Ride Quality
#1
Ride Quality
Having had my RC-F about 5 days now, I'm still learning. But one thing I have noticed is that the car has a harsh ride, esp. over small bumps and pitchy streets. It bugs me.
Three possible causes/cures come to mind:
1. Go to 18" wheels -- this is something I often do, for better ride quality, lower tire noise, and better wheel protection. But the challenge with this car is that there's abt. 1/4" clearance between the front calipers and the factory wheel, so it may be difficult or impossible to find an 18" wheel that will clear the unmodified calipers. Still, I'm going to look.
2. Shocks -- as far as I can tell, the shocks aren't adjustable. Without removing a shock and having it dyno'd, I don't know if they are causing a significant part of the ride harshness. I'll put the car on my lift next week to confirm this, but new shocks, even good, adjustable ones aren't too expensive.
3. Springs -- I assume they are coilovers in front. I can't tell about the rears until I get it on the lift. Fitting lower rate springs with a bit more preload to maintain ride height shouldn't be expensive.
BTW, I have a full machine shop with lift, so I can make changes pretty well.
So, does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this? Please don't tell me to just get used to it. Thanx, guys!
Three possible causes/cures come to mind:
1. Go to 18" wheels -- this is something I often do, for better ride quality, lower tire noise, and better wheel protection. But the challenge with this car is that there's abt. 1/4" clearance between the front calipers and the factory wheel, so it may be difficult or impossible to find an 18" wheel that will clear the unmodified calipers. Still, I'm going to look.
2. Shocks -- as far as I can tell, the shocks aren't adjustable. Without removing a shock and having it dyno'd, I don't know if they are causing a significant part of the ride harshness. I'll put the car on my lift next week to confirm this, but new shocks, even good, adjustable ones aren't too expensive.
3. Springs -- I assume they are coilovers in front. I can't tell about the rears until I get it on the lift. Fitting lower rate springs with a bit more preload to maintain ride height shouldn't be expensive.
BTW, I have a full machine shop with lift, so I can make changes pretty well.
So, does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this? Please don't tell me to just get used to it. Thanx, guys!
#2
I kind agree with you. The ride is a bit harsh, specially I am in Michigan which is famous for worst roads in the country. My daily ride is a Bimmer. The ride is even harsher than the RC F. I am not plan on to spend extra money to make it rides like a LS sedan. But if you can not bear it then go ahead make the change. At end, it is your car and you want to enjoy it the way you like it to be.
#5
I checked tire pressure first off. It's 36 psi, as spec'd. I thought about running 25 psi just for a few minutes to see if that makes a difference. If it does, that suggests the 19" wheels/tires are the culprits.
#6
I kind agree with you. The ride is a bit harsh, specially I am in Michigan which is famous for worst roads in the country. My daily ride is a Bimmer. The ride is even harsher than the RC F. I am not plan on to spend extra money to make it rides like a LS sedan. But if you can not bear it then go ahead make the change. At end, it is your car and you want to enjoy it the way you like it to be.
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#8
I think it would be a ridiculous shame to spend the premium for an RC-F and then put a set of 18" wheels on it or softer springs/struts. You paid a $15,000 premium over an RC350 and basically what you'd be doing is turning your RC-F back into an RC350 with a V8 engine.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
#9
SWIG13 wrote:
Perhaps the best interpretation of this reply (which I appreciate) is that it would be a shame for SWIG13 to do so. But different folks...
So maybe "...an RC350 with a V8 engine." is just what I need. But beyond that, I doubt this is a correct way of understanding at what I want to do. Hard/harsh suspension isn't required to make a car handle well -- to me -- on the street. My '11 M3 (supercharged) rides quite comfortably and handles just fine.
The best of both worlds, where shocks are concerned, are the electronically controlled shocks like on Vettes, CTV-Ss, etc.
But this assumes the hard ride is the result of overdamping. It may not be -- couldn't it be too high spring rates? Or hard (19") tires?
The question of whether 18" wheels will fit over the existing caliper/disk setup is open. May not fit, but then different wheels are dimensioned differently and some options may fit. Stay tuned on this point.
I think it would be a ridiculous shame to spend the premium for an RC-F and then put a set of 18" wheels on it or softer springs/struts. You paid a $15,000 premium over an RC350 and basically what you'd be doing is turning your RC-F back into an RC350 with a V8 engine.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
Perhaps the best interpretation of this reply (which I appreciate) is that it would be a shame for SWIG13 to do so. But different folks...
So maybe "...an RC350 with a V8 engine." is just what I need. But beyond that, I doubt this is a correct way of understanding at what I want to do. Hard/harsh suspension isn't required to make a car handle well -- to me -- on the street. My '11 M3 (supercharged) rides quite comfortably and handles just fine.
The best of both worlds, where shocks are concerned, are the electronically controlled shocks like on Vettes, CTV-Ss, etc.
But this assumes the hard ride is the result of overdamping. It may not be -- couldn't it be too high spring rates? Or hard (19") tires?
The question of whether 18" wheels will fit over the existing caliper/disk setup is open. May not fit, but then different wheels are dimensioned differently and some options may fit. Stay tuned on this point.
#10
#11
SWIG13 wrote:
Perhaps the best interpretation of this reply (which I appreciate) is that it would be a shame for SWIG13 to do so. But different folks...
So maybe "...an RC350 with a V8 engine." is just what I need. But beyond that, I doubt this is a correct way of understanding at what I want to do. Hard/harsh suspension isn't required to make a car handle well -- to me -- on the street. My '11 M3 (supercharged) rides quite comfortably and handles just fine.
The best of both worlds, where shocks are concerned, are the electronically controlled shocks like on Vettes, CTV-Ss, etc.
But this assumes the hard ride is the result of overdamping. It may not be -- couldn't it be too high spring rates? Or hard (19") tires?
The question of whether 18" wheels will fit over the existing caliper/disk setup is open. May not fit, but then different wheels are dimensioned differently and some options may fit. Stay tuned on this point.
I think it would be a ridiculous shame to spend the premium for an RC-F and then put a set of 18" wheels on it or softer springs/struts. You paid a $15,000 premium over an RC350 and basically what you'd be doing is turning your RC-F back into an RC350 with a V8 engine.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
Perhaps the best interpretation of this reply (which I appreciate) is that it would be a shame for SWIG13 to do so. But different folks...
So maybe "...an RC350 with a V8 engine." is just what I need. But beyond that, I doubt this is a correct way of understanding at what I want to do. Hard/harsh suspension isn't required to make a car handle well -- to me -- on the street. My '11 M3 (supercharged) rides quite comfortably and handles just fine.
The best of both worlds, where shocks are concerned, are the electronically controlled shocks like on Vettes, CTV-Ss, etc.
But this assumes the hard ride is the result of overdamping. It may not be -- couldn't it be too high spring rates? Or hard (19") tires?
The question of whether 18" wheels will fit over the existing caliper/disk setup is open. May not fit, but then different wheels are dimensioned differently and some options may fit. Stay tuned on this point.
Never got the point of getting a performance car and then changing out susp/wheels etc. especially if you spent 70-75k.
I believe Lexus engineers set the car up in an optimal way - any changes you make will most likely ruin the desired performance of the RCF in the first place.
#12
Sounds like you got the wrong car.
Never got the point of getting a performance car and then changing out susp/wheels etc. especially if you spent 70-75k.
I believe Lexus engineers set the car up in an optimal way - any changes you make will most likely ruin the desired performance of the RCF in the first place.
Never got the point of getting a performance car and then changing out susp/wheels etc. especially if you spent 70-75k.
I believe Lexus engineers set the car up in an optimal way - any changes you make will most likely ruin the desired performance of the RCF in the first place.
I'm going to buy a Ferrari and do a 4 cyl engine swap because I'm not happy with the fuel economy LOL
#13
I think it would be a ridiculous shame to spend the premium for an RC-F and then put a set of 18" wheels on it or softer springs/struts. You paid a $15,000 premium over an RC350 and basically what you'd be doing is turning your RC-F back into an RC350 with a V8 engine.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
That harder ride is a side effect of the excellent handling that comes with an RC-F.
Not to mention i doubt 18s would even fit over the RC-F's brakes.
Absolutely, OP bought the wrong car. Its like buying an automatic watch, being annoyed by having to wind it up and putting a quartz movement in it. Makes no sense and is a total waste of money, and a waste of a superior watch, but like the OP says its his money.
I'm going to buy a Ferrari and do a 4 cyl engine swap because I'm not happy with the fuel economy LOL
I'm going to buy a Ferrari and do a 4 cyl engine swap because I'm not happy with the fuel economy LOL
#14
Having had my RC-F about 5 days now, I'm still learning. But one thing I have noticed is that the car has a harsh ride, esp. over small bumps and pitchy streets. It bugs me.
Three possible causes/cures come to mind:
1. Go to 18" wheels -- this is something I often do, for better ride quality, lower tire noise, and better wheel protection. But the challenge with this car is that there's abt. 1/4" clearance between the front calipers and the factory wheel, so it may be difficult or impossible to find an 18" wheel that will clear the unmodified calipers. Still, I'm going to look.
2. Shocks -- as far as I can tell, the shocks aren't adjustable. Without removing a shock and having it dyno'd, I don't know if they are causing a significant part of the ride harshness. I'll put the car on my lift next week to confirm this, but new shocks, even good, adjustable ones aren't too expensive.
3. Springs -- I assume they are coilovers in front. I can't tell about the rears until I get it on the lift. Fitting lower rate springs with a bit more preload to maintain ride height shouldn't be expensive.
BTW, I have a full machine shop with lift, so I can make changes pretty well.
So, does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this? Please don't tell me to just get used to it. Thanx, guys!
Three possible causes/cures come to mind:
1. Go to 18" wheels -- this is something I often do, for better ride quality, lower tire noise, and better wheel protection. But the challenge with this car is that there's abt. 1/4" clearance between the front calipers and the factory wheel, so it may be difficult or impossible to find an 18" wheel that will clear the unmodified calipers. Still, I'm going to look.
2. Shocks -- as far as I can tell, the shocks aren't adjustable. Without removing a shock and having it dyno'd, I don't know if they are causing a significant part of the ride harshness. I'll put the car on my lift next week to confirm this, but new shocks, even good, adjustable ones aren't too expensive.
3. Springs -- I assume they are coilovers in front. I can't tell about the rears until I get it on the lift. Fitting lower rate springs with a bit more preload to maintain ride height shouldn't be expensive.
BTW, I have a full machine shop with lift, so I can make changes pretty well.
So, does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this? Please don't tell me to just get used to it. Thanx, guys!
Real life example : when the Lexus ISF first came out, the main criticism was that the suspension was too harsh. Over the years, Lexus improved on the ISF by SOFTENING the suspension. And ironically, the newer ISFs with softer suspensions put in BETTER track times--and this is documented objectively in some online car publications.
Last edited by natnut; 02-06-15 at 07:05 PM.
#15
1. Go to 18" wheels -- this is something I often do, for better ride quality, lower tire noise, and better wheel protection. But the challenge with this car is that there's abt. 1/4" clearance between the front calipers and the factory wheel, so it may be difficult or impossible to find an 18" wheel that will clear the unmodified calipers. Still, I'm going to look.
I feel bad that you don't like the RC-F, but based on your post, I'm really not sure it's the right car for you. The reason to buy a car like this is because it rides harsh and corners well; if the positives don't outweigh the negatives, I'd think the best course would be to find something that does. Spending money and time installing aftermarket springs just to make the car do what it's not supposed to do seems like, well, you know what they say about lipstick and pigs and all that.
What other performance cars have you driven, anyway? That might help us get better insight into your situation...
I think you should do it especially if you don't track the car. Softer springs/shocks do not equal to worse handling. In fact, by allowing the tyres to be in contact with the road surface for a longer period of time instead of bumping uselessly over road surfaces, it may well improve grip and handling.
Real life example : when the Lexus ISF first came out, the main criticism was that the suspension was too harsh. Over the years, Lexus improved on the ISF by SOFTENING the suspension. And ironically, the newer ISFs with softer suspensions put in BETTER track times--and this is documented objectively in some online car publications.
Real life example : when the Lexus ISF first came out, the main criticism was that the suspension was too harsh. Over the years, Lexus improved on the ISF by SOFTENING the suspension. And ironically, the newer ISFs with softer suspensions put in BETTER track times--and this is documented objectively in some online car publications.
The reason your statement is incorrect is that the 2013 suspension revision, while again lowering front spring rate, actually significantly increased rear spring rate. So on aggregate, from 2008 to 2013, the spring rate in front was lowered while the spring rate in rear was increased.
Last edited by gengar; 02-07-15 at 08:15 PM.