Bouncy Ride

[GT7 Mayhem]

I'm trying to figure out if this is a quirk of this car or if there might be some issue here. I've noticed if I'm rolling along between 20 - 30 mph (my rush hour commute forces this more than I'd like) the car seems excessively bouncy, but once I get around 35 mph and above the car drives nice and smooth. And just to clarify, there is no steering wheel vibration, the whole car is literally just bouncy at those lower speeds. It's really weird and my best guess is that maybe this car has progressive springs to give a smoother ride at higher speeds but is giving too much feedback over minor changes in the road at lower speeds? Some specifics of my car, it is a GT premium, no PP, no magneride.

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[Alan Applegate]

This has more to do with the wheelbase length as anything. While that sounds odd, it really isn't. Pavement (usually asphalt) has a tendency to bunch up under stopping and acceleration forces (near intersections more than on even stretches). This causes the pavement to become slightly undulated into ridges and valleys. The average wheelbase of ≈112 inches has to be factored in too. The Mustang is 107 inches, by the way. Add is the heavier suspension, and you feel these ridges and valleys more readily than you would in say an SUV with a longer wheelbase. As you speed up, the attack angle is reduced, and you don't feel them as easily.

All of this reminds me a fact we don't see so much today as our fathers did. Look for any dip in the road, and ask yourself why the pavement just past the dip is darker in color? Well in short, the dip caused lubricating oils to be shaken off the underside. Thankfully cars are made better these days.

 

[GT7 Mayhem]

Interesting. I've also noticed that it doesn't seem to happen if I'm accelerating or decelerating, only when coasting at those speeds. So it probably is some combination of the spring rate and the imperfections in the road. I've never noticed this in any other car that I've driven so I just find it odd, and that's why I was trying to find out if anyone else was experiencing this in their Mustang.

 

[mabcim]

Try putting it in Neutral, and coast at that speed, to eliminate the tranny.

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