Ride quality of '97 I30

[arrogantyeti101]

I've had a 1997 I30 for about a year now. Bought it with 51k, now up to 73k miles. I would describe the ride as very, very firm, which isn't something I was expecting or desiring. Along with this was a very 'floaty' feel, which has been fixed by replacing the struts (something I was hoping would take care of the rough ride, but it had zero effect on the roughness). So I guess my question is; how would other characterize the ride quality of their cars? As a point of reference, a friend has one of the new Civic SI Hondas, and I'd say mine is roughly equivalent in firmness to his, which doesn't make sense.

I don't believe it is supposed to or was designed to be this way, so there must be something wrong. What are the possibilities? Is it possible the tires could be the culprit?? I have on Bridgestone Potenza RE960 tires, which I recognize is billed as a 'performance' tire. Do they have that much of an effect? Or is it more likely that something else is simply old and needs to be replaced? Forgive my ignorance on the subject, I have no idea how suspensions work or what is involved.

This 'issue' alone has me dreaming about other cars. Most recently, I test drove an '89 BMW 525i and the ride was *so* much better I couldn't believe it. I could go down the road without having to maneuver around little filled in potholes, and the suspension soaked them right up.

Any ideas?

[jltibbs]

Welcome to NICO.

There are a few things that play a part in the ride comfort. Struts (which from your post I gather they have been replaced), springs, and the tires. I would look to replacing your coils and tires. Start with the tires. Even though the tires you have are 'performance' rated, that doesn't mean they ride rough because of that . What size are they? Do you have stock wheels? I recommend that if you have anything 40 series and under (225/40/18), to increase that. Go to a 50, 55, or 60. Now this does depend on on the second question of whether or not you have stock wheels. If not, then going with a taller tire may not work depending on how much room you have. From the sound of it, you should not have an issue here. The only way you would not have plenty of room is if the car is lowered. If it was lowered before you got it, that could be another reason why the ride is rough. Look at new tires and new stock springs.

[arrogantyeti101]

Thanks for the information. As far as I can tell, everything on the car is stock. The wheels are 205/65-15. Do springs go bad over time like shocks do? Or is it more of a "They're good until they break" kind of thing?

I'm tempted to try out some new tires, but the idea of plunking down a couple hundred on something that mar or may not result in an increase in what I think of as good riding scares me.

Thanks for the welcome

[themainman2029]

The springs on your car should be fine like you said 'until they break'. Unless the previous owner replaced the springs with a lowering/sport set there's not a whole lot you can do. The tires should make a fairly large difference, especially if you buy some that are designed specifically for ride comfort. I had a '97 I30 and put Goodyear Assurance ComforTrac tires on it and was pleasantly surprised with the upgrade in ride comfort.

[loystock]

With new struts, the problem can be narrowed down to coils and tires. Check your tire pressure (29 psi?). A slight overpressure is acceptable but over-inflated tires may result in a harsh ride. Recommended values should be on a sticker inside the center console. If your tire pressure is at normal, level, then have your coils inspected. If your coils are Ok, then you may have to replace the tires to get the 'feel' that you want.