Hard Ride and Suspension

[guest765]

As the previous topic on the "hard ride " has timed out i have now done a few miles in the 2005 SE Jazz so to get the run down on basic things, i find the hard suspension and ride quite poor........factory fitted Bridgestone Potenzas all round and as far as i can tell with the "new" condition and quite low mileage of the car no additional changes to the suspension is evident.
The resulting ride is terrible seems like the tyres are blown up to the limit but after checking they are set to the default factory settings.........the car isn't used "(thank god )" for long journeys, and for what it was designed for is quite acceptable i suppose.......so many good things with the Jazz but some poor quality items too (hand brake, hard ride and suspension, interior carpets etc)........a lot of debate time i see has been spent  already on these points........are there any solutions that actually work?..........Joe  

[bill888]

Fwiw, with regards to the subject of hard ride and suspension, there is an old thread on subject of 'Quiet Tyres' you may wish to read:

http://clubjazz.org/forum/jazz-gd-2002-2008/quiet-tyres/

I've now clocked up over 1,000 miles on UniRoyal Rallye 550 185/55/15H tyres.

The ride is still firm with the UniRoyals - but I no longer suffer from back problems & fatigue as I did with the Bridgestones after long motorway runs (concreted sections of the M20 were previously intolerable in my Jazz CVT)

If one is planning to replace the tyres, consider tyres which are described as 'Premium Comfort' tyres - eg. Michelin Energy, Yokohama C-drive etc.  The factory fitted Bridgestone RE040 are 'High Performance' and so the ride does suffer due to their very stiff sidewalls.

The UniRoyal Rallye 550 appear to be described as an 'economy performance' tyres.  I can confirm they are also a lot better in the wet than the Bridgestones too.

[guest765]

Bill......re the Uniroyal Rallye 550 ...although i dont need any tyres right now the Bridgestone Potenzas have quite a bit of tread to go.........the Uiroyals are quoted fully fitted on line at £63 per tyre........and are also quoted as a silent tyre.
The hard ride seems to be a normal thing with the Jazz and as its not for my normal use (its my wifes car) i still have my car which i will have to stop comparing the Jazz with.      Thanks for the info....Joe

[guest229]

  Joe,
       Reference hard ,noisy ride tap in the following-
     " Hakan Modifications"
       Click onto "DIY" tab at the top of the page
       Click onto "Shock absorber header ring"
   I did this mod. and the reduction in transmitted road noise was very marked.---Ivor.


      

[guest229]

Joe,
    Sorry I just realised I gave you entry to Hakan Modifications using a desktop shortcut that you wouldn't have.
         To bring up Hakan Modifications do the following---"
         In your search engine tap in"Honda Jazz 1.4CVT making comfortable"
         Click on the "web" box.
         When the Hakan Modifications page opens follow the steps given 3 above---Ivor.

[guest765]

Ivor I had a look at the mods the guy from South Africa had done.........that is going way over the top even for me.........i like my extra bits and pieces but there has to be a limit........its not my car i bought it for my wife to "run around " in it serves that purpose very well.......for longer or more comfortable motoring i do have my own car and i am a coordinator for a forum of the marque.
Its very nice in this forum people seem friendly and informative ....looking forward to any new "bits and pieces" for the Jazz.

[guest229]

Joe,
    Thanks for the reply. I understand that everyone must recognise their limitations but really this mod is very easy to carry out. It requires a allen key and ring spanner to remove the top assemblys and cutting out two header rings from something similar to a redundant mouse mat. Time taken was about 30mins for me and the effect was nothing short of a revelation.

[guest516]

I'm sceptical - if this mod is so good why don't Honda add the cushion rings ?
If I use it on my new Jazz will it invalidate the warranty  ? I'm cautious

[guest806]

Does seem very easy and quick.  If any one tries then let us know how you get on.

[guest229]

oui4711
          The short answer to your questions is" I don't know" you had best ask Honda not me. By the same token would the following invalidate the warranty
1. Fitting non-potenza tyres
2.Fitting parking sensors
3.Fitting extra radio gear
4.Repositioning the rear washer jet.
I offered the header ring information in the light of club friend ship and help to overcome a  Potenza tyre problem which we are all aware of. However if you don't like the idea then don't do it no one is twisting any arms.





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[guest516]

Thanks Ivor
The header ring seemed such a simple modification I was curious why & it really  was a rhetorical question unless it provoked Honda engineering to come up with the answer.
Which raises the question :- Does Honda monitor the site ?
As Jazz-E says 'if anyone tries it let us know'

[guest229]

Jazz-e,
          I fitted these header rings( having made them myslf from very hard 2mm rubber) about 18 months ago and they have been a success. I estimate the reduction in tyre noise to be approx. 90%. They do not affect the jiggling about on poor road surfaces though but then again all super mini's seem to do that. Incidently I have no interests in these header rings other than info. to other club members.
      oui4711 raised point about the effect it may have on warranty, the point may be valid, I have not raised it with Honda.

[culzean]

website for suspension rings

http://www.hondafitjazz.com/ring.htm

The information says 'very hard rubber'.

Don't think 'a redundant mouse mat' is anything near strong enough for a long term fix,  all the mouse mats I have ever seen are made out of foam.  

This needs an engineering type rubber compound (polyurethane or nitrile rubber sheet).

[guest229]

Culzean,
           I inadvertently said mousemat because I use a hard cutting mat as a mousemat and I had forgotten where I sourced it from ( local market stall) my apologies if I misled. Incidentally it also says you can use a large "O" ring to do the same job and the hardness of those is not far from your mousemat as you describe however that idea did not appeal to me so I skipped it.
           My cutting mat/mousemat is a polyurethane, self sealing compound and the sheet I used was nitrile rubber, sourced from an offcut from the relining of the workbench tops in the insrument shop,maybe that will clarify the issue at the risk of blinding everone with science




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