Jazz too 'bouncy'

[hiko]

Hi Guys,

any recommendations to have better handling on a jazz? the little bugger feels so wobbly especially if someone is sitting in the back.

[curtis265]

strut bars and sway bars for body roll, if that's what you're talking about

[4thGenExi]

^^^ bigger wheels and tyres also make a huge improvement to ride quality

[curtis265]

bigger tyres but not bigger wheels..

[av90]

^^^ bigger wheels and tyres also make a huge improvement to ride quality

hahahahaahaha

[hiko]

struts only improve turning right? i am asking about the car being to "bouncy" suspension is way too sensitive.

[curtis265]

struts will reduce body roll, so in a way, it's reducing the boucnyness.

Or are you talking about bouncy when driving on a bumpy road? Then you need shocks

[hiko]

i think shocks is more what i need then? yes the ride is very bouncy when driving in areas like parra road homebush.

any idea what i should be looking for when shopping for shocks?

[Lukey]

are you lowered? if so wat on?

[cyber_scriber]

It sounds like you're talking about lack of ride quality.

Lower your tyre pressures.

Fit smaller rims with a more compliant and higher profile tyre.

[hiko]

my jazz is currently on stock 15" alloy rims and stock suspension. i normally keep 34psi rears and 32 fronts. what do you guys recommend?

[curtis265]

I'm not from sydney so i can't understand the road you're describing.

If you get shocks (or springs) (or coils) it'll just make it more uncomfortable, but it won't bounce

[cyber_scriber]

34 and 32 psi sound high to me for 15 inch rims.

Have a look at your tyre placard and see what it recommends. I'd be surprised if it wasn't somewhere in the mid to high 20 psi range.

[androo]

Jazz suspension is kinda hard from stock. I have the same issue. There are 2 solutions:

* Live with it - Don't be a baby =P
* Sell it and buy a new car

It's hard from stock. I don't think you can get softer suspension for it? Anyway probably not worth it...

[fundies]

Jazz suspension is kinda hard from stock. I have the same issue. There are 2 solutions:

* Live with it - Don't be a baby =P
* Sell it and buy a new car

It's hard from stock. I don't think you can get softer suspension for it? Anyway probably not worth it...

Agree with this. It's just not a particularly good design suspension wise. And it's more than just shocks and springs, but also the location points etc.

[Philip A]

IMHO there are a couple of 'problems' with a Jazz suspension
1 the Jazz is very light at 1045 Kg and has a legal payload of 5 people. The springs have to be relatively stiff to allow for an increase in weight of 5 people without hitting the bumpstops. Your Parramatta Road example is really to do with low speed harshness over concrete gaps or what is called "bump thump"
2 the insulation of the front struts is minimal compared to a lot of cars and this gives low speed harshness.
3 if you put in stiffer shocks, the "bounciness" will be reduced but the low speed ride will be worse.
4 the "bump thump'' is amplified because the body structure is not very solid. EG I tightened the bonnet considerably and made sure the dash bits are secure and this reduced the "crash" quite a bit.
There is no cheap fix for these problems so you either live with it or get another car. Similar cars eg the Mercedes A class are a lot worse depending on the tyres.
My Vti has 14inch rims and 175.65x14 tyres and I have seen reports that these are much better than the 15s. I have Michelin Energy MX2 at 40PSI and mine is tolerable.
Regards Philip A

[hiko]

IMHO there are a couple of 'problems' with a Jazz suspension
1 the Jazz is very light at 1045 Kg and has a legal payload of 5 people. The springs have to be relatively stiff to allow for an increase in weight of 5 people without hitting the bumpstops. Your Parramatta Road example is really to do with low speed harshness over concrete gaps or what is called "bump thump"
2 the insulation of the front struts is minimal compared to a lot of cars and this gives low speed harshness.
3 if you put in stiffer shocks, the "bounciness" will be reduced but the low speed ride will be worse.
4 the "bump thump'' is amplified because the body structure is not very solid. EG I tightened the bonnet considerably and made sure the dash bits are secure and this reduced the "crash" quite a bit.
There is no cheap fix for these problems so you either live with it or get another car. Similar cars eg the Mercedes A class are a lot worse depending on the tyres.
My Vti has 14inch rims and 175.65x14 tyres and I have seen reports that these are much better than the 15s. I have Michelin Energy MX2 at 40PSI and mine is tolerable.
Regards Philip A


thank you Phillip for indepth explanation i think the easiest way right now is to reduce the PSI in my tires obviously its not going to fix the problem but it should somewhat improve the overall ride comfort. there are only 2 people in the car majority of the time so this shouldnt matter all that much.

so what PSI is everyone on? (same factory rims) mid 20s sounds abit too low?

[Dc_II]

Mid 20's? No way!!

38 fronts, 34 rear on my wifes Jazz. 17 x 7 wheels.

[curtis265]

lol softer = more comfy... not harder Mid 20's will be fine, but make sure you pay attention to how much they sag... You could lose traction and haev uneven wear as the picture below shows.. i'd probably stay high 20's
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/tire-problems.jpg

You need high pressure for lower profile tyres anyway, which is why you've got it so high...

[porpor]

change the suspension and also get some low profile tyres.

[curtis265]

change the suspension and also get some low profile tyres.

no no no no no no no no no no no no no! Change what part of the suspension? and explain why low profile tyres will make the car more comfy...

Phillip A has explained things perfectly, read that.

[fillit]

umm yeah lol that would do the opposite, lowered suspension and low profile tyres are made for PERFORMANCE ie. go around corners quicker/flatter without the tyres changing shape and decreasing grip.

for comfort just stick with oem suspension and get some FATTTTT tyres

[Dc_II]

Throw some smaller wheels on... if they clear the brakes

[porpor]

Change the front suspension and install the straut bar and anti-roll bars

[fillit]

Change the front suspension and install the straut bar and anti-roll bars


oem suspension is fine as it is for comfort, strut bars and anti roll bars are meant to reduce body roll when the car is going around corners but will not add to comfort nor reduce the bounciness

[Gnat]

Changing shocks might do it, or just change your driving style, slow down over the bumps, or go so fast you cruise over them :)

I found the suspension to be a good balance between sporty and comfort, but it does roll a bit too much in corners.

[CB7_OWNER]

Up the tyre pressure.

[Holy Frog]

my jazz is currently on stock 15" alloy rims and stock suspension. i normally keep 34psi rears and 32 fronts. what do you guys recommend?

First of all, I believe you have the pressures the wrong way around. Should be 32 FR and 30 rear according to the door jam on a 2008 VTI-s on 15".

Second, I run 34 & 34 on the stock 15"s. Yes it rougher than it needs to be, but I do it for steering feel and fuel consumption. I think 30psi all round will be smooth, but do not go lower for safety, traction and fuel consumption concerns.

Third, get rid of extra junk (weight) you are potentially carrying in your boot and back seat.

Fourth, if your Jazz is the one in your Avatar, then it is definitely lowered, causing the rough ride.

Good luck.

[fundies]

I find my 06 VTI is smoother, and less bouncy, with a full load of passengers.

[fillit]

I find my 06 VTI is smoother, and less bouncy, with a full load of passengers.

haha same, i guess the added passengers help weigh down the rear although guard rubbing gets annoying sometimes :p

34/32 is abit high for stock wheels, like holy frog says try 30s or even slightly lower like 28, it will increase fuel consumption and sacrifice abit of handling but you should see overall comfort improved. If anything get some massive tyres like 195/65/15 should make it a smooth ride

[stylzjhn]

I've had Cusco VACANZA coils in my car and they were awesome. Not too stiff too. They're designed to give you the ability drop ur car and keep a nice ride comfort. You should look into a set if u want better handling (Much better compared to stock) and still want a decent ride comfort.

I also had a bunch of struts in my car but that only made the body feel more ridgid. hope that helps.

[dundas]

I drove a friends Jazz, and for standard...I thought that the car handled really really well. Ride was solid and felt more sporty than a civic :)

[GU357]

BUDDYJAZZ srsly stop trying to sell your car on here, get some rep or something. kinda annoying seeing you bring old threads back so you can sell your car.

[nixxon]

Late reply ..but...

check your current tyres too... if they are stock 175/65/15 you may benefit from a slighly wider/lower ratio..with minor change in speedo reading

ie 195/55/15 are very similar height.

see this calculator..

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

[GU357]

thread reviving?

[08ESE]

buy an 09 model, mines rough as guts standard lol

[g4orce]

try 32psi at the front and 30 at the rear, thats whats recomended by honda and its the most comfortable tyre pressure to drive on. Iv tried higher and its to rough as guts on bumpy roads. oops just realized this thread is from ages ago lol.

[GU357]

i ran 38psi all round.
10kg/mm Front
8kg/mm Rear
Front strut bar
Rear strut bar.
J's racing cross bars.
C pillar bar
Floor bar.( B pillar bar)

wasnt bouncy, but it was stiff....
dunno why... :>?

[bossxr]

Well, here's how you get the jazz to sit up and take notice ........

The ride is surprisingly plush and the car changes direction like a gokart.

Mod 1 .......... Spoon lowered progressive springs and shocks
Mod 2 .......... Strut Brace
Mod 3 ........... slightly wider tyres on stock rims - 37 psi front, 35 psi back cold

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8102458599_815bfab498.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88863334@N05/8102458599/) IMG_1775 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88863334@N05/8102458599/) by BossXR (http://www.flickr.com/people/88863334@N05/), on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8102457311_57d47b1c6a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88863334@N05/8102457311/) IMG_1785 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88863334@N05/8102457311/) by BossXR (http://www.flickr.com/people/88863334@N05/), on Flickr

[GU357]

hmm mine didnt change direction that much. the electric steering assist held it pretty straight. my eg however, u hit a crack on the road whilst accelerating and u can feel the crack trying to take u away.

but thanks for the info.
the front strut bar helps a lot in the jazz. even if your not into modding your car, get the front strut bar. holds it so much straighter.

[bossxr]

I meant by gokart handling that it corners flat. Tracks straight when you want it to without wandering or tramlining. The outfit which service the car and specialise in hondas love the setup - best handler they've had and very liveable for a daily driver.



hmm mine didnt change direction that much. the electric steering assist held it pretty straight. my eg however, u hit a crack on the road whilst accelerating and u can feel the crack trying to take u away.

but thanks for the info.
the front strut bar helps a lot in the jazz. even if your not into modding your car, get the front strut bar. holds it so much straighter.

[GU357]

oh that I definitely agree.
however i notice being the back of the car is quite large, it really does need a bigger rear sway bar.

[Baby Face]

they BC racing coilovers i parted out recently made my ride pretty dam solid, less jumpy.

someone is selling a set in the parts section i see. good grab.

[amant02]

If you dont like the feel, sell off.

After trying a few in order to make the car feel steady there will be sacrificing on the comfy side of things.

Coils - More stiff but lowering it 2inchs closer to the ground and putting up descent dampering reduces the most. As center of gravity is increased greatly.

Try a descent spring and shock combo. Its the best of both worlds, but nothing really will completely fix that feeling in the jazz, its just the way its designed.

Strut Bars - Front helps, but i reckon the rear x bar would help the most.


Theres been a lot of treads on this forum about the jazz boucyness.

And i feel your pain my missus lives in North Parra and my god these roads. I just hope Julia Gilard realises that borrowing money and sending shit overseas isn't helping us tax payers.

[Baby Face]

rear X bar is useless, i had one, just makes it easier to over steer and holds back as a square.

[amant02]

Ty +1 looks like im not getting them.

How about the c pillar bars... the ones that runs behind the driver seat?

[Baby Face]

J's racing off
front and rear strut
Cross bars
C pillars go behind rear passengers
and floor bars go behind the driver along the floor, nice foot rest.
Cross bar is for show, makes little difference makes the car squeekier if they arent adjusted right.

floor bar is ok, depends though what your aiming for. if you want a nice rigid floor (like a gt car) then get the floor and 2 strut braces.

never tried a boot brace.

front and rear strut are most important.
followed by Rear sway bar (so i have heard) [Ultra racing makes them] and then floor bar.
all this though after coilovers

the upper bars like C and cross just hold the body.