carl425 Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Fellow Caddy Enthusiats, I'm looking to do some serious handling upgrades to my STS. My wife drives an '03 BMW 745i and I gotta tell you it is S-W-E-E-T and makes me not even want to get back in my Caddy whenever I ve driven it. What I'm looking for is a way to reduce the ridiculous amount of roll the Caddy has. I already am planning to replace the struts as I'm at 105K and I can sense a little bit of bounce when I go over big bumps and such. I'm also contemplating a strut brace, a stiffer sway bar and putting 18" wheels on her. Has anyone done any of these, or other suspension/handling mods, and noticed a significant improvement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=9420 The strut tower brace might help a little. Maybe export export models have them?? Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 I think you are on the right track. Thicker anti-sway, tower bracing, and 18" wheels. Performance rubber can make a big difference. You may choose to lower the car as well, say with the Eibach kit, although we have had mixed reports of the resulting ride. But if you want a harder, more sporty ride that may be the ticket. <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=cadillacsevilles&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000F2DLMW&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl425 Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 I think you are on the right track. Thicker anti-sway, tower bracing, and 18" wheels. Performance rubber can make a big difference. You may choose to lower the car as well, say with the Eibach kit, although we have had mixed reports of the resulting ride. But if you want a harder, more sporty ride that may be the ticket. <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=cadillacsevilles&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000F2DLMW&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000ff&bc1=000000&bg1=ffffff&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe> Where can I find a different sway bar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 See the catalog: http://www.addco.net/aftermarket.htm I just totally rebuilt my front and rear suspension at 80,000 miles. I hated the ride of my Deville and if you do a search you will find that i have referred to it as a boat. The struts were shot, and the springs were sagging as a result. Well its not a slot car now, but it is substantially better and the body roll is much less. As you know a Deville is not intended to be a performance car unlike an STS. If i wanted to get nutty I would put H rated tires on her but I think that the overall ride would be compromised. Consider that your suspension is worn out and in need of refurbishing. I replaced the following, front and rear struts and springs, strut rod bushings, ball joints, hub bearings, front and rear stabilizer bar bushings, strut mounts, insulators. Also, what tires are you running they should be Z rated and run at the highest safe pressure. If you are thinking your struts are shot, they probably are, mine were shot at 48,000 miles. If your suspension is original, its worn out. Neither of my front shocks controlled the upward movement of the wheel assembly and one was leaking oil. If you are going to go through the trouble of rebuilding your suspension, use high performance parts (springs, rotors, pads, bushings (both stabilizer bar and strut rod) and you will be happy again. Also have a look at Energy Suspensions for POLY bushings > http://www.energysuspension.com/ Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 what tires are on the BMW? even if you stay with the same size but try a different brand/performance rating can have a huge impact. going to a shorter sidewall can also affect the handling. i parked next to a new chrysler hemi C and noticed it wheels were 225/60R18. that is 2" larger diameter than what I have now. they looked huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carl425 Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 what tires are on the BMW? even if you stay with the same size but try a different brand/performance rating can have a huge impact. going to a shorter sidewall can also affect the handling. i parked next to a new chrysler hemi C and noticed it wheels were 225/60R18. that is 2" larger diameter than what I have now. they looked huge. It has 19" wheels on it. I hate to brag on it in this forum but it is so far superior to my STS it's not even funny. I sear you could set a glass of wine on the dash and take a corner hard and it wouldn't budge. Just crazy power too. It's a 4.4 with 345Hp an a SILK-SMOOTH 6 speed auto tranny. It just WALKS away from my STS when she's next to me at about 80mph and we both floor it. It's an expensive ride but worth every penny. The German's KNOW how to build a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Thanks for sharing. However, I hate be the one to tell you this, but IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN! You can spend the REST of your savings on Caddy performance and handling mods, and it will not be the same as the BMW. If you are that impressed with the car, and I think you are, trade the Caddy in for one just like it. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Have you seen the STS-V? Supercharged Northstar - 469 HP... That would eat that BMW Kraut-Can for lunch... Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 If you compare apples to apples, meaning your 99 STS against a 99 7 series BMW, I think you'll feel better about your caddy. Compare specs: http://www.automotive.com/1999/12/bmw/7-se...ions/index.html Or even better still, you could always compare her 03 against an 06 or 07 STS-V. Of course that would be apples to oranges then. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 If you compare apples to apples, meaning your 99 STS against a 99 7 series BMW, I think you'll feel better about your caddy. Or even better still, you could always compare her 03 against an 06 or 07 STS-V. Of course that would be apples to oranges then. Absolutely... Many have issue with the late 02 and newer Magna Ride suspension system stating it is too hard.. But in the 04 that I drove with it was amazing... I would recommend selling the 99 and buying a 03 STS... BTW with regards to your Beamer... I have a few friends who used to drive 7 series Beamers... While they loved their cars... They were one electrical problem/glitch after another... they all agreed (and one is a Systems Analyst) that I-Drive is the dumbest thing ever installed in any vehicle.... Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolnesss Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 >> I-Drive is the dumbest thing ever installed in any vehicle.... Uh, what about front-wheel drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 >> I-Drive is the dumbest thing ever installed in any vehicle.... Uh, what about front-wheel drive? That could be argued, with the exception of torque steer, there are some positive benefits to front wheel drive. I wouldnt call it the dumbest thing. A lot of people are going to miss front wheel drive come winter. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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