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G37S RWD Sedan: Swift Springs, KYB Shocks, Z1 20mm Spacers Review
Hello all, figured I'd do a review of my new setup now that I've put some miles on it. Overall, I'm very happy. It's exactly what I wanted and fits nicely with the OEM+ build I'm going for.
Ride
I'm a bit surprised at how well it rides. I'd say it's 10-15% stiffer than the OEM setup, but not at all jarring. I've not rubbed nor bottomed out yet, and I've tested this with some pretty big bumps at decent speeds. I've also yet to scrape anywhere, but I don't encounter a whole lot of dips in my daily driving. You will feel more bumps and imperfections, but in some instances the new setup handles bumps better. There's a bit of a trade-off there and in summary, I'd say the ride quality has only marginally decreased.
I daily drive the G and have been on the fence with suspension mods due to worries about ride comfort, especially since the RWD sport sedans have a rough ride to begin with IMO. I really don't even notice the difference in ride, unless I'm hitting multiple little bumps consecutively. My previous OEM shocks had about 62k miles on them and I needed an alignment as well, so the new shocks and alignment may have offset the degradation in ride quality from the Swift springs.
Handling
The handling has noticeably improved. It has reduced the body roll a good bit and steering seems sharper and more weighted. There's still some body roll there, but it's no longer annoying. The car is more planted through each turn and the way the back end brings itself around is more noticeable as well. Overall, I feel more connected to the road and confident when taking turns.
I know some previous Swift review threads have mentioned improvements in shifting. I can't say I notice this.
Looks
It's exactly what I wanted. The Swifts in combination with the Z1 20mm spacers give it the perfect look IMO. The unnecessary wheel gap is gone and the wheels are now flush with the fender lip. I was torn between 15mm and 20mm spacers at first, but I think 20mm spacers are the way to go, especially since I haven't experienced any rub. Also, it's almost an even drop, but the back is just a hair lower. I think maybe replacing the shocks along with the springs resulted in a more even drop?
Quality
I don't have the expertise to tell you guys whether the parts are quality made or not, but based off my research, it seems like most people have good luck with KYB shocks and Z1 spacers - don't think I need to say much about Swift springs. All parts came in without defects. The only post-install complaint I have is a faint creaking sound when first getting in and when taking bumps at slow speeds. It's intermittent and not very noticeable, so I'll only get it checked out if it gets louder.
For those of you skeptical about using extended studs for the spacers - Z1 has stated: "These are the same studs we use on our white time attack car. These are our design and still feature a rolled thread, heat treatment and zinc coating.....Both the Z1 and ARP are stronger than the oem studs and suitable for track use."
Thanks for the write up. I have Swift springs and KYB dampeners awaiting installation. Your write up has given me the encouragement to get this done. I hope I will be as satisfied as you are.
Thanks for the write up. I have Swift springs and KYB dampeners awaiting installation. Your write up has given me the encouragement to get this done. I hope I will be as satisfied as you are.
Hope so too. (all of a sudden I have these new emotes available, and it's great.)
It was just some sliders I messed around with on my phone. I think it looks kinda cool. If we really wanted to make a Breaking Bad filter, we'd have to add a yellow hue to it.
Thanks for the write up. Do you have any other suspension mods (i.e. sway bars, rear camber arms, toe bolts)? How much camber are you running front and rear?
Thanks for the write up. Do you have any other suspension mods (i.e. sway bars, rear camber arms, toe bolts)? How much camber are you running front and rear?
The only other suspension mod I have are the SPC rear camber arms. Front and rear camber are around -1.6 to -1.7, but I can't remember the exact numbers. Toe is 1/16th and no issues there.
I have around 2,500 miles on the setup and so far, so good. The weird creaking noise went away and I still have yet to rub or bottom out.
Looks clean! Good feedback on the studs and spacers. I’m about to purchase some of the Z1 20mm spacers and ARP extended studs for my coupe but haven’t been able to find out if you can re-use the OEM lugs with the extended studs, but it looks like you were able to?
I can't speak on ARP studs, as I'm not sure if they're the same size as the extended studs that come with the Z1 20mm spacers. The extended studs that come with spacers are the same thread and 20mm longer than OEM studs, so I was able to reuse the OEM lugs. As long as the additional stud length equals the size spacer you have, you shouldn't have to worry about getting new lugs.
Just a side bit, if you don't plan on tracking the car, I wouldn't recommend getting the ARP studs. The studs that come with spacers are better than the OEM studs and have been just fine for the 5,000 miles I've driven on them.
Gotchya, I see now on their website the ARP studs are 25mm and ball-nosed vs the Z1 20mm standard studs that are included with their spacers so they work with the OEM wheels and lugs. I don't plan on tracking the car anytime soon so the Z1 studs will definitely work. Appreciate the clarification!
10-16-2018, 04:27 PM
(all of a sudden I have these new emotes available, and it's great.)
