abirvalg

drove a 2012 tl loaner for a day
wondered were all the bumps had gone from the road ...
got my 05' back, and there they were!

i swear, if my butt had teeth it'd need dentures in less then a mile

i'm all stock as far as suspension goes

anything to do to smooth things out a bit?
besides riding on flat tires ...
and short of chainsawing a hideous gen4 off the frame to put 05' on it

ebelp

The 4G TL is a lot more refined than the 3G. Everything about the suspensions are different. Depending on how many miles are on your 05, you may want to consider replacing the shocks with some OEM-equivalent units. You could also try running a fatter tire to absorb more of the bumps in the road. Instead of a 235/45/17, you could probably run a 235/55/17.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

As stated above, my thought is that the 4G TL is more in the old style Buick class rather than the sporty class, but if you want a floaty ride, put on some soft touring tires, change the shocks out to aftermarket units, and you'll be happy.

abirvalg

135k miles

what would you guys recommend for the shocks that are touring rather than track?
any springs to go with it?

another thing is, i have a LOT of sound deadening in her (every piece of sheet metal i covered), so she's probably a few pounds overweight

BTW 4g didn't seem floaty to me, the steering feel was detatched but the suspension felt stiff, just more forgiving of small bumps

4drviper

get 07-08 base suspension. it's smooth alright

now that i have a spec + type S, i know what you mean by feeling the bumps

Jackass

What tires are you running? I don't think my '05 is harsh at all over small bumps, but what each of us compares it to will be different. My comparison is to my wife's Equinox as well as my previous two cars which were a tC and a Z-24 .

abirvalg

DWS
plus i'm a high pressure follower so they are around 48psi
i know, i know ... put the wood wheels on and then complain that a hemorrhoid cushion is't enough to soften the ride

the differnce that 4g has is beyond measures like tire pressure and thick seat covers

and you're right it's as much a personal thing as anything else
my other car is 09' Ody - smoooooth as butter, but that's not what i'm after
i want it tight, but forgiving, kinda like them BMW folks are enjoying
a man can dream ...

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Sorry, but would anyone carry that tire pressure as 48 psi is rediculous, and I'd even say beyound what is considered safe as I believe the DWS has a 51 psi max, so when hot, the tire pressures will surpass that max. Put 48 psi in the 4G and take it for a ride.

abirvalg

oh it's safe alright
after all 51 is not the burst pressure it's merely the maximum RECOMMENDED inflation

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11652

i'll try and pump up 4g next time i have one

terdonal

48 lbs, your kidding right?

abirvalg

48 lbs!!!??? that'd be one heavy tire

and no i'm not kidding about the psi, a few psi + or - has very little influence on the ride quality
try it if you don't believe me
i can honestly say i've tried it each and every way, the suspension remained the same

matter of fact i looked at some MPG loonies forum, some of them fellas are running 60 daily with no issues

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

It's not specifically a burst concern, but other safety concerns as well.
Don't know how one can misinterpret maximum recommended inflation, but I thought maybe it meant that is the maximum inflation that the tire manufacturer recommends albeit cold, guess not, and that Forum is filled with noting but ridiculous personal opinions, so I’ll add documentation from a tire manufacturer:

Over inflation:
Higher inflated tires cannot isolate road irregularities well and this leads to a harsher ride.
Tires can also be damaged more easily, lowering safety levels.
Safety - More susceptible to damage from external factors (potholes, debris)
Economy - Speeds up wear, in particular wear of central tread part


Been around a long time and first I’ve ever heard someone state that air pressure has no affect on ride quality (see above). Actually I can tell when air pressure is just slightly elevated, let alone 16 psi higher.

To each their own.

abirvalg

i'm deeply sorry if my tires don't let you sleep at night

but all i need is an advice on a good set of shocks-springs or coilovers that don't lower and provide stock or possibly softer ride

as for the tires, i ran by the door sticker ... for 8 years as a matter of fact, the feel was the same - Civic

thank you

Jackass

Just entertain us and lower your PSI back down to the door sticker and let us know how the ride quality is.....or at least lie and tell us you did.

But....if you must go down the path you are wanting....I "think" the 07-08 springs and shocks are supposed to be softer than the 05 is. I have read multiple threads over the years referring to the subtle differences through the various years and models, but personally do not actually know.

Just remember that small impact harshness will probably be managed more by the tires and the suspension bushings than the shocks and springs.

abirvalg

[QUOTE=Jackass;14445776]Just entertain us and lower your PSI back down to the door sticker and let us know how the ride quality is.....or at least lie and tell us you did.
QUOTE]

only if we all agree to let go of my tires after i do it!
and i'm not a liar, sir!

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

what was the tire pressure in the 4g?

MacKenzie001

That's crazy, I was at almost 40psi and dropped to around 35 and it was a huge difference. 48??? Jesus just get rid of the tires and run right on the rim.

abirvalg

ok, so I don't read newspapers (to show today's date) and I didn't have time to take any proof shots

but I did level PSI to 33 on all 4 wheels before driving 25 miles to work this morning, just to be fair to people who are trying to help
if anyone thinks 33 is still too high, please let me know, I'll try 31.5

I tired very hard to feel the difference…
after all it's in my best interest to find a solution, and if it comes at no expense, I'd gladly say I was wrong

the only thing that felt different was the grain of the road, it had less of a rough sandpaper feel
as for the joints and cracks that send jolts though the frame and make my dash rattle, they were still there
by comparison 4g on the make 25 mile drive made me think they'd re-paved the road almost seamlessly

it would appear, when it comes to ride quality, the tires only matter for small imperfections, like the material of which a road is made
unfortunately that's not what my gripe is with

I’d like the jolts softened

so, as per my OP the flat tires is not the solution
also, please don’t suggest thicker seat covers … I already have sheepskins

I know I probably want too much, because a lot of it is in the design as much as in individual components
I just hope that someone with a wide aftermarket suspension experience would chime in and tell me if individual components can make a noticeable difference
or I should abandon all hope and accept things the way they are

abirvalg

32-35 according to the dash read-out
didn't check to see if it was true

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

like most said; the suspension design on the 3G is a lot more harsh than of the 4G.
Wanna take a ride in my stiffened TL?

as we cant take a ride with you over the internet; its hard to diagnose what the problem could be.
if your ultimate goal is find a nice easy ride; try the suggestions out! swap suspension units over to the 07-08 base!
its supposed to have the softest ride.
you'll kill two birds with one stone; by replacing your old used setup with a brand new "softer" set up.
then go from there

abirvalg

well, that's productive!
if it was that easy to get "sporty" suspension, won't everyone just be riding on rims, rather than spending hundreds of dollars on after-market components?

DWS have very soft side walls
even at 48 they depress a lot against the pavement
more so than Avids did at sticker pressure
higher PSI (which is WELL WITHING MANUFACTURER'S SPECS) makes them a bit more controlled while cornering

05TL 0021

Jesus 48PSI!! dam...I am running 35-37PSI and I thought I was pushing the limit.

but as far as your question goes...get some a/f springs if you want the cheapo route or a new coilovers if you want a nice setup...check out either the tein or isc on street comfort.
(a lot of people say the ISC on comfort springs are floaty but it may be to your liking )

abirvalg

Thank you very much for a relevant suggestion!
I’ll look into those brands

FYI
the door sticker was put there by Acura
Acura doesn’t make tires
the sticker is nothing more than a recommendation from Acura
if that sticker had any relevance to dangerous pressure the dealers would have been required by law to place a new sticker every time you switch tire brands
all the limits relevant to a tire are printed on the tire itself
DWS say 51psi, which my 48 (or more like 46 it turned out to be) fits in just fine
and yes 51 is COLD pressure, cause not all the cars are equipped with sensors, so for a lot of people there is no way to monitor pressure while driving

abirvalg

sorry somehow i missed this post among all the OMGs about how my tire pressure will cause a nuclear explosion

but it is a very good point
i think i might bug my dealer to let me drive a used 07-08 from the lot just to get a feel it out, and if it is different i might just go with 07 OEM

bbergero1181

isn't is possible you put extra wear (or even damaged) on your suspension by running such as high PSI? i think if you replaced your shocks you would notice a difference. i traded in an 04 TL with 160k miles (on one set of stock suspension) for an 07 type S and it made me really see how worn my old suspension was.

robocam

Did you ever get a chance to try out an 07-08 TL or its suspension?

abirvalg

nope!
sorry, i've decided to wait till i actually need to replace them rather than just wanting to do so

bought a house instead got other "important" things to waste my money on
the drive to work is much shorter from the new place, so i'll survive the bumps

robocam

What did you drive before that was so smooth?

I've considered getting the 07-08 suspension for my 06 too, but I later realized that there was no base MT in those model years, so I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. My understanding is that the AT is heavier, so if I get AT parts, my MT will ride higher in the front, which is the opposite of what I want.

I've noticed that the rear wheels on our Odyssey take speed bumps like they're nothing. Sometimes I wish the entire car could ride like that, but I guess handling would be severely sacrificed. I long for the day when affordable cars come with magnetic shocks and instantly adjustable springs. I want to be able to roll over bumps without feeling them, but have good handling when it's needed. Maybe the car could scan the road and move the wheels up and down as needed.

Engine241

What is the point of having tire pressure that high?...

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

interesting concept but will most likely not happen on every day cars for another 20 yrs at least

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Can't think of any myself except for stupidity. OP, so go ahead and tell us why you insist on running your tires at incorrect pressures.

Jackass

MPG gains. I have never run mine anywhere near that high, but going up 5-6psi is usually good for 2-3 MPG on both of my cars.