[AeroEng]

I recently bought a MY04 9-3 Aero and love it.

My only real complaint is the hard ride. It feels every bump in the road which, round my local area, is not good. Is it the low profile tires or hard suspension (or both) that are the culpret?

Does anyone have any tips? Is it advisable to lower the tire pressures perhaps?

Appreciate any advice.

 

[Gs04aero]

You're in an Aero. Pretty sure its a rough ride for everyone. If its terrible something could be a problem but I'm sure it's just the stock ride. My roads are terrible here and I have to find alternate routes places sometimes because the ride just sucks on some roads and I'm not driving 5mph so it won't hurt my back ha.

 

[aerojon]

Aero has sports suspension which is stiffish,mines the same it goes round corners like it's on rails...instead of handling like a boat..

 

[Cosmicflash]

Aero has sports suspension which is stiffish,mines the same it goes round corners like it's on rails...instead of handling like a boat..

It's supposed to be somewhat stiff.

You can replace the tires with a touring vs. high performance tire which would soften the ride.

 

[Safi]

How many mm is the Aero suspension lower then the normal stuff?

 

[04_maine aero]

You're in an Aero. Pretty sure its a rough ride for everyone. If its terrible something could be a problem but I'm sure it's just the stock ride. My roads are terrible here and I have to find alternate routes places sometimes because the ride just sucks on some roadsQUOTE]

I agree, theres a few roads around where I am that make me take the long way home because they are horrible

It's an Aero, your going to have a bumpy stiff sometimes uncomfortable ride, if you wanted comfort should've bought a caddie :lol:

 

[aerojon]

How many mm is the Aero suspension lower then the normal stuff?

10mm..

 

[Safi]

10mm..

Thanks

 

[AeroEng]

Thanks for the feedback. I suspected it might be a stock issue with the Aero as I previously had a Linear which was definately less 'solid'. I currently have Fuzion HRi tires - not sure if they are helping.

As suggested earlier, looks like I will have to pick my routing based on road smoothness and not necessarily the most direct. Highway driving is definitely much smoother and is a pleasure.

Cheers!

 

[Rgz]

yup, i hate the streets in the GTA. Horrible as hell. Unfortunately, i don't have the option to take alternate routes, unless i wake up earlier for work..... :roll:. I really need to rattle proof my car, after 6 months of owning it, the rattles have increased exponentially. Damn door buzzing and dash. But other than that, i love how she drives.

 

[AE86]

sports..stiff.. etc suspension doesn't have to be hard/harsh ride.

 

[AeroEng]

sports..stiff.. etc suspension doesn't have to be hard/harsh ride.

Not sure what you mean there AE86? Is it possible to adjust the suspension on an Aero to make it less hard/harsh?

 

[Cosmicflash]

Not sure what you mean there AE86? Is it possible to adjust the suspension on an Aero to make it less hard/harsh?

No there isn't. Not sure what he's blabbering about...

 

[MooF]

I have a Linear but w/ Sport Suspension (10mm lower) and 17" rims, and its a rough ride to say the least. I would have preferred the suspension on a nonSport-suspension/non-Aero. It also helps reduce the volume of the creaks and knocks.

Out of curiosity, does anyone ever say "the roads around here are great, smooth as silk, and you could ride a kitchen table over them with ease" It's fairly obvious to say "the roads around here are terrible" since I believe that stands true for anyone in an urban area in North America, especially those who get hit with cold/snow. Having said that, I don't think anyone notices how bad the roads are until they drive a 9-3 w/ sport suspension. I generally tend to keep away from driving tight to the curb, which is where most of the cracks/dips/pot holes occur.

 

[Vector-SS]

sports..stiff.. etc suspension doesn't have to be hard/harsh ride.

I think what he's trying to say is that a sports suspension can be firm/stiff, but doesn't necessarily have to be harsh/crashy

 

[JZeke]

I think what he's trying to say is that a sports suspension can be firm/stiff, but doesn't necessarily have to be harsh/crashy

Drive a Lotus or Boxster to get an idea of how a good setup can feel. BMW does it really well in the sedan world, with an excellent balance of supple ride with good control (at least in some models, the 1 series is choppy.)

 

[MooF]

Agreed, I think several manufacturers can do it better than SAAB. I don't know if there's a sport suspension on the 9-3SS that isn't hard/crashy. I feel like I'm driving a Bumper-Car with no suspension most of the time. I stopped having to tell my wife 'its the way the car is..' about two years in..

 

[AE86]

++ on ^ posts...

I think what he's trying to say is that a sports suspension can be firm/stiff, but doesn't necessarily have to be harsh/crashy

Yes, thank you for clearly understanding.

No there isn't. Not sure what he's blabbering about...

I'm not blabbering. I happened to have some experience with suspension.
I've done 12k/12k +- and they ride 10x, better and comfortable than my linear.
my linear's suspension aren't old or worn out.

Agreed, I think several manufacturers can do it better than SAAB.

 

[loochy]

Out of curiosity, does anyone ever say "the roads around here are great, smooth as silk, and you could ride a kitchen table over them with ease" It's fairly obvious to say "the roads around here are terrible" since I believe that stands true for anyone in an urban area in North America, especially those who get hit with cold/snow. Having said that, I don't think anyone notices how bad the roads are until they drive a 9-3 w/ sport suspension. I generally tend to keep away from driving tight to the curb, which is where most of the cracks/dips/pot holes occur.

The roads here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are pretty good...especially the expressways are smooth like butter.

 

[Vector-SS]

This is what I don't get - if you change the shocks/springs to after market shouldn't that minimize/get rid off the ride harshness?

What other suspension components (other than springs and shocks/struts) factor to this crashy ride?