As stated previously, I had new OEM Aero springs, Bilstein HD's, new strut bearings, control arm bushings, and Goodridge stainless steel brake lines installed with a fluid flush.
I've only put about 40 miles on it since I got everything installed (schedule hasn't permitted much more than that). Overall I'm very pleased. The ride is very flat and controlled. It might be a bit rough over broken pavement to some, but I find it to be an acceptable tradeoff.
The whole platform feels substantially better. The OEM Arc suspension felt very worn out at 50k miles, causing the car to feel very old/worn/loose. Before, throwing it into a high speed corner (freeway offramp, say) was unsettling as you weren't sure how the car would react due too much body movement. Additionally, the car would crash into potholes with very little impact damping. Now, it's just firm and flat. Steering response is much improved, as well--not sure if that's the strut bearing replacement I have to thank for that or not.
Overall, I'm very happy I went with the Bilsteins. I've always been pleased by their balance of ride/handling on my former cars, and this is no exception. I don't think I'd want this any stiffer than it is now. I pumped the tires up to 40psi and the ride was too jiggly over small bumps, so I'm down around 37 now which seems like a good compromise.
In my mind, this would have been the ideal setup for the OEM Aero. I really want to drive my dad's '04 Aero wagon back to back on the same roads to see how different the setup really is. Hopefully we'll have that opportunity here soon.
The stainless lines have firmed up the brake pedal response notably. I have another SC member to thank for that--I never would have installed them if a) he hadn't convinced me they make a significant difference, b) he didn't have a spare new in box set lying around. If anyone is looking to do a +1 brake upgrade, I'd say these + the Akebono pads should make you very happy if you're mainly doing normal street driving. I'd swap out for a more aggressive pad (Ferodo) for a track day, though.
Next up, I'm going to swap out the current '03 Aero wheels for a set of the these:
'04 Aero evo wheels. I'm going to refinish them prior to installing them...waiting for a sunny weekend day to tackle that. I think the car will look quite different with them installed. They always appear to be larger than 17" on my dad's car, and I can't wait for the ease of cleaning.
I've only put about 40 miles on it since I got everything installed (schedule hasn't permitted much more than that). Overall I'm very pleased. The ride is very flat and controlled. It might be a bit rough over broken pavement to some, but I find it to be an acceptable tradeoff.
The whole platform feels substantially better. The OEM Arc suspension felt very worn out at 50k miles, causing the car to feel very old/worn/loose. Before, throwing it into a high speed corner (freeway offramp, say) was unsettling as you weren't sure how the car would react due too much body movement. Additionally, the car would crash into potholes with very little impact damping. Now, it's just firm and flat. Steering response is much improved, as well--not sure if that's the strut bearing replacement I have to thank for that or not.
Overall, I'm very happy I went with the Bilsteins. I've always been pleased by their balance of ride/handling on my former cars, and this is no exception. I don't think I'd want this any stiffer than it is now. I pumped the tires up to 40psi and the ride was too jiggly over small bumps, so I'm down around 37 now which seems like a good compromise.
In my mind, this would have been the ideal setup for the OEM Aero. I really want to drive my dad's '04 Aero wagon back to back on the same roads to see how different the setup really is. Hopefully we'll have that opportunity here soon.
The stainless lines have firmed up the brake pedal response notably. I have another SC member to thank for that--I never would have installed them if a) he hadn't convinced me they make a significant difference, b) he didn't have a spare new in box set lying around. If anyone is looking to do a +1 brake upgrade, I'd say these + the Akebono pads should make you very happy if you're mainly doing normal street driving. I'd swap out for a more aggressive pad (Ferodo) for a track day, though.
Next up, I'm going to swap out the current '03 Aero wheels for a set of the these:
'04 Aero evo wheels. I'm going to refinish them prior to installing them...waiting for a sunny weekend day to tackle that. I think the car will look quite different with them installed. They always appear to be larger than 17" on my dad's car, and I can't wait for the ease of cleaning.