[dr.aviansh]

Related Thread: Softer dampers (Softer aftermarket dampers / shock absorbers?)

Subject Car : A ’14 Grand i10 CRDi Sportz.

The Drive : On broken patches, there was some side to side lateral movement and stiffness could be felt on bad roads.

On highways, I did some super high speeds on Yamuna Expressway to check her out. I realised that the stiffness was perfect while tackling expansion joints at triple digits. There was absolutely no body roll while doing high speed manoeuvres and she felt completely at home. I felt that this isn’t the normal behaviour of a Grand i10 and after driving some other Grand’s I concluded that mine was probably a lemon car.

I had been showing it to 2/3 dealers in Delhi ever since I first had a back pain but none felt any fault in my car. My friends who own Grand i10’s felt a slight stiffness in mine and my family members preferred other cars over this one because of the same reason. So, it was the only one left for me.

MODS DONE SO FAR:

1.) SEAT SWAP : The i10 Grand doesn’t have a cushy seat. The lumbar support is inadequate and GTO sir mentioned in his Official Review that you end up feeling that you’re sitting inside them.

So, I decided to go for the 2011-2017 Hyundai Verna seats. They have adequate padding which is on the stiffer side (actually a good thing) and some good lateral support to keep you in place while going over broken patches. Soft foaming over a hard seat provides a good balance of impact absorption IMO.


Original Seats : Pic sourced from the Official Review.



2.) TYRE UPSIZE : From 165/65 R14 Bridgestone S322’s to 165/70 R14 XM2+ Michelin’s.

3.) SEAT SQUABS AND ANGLE MODIFICATION : To get a more upright angle as to avoid direct impact onto the hip/sacrum area.







All these did make an impact but I hoped for some more cushiness so that I don’t have drive at crawling speeds over the broken patches. I did briefly consider putting bench press weights under the carpet but then dropped the idea. LOL!

Sent her to HANS HYUNDAI last week whose Head Technician immediately pointed out that my shocks had worn out and hence the excessive stiffness.
Though for the first time somebody backed my observation but deep inside my mind I wondered that there should ideally be some wallowing in my ride and not the other way round.

I reluctantly agreed as I wouldn’t be driving with kaput shocks anyways and when I checked my older shocks after the replacement, they were actually dead.

Immediate observation : The car was taking bumps with ease now.

Long Run observation : The side to side movement had actually increased! Now this began upsetting my back once again and this was also confirmed by our driver.

I went to DEEP HYUNDAI whose mechanic finally agreed after years of complaining that the shocks are stiffer.

I checked the part numbers online :

Diesel Shockers - 54650B4030 and 54660B4030;

Petrol Shockers - 54650B4000 and 54660B4000.

Shockers installed by HANS HYUNDAI - 54603B4000! I wondered what these are. I think it’s for ABS models. Should the behaviour be any different from the non ABS ones!?



The SA from HANS said maybe the manufacturer is different. But I told him that I would return them and he agreed.

The Final Decision : It had been enough of the whole scenario and I told Mr. Bhaskar at DEEP HYUNDAI to have petrol shockers installed in mine. Having known Mr. Pradeep Sharma, the owner for over 35 years, Bhaskar uncle was willing to give it a chance too.

JOB DONE.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS :

Low Speed Ride Quality : Had actually improved. Yay! Not bone jarring anymore.

Body Roll : To a small extent, yes. I’ve increased the tyre pressure to 33 PSI to counter that. A little more bothersome is that now the front has more body roll than the rear. But I’m not doing any Ghat sections in NCR!

High Speed Bumpiness : It feels stable at a moderate 120 KM/H. Didn’t get a chance to check beyond that with the Petrol Dampers.

CONS :
When there’s a dip in the road and you’re doing triple digit speeds, there’s a loss in composure. At that point, you need to be sure that you’re not planning to cut through traffic. Just be in a straight line, hold onto to her tight and she’ll regain her composure in about a second.

Any ideas on how I can gain a LITTLE stiffness without changing the suspension parts?

Hoping it was a good read and if you’re tired with your car’s stiffness on city roads, this could be worth a shot provided the car isn’t taken much on highways like mine.

Take care and drive safe.

-AVIANSH.

[sagarpadaki]

I admire the great lengths that you are going to get the ride quality sorted on your car rather than just replacing it with a one that fits your needs.
The sideways movement is triggered by the springs. The dampers/shock absorbers arrest that continued sideways movement.

If you need the flat ride over broken patches then you need to address the other important part of the suspension - Springs. Unfortunately, since Gi10 is not a global model, there may not be aftermarket spring from reputed manufacturers like KYB, CSGermany, Sachs etc. So you may try the RogerB spring tension modifier blocks are are wrapped around the spring which 'may' provide you the improvement you are looking for.

See, if KYB makes springs and dampers for Grand i10. The shock absorber model is 'ExcelG'. Do not know about the springs. They are considered one of the best in business.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Man you’ve gone to great lengths to improve the ride of your Hyundai. A car which had fairly average comfort levels to begin with. Kudos to your perseverance.

If I were you (and yes, ride quality is top priority for my slip disc affected back), I would have simply gotten rid of the Grand i10 and get myself a new Altroz or a per owned Duster/Terrano. Or a Polo or Rapid with the international spec Sachs suspensions.

[GTO]

Must admire your perseverance .

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

When there’s a dip in the road and you’re doing triple digit speeds, there’s a loss in composure. At that point, you need to be sure that you’re not planning to cut through traffic. Just be in a straight line, hold onto to her tight and she’ll regain her composure in about a second.

Thanks for the honest feedback. I would suggest you maintain <100 kmph speeds at all times.

In our Premier Padmini petrol once, a dumb mechanic fitted the 137D's springs & dampers. As a result, the car was "lifted" only from the front. Looked funny as hell. Will try finding a picture.

[landcruiser123]

Well, certainly something I would never do. Reasons:
1. The dampers for the petrol variant is designed for a lower load. It'll wear out faster
2. Chassis flex might be excessive considering our Indian roads and torque of the diesel on the drive shafts

Best not to drive your car very enthusiastically. For a better ride, why not try:
1. Downsizing wheels to get taller tire sidewalls
2. Get yourself a gel-based/memory foam cushion & back support to sit on

Also, back pain is sometimes caused by bad seating posture & unnecessary stretches - but I don't think I need to explain this to a doctor.

Wish you good luck and safe driving.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

. [/b]

Shockers installed by HANS HYUNDAI - 54603B4000! I wondered what these are. I think it’s for ABS models. Should the behaviour be any different from the non ABS ones!?

No they are not different in the performance. The change is on the external side where they have a socket to guide the ABS sensor wire.

[saur95]

I really commend the extent to which you're going to achieve ride comfort. Just wanted to say that diesel dampers are uprated to deal with the heavier engine and the petrol equivalent will most probably just lead to funny dynamics, for lack of a better word.

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

3.) SEAT SQUABS AND ANGLE MODIFICATION : To get a more upright angle as to avoid direct impact onto the hip/sacrum area.

Modifying seat rails is definitely not something I'd recommend to anyone. The rails, mounting points and tightening torque are engineered for your safety. Last thing you'd want is the weld to fail or the bolt to shear during an accident.

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

Body Roll : To a small extent, yes. I’ve increased the tyre pressure to 33 PSI to counter that. A little more bothersome is that now the front has more body roll than the rear. But I’m not doing any Ghat sections in NCR!

A tire pressure change would cause negligible reduction in body roll (Only reducing minimal tire flex). You need to deal with the sprung mass here. Stiffer springs and thicker sway bar will control the roll while better dampers will reduce tire hop.

I'm personally not sure where you can find anything aftermarket to help but I wish you luck! Keep us posted!