Troubleshooting
Stillen technician Sam Camarillo provided us with some insight into the quirks, shortcomings and time-oriented problems suffered by Z32s. Up front, Sam was quick to point out the tension rod. Sam informed us that the unit's bushing is filled with silicone and, over time, they can crack and develop leaks. The car loses some of its handling feedback and, in some cases, the wheel and suspension sub-assembly will actually move under hard braking. Stillen has addressed this shortcoming with its adjustable tension rod. The Stillen piece deletes the stock bushing altogether, replacing it with a rod end-type bushing. It is adjustable to allow for alignment, because many Zs have had impacts with parking barriers and this is the only way, short of a frame alignment shop, to fine tune the alignment.
Shocks and springs absorb...
Shocks and springs absorb the lion's share of abuse and are the most frequently replaced components in the suspension.
Here we see the stock offering...
Here we see the stock offering and Stillen's adjustable piece. The Stillen adjustable tension rod is constructed from 4130 steel and uses Grade 8 hardware and race-quality rod ends.
At the stern, it is the rear A-arm that is a problem child of sorts. In some cases, the stock arms do not allow enough camber adjustment to align the car to spec. Camarillo said that, for some reason, the driver's side is a big problem; 75 percent of the cars he sees are not able to attain proper adjustment on this side. Sam is a perfectionist, and when he adjusts the suspensions of customers' cars, he wants total precision, but he reports he has problems meeting the manufacturer's range of adjustment, much less the exact number. To correct this situation, Stillen manufactures its own adjustable rear A-arm. The unit is stoutly built and provides an additional 1 to 1.5 degrees of adjustment.
Here is the Stillen piece...
Here is the Stillen piece on the car. The bolt (arrow) is for the air deflector, which is found on earlier Z32s. This deflector directs air to the brakes for added cooling.
Here we see the stock upper...
Here we see the stock upper arms. If you plan to substantially lower the ride height of your vehicle, a set of adjustable upper arms should be considered.
The meat of this article will showcase how a typical Z owner could upgrade the handling performance of his Z32 and further reveal some of the Zs problem areas. The accompanying photos will illustrate the installation of shocks, springs, sway bars, camber kits, tension rods A-arms and strut tower braces.
The Stillen adjustable unit...
The Stillen adjustable unit delivers plus or minus 3 degrees of camber adjustment. Its rack-and-pinion design makes changes in a snap and allows the user to dial-in the suspension for spirited driving and/or maintaining normal tire wear on lowered applications.
The Stillen arm uses urethane...
The Stillen arm uses urethane bushings to enhance feedback and provide a long service life. The arm is engineered with zerk fittings to make maintenance easy.
The Stillen arm is mounted...
The Stillen arm is mounted using OE attachment points and OE hardware.