thenewblack

Well I've searched and read just about every comment about the a-spec suspension that I could find, and I still don't know what I think.

I think my shocks are wearing out. I've had the car about 6 months (100k miles) and it just feels kind of soggy and crashes on potholes more than it should. I want to tighten things up a bit, but hopefully not change the car's relaxed comfortable behavior. Are the a-spec shocks/springs significantly different, or just a little sportier? Does it ride like a OEM car, or like a car with lowering springs?

As background I have lowered two cars in the past, and while I like the control, I didn't like the bouncy ride I got out of it. I do however love my friend's BMW (335 w/sport package) which is very stiff but very controlled.

So if someone could give me some detailed info here I would be ever grateful.

oo7spy

I don't have the kit, but have heard numerous testimonies over the years. It rides like OEM. The drop is only an inch, and the kit was a factory option, so some people never knew anything else in their RL.

The ride is stiff when compared to stock. You will feel the imperfections in the road. I think a big issue people have is that the RL is very plush stock, and when you change over to something that much stiffer, it takes some getting used to. However,
I doubt it is as stiff as your friends BMW. People who have it love the handling aspect, very planted, very stable.

I personally will buy the OEM struts when the time comes and put on H&R springs. I want low more than stiff, but there is improved cornering to gain.

If you need a more personal experience, 02SilverSiHB just went from stock to Aspec to Aspec + H&R. Send him a PM.

Ballinger

It's not stiff like cut coils. It feels like a TL or Maxima. Less wallow, less bounding, barely lower.

rkiazim

The ride is not overly stiff. You still maintain the plush ride and the benefit of tighter cornering when you feel like pushing it. I will inform you that the Aspec strut for the drivers side front has been discontinued. All other three are available...I'm currently dealing with this issue and not sure what to do as far as replacement. The only avail kit is on eBay and it is for entire strut/ spring package. Keep this in mind when making your decision. Hope this helps....

ichi d

@550 for the whole set. i think thats still a steal.

white05rl

It's going to be much firmer. If you're REALLY wanting to stay with, "relaxed comfortable behavior" it might be more than you would like. With the exception of the rear aspec shocks, I upgraded mine about 3-4 months ago. This might sound silly, but those rear shocks just made things a little bit to "firm" for me at the time. The car seemed perfect, not too firm, not too soft.

Well last week I went ahead and installed the aspec rear shocks again. Yes, it's just like I remembered, but some how I'm getting used to it. My wife mentioned my car "seems bumpy" over some bad sections of road - and NO she didn't know I made any changes prior to saying that.

So if you can live with "seems bumpy" over some sections of road, go for it. As someone else mentioned, the whole kit can be had for $550. That's less than you'd probably pay for four standard replacement shocks anyway.

LOL, so there you have it (clear as mud, right!

white05rl

One last note, if you're still apprehensive about upgrading you could also request that the old parts be returned to you. This way you'll have your standard springs/struts/shocks to go back to. You could probably resell the aspec kit to someone on the forum. I bet rkiazim would give you $200 for the strut assembley he needs.

For the record, if I had to do it again I certainly would - just a lot sooner in the ownership of my car. The car is certainly much more connected to the road.

BTW, I still using the stock 17" wheels. Depending on your wheel/tire combination your results could be slightly different.

thenewblack

Thanks for all your comments everyone. I'll probably get the a-spec package soon, and let you know what I think.

If anyone has anything negative to say about the a-spec suspension, now would be a great time to tell me

ichi d

I love mines. thats all i have to say.

Bigislander

Hi,
I'm new here and I recently purchased an O5 RL with 13k original miles on it. I have installed the A Spec suspension package and just added the A Spec wheels with Michelin Super Sport tires last night.

Here is my impression so far. The original ride was comfortable and plush, but the car seemed to lean too much in the turns. I was used to the feel of a 2003 BMW 330ci coupe, so I knew I needed to make some changes in the RL. The A Spec package (w/stock tires & rim) really tighened things up...a lot less body roll, subtle drop, compliant ride but not jarring at all. I debated between the A/S sports and the Super Sports, but with a price difference of only $140 I opted for the Super Sports. I wanted to see what the best tires would feel like. Wow...what a combo...these tires are butter smooth, quiet, and very reassuring. I can't wait to put more miles on them to see how they feel in the turns. I now feel like I'm driving a luxury sports sedan.

ichi d

wow only 13k on a 05 thats pretty much brand new. post some pics up.

Jamesgt727

I put the A-spec suspension kit on my car and the ride was way too stiff, especially when the tires started to wear a bit. I have 30 series tires on 20's so that might be part of the ride quality issue, but to counter the harshness of the ride, I was putting brand new Michelin tires on about every 8,000 miles and finally got sick of the suspension. I had my dealer keep the a-spec lowering springs and we removed the a-spec dampeners in favor of the stock dampeners. This kept my lower stance and got the ride quality back to solid and much softer. I'm an older guy, so back problems ensued with the a-spec suspension set-up until I changed out the dampeners. Let's face it, I drive one-way, 45 minutes a day, mostly on a concrete interstate at 65+ mph. Its my daily driver and comfort was more important to me. Plus, when the car had four adults in it, the suspension bottoms out on every bump. Not too cool when you are on a business lunch.

Ballinger

Nice! Let me suggest you add one more leeetle thing: the '09 and forward rear sway bar. It's a bolt-on, requiring only new bushings and the bar, and you will notice the difference both in big sweepers and tighter turns (but, of course, not at all while rolling straight). I've got a thread somewhere on here with the part numbers and prices, btw...

Now the anecdotal evidence: in July, I was northbound on the I-5 about a hundred feet behind a pickup at my normal 80mph cruising speed. A 12' long surfboard in his bed popped free of its lashings and came out, landing in a tumble straight ahead of me with little room. I did have space to my right and I swerved hard to avoid a large piece of the board in the left side of the lane, and then back to the left to avoid another, under power after the initial brake stab. I expected to slide and correct, but no dice: the RL stayed planted and railed it. Sticky tires, that rear sway and a great design... The investments paid back.

Bigislander

Hi Ballinger, Thanks for the suggestion of putting on the 09 sway bars. I will look into the part numbers and costs.
For anybody else who reads this. I just used the 'Nanoskin' on my car instead of clay, and it worked great. It took about an hour to do the whole car. It's as smooth as butter. I highly recommend the product. I will try to post some pics of the car this weekend.

rkiazim

Jamesgt727.. My dealer told me the Aspec springs were not compatible with stock dampeners... Apparently this is not the case. Please confirm? Thanks.

Chad05TL

I have the aspec springs and shocks, automatic for automatic.. and they are not harsh at all. In fact, they have a lot of up and down movement when going over speed bumps. I also have the factory sway bars, so sway is an issue, but the ride is not harsh at all. Smooth as glass. Almost irratating at highway speeds because I can barely feel the road. It feels like all air.. to the point of no control. I'd love to "feel the road" with a bit stiffer setup.. but its a TL.. What can I say.. sedan. not a 4th gen camaro with bilstiens and eibachs. (that was my last car)

I may even take this aspec off my car and get something stiffer.. and sell this aspec

by the way, Even a really harsh spring can feel smooth on the highway when bumps are nill. So, the 45 miles you drive a day at highway speeds of 65... I dont understand how that can be harsh even with rock hard springs. Now if you were driving on the side roads and you hit bumps and stuff, that would be more noticable.. but I think your story doesnt make sense. If you could not stand the ride at 65 mph, then you must have mistakenly had some other really low riding springs on the car that were really really stiff..

by the way, "on a concrete highway".. what does that mean? all highways are concrete. haha

Chad05TL

No the aspec springs are factory. It's mild, but firmer than base springs. They also have less drop than other aftermarket springs. I got a whoping 1/2".. maybe 3/4" if I fudged a little. But actually I have not measured since shortly after I installed them so they might have dropped slightly more.. but I doubt I even got an inch out of it.

If you car is bouncing from a drop, then 2 things. Springs are so short and shocks are too light weight.

The shorter the spring travel, the more shock absorbtion you need. These factory aspec springs are not even close to that.. They are just a little sportier as you say. And yes it rides like an OEM. It actually is OEM. Liek the difference between a camaro and a Z28. Except not as extreme.

Chad05TL

ooops! this is for a 3rd gen TL.. Not 2nd gen.. I googled my search and came up with another thread and I guess I stayed in the 2nd gen directory. I hate acurazine's search tool so I normally search google with a keyword of acurazine plus something else..

anywho...

after looking, I dont really know if this subject is about 2nd or 3rd gen. I see a few 3rd gen cars here. so maybe I didnt screw up...?

projektvertx

iTrader: (2)

Where do you live, Germany? I see asphalt top layer highways all over the place here.

23109VC

i test drove an RL with the full aspec suspension setup. I felt it was excessively harsh. It also fails to lower the car far enough to really visually make it look "lowered"... at least to me.

the H&R springs, on stock shocks, gives you a much lower look.. not ricey slammed, but you look lowered... it looks good, and to me, a lot better than the stance of Aspec.

the ride iwth H&R springs is VERY close to stock. there is a SMALL change in firmness and a slight change in body roll..but honestly, it feels very much like stock.

if you don't want to lose the luxury feeling, go H&R. if you want the handling to be closer to your friends 335i go with aspec. the aspec setup is a lot firmer and will handle better than H&R in my opinion.

downside to aspec is that visually, I don't think it looks nearly as good as the drop from H&R.

a TEIN coilover setup woudl give you the best of all worlds.. make it as low as you want and you can vary the firmness.but it's $$.

one setup that i have heard very few peple talk about, as few have done it - is to buy both the H&R springs, and the aspec suspenions.. then run the H&R springs on the aspec struts. that might be a nice compromise...

in the end..whatever you buy you will get used to... which is why the guys with aspec say it's fine.. they are used to it... but i have gone back to back with my car when it was stock with an aspec car and I can 100% tell you id does NOT ride like stock... it's firm. but odds are, you would get used to it and it wouldn't bother you...

visually... the H&R drop looks better. period.

here is my car on H&R springs with 18" aspec wheels.

oo7spy

No, you screwed up. You are in 2G RL talking about 3G TLs. There are no 3G cars here... yet.

He should know better living in Texas. Asphalt is more commonly used on highways in extreme climate locations because of it's ability to expand and contract. The deep freezes of MN and the blistering heat of TX cause very signification expansion and contraction to road ways. Concrete cannot handle this due to its rigidity. It will almost always crack under such conditions. I can't think of a highway in TX that is concrete.

But then again, Dallas doesn't count as part of TX in the eyes of many.

white05rl

This is spot-on.

Jamesgt727

absolutely! Mine is done that way, I stood by the tech while he did it, and have the remaining parts in a box.

Ballinger

I think the cool spray of sparks from the rocker panel hitting the pavement in hard corners with the H&R spring kit installed is the coolest looking part. At first, I thought 23109VC had installed flints in there or something...

thephantom

So you're saying if you want very little drop in height but want better handling, then go with FULL ASPEC?

gman44116

iTrader: (1)

That is exactly what he is saying..

02SilverSiHB

I had the A-spec struts/springs. It was very stiff, especially compared to the H&R. I swapped in my H&R and like the ride more...not as "jarring" of a ride.

thenewblack

I'm a big fan of a "tuned" "oem" style suspension. Frankly after reading all these comments I'm still pretty tossed up. I'm now thinking about sticking with stock, just because the risk is less.

ichi d

if your a big fan of "tuned" oem suspension then aspec is for you. i bet once u get them u will love them and never look back.

HEAVY_RL

iTrader: (1)

I dont have the answer for this, but I have to believe that the Aspec spring combined with an after market strut would be the key.

There has to be better technology in struts now over what Acura has been using.