not. I think this is because the IS350 is much more powerful than the 250 or may be the suspension is different between them. Is this why so many suggest adding rear sway bar only to the IS350 while both front and rear to the IS250???
Do you drive the IS250 or IS350 and what suspension do you have on them?
I look forward hearing more reviews and feedback on the sway bars especially the front one.
After testing for some days with rear sway bar only, both cars under-steering are greatly reduced to almost nothing. However, I don't encounter much oversteer yet. If I drive it real hard and fast in the corner with traction control off, the IS350 seems to oversteer while the IS250 still does not. I think this is because the IS350 is much more powerful than the 250 or may be the suspension is different between them. Is this why so many suggest adding rear sway bar only to the IS350 while both front and rear to the IS250???
Do you drive the IS250 or IS350 and what suspension do you have on them?
I look forward hearing more reviews and feedback on the sway bars especially the front one.
03-30-14, 07:48 PM
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I drive an is250 fsport model. There are many variables that change the aspects of your handling for both cars. You will only notice the difference if you have the same components on each car.
Fsport shocks and springs combo is a much stiffer suspension setup versus your tokicos with eibachs that is why your suspension is smoother on the is250. Many ppl here are not used to the stiffness on the fsport shocks and complain. But as for your springs both springs are made by eibach but the biggest difference between the 2 are the shocks.
Yes the weight and power of your is350 will snap oversteer more. Your is250 will snap oversteer too when you drive it much harder.
I have driven many cars and the cars i have owned i have always tuned the suspension including the sway bars. My sentra se-r specv and my s2000 ap1 have been my favorites as I have built them to be well tuned handling machines. I usually focus a lot on stiffening the chassis and last but not least the tires and alignment.
Best of luck and enjoy your new toys! :-)
Fsport shocks and springs combo is a much stiffer suspension setup versus your tokicos with eibachs that is why your suspension is smoother on the is250. Many ppl here are not used to the stiffness on the fsport shocks and complain. But as for your springs both springs are made by eibach but the biggest difference between the 2 are the shocks.
Yes the weight and power of your is350 will snap oversteer more. Your is250 will snap oversteer too when you drive it much harder.
I have driven many cars and the cars i have owned i have always tuned the suspension including the sway bars. My sentra se-r specv and my s2000 ap1 have been my favorites as I have built them to be well tuned handling machines. I usually focus a lot on stiffening the chassis and last but not least the tires and alignment.
Best of luck and enjoy your new toys! :-)
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