Suspension Performance and How to Improve it!

[Drew K]

My only problem with the suspension is the soft back end at low speeds in the city or on the highway around 100K. I was doing the two lanes at well over 140 in medium to sweeping turns and it's flat.

Steve, do you mean to say that if the Stinger is driven at legal speeds (100km/h is the legal speed limit on most CDN highways, sometimes as low as 70km/h) that the Eibach springs are still too soft? That is bad news for the people driving the Stinger at legal speeds....

 

[Drew K]

My only problem with the suspension is the soft back end at low speeds in the city or on the highway around 100K. I was doing the two lanes at well over 140 in medium to sweeping turns and it's flat.

And can anyone comment on how the H&R springs perform at legal speeds?

 

[DC28]

Where can you order the Eibach kit from. i am located in Southern Indiana.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Where can you order the Eibach kit from. i am located in Southern Indiana.

Eibach Anti-Roll Sway Bar Kit with Springs for Kia Stinger GT

 

[corradoMR2]

And can anyone comment on how the H&R springs perform at legal speeds?

The main issue I have with the H&R is they make the car feel more bouncy on irregular roads to a small extent like the ride on a school bus. On the positive, flatter cornering and only a minor decrease in ride auality.

 

[StingerT303]

Just seconding that the issue is present in the AWD GT2. When at highway speeds, on a sweeping corner and hitting any kind of bump, the car loses all composure. Does not provide any confidence at all. This is the ONLY thing that I have noticed that I dont love about the car so far. I'll be buying the Eibachs....

 

[Kazz]

Just seconding that the issue is present in the AWD GT2. When at highway speeds, on a sweeping corner and hitting any kind of bump, the car loses all composure. Does not provide any confidence at all. This is the ONLY thing that I have noticed that I dont love about the car so far. I'll be buying the Eibachs....

If and when you do, please try that test again. I'm very concerned that the brains for the traction control may be creating issues like that. At slow speeds over a bump the car slows considerably, especially in a slow turn. I currently attribute that to an overactive traction control. If true, I wonder how that would present in a higher speed situation where a drive tire gets air going over a bump and the traction control picks up increase spin or slip.

 

[Marc Collins]

If and when you do, please try that test again. I'm very concerned that the brains for the traction control may be creating issues like that. At slow speeds over a bump the car slows considerably, especially in a slow turn. I currently attribute that to an overactive traction control. If true, I wonder how that would present in a higher speed situation where a drive tire gets air going over a bump and the traction control picks up increase spin or slip.

Testing with and without TC at different speeds over the same predictable hump would prove or disprove this theory. It sounds plausible to me.

 

[Kazz]

Testing with and without TC at different speeds over the same predictable hump would prove or disprove this theory. It sounds plausible to me.

Great point!

 

[Kazz]

Testing with and without TC at different speeds over the same predictable hump would prove or disprove this theory. It sounds plausible to me.

Although, there's still SOME nannying going on, isn't there?

 

[CaliSting]

Overall Kia did great job with all the “Nannies” in my opinion. Especially traction control in RWD . Not intrusive at all. I was testing in rain other day and was truly impressed. Dare I say better than my Porsche in some circumstances.

I would be a little concerned going too stiff in rear as the car depends on rearward weight transfer to plant tires on acceleration. So while higher speed transitory response may be better with stiffer springs wonder about rear traction.

I’m thinking ideal may be slightly bigger front swaybar with slightly stiffer springs on all 4 corners. Then counteract possible understeer with slightly bigger front tire and a little toe out up front. But I won’t do any of this until a real sport damper comes out for our car. I don’t think our stock dampers can hold higher spring rate.

 

[mhal8876]

@CaliSting where part of cali are you from?

 

[Aquadog]

You are correct I see they are progressive rate so you'll be very happy with that. I mixed them up with that coil over kit from SKorea. Anyway, I just went for a Sunday drive in the country on 2 lane roads with no traffic, much of it at 140 K or more and the Stinger was spectacular with the Eibachs. I'm very happy now. As long as you're really cooking the suspension is great. It's really around the city and under a hundred K that it's just too soft but maybe I can handle that.

@Steve Ostrowski, you suspension maniac , thanks for sharing your problem from The beginning to the final fix. I have a GT2 AWD and have experienced going around a corner at a high rate of speed and hitting a bump and it wants to get Squirrley . My 84 IROC did the same thing I took it down to my tire guy two weeks after I bought it and told him what had happened he told me to leave it there and he would fix the problem , Came back the next afternoon there sat the car about an inch and a half lower , Took it for a spin and it made a noticeable difference in handling but the ride was the same never had problems with the bump issue . So I guess my question is I'm sure they make a Lowering springs for this suspension, I don't really wanna lose the ride so do you think I will get the same results as I got on my IROC ? Thanks keep up the good work .

 

[CaliSting]

I just want a nice high quality European damper company to come out with shock that will plug into our computer and give us a little more sporty dampening profile when sport is dialed up. Im not greedy but something to control that wallowing effect. Want the car to stay planted and not move when I toss it into a turn that might have a bump. But at same time dont want the car to be punishing. Its hard to go from my Porsche race car to this car as Porsche is setup on JRZ coil overs has big GT3 swaybars, solid bushings etc and reacts to my slightest input. Transitory response is awesome. Kia is like a land yacht - everything is slowed down far too much for my taste. car floats around and I have to wait for it to settle. I know this is a grand touring car but there are grand touring cars that are comfortable and that handle well too. Not mutually exclusive. Kia has good bones so think its just a matter of aftermarket tuning but no one has come to our rescue yet. Bilstein should come to rescue in a year or two. Thats a painful wait.

 

[Kazz]

I just want a nice high quality European damper company to come out with shock that will plug into our computer and give us a little more sporty dampening profile when sport is dialed up. Im not greedy but something to control that wallowing effect. Want the car to stay planted and not move when I toss it into a turn that might have a bump. But at same time dont want the car to be punishing. Its hard to go from my Porsche race car to this car as Porsche is setup on JRZ coil overs has big GT3 swaybars, solid bushings etc and reacts to my slightest input. Transitory response is awesome. Kia is like a land yacht - everything is slowed down far too much for my taste. car floats around and I have to wait for it to settle. I know this is a grand touring car but there are grand touring cars that are comfortable and that handle well too. Not mutually exclusive. Kia has good bones so think its just a matter of aftermarket tuning but no one has come to our rescue yet. Bilstein should come to rescue in a year or two. Thats a painful wait.

What do you think of a larger rear sway bar?

 

[CaliSting]

What do you think of a larger rear sway bar?

I don’t like big rear bars on RWD cars. Stinger seems to turn well too. Bigger rear bar Limits rear traction too. I’d go bigger front. Bigger front tends to hold everything straight so rears hook up better. I think Eibach kit is fine I’d just like to see a damper that goes with that kit . It’s too bad we can’t dial in bump with a set of gas dampers. My ideal is slightly firmer rear shock settings Little more compression from damper and near to oem size sway bars.

 

[Dochidalgo]

Just as a curious fact, my former 2016 Nissan Maxima SR has a firmer suspension than my Stinger GT2 even in Sport setting....wife is very happy with that......me don't so much.....

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

Could you please give specific part information? This sounds like an upgrade I will do. Knowing that you previously drove a Saab, as did I, you're more likely to "get" what I'm looking for. I want great handling, but not too firm. I enjoy the Stinger as it is, but would like to tighten up that rear. Many reviews mention it as well. This is a GT car, though, so I don't think Kia was wrong with the choices they made, but I would like to sort it to my preferences.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

I do believe that reviewers have said that the non adaptive suspension is better so maybe they at least got that right?

Could you please point to some such reviews? I have the GT (so the non adaptive suspension). Part of my interest in the Stinger was the electronically controlled suspension. I'd been told at the dealer that was standard on all GT's, and found out after it wasn't. However, if I'd have been worse off with the GT1, that's useful information, I'd just like to learn more about that.

 

[Jayson]

Where can you order the Eibach kit from. i am located in Southern Indiana.

I order mine at tirerack.com

 

[Daniel @ K8 Stinger Store]

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Kia Stinger Suspension Collection - K8 Stinger Store

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Could you please give specific part information? This sounds like an upgrade I will do. Knowing that you previously drove a Saab, as did I, you're more likely to "get" what I'm looking for. I want great handling, but not too firm. I enjoy the Stinger as it is, but would like to tighten up that rear. Many reviews mention it as well. This is a GT car, though, so I don't think Kia was wrong with the choices they made, but I would like to sort it to my preferences.

What information are you looking for specifically? I dont think you can go wrong with the Eibach kit to tighten up the rear, especially with its adjustability which gives you the option to dial it in to your liking
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