O.K., been driving a Formula for a decade, and I'm WAY tired of the bone-jarring, teeth-rattling ride.

If I remember correctly, I put KYB GR-2's on it about 5 years ago (along with Rodney Dickman's front 1" lowering ball joints). I've been running BF Goodrich performance tires on it forever (first the EuroRadials, then the Comp T/A's, then the Traction T/A's, now they're all discontinued).

I'd like a smooth ride without jarring over rough pavement/minor potholes; I want excellent wet-weather traction (the Traction T/A's were the best by far I've ever had), but I still want the car to corner like it's on rails (like it's known for).

Is the stock/OEM suspension the best way to go? If so, what are the brands/models of the OEM parts? Or is there, in this well-educated group of Fiero gurus and tuners, a perfect combination that someone has discovered that could meet my hopes?

Searching has failed to reveal anything solidly conclusive to me... I welcome your suggestions.

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Patrick W. Heinske -- LZeitgeist@aol.com

"There are two types of Fiero owners - those that have gotten ripped off by Toddster, and those who will get ripped off by Toddster."

One big plus for the 88 suspension was that it was softer, and still was on rails. But that would be the stock setup with rubber bushings and tires other than the T/As...which as I recall rode like rocks, especialy when they get worn a little. As you get up there in years you like the pounding less and less...(I KNOW This)... I have Sumitomo tires on mine and they are just right for my kind of driving....totally stock Formula.

The stock Fiero suspension was as good as it gets. My 87 GT and 88GT I have kept stock suspensions and stock size tires. Cars tha go with low profile tires (50 series or less) give a harsh ride. There was very little room for suspension travel in the stock suspension, and with yours lowered, maybe less. Over rough roads, the Fiero has been a hard riding car.

Maybe some new shocks and struts should help some. Just my two cents

I'm all for keeping it stock - still running original drivetrain, wheels, brakes and tire sizes and not planning on changing or customizing those components.

I believe the OEM tires were Good Year Eagles, and I'm not going to go to those (in my experience, Good Years stick like glue but last a month). I've been getting (on average) a year out of each set of tires I put on the car and would like to continue that average as much as possible.

The suspension (other than the KYB's) is all stock, and possibly all original equipment. That probably means that some rubber parts are worn and tired, but I'm not a suspension guru, so I'm not sure what all of the random rubber bits absorb shock from the road and which ones don't factor in to that equation.

I have had good results on our 88's using monroe SensaTrac shocks on the front. NAPA sells them as the NAPA SensaTrac. They are much better than the KYB shocks, which I find to be harsher riding.

My Formula has:
- Monroe Sensa-Tracs on all 4 corners.
- BFG Traction T/A's
- Rubber bushings up front
- Poly bushings in the rear
- Fresh ball joints
- Fresh steering rack bushing

Everything else stock. And I think it rides as smoothly as it ever did. And it still grips great. It's a bit more harsh than my wife's Lexus.... But I've had people tell me that it's MUCH softer than a Porsche 911.

Goodyear GS-D3

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Turbo 3800 E85 5spd spec5
11.53@126.7

[This message has been edited by Justinbart (edited 09-20-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Justinbart: Goodyear GS-D3

That doesn't really help. That tire is A) a Good Year Eagle (which I specifically mentioned sticks but doesn't last) and B) not available in a 15" stock size, which I mentioned I'm running.

I'm glad they work well for your application. Thanks for posting.

I have Sensa Tracs on my 88 GT. Rubber front bushings and poly rear. The ride quality is pretty good except on really broken pavement. I am running all season (non directional) Dunlop radials. They are quiet and smooth, but probably not as responsive as some other brands. However, they are great in the rain.

I have also heard if you substitute 88 4 cyl coupe front springs the car will ride smoother. I think coupe rears would be a little floaty with the weight of the V6, but that is just a guess.

My Formula had OEM suspension setup and it was without a doubt the smoothest ride I have ever experienced in a Fiero... and I have driven a LOT of Fieros.

Here's what I put on my Formula.

Cooper CS4 , ride very smooth & quiet ! <--- (VERY QUIET ! ) I love them. Great price also.

When I drove it home, I couldn't believe it was the same car. The old tires were so hard, you could feel every imperfection in the road.
The new tires mask all that. The steering felt very easy, dare I say like pwr steering. I was so impressed and enjoy the new feeling.



The following copied from their website:

"The T-rated CS4 tire features a limited 80,000-mile treadwear warranty, a four-rib tread design. Delivers high performance grip in addition to all-weather handling. The end result is a tire with outstanding handling performance in wet or dry driving conditions, with enhanced stability and excellent treadwear."

Motortrend review : http://www.motortrend.com/f..._cooper_cs4_touring/

Autochannel : http://www.theautochannel.c...07/03/20/040830.html

[This message has been edited by CoolBlue87GT (edited 09-20-2011).]

Cool... great info, people.

Out of all the bushings and rubber bits in the suspension/steering/etc., which specific items are you guys talking about? Which ones specifically affect ride smoothness/harshness?

..the stock delco shocks work great they are a bit more expensive than Monroe or red ryders but they last a long time & give a great ride ..
..you will find the delco shocks corner & ride as good as the KYB with out the harsh ride
..you can get a great price from rock auto
only if you want to race should you go up to Koni
use new rubber bushing,, they give a much better ride,, I never like the poly mounts unless I had a component where the rubber wore prematurely
if you are young & drive hard ,then go Poly
I like a soft comfortable ride for my lard butt,, you can not go wrong with new stock bushings all around ,replace 20 year old bushings for best ride
.. the control arm bushings should be replaced ,,bet they are shot,not a fun job..
for a street car I use ""good enough"" judgement on the rubber components if they are crappy looking or loose ""replace ""
..the sumimoto tires are OK ,I have them on my car,,always try to go with american tires for the street ,,they generally give best all around performance ,
Cooper performance tires are A1, & always do well in comparo test,,my choice when the Sumimotos wear out

[This message has been edited by uhlanstan (edited 09-21-2011).]

I have a 'summer only' car, so I got summer only tires...The Sumitomo HTR 200 tires that I have (and really like) are gone.....nowhere to be found. They have another one with the right sizes...called the HTR A/S P01 which looks similar but is considered 'all season'.

Suspension is not the only cause or cure. Tires is number one for ride comfort. Put on taller profile tires. I never like anything under a 60 series profile. The sidewall absorbs most of the bumps and never even gets to the suspension. The lower the profile, the harsher the ride. My Corvettes had to have 35 series tires and they both rode like dump trucks. The width of the tire also has an effect. I run 40 pnds in all my tires. The limo even specifies a minimum of 45 pnds....it has 235/60/16s and well.............rides like a Cadillac yacht.

I suspect do to the low number of 88's

most struts are valved for the 84-87's much stiffer spring rates
even if the minor changes were made externally to allow them to fit an 88's rears
and are way too stiff for an 88 rear
esp if some grinding is need to fit the struts on a 88

as my low mile formula 23k with stock original everything
has smooth ride on stock sized tyres
my old formula with 100k++ and cut springs rides super stiff on 16x45x205-215r

quote Originally posted by LZeitgeist: Cool... great info, people. Out of all the bushings and rubber bits in the suspension/steering/etc., which specific items are you guys talking about? Which ones specifically affect ride smoothness/harshness?

Poly vs rubber bushings refers to the suspension only.

Poly up front will be much more noticeable than in the rear. I put poly in the rear of my Formula because rubber isn't available. I put rubber up front, and if I had to do it again, I'd go with rubber again. Poly in the rear isn't all that noticeable. It still rides pretty smooth. I have not replace the sway bar bushings, so they're stock (poly, I think).

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Suspension is not the only cause or cure. Tires is number one for ride comfort. Put on taller profile tires. I never like anything under a 60 series profile. The sidewall absorbs most of the bumps and never even gets to the suspension. The lower the profile, the harsher the ride. My Corvettes had to have 35 series tires and they both rode like dump trucks. The width of the tire also has an effect. I run 40 pnds in all my tires. The limo even specifies a minimum of 45 pnds....it has 235/60/16s and well.............rides like a Cadillac yacht.

I alternate between 15 in. stock size wheels and tires, and 18 in. aftermarket wheels and tires in matching diameters to the original 15's. The 18's have much crisper turn in and response, but at the penalty of lesser ride quality. The car still rides reasonably well with the 18's. With the 15's, broken pavement is better absorbed by the tall sidewalls.

Well, looks like the consensus is to try to find original Delco shocks/struts, and then get some softer tires than I've been running... thank you for all the educated input.

After I go that far, if it's still rough riding, then I'll take a look at the suspension rubber.