Exploded_Muffin

Hey guys, happy new year to everyone

I got a 2013 Journey Coupe (without the sports package) back in May so I'm running the base suspension/brakes/wheels.

I noticed that the ride was kinda rough/bumpy over roads that were even just slightly uneven but got used to it as I had no comparison to know if the suspension was behaving normally.

I've driven about 8k miles since I got the car (at 45k miles) and a lot of Houston roads are pretty terrible so I've about had it.
I'll admit I do not know a lot about car suspensions so while I've done a cursory inspection I can't tell what the issue is so I'll have to get the whole suspension inspected by a proper mechanic soon.

If the suspension is the issue then I'll probably look to replace it with the same OEM suspension or probably aftermarket coilovers if they're in a similar price range. My budget is about $1,000 for all the parts excluding labor and the cheaper the better as long as quality isn't really diminished as a trade.


Tl;dr

I got a 2013 journey coupe with 45k miles and the suspension seems pretty bad (rough/unstable/bouncy back end on rough roads/speed bumps). Though I have no oem baseline to compare it to I doubt this is how it came from the factory.
Will have the whole suspension system inspected and possibly look to replace the suspension with a budget of $1,000 or less in parts so please give me suggestions (considering the Tein Street Basis Z) or just any general opinions.

I have also attached my last alignment specs

slartibartfast

iTrader: (7)

Let's meet up somewhere and swap rides. I can test your car for correctness and you can try my S for comparison.

In re alignment, you really want rear thrust angle as close to zero as you can get it. This generates a crab angle that can upset handling if large, besides looking goofy.

Exploded_Muffin

I apologize for the late response, had a lot of things going on. Wow, that is absolutely generous of you . A friend of mine has an xS Sedan though which I already test drove before and the ride was definitely smoother than mine (I assume the ride quality should be similar to yours so no need to waste your time).
Thankfully the situation has been resolved, my right rear damper was completely shot (surprising for just 50k miles) so my mechanic replaced both rear dampers last week with new OEM dampers. The ride is much better now but I still need to get an alignment done which I should hopefully sort out this Thursday.

Thanks for the tip regarding the thrust angle. Did some reading up based on your suggestion....my left rear toe is -0.1 (toe out) and from the info I've gathered that shouldn't be especially as the right rear toe is 0.12. That's probably why the thrust angle is -0.1..smdh.

While you're here....do you know of any good quarter mile tracks in or near Houston? I have never been to one before and would like to go see what times I can run.
Thanks again for the help

slartibartfast

iTrader: (7)

There's a 1/8 mile track out west of Katy. Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown is currently a parking lot for several hundred Harvey flood cars. That's all I know.

JSolo

iTrader: (14)

Something to think about. The car is 5 years old, 45K miles (almost 50K), is a relatively significant amount of miles. Depending on your driving habits/preferences and if you got the money, I'd have dampers in all 4 corners replaced. Otherwise, there's a bit of an unbalance front to rear.

xxg00w0

iTrader: (1)

Did you change your wheels size or tire sizes? they also play a big role on your ride quality.


If you want to change your whole suspension I recommend you to go with the tein flex Z or something with adjustable dampening, that way you can adjust your dampening in case you still think the basis Z is still too firm.

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

The xS sedan is just an appearance package, it does not get the sport dampers, steering or brakes.

$1000 budget would probably fund koni yellows.

Exploded_Muffin

You guys are all awesome! Thanks for the feedback.

I switched out the 2 rear dampers with new ones and the ride is just perfect now. You can 'feel' the road without the ride being rough/harsh...dunno if that makes sense. It had been nagging me for a while so it really feels great driving the car now and I have no complaints anymore.
I am running Eibach anti-roll bars on the softest settings in the front and rear so there's also that.

I had an alignment check today and nothing was changed as everything was in spec (Thrust angle is now -0.02 which is fine) so the busted dampers probably contributed to the original alignment issues as pointed out by Slartibartfast.

My tires weren't changed in front (225/50R18) but I changed the rears from 225/50R18 to 245/45R18. Slightly shorter sidewall but no noticeable difference in ride quality (which was already bad) to me after the switch.

I plan to upgrade to a different car in 2-3 years so I'll keep everything else as is unless I run into any other issues (which I doubt, these cars are pretty stout from everything I've seen).

In other news, a big rig drove off the 59 overpass onto the road below it (University Boulevard) in Sugar Land. Never seen anything like it before, was tempted to make a U-turn and get some pictures but didn't have the time. It's already on the news

https://www.click2houston.com/news/t...-in-sugar-land

slartibartfast

iTrader: (7)

Made the news. It crushed a car but the driver was pretty much unscathed. Don't know about the truck driver.

And edit: I didn't see you had posted the link.

Glad everything is good again.