I'm considering a Coupe. However, one of the concerns I have is the ride. When I take the wife out I'd like her to be able to lay her head on the headrest if she's tired and not get it knocked of! Have any of you done coil overs which have improved handling as well as the ride?
Coil Overs: Anybody Done Them?
- Thread starter Evoking
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SNKEBIT
Enthusiast
Don't even know how to answer this..........................
AZTVR
Enthusiast
That's a very touchy subject on this forum for obvious reasons. (The whole Viper vs Corvette thing)
However, I think that the best answer is Motons, so that you can adjust them sometimes for Viper mode and sometimes for comfy cruising mode. The hard part is that you might need someone experienced to come up with settings for you.
351carlo
Enthusiast
Every Viper comes with coil overs from the factory. If youre looking to put on adjustable coil overs with a softer spring and a more comfortable dampening rate shock, not sure many will have an answer.
In general suspension upgrades are to make a vehicles suspension Stiffer. I am not aware of anyone who makes a spring with a lower springrate than OEM.
KW, Moton, and Eibach all have higher springrates.
The only thing i can think of to make the ride slightly softer is to run the NittoINVO tires. They have a softer sidewall than PS2's. If you've only driven a Gen3 with the factory runflats(ultra stiff sidewalls) then there is certinatly some comfort to be gained by switching to the INVO's.
Another thing is seats. The Gen2 seats are more comfy than the Gen3. My soft Gen2 seats are one of my performance complaints about the Gen2 however they are Money for a long trip. You could switch or look at the aftermarket for diff seats.
KW, Moton, and Eibach all have higher springrates.
The only thing i can think of to make the ride slightly softer is to run the NittoINVO tires. They have a softer sidewall than PS2's. If you've only driven a Gen3 with the factory runflats(ultra stiff sidewalls) then there is certinatly some comfort to be gained by switching to the INVO's.
Another thing is seats. The Gen2 seats are more comfy than the Gen3. My soft Gen2 seats are one of my performance complaints about the Gen2 however they are Money for a long trip. You could switch or look at the aftermarket for diff seats.
mjorgensen Woodhouse
Enthusiast
With the correct (higher rate) springs and Motion Control Suspension coil overs the ride will be transformed. Not only will the car handle far superior, it will give you a phenomenal ride that no other coil over offering can match. Motion Control Suspension will actually improve on the overall precision that the Moton brand had and the ride will still be silky smooth. There are a few sets of the Moton Clubsports (great shocks BTW and I've sold 75% of all the Viper Motons on the road) out there at good prices, but the new leader after the sale will be the Motion Control Suspensions.
1DumpedViper
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Mark, when are the motion contols coming out? Are they going to have a short shock body like the Motons? I am all the way down on the KWs and I need to change out.
mjorgensen Woodhouse
Enthusiast
They are being built now and should be available to order in about a month from what I have been told. I can pre order you a set and maybe get a price break if I ask. They will be a short body shock yes and will go as low as your chassis will allow without hitting any bump stops so the ride will be great also.
ViperGTS
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>>>I'm considering a Coupe. However, one of the concerns I have is the ride. When I take the wife out I'd like her to be able to lay her head on the headrest if she's tired and not get it knocked of! Have any of you done coil overs which have improved handling as well as the ride? <<<
A Viper has brutal force. The ride is hard. That is the way it is. Good.
Get used to it and leave it alone...or leave the wife at home
.
By the way, I had several people falling asleep in the passenger seat during long rides (+500 miles)...
A Viper has brutal force. The ride is hard. That is the way it is. Good.
Get used to it and leave it alone...or leave the wife at home
.By the way, I had several people falling asleep in the passenger seat during long rides (+500 miles)...
Tiago
Viper Owner
buy a corvette for your wife.
ViperGeorge
Enthusiast
My wife and I have taken several trips that were well over 1500 miles each. Never one complaint from my wife about the ride, not on my 98 RT, 03 Vert, 06 Coupe, 08 Vert, or my 09 ACR. I think the Vipers ride great.
351carlo
Enthusiast
Sounds like you just have a very cool wife who enjoys the cars. I'm well aware of how harsh the Viper ride is, especially taking the same stretches of highway in the Viper and then the CTS-V.
But that is the compromise for extreme handling without advanced tech like adjustable ride settings. It's a race car and rides similar to one.
georgethedog
Enthusiast
I love reading these threads where it is inevitable that the rough, tough, macho, Viper testosterone will come out. It's very predictable and amusing, but never helps the person who is asking for assistance.
What Mark suggests is interesting... "Not only will the car handle far superior, it will give you a phenomenal ride that no other coil over offering can match." I think I may look into this also... better handling... phenomenal ride... why not? Thanks, Mark.
What Mark suggests is interesting... "Not only will the car handle far superior, it will give you a phenomenal ride that no other coil over offering can match." I think I may look into this also... better handling... phenomenal ride... why not? Thanks, Mark.
shooter_t1
Has Left the Room!
I love reading these threads where it is inevitable that the rough, tough, macho, Viper testosterone will come out. It's very predictable and amusing, but never helps the person who is asking for assistance.
What Mark suggests is interesting... "Not only will the car handle far superior, it will give you a phenomenal ride that no other coil over offering can match." I think I may look into this also... better handling... phenomenal ride... why not? Thanks, Mark.
$4000-$6000 for a "comfy ride" is pretty steep. Betcha the "Viper tax" is gonna be high on the new Moton setup too. Maybe JonB will have good deals on the new Moton's.
georgethedog
Enthusiast
Yea, you are right Shooter. Not sure it is something I would spend the money for, but priorities change. My next mod will be a 2-3 years away. I would like to do the "coupe" rear end or the "street serpent" conversion. Depends on the stock market...
shooter_t1
Has Left the Room!
Yea, you are right Shooter. Not sure it is something I would spend the money for, but priorities change. My next mod will be a 2-3 years away. I would like to do the "coupe" rear end or the "street serpent" conversion. Depends on the stock market...
Both good choices. That new "Coupe" rear end is excellent looking and will make your vert stand out.
1DumpedViper
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What price point?
DeceptioN
Viper Owner
I think my Viper rides more Comfortable than my Mustang, Neon or Magnum.
I have definitely heard of folks doing coil-overs and the ride improving. Perhaps the spring rate is still high but the shock rebound is very tight so it controls how rapidly the car comes back up. Not sure. But I can also say that on a 993 911 I bought that already had coil-overs the ride was definitely better than stock.
Whatever car I get I will want to close the fender gap while making sure it has a decent ride as well. In the past I have only bought lowering springs (other than a car that came with coil-overs) but am willing to consider coil-overs if the lowering springs don't drop clean enough and/or to improve the ride. JIC coilovers for 997 are like $2k. Are there no such good options for Viper?
Whatever car I get I will want to close the fender gap while making sure it has a decent ride as well. In the past I have only bought lowering springs (other than a car that came with coil-overs) but am willing to consider coil-overs if the lowering springs don't drop clean enough and/or to improve the ride. JIC coilovers for 997 are like $2k. Are there no such good options for Viper?
351carlo
Enthusiast
I think you're misunderstanding the concept of a coil over a bit. The Viper HAS coilovers from the factory. Adding adjustable coil overs, the kinds with a threaded shock body, will only allow you to control the height of the car while keeping the spring rate the same. If the shock body is matched to the height reduction, a shorter body etc, they you can match the dampening to the height adjustment. Then you can have a valve which allows more or less rebounding restriction with an adjustment.
None of these will allow for a "smoother" ride, unless it was specifically designed to be softer or have a greater dampening action. It may be possible to achieve such a gains, but is not typically the direction Viper owners go in, although I do understand your goal and don't disagree with you. The aftermarket adjustables on a softer setting will definitely ride smoother, but I'm not sure it'll be what you'd consider smooth. It'll still have the limiting factor of a high spring rate.
You may find an air ride equivalent that would allow for a smooth ride.
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Guys,
Maybe I missed something but Moton Club sports did not come with springs.
I doubt that the new Motion Control shocks will come with springs as the main guys from Moton will be designing / making them.
The great part about that is you can choose a stiffer spring for the track or HPDE .....
.....Or you can choose a softer spring and improve the OE ride. A bit softer spring combined with better damping and "adjustability" is the ticket.
You can also choose longer or shorter springs if you run out of ride height adjustment with the length of the shock body like Mike has with his KWs.
Springs are available from Eibach and others in may different rates and lengths.
Check with Mark J on this and he'll set you up right.
Dan
Maybe I missed something but Moton Club sports did not come with springs.
I doubt that the new Motion Control shocks will come with springs as the main guys from Moton will be designing / making them.
The great part about that is you can choose a stiffer spring for the track or HPDE .....
.....Or you can choose a softer spring and improve the OE ride. A bit softer spring combined with better damping and "adjustability" is the ticket.
You can also choose longer or shorter springs if you run out of ride height adjustment with the length of the shock body like Mike has with his KWs.
Springs are available from Eibach and others in may different rates and lengths.
Check with Mark J on this and he'll set you up right.
Dan
Sonoman
Enthusiast
Since we're on this subject, does anyone know the stock spring rates (front/rear) for a Gen III and a non-ACR Gen IV? Is there any difference in rates between a coupe and vert?
I keep hearing that "the Gen IV rides better", but it appears the only change that would produce this effect is the (non-Runflat) Michelin PS2's, which I have on my '05. Is it true that the
spring rates are actually stiffer on the front of the Gen IV (compared to Gen III)? Anti-roll bars appear to be un-changed between the two gens.
I keep hearing that "the Gen IV rides better", but it appears the only change that would produce this effect is the (non-Runflat) Michelin PS2's, which I have on my '05. Is it true that the
spring rates are actually stiffer on the front of the Gen IV (compared to Gen III)? Anti-roll bars appear to be un-changed between the two gens.
ulllose
Viper Owner
Just tell her to put her head in your lap, and that should soften it up j/k
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