Rough Rider - options for softer ride?

[Smart Pilot]

Hey, been operating my car for a couple of months now. Great commuter and does 65 - 70 with no effort. Does not like wind over 15 knots. I've been getting around 41 mpg around the city. Outer city that is.

I am finding the suspension is a bit stiff for Oklahoma roads. Has anyone found a way to soften the ride?

[SubSlr88]

Originally Posted by Smart Pilot

I am finding the suspension is a bit stiff for Oklahoma roads. Has anyone found a way to soften the ride?

I know what you mean - I can feel every paint stripe in the road~! I've heard larger tires will help, maybe some wider rims with some 195s or 205s. If you could find a set of rear rims, you could add some wider tires and use the same size all around. . . keep a front for a spare, if needed.

Good luck~!

[gbryers]

There are really only two realistic things you can do to soften the ride:
As mentioned previously, change out the rims and tires for a bit larger, wider tire, and to put in new springs (there are several manufacturers out there). They typically lower your car a little bit, but provide for better handling.

Short of that, I could suggest you start cramming in the Twinkies - get your weight up to 400lbs or so, which will help compress the current suspension, but I don't recommend that particular strategy...

[smark]

I am finding the suspension is a bit stiff for Oklahoma roads. Has anyone found a way to soften the ride?[/QUOTE]

Buy a Caddy, or have Oklahoma fix there roads

[burtandnancy]

You high mileage was the tip off. You have too much tire pressure. Drop it to a normal amount, give up a mile or two and enjoy the new smooth ride...

[redbluff]

Put on the solid steel wheels the Pure model comes with and nice smoother ride

[Old smart]

Changing tire sizes will likely produce some effects, maybe some good, and maybe some not so good. Like a lot of things about the smart, the designers had to weigh a number of competing factors in specifying tire sizes: safety, fuel economy, ride comfort, road noise, cost-to-build, wheel well dimensions, and even available sizes (we know that there isn’t a big selection available). Changing one factor will likely affect one or more others.

Increasing tire size may likely improve comfort because when properly inflated, the larger footprint requires a lower inflation pressure to bear the same vehicle weight. E.g., the current NA smart pressures for the 155/175 tires are 29F/36R. The proper pressures for the Euro pulse’s 175/195 tires are 26F/32R. Donno about the Euro Brabus 175/225s, but they are surely lower still. The downside of larger tires will be a loss of fuel economy due to greater rolling resistance and rotational weight. (A heavily “Brabus-ized,” G&K W450 owner admitted to a 10%-15% loss of MPGs due to its big wheels and fat tires.) There may or may not be greater road noise. Normal use handling may improve, but handling at the extreme may become unpredictable. (I found that my Caterham Seven “clubman” produced much better handling and faster lap times after I went from 195/50-15s to 185/60-14s. And a better, nimbler ride when driven off-track.) One thing oft overlooked when mounting overly wide tires on a light car is their tendency to hydroplane in wet weather. I know that the Euro Brabus is shod 175/225, but I think everything else was thrown out the window for appearance in that case.

It is all a matter of how you wish to re-balance your various factors.

[jwight]

One thing oft overlooked when mounting overly wide tires on a light car is their tendency to hydroplane in wet weather.

That is a foot stomper; the wider the tire, the lower the hydroplaning speed. This time of year with lots of rain around it's something to think about.

[Mike T]

Buy some pulse wheels and tires; they're an OEM option everywhere but North America and improve everything including wet weather handling (believe it or not). Mileage decreases by under 5% with the 175/195 combination. The stock tires let the car understeer incredibly. Handling on the limit is 100% predictable, at least in the 450.

You could also get progressive springs, which would be softer initially but harder the more the suspension compresses. Depending on your local road conditions, this could either be a solution or a disaster.

[jetfuel]

Originally Posted by jwight

That is a foot stomper; the wider the tire, the lower the hydroplaning speed. This time of year with lots of rain around it's something to think about.

Directional tread designs (sometimes called Unidirectional tread designs) are frequently used on tires intended to better resist hydroplaning. Their multiple tread grooves are aligned in a repeating "V" shape to increase the tire’s ability to channel water from between the tire’s footprint and the road. Directional tread designs are especially helpful in increasing hydroplaning resistance when relatively wide tire and wheel applications are selected...

jetfuel