meGrimlock

i don't know if suspension is where to start, but i'd like to improve the comfort of my ride (the verb not the gangsta noun). what can i do to make the ride smoother and quieter? there's a lot of road noise and engine noise, and apart from pulling out my seats and carpeting to lay down dynamat on the floor, what are my other options? thanks.
-meGrimlock

turbonium959

New OEM struts and springs could be of help, but not really. You can buy other springs but they are all stiffer so comfort actually decreases. As for road noise, your best bet to Dynamat the hell out of your car, i.e. the entire floor, firewall, doors, hoodliner, and even roofliner also. But all the sound deadening materials will add some weight to your car.

caloyski5

yup,turbonium's right..

dynamat is the way to go..

meGrimlock

thanks, i've thought of dynamat, the thing is, it can get expensive plus i'd have to remove carpet & seats to get it to be effective. i've talked to some car audio shops that do installations and they say that they don't do dynamat install because of all the labor that goes into it; its at least a 2 day job. the dynamat extreme is a fraction of the weight of the original dynamat, but it will still add some amount of weight - but not to worry, i'm not planning on racing my 92hp beast.

now as far as technical stuff, if new shocks & struts will only make the car stiffer, is there anything that can make the road feel smoother? anything my local repair shop can do? should i just invest in some nice comfy seats? thanks.
-meGrimlock

davens

Some tires are made to be deliver less road noise...usually tires aimed a luxury cars. Next time you're shopping for tires, maybe road noise should be one of your criteria. A thicker sidewall will also soften impact delivery through the wheels.