hi all,

getting ready to go onto my next mod on the car. i was originally planning on getting powerfc + intake, but i am thinking on going the route of suspension. the reason for this is because my ride on my r1 is way to stiff for me.

i know and have read that the r1s are really supposed to be stiff. but now i don't know if they're really supposed to ride this stiff or if my shocks are 'shot', in other words, i don't know if they're any good anymore. the car only has ~43k miles, and as far as i know has been stock all its life. i had the eight rear suspension bushings replaced because there was alot of clunking, and now its really way to stiff-but on ther other hand is much quieter than before. on flat roads its nice to have it nice and stiff, handles very well. but roads aren't always perfect and i feel every little bump. sometimes imperfections on the road (when accelerating fast) it feels like the rear is hopping. also my cheeks start to jiggle on a long bump road, hahaah.

so i guess what i'm trying to ask is, how do i know if my shocks arent good anymore, and if they are just really supposed to be this stiff?

thanks,
chris

 

Stiff R1 shocks are the sign that they are still healthy. A bad shock will not firm up as it wears. If you longing for a softer ride by going with new regular shocks you may want to sell those R1 shocks... I'm sure you will find plenty of buyers. Not many good R1 shocks left hangin' around.

You may also want to consider finding someone that hasoriginal touring shocks. There are probably more of those sitting on basement shelves (ask me how I know).

Cheers,
David

 

If you are driving on a bumpy section of road and you feel the car losing contact with the ground over the mini bumps; the shocks are worn and need to be replaced.

 

Try driving a Jeep Wrangler YJ(stock)(1987-1994?), thats a stiff ride right there, unless your car is making a bumping sound in the back like mine, I wouldnt replace them =P

 

thanks for the info guys.

rx7rocketship: if you are correct when you say that if my shocks are stiff, then they are still good because that's what they're supposed to do (well the r1s atleast), then dam.. my shocks must be good still.

mahjik: i don't lose traction on 'mini bumps'. when i was giving my description about losing traction, it rarely happens. the two conditions when it does happen is: i am going close to wot (or on wot), and when i say imperfection on the road, i mean that there is a pavement shift because of construction. on 'mini bumps' tho i keep good traction. on highway 4 by where i live, there is a section of the road about 1/8th mile long that is all 'mini bumps'. tho i haven't (and not planning to) gone wot around this part of the highway, i haven't lost traction yet.

im going to get a hold of my mechanic that i go to some time soon and ask him if he remembers anything about how my car drives. he did the suspension bushings in the rear for my car, and if my car did have any other suspension problems, i don't know why he wouldn't have spotted/told me about it.

chris

 

My R1 rode stiffer than any CJ, YJ, or TJ for that matter.

If you've never ridden in an R1, a YJ is a luxury ride in comparison

 

Your shocks are fine, just too stiff for you. Get some touring shocks.

 

R1 shocks were made by Bilstein and are notorious for being harsh, so much so that Mazda softened the ride in the '94+ cars.

 

my car rides on M2/AD coilover with 650/ 500 # springs, I rides better than stock R1 shocks which I removed. It not the spring rates, Stock R1 springs are around 300 # springs. Its all in the Damper, choose wisely.
1R1

 

We found an improvement in ride quality(and handling) after adding H&R sport springs on my sons car.

 

thanks for the info all.

it looks like i will have to go with some aftermarket suspension of some sort. both ways, either if it is stiff or 'shot', it is way to harsh of a ride for me. well actually i dont mind the ride, but i know my passenger is very uncomfortable. will probably get some shocks/springs or a full coilover.

chris

 

Yeah, I even did the 6" coil susp. conversion from ProComp on the '91 YJ I had and it still rode rough as hell.

 

Sorry for being off topic but how much did it cost to get your rear bushings replaced?

 

Most shops would charge you a insane amount to change them out.

We had a press at work, so I took the upper off, and will take the lower off this week, took it in and 15 minutes later had new bushings.

Its very very simple to do and I thought just for the convience factor I would see how much it would run, I was quoted 180 to 265 for just the lower arm bushings.

 

yea bushings can cost you $$$ if you have someone do it. from what i heard, the sophistication is not what makes it cost $$$, but more of the labor. the process is easy, but the muscel it takes to do is what the money is going to. parts is about half, double the amount for the total with labor.

chris

 

Damn, buy the intake and the powerFC, this is a high performance car, not your grandmother's Cadillac.

The 1987 3/4 ton dodge (with overload springs) I haul stuff around in feels like it's going to shake your fillings out without a load in the back-that's a rough ride.

 

US spec '93 R1/'94-'95 R2 shocks were made by Showa, not Bilstein. The later sport versions of the Japan spec FDs used Bilsteins ('99 Type RS, '02 Spirit R, etc.).

Check the rubber pieces in your suspension; the rubber sheets between your coil spring and lower spring perch, and the rubber upper mounts.

With only 43K on the car, these should be fine, but worth checking when your mech looks at the car.

 

I actually got the info from *several* threads when searching in the archives. Somebody don't know their ****. I stand corrected.

 

No worries. Cheers

 

If the car feels floaty that is a sign that the shocks are toast...noise is also a culprit. You would be able to feel it though...on small-medium bumps, if the car bounces a few times until it settles (floaty feeling) they should be replaced. Push down on the front/back of the car...if it bounces a couple of times instead of settling right away they are bad.