My background - I've got 2005 RL, a 1990 Mazda RX-7, and a 2005 Scion XB.

These three cars each have a different suspension feel.

The XB is generally pretty smooth with little bounce or rebound. It handles tightly, however on the freeway it is a bit rough/bumpy (especially in the backseat). I think the XB weighs 2500 lbs.

The RX-7, which i have installed aftermarket struts and springs on, is absolutely perfect. The OEM setup had a tiny bit of body roll, but the new setup is flat until adhesion break. Amazingly, it is smooth and responsive, never rough/bumpy and completely comfortable at any speed. This car weighs about 3000 lb (it's a convertible).

The RL seems to suffer from several separate issues. At low speed, it is too communicative, with exaggerated vertical reaction to relatively small bumps. At high speed, the vertical reaction is still exaggerated, with the addition of poor rebound control. There is some body lean in corners, though I don't find this too disturbing for some reason. I don't find the softer ride objectionable, but I'd love to cure the vertical displacement perception. Is this vertical displacement 'jounce'? I believe the RL weighs 4000 lbs.

My RL is a 2005 with Michelin HXMX4, which I assume are the stock tires, they have plenty of tread left on my 35000 mile car. The suspension is OEM.

Options available to me are:
ASPEC Struts and Springs - $500 or so
ASPEC Struts and HR Springs - $750 or so
Some sort of Adjustible Coilover - $2000+

Are there other things I can address - will a new tire reduce this vertical movement? Will the a-spec control it better?

Are there options I haven't discovered yet that can help here?

I run the tires at 32 psi. I don't care if the solution lowers the car or not, I am probably not ever going to make rim changes.

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas!

 

IMO, A-Spec is your most economical first choice. You can add the H&R springs later.

Where can you get it for $500?

 

^I'll second that. The issue lies with the OEM struts. I was running H&R springs on OEM struts for a couple years and still experienced what I considered to be excessive rebound. After adding the A-spec struts, the ride is much more controlled.
Start with the full A-spec suspension, and while you're at it, add the 2009 rear sway bar for an extra $100 and you will not be disappointed!

 

Findlay Acura in Henderson, NV was selling them on Ebay for $500 including shipping. When I ordered my set they still had about 5 left, but that was back in August. Might be worth giving them a call if the auction has expired.

 

Another vote for the A-Spec set-up. Huge difference maker over stock. Greatly reduces float and provides much flatter cornering.

 

i have the a-spec on h+r's, the ride is nice but if you can swing the extra money for coilovers i would definitely go with coils

 

The A-Spec kit gives the car a lot more poise, with only a slight loss to "plush". Combined with the super-racing-'09 turbo rear sway bar, it makes for a nicely tuned suspension, even still on the oem rubber.

 

Tein coilovers allow for in car damping adjustments (10 or 12 settings if I recall) if you get the $300 or so kit on top of the coilovers (otherwise you can do it on the struts). Ride height is adjustable too (always done manually at the coil), but that doesn't seem to be an concern for you.

Never tried them, but saving up for a-spec based on numerous recommendations (and low cost).

 

Thanks for the many excellent responses. Lots of votes for the a-spec and that is the most cost effective solution. Not often that happens.

After making the post I spent another hour on the road between client locations, and was hyper sensitive to the ride. It's comfortable, but just far too active, if that makes any sense. The car is quiet, poised, and balanced, which just points more attention to the suspension bouncing at the slightest road irregularity.

Has anyone tried the a-spec struts with OEM springs? If the struts are the reason for the hypersensitivity I wonder what the stiffer struts plus softer (I assume) springs would result in. Then again, based on some pictures posted here, the springs may actually be identical on the a-spec. There is so pressure little known about the specs of the kits.

 

Grinchy, I agree. My car is an '06 with OEM everything and soft-riding tires on 17" wheels, and I think it's too busy over the small stuff. But what worries me is what's happening over the BIG stuff: namely, sudden stops from highway speed. This evening, some doofus in a Lexus RX suddenly slammed on their brakes and came to a complete stop in 60 mph traffic in the middle of the Interstate. Naturally, I was immediately behind them. For the second time in my rather short period of ownership, I had the sensation that the whole car was rearing up as if nothing in the suspension was controlling body motion to keep it in the same position relative to its tires. The body's porpoising started to actually make the car stop sideways. In a car with performance pretensions, it was genuinely scary, and nothing like the secure stops I enjoyed in my old '92 Maxima (also with 4-wheel discs and ABS).

I've tried hands-off stops in non-panic situations just to see if the brakes are pulling to one side. In that unscientific test, they don't.

This seems to my amateur brain like a spring rather than shock problem. Are the factory coils progressive-rate springs? If not, are any available for the RL?

 

I have an 06, but with PAX.

Granted this was two years ago, so there is the age and wear issue, but I took the car to a BMW Club Highway Safety school at Summit Point Raceway. During one session, among several exercises, we did a full acceleration (left it in D3) up a hill, over the hill, down a straight to about 70 mph, then full panic stop to first activate ABS, and then as we understood where the ABS point was, too see if we could do any better with max braking but not invoking ABS...threshold braking I think they called it. On a dry track, the braking was very controlled, and I do not recall the any of the rearing up and slewing sideways feeling you describe above. We probably did this about 10 times, though not consecutively. Went through several other braking and turning maneuvers before going back to the straight.

I did have the slewing sideways on the wet skidpad... The VSA was working overtime as the tail swung out on the skidpad. I have no idea if the SH-AWD played any role or not...probably my inexperience having never been on a skid pad before.

Tires were pumped up to over 35 before I started the session since we were going to be doing a lot of emergency maneuvers. I liked that setting and currently try to maintain a 36F/34R pressure cold, which quickly goes up to 38/36 after highway driving, and I find it perfectly acceptable. Weather is getting warmer now, so I will put the 19's back on soon.

 

just did the a spec susp. i love it i want to know i got the 09 sway bar for my 05 the question is which sway bar links do i need