I’ve been contemplating springs too... But I can’t really state what they’d do for the Stinger (with or without Mando). I’ve only used springs on one car in my entire lifetime. I had a 98 Accord EX V6 back in 1998. That car had an amazingly stable suspension system. My only complaint of it was that it had more nose dive and rear lift during braking than I was used to from my previous Hondas. So I bought H&R OE Soft Sport Springs. They lowered the car .50 inches in the front and .75 inches in the rear. Installed them and they did nothing to help the brake dive. I was disappointed. But then I hit the first corner and then some on/off ramps and I realized WOW, the car cornered completely flat and it felt like it was glued to the road on rails. Very secure cornering. Ride quality was just as composed and smooth as stock at all times. There was a touch of added firmness over potholes but the Accord was so well isolated and the springs worked so well that most people wouldn’t even notice. I ended up keeping the springs because they made nothing worse but improved body roll, increased steering response, and made the steering heavier.
As for the Stinger... I’m not sure what springs will do, because the stock shock tuning is so poor. In my mind, it seems likely that adding a higher rate (lowering) spring to the Stingers already flaccid shocks would add good roll resistance and steering response , but would also ADD to the bounce we already experience. Every time someone posts here about having added their new springs, the first thing I ask is is it bouncier than stock? In the cases of both H&R and Eibach, some say yes some say no. I am convinced that some people don’t care about, notice, or are not bothered by bounce. That being said, I feel that others drive on relatively smooth roads and don’t get into situations where the car bounces.
Here on the forum, most people report that Eibachs reduce the bounce. Again, I’ll have to test a set to be able to describe how they effect this chassis. I do know that the F30 BMW 3 Series suffers from the same type of underdamped suspension we have and when adding springs to those cars you get more stability, but also more bounce. A stiffer spring generally needs a stiffer shock to control it.
I’m more likely to add sways first. The reason why is because when trying to control body roll through the app, it’s far too easy to degrade ride quality and balance. I might end up with sways and springs though... I think the App may not control brake dive as well the stock ECS settings. But this may be a side effect of my brake pad selection. (I’ve got grippier pads on the rear - Euro Stinger pads).
In any event, I’ve wondered several times “how would the Mando feel with stiffer springs?”
It might be a nice addition. That being said, the Stingers problem is not the springs. The stock spring rates are quite decent. It’s these shocks that are holding us back. Everything else is just a bandaid for the poorly calibrated shocks. Since a good shock is not available, I’m happy with a bandaid, that works...
About the
G70 suspension coding. I almost flipped when I saw those settings! Now I have to go drive a
G70 with the Electronic suspension... When I test drove the
G70 this summer, I specifically chose a model with the regular suspension thinking that
G70 ECS had the same bad habits as ours. I drove a 3.3 RWD Advanced with regular suspension. It was smooth, compliant, and firm. But it still had bounce like the Stinger over some larger dips and bumps (though to a lesser degree). I immediately brought the car back and didn’t look any further.
Now that I have access to
G70 coding, I need to try an Adaptive Suspension
G70. Maybe it’s what I’m looking for. If so, I’d end up buying
G70 Adaptive shocks and fitting them to my Stinger. Then, just coding them in.
But I’ve seen a couple
G70 video reviews and I can always spot what looks like a reduced version of the Stingers bounce. So, we’ll see.
That Android phone will do just as well for tuning... Especially as more and more people get the Mando and are able to start reporting and comparing custom settings. We’ll eventually figure out what works best. If you find you can’t get a good custom setting with Androids separated controls, you can always grab an acquaintance and/or their iPhone for a bit of quick testing and experimentation.
You’ll definitely enjoy playing with the Mando settings. Ever since I started tweaking the suspension, I spend more time on “test roads/routes” than I do normal driving. It’s quite amazing and engrossing making changes and seeing how the car responds. You can really get carried away with tweaking the dampers.