Just had F-Sport springs installed this weekend, and have mixed feelings about them. The modest 1' drop does look better, but man, I really have to tip toe over bumps that were no big deal before. Even at 1 mph, speed bumps and humps feel like curbs. You low-riders must have to wear a mouthguard to keep from chipping your teeth.

To those of you who added swaybars after your springs, did you notice a change in ride quality, besides the reduction in body roll? I'm just about to install a set, but wanted some insights first.

 

Wow, really? Just curious, is this your first lowered car? I've never ridden in a 3GS with fsports installed but can't imagine it making a huge difference like you describe. You should ride in a 'low-rider' 3GS and see what it feels like. IMO, it feels better lower and stiffer.

I don't have fsport sways on my car (yet) but sways should have no affect on ride quality.

Post some pics!

 

wow something doesnt sound right. my car is lowered approx 2" with BCR coils and i can take the speed bumps in my development at 5-10mph and feel next to nothing.

 

My understanding is that sways reduce roll, but F-Sport springs lower and reduce travel. Which means springs provide better road feel at the expense of ride quality, while the sways provide reduced body roll at the expense of tire life. Sways shouldn't affect ride quality. This is why I got the sways and not the springs.

I am considering just getting 45s to replace my 40s to reduce the "gap" since I don't want to lower. 45s are a great tire size. That's what the Porsche Panamera wears.

 

Are you sure they didn't mess up your damper controls while installing the springs? Maybe a sensor or wire was damaged in the process?

Get them to check it again!

 

He has a GS350. They don't have electronic damper control.

 

Your understanding of sways reducing body roll at the expense of tire life is completely false. Body roll has nothing to do with tires. You are correct that sways shouldn't affect ride quality though.

There's another member here that has 45 series on their stock wheels but I forget who. I personally feel that they are too thick looking and takes away from the sporty feeling. Just my $.02.

 

Sways do affect ride quality when the roads that are not so good. Anytime one side is compressed more than the other, the sway bar is working to provide that extra spring rate. Ride over a road with some potholes or even those lane dividers...you should feel an extra firmness.

 

Yeah, I can see that occurring. If one side is compressed more than the other side, it'll affect it. Sorta goes against the 'modern' day independent suspension. I think the effect is minimal though. Not much worse than factory sways, that is.

 

Yep. Softer sways wont have that much of an effect, just like adding slightly stiffer springs. When I had TRD and Daizen sway bars on my 2GS a few years back, you could feel every little bump on the road and that's not something you felt with springs alone. You gain total effective spring rate for the corners, but how much of that do you want from your sways and how much do you want from your springs is the tricky part. You can have a car with two different setups that has the same body roll, but they'll behave differently in a straight or during braking. I love the arts of suspension tuning!

 

If I roll into a speed hump at 2-3 mph, it will definitely bottom out ... presumably hitting the bumpstops? I'm wondering if they cut the bumpstops properly.

 

^^Wow! Really? When I was on DF210's, I never had that problem.

 

bottom out?! that's surprising, the fsport springs aren't that low, i can't imagine them bottoming out so quickly. maybe the bump stop?

but yes, henry is right, sways will technically affect ride, but unless it's some very thick and completely solid sways, otherwise the effect is usually relatively mild.

on the 2gs, the trd sways are so stiff, it affects ride quality noticeably. some later i changed to some other better designed ones, ride got better

 

Is there any way I can tell if the bumpstops were cut correctly, short of removing everything?

 

im not quite sure what the stock suspension looks like anymore but i would assume that on the strut there is a dust shield that covers the strut behind the spring. if there is, then theres no way to tell if they cut the bump stop without removing the shield. jack the car up and take a look.

im going to assume the bumpstops were never cut.