What's the suspension suppose to be like on a gen 1?

Balboa · 10-11-2011, 06:21 AM

I want to know because on mine it is a jarring suspension. Every little thing feels like a pot hole right now. I'm a bit at a lost. Car handles great though. It must be the shocks right? Also I get a weird thud noise from the back. It's a constant thud type sound...hard to describe.

How would you compare the suspension on an Insight versus say, a late model acura integra? I'm going to install the rear monroe shocks but any aftermarket ideas on what to do with the front?

TopFuelTim · 10-11-2011, 07:04 AM

In the same boat. She (my 2001 Insight) rides like a truck. Thank goodness the seats are so comfortable. I do know that in our '86 Monte Carlo SS and our '00 Town Car the ride got gradually rougher, until I replaced the shock absorbers all around near the 130,000 mile mark on each. After replacement the ride was noticeably better. Was thinking the same would happen for the Insight, as it now has 165,000 miles on the original suspension. Will follow this thread to see how it works out.

Tires are RE92s. Before I bought my car, I read a lot on the forum, and figured out the ride and noise were, um, not quiet : ). It is definitely an ok tradeoff for the gas mileage she delivers..

Tim

Leeper · 10-11-2011, 11:37 AM

Which tires are you running and how many miles do you have on them?

Eli · 10-11-2011, 12:48 PM

LOL...

Your first mistake would be comparing the Insight's suspension to an Acura's.

The Insight isn't a luxury automobile.

Ride quality isn't something I generally pay attention to, so I don't have much to add unfortunately. The only difference I notice between the car with completely blown shocks and the car with good shocks.. is that the car with good shocks doesn't bottom out on the bump stops. Otherwise, I couldn't care less. Especially with the tires pumped up to 50PSI.. ride quality just isn't a metric I care about.

diamondlarry · 10-11-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balboa

I want to know because on mine it is a jarring suspension. Every little thing feels like a pot hole right now. I'm a bit at a lost. Car handles great though. It must be the shocks right? Also I get a weird thud noise from the back. It's a constant thud type sound...hard to describe.

How would you compare the suspension on an Insight versus say, a late model acura integra? I'm going to install the rear monroe shocks but any aftermarket ideas on what to do with the front?

Sounds just like normal for an Insight. It gets really jarring if the tires are pumped up to sidewall max or above.

**satchel** · 10-11-2011, 05:46 PM

I'm not so sure rear shocks aren't important to keep a car stable. As my 2002 went past 140,150k I started feeling an instability, a tail wag, that I'd never experienced. A couple of months ago, with 158K and good rubber, the car went into an uncontrollable fishtailing that ended with the rear end coming around, sliding down embankment and rolling eight rows deep in a corn field.

A slip off a less than 2in high asphalt edge w/ gravelled shoulder initiated the fishtailing, I seriously don't think I overcorrected because I'd slipped off the road many times without such disastrous results.

I looked down, saw the dash lights on and fired up the engine and even without my glasses, on floor somewhere now, could see the path I'd made into the corn and drove the car out of the field up the embankment and to the side of the road. What a stout built car. I didn't have a scratch or bruise. Car needs major work but I hope repairable.

The 2005 I picked up Saturday reminds me of my 2002 when it had 90K miles, stable and 84mpg this afternoon.

This has happened to at least two or three others on IC here. I think it warrants some serious discussion.

Eli · 10-11-2011, 05:53 PM

That's a good point.

I have definitely noticed rear-end instability in the Insight with the dead shocks. There's a corner here in town that I go around, it has a strange gap/crack in it, and the rear end always kicks out a few inches before grabbing traction again. The road only has a 35MPH speed limit, so I can imagine how bad it would be if this sort've thing happened at 60+MPH.

I've pushed my luck around the corner just to see what would happen a few times and was never able to get the rear end to swing out more than a couple of inches, but again this is a slow speed road.

**satchel** · 10-11-2011, 06:02 PM

I think when you feel that waggle(which is very disconcerting) it's time to do at least shocks if not struts too?

This was 65 mph, clear, dry, no wind, midmorning, straight newish asphalt road with a decent three foot of gravel at edge w/out much drop off.

Searched the field at least three times for the tow attachment cover. Once I figured out which end of the car was where as it rolled I still couldn't find it, like needle in a haystack I guess.

Eli · 10-11-2011, 06:21 PM

I'll have to take the car with the good suspension around the corner, I haven't been that way since I started driving it. Would be interesting if I feel the same squirrelyness, would show whether it's the suspension or not.

But overall yes, the Insight's ride is very harsh. Which is the way I like it, to be honest. It's part of the road feedback mechanism that lets me know what is happening with my car.

**satchel** · 10-11-2011, 06:54 PM

Ditto. I want to feel the road but cannot take the squirrelly.