I have a '72 with a very rough ride. It just does not make for a very pleasent drive, especially for the wife, when the car seems to take every bump as a major parking lot speed bump. All bushings had been replaced with a Susp. Tech. urethane kit and Tokico springs/shocks/struts within the last few years. Tires are Goodrich 14" T/A's. What first could be done (or at least looked at) to try and soften the stiff ride?

Rubber bushings instead of poly, stock springs and KYB strut inserts. All of the suspension changes you list are great for handling, but will make the ride harsher.

Even the changes I list will have a firm ride, that's the nature of the car.

Go back to stock springs...

What profile 14" tires??? Go to a 70 series and lower the air pressure to factory spec.

just thinking outloud...

Carl B.

Ditto, I did the suspension "upgrade" and am not happy with the ride. I am going to put my stock springs back in and see how much that helps. I hope I don't have to replace the struts as well, but I will if I have to.

I did the tokico "upgrade", and am not happy with the ride, way too stiff and jittery for a daily driver, although ti does handle great, and looks great. It almost feels like the car is shaking itself apart on bumpy roads. I am going to put the stock springs back in and see how much that helps. Some mods are best left for the track or show cars.

my 2 cents

One mans ride is another mans backache...

My '72 sits on coil-over struts w/Tokico HTS and 275lb springs, poly bushings, larger sway bars and a heim joint TC rod. It is driven on bumpy New England roads with 2 degrees of negative camber, 4 degrees of front caster and sits at 6-inches @ rockers.

Is it stiff? You bet. Do I sometimes think to soften it up? Yes. Have I ever done so? No.

Does my wife ride in my Z? No. Would she if I changed the suspension? Maybe. But first I'd have to install a different exhaust.

Set your suspension up to where it makes you happy and then enjoy......

One mans ride is another mans backache...

So very true. I have ruined the ride on many cars over my three+ decades of car ownership. But since I don't track or auto-x my cars anymore, I have been staying much closer to stock these days. I get my handling improvements mostly with tires now, and leave suspensions mostly stock. The Z actually has more suspension mods than any of my current vehicles now, and the mods consist of KYB shocks and cut-down Euro Stage 1 springs. Pretty mild. But it works for my purposes.

I forgot to mention the PDK front triangular strut bar and the roll bar/strut bar in the rear. Once on jack stands you can remove one side and the other side stays up on its' own.

Some might call it harsh but harsh is when I turn the HTS shocks all the way to firm.

I forgot to mention the PDK front triangular strut bar and the roll bar/strut bar in the rear. Once on jack stands you can remove one side and the other side stays up on its' own.

That's a sweet looking brace, but it looks like they are no longer being sold. :disappoin

Does my wife ride in my Z? No. Would she if I changed the suspension? Maybe. But first I'd have to install a different exhaust.

What kind of aftermaket exhaust could you put on your wife...?

What kind of aftermaket exhaust could you put on your wife...?

a quiet muffler would be nice somedays....

But those are very expensive...