Hyundai Azera 2007

snaglepus

Maybe and maybe not.

We have plenty of spring at least in front now unless you are mahout.
He cuts one coil which not only lowers his by 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch but
increases the spring rate making the ride feel stiffer I would think.
It gave him what he wanted for the rode course which is fine for him.
But I don't want to lower my front end even that small amount.
It drags my driveway now as it is unless I go into it very slowly.

I don't want to rode race as he does, nor do I want mine to ride any stiffer than it does now.

I simply want it to stop popusing, and nothing is needed to do that but a
good set of replacement shocks that are well made and will last.
That lets MANDO out as many of us can attest to who have had
the originals plus the TSB replacements fail. :lemon:

I see no need to spend thousands of dollars for coilovers when it is not necessary.
If Bilstein would make aftermarket shocks for the Azera, a pair would probably be less than
$300, and Bilsteins will last for 180K to 200K miles according to my alighment man.
I tried a set for the rears that were supposed to fit according to mahout but they did not fit!
To short by several inches and the bottom hole was not big enough either.

But I did have both the original rear Mando shocks and the new Bilsteins ($150 only for the pair!)
in my hands for a comparison. Nothing wrong with the original rear shocks on my car yet,
but we were told and I agree that more control back there is needed.
I wish you all could see the differences in the build quality of the original Mandos and the Bilsteins.
There simply is no comparison in any way. I gladly would have paid several hundred dollars
more for the car when it was new if it had Bilsteins instead of the junk that it has now!

To put it simply, only good quality replacemets shock are necessary, and nothing more.

cdmuile

Yeah, the time frame seems to be right on. Mine was built 11/05 and I have never had a problem. I couldn't believe some of those posts I started seeing about the suspension. Well, the concerns appear to have been warranted. I just wonder why Hyundai has never in three years offered a 'Sport Suspension' option for those dissatisfied with the stock setup? Seems like a total disregard for customer desires and wishes to me. There are a lot of other car companies out there that do respond! So much for Hyundai for me at least. Too bad as they make some really interesting and nice looking vehicles.

allmet33

Better shocks and better springs...definitely the way to go.

The only reason I put the coilover out there as a suggestion is that there seems to be no other offerings for replacement options. So...it would seem that a bunch of Azera owners need to start contacting these aftermarket companies and press them into making parts available. I know it's tough, it took a year for me to be able to get ceramic pads for the front brakes. Which by the way, if anyone is interested...Rockauto.com sells Akebono ceramic pads for under $60/pr.

snaglepus

Mike,

I have either called or written to just about every aftermarket shock manufacturer you can think of,
and not a one save Monroe has indicated any interest in producing shocks for our Azeras. :sick:

Why do you need Akebono brake pads over the original stock Hyundai pads? :confuse:

Did you get them only because your originals were worn out, and are they as clean as the originals?
I have never had any car with dics that left no dust or residue as the original Hyundai pads.

allmet33

Well...I'm saying that a bunch of Azera owners need to write to the various companies to get on them about that. They can't ignore numbers.

I kept the orginal pads until I wore them out, then I replaced them with another set of Hyundai pads (since none were available at that time) and this last time, I found the ceramic pads available. The Akebono pads are MUCH cleaner than the Hyundai pads. I installed them 2 weeks ago and my wheels are still silver with no brake dust on them, if anything...road grime shows up before brake dust.

snaglepus

Well I have, but I know of only one other person that has done that also.

Those pads must really be something to be cleaner than the originals.
I have never had to clean my wheels and sometime go several months between regular car washes.
My wheels simply do not ever get dirty, unlike some other cars (MBZs) I've had in the past!

I am very easy on brakes. :surprise:

allmet33

No...I haven't because I didn't have a need for them, but...maybe we can get an online petition that Azera owners can sign and send it to the companies.

Well...of course it depends on how heavy you are on the brakes. I ran through the front pads after about 32K miles. They dusted up, but not terribly bad. I had ordered some Monroe pads initially that were supposed to be ceramic. I put them on and my wheels were charcoal in color within 4 days. There was no way they were ceramic...I sent them back and got the Akebono pads. I still drive as I do and haven't washed the car since I installed the pads 2 weeks ago...no visible dusting as of yet.

Eventually, I plan on switching the rotors to the cross drilled rotors as those will help the pads cool off even quicker. With the rotor upgrade, I'll change the calipers to the dual piston version.

tonycd

For those of you who've had your shocks replaced per the TSB...

Did you get your OEM shocks given back to you? If so, could you SEND them to Bilstein, Koni or KYB and ask them if they make anything for some other car that matches their physical specifications?

I don't know how good the customer service is at these companies, but it seems worth taking a flyer.

snaglepus

A good idea Tony, but . . .

I tried to get the stupid mechanic that did my TSB to save my old ones.
He promised me that if Hyundai did not want them back, he would
watch them and if they were not sent back, I could have them.

Well he couldn't be bothered, and I think they were simply thrown out!

I don't think that anyone makes a front shock with anywheres near the physical specs. :surprise:

The rears are very close, but not exactly right.
The Bilsteins I ordered were supposed to fit but did not. About four inches to short, and
the bottom hole diameter was not large enough. Cost me shipping both ways.

tonycd

Now THAT'S exasperating. (As is the shipping cost both ways -- I'd cry too.)

Your tale reminds me of what I think is the worst story I've ever heard about having your old parts handed back to you, told to me years ago by a female co-worker. She had zero mechanical knowledge and she knew it, but she tried to be a dutiful consumer by asking the mechanic to hand her the discarded part. He disdainfully reached down and handed her what she realized later, and what you and I would know instantly, was a completely dissimilar part from an entirely separate portion of the car.

Good service is indeed hard to find. When I find a good independent mechanic, I treasure him.

brianbluemax

I finally saw my first Genesis at a nearby dealer today, and I was a little underwhelmed. It was a base model, with the Azera 3.8 V6 motor tweaked to 290hp. It had most of the options that I have on my Azera limited with Ultimate package, but was without such items as adjustable pedals and Infinity sound system. It was white with black interiror and at first I looked right past it as I thought it was a Sonata (I only saw it from the back). I will admit the seat felt very plush when I sat in it and the leather was perforated. I was not struck by the dash layout of the center console and it did not have the two storage compartments under the center arm rest. More faux wood trim and leather accents on the doors. It did have Smart Key and also a 6 speed transmission with shiftronic. The front looks rather non-descript as there is no manuifacturers badge, the front is totally naked, just the split chrome grill. Overall I got the impression it was smaller than the Azera. What does this base one MSRP at, I forgot to notice?

msazzyindc

Other than the seats in the Genesis, i wasn't impressed either.

cdmuile

As I've posted a couple years ago. How could the design team (interior and exterior) Have a blank sheet of paper put before them and not come up with something really innovative, trend setting and stunning? Genesis looks ok, but....... in Design 101 The most exciting times in class were when the instructor gave us a blank sheet and said: "No rules, no specific instructions, just design something!"

dborth

It had most of the options that I have on my Azera limited with Ultimate package, but was without such items as adjustable pedals

Nor does Genesis have Azeras power folding outside mirrors.

jaymagic

I have to say that the power outside folding mirrors are easily one of the top five pleasures of my Azera. They make my garage seem about a foot wider.

allmet33

I'd have to say I'm surprised to hear you say that. The Genesis is clearly heads and shoulders above the Azeras that we drive. Aside from sitting in it...were you able to take it for a spin? If not...go for a spin, I think you'll see what I'm talking about as far as huge differences between the Genesis and the Azera.

garym1j

Quick question: Did they fix the suspension on the Genesis or is it the same shocks, coil, etc? Love my Azera but keep hearing thump, thump every time I go over a crack in the road.

snaglepus

The Genesis has shocks made by Sachs, not that junk from Mando like the Azeras use! :lemon:

It is my understanding that the suspensions between the two vehicles are entirely different. ( I hope so!)

allmet33

Did they fix the suspension on the Genesis or is it the same shocks, coil, etc? Love my Azera but keep hearing thump, thump every time I go over a crack in the road.

I didn't know there was a problem to fix with the Genesis suspension! :surprise:

I'm joking, I know what you mean. The suspension is truly and signficantly better than that of the Azera. I have an '06 with the shocks that don't fall into the TSB for replacement (so I haven't had the problems most have). My suspension is fine (no wallowing and no clunks). When I tested the Genesis 3.8 w/Premium Plus (18" wheels) I made it a point to drive over pot holes, man hole covers and other uneven parts of road to see how the suspension would respond. Very, very compliant and solid...especially compared to that of my Azera. Now that being said...if I feel it's that much better than the suspension on MY Azera, I can only imagine how much better it would be for those that do have Azeras with the suspension problems.

dborth

I power fold the mirrors every time I park, and I think most women, (wives) would appreciate the power pedals if hubby is a half foot taller and they swap cars occasionally.

Given the price difference you would think the Azera "upgrade" would offer those 2 feature too.

allmet33

I think the power fold mirrors will find their way into the Genesis in the 2010 update as well as a few other things that customer feedback shows as lacking.

Hyundai didn't get it 100% right, but they weren't too far off in my opinion.

ratledge

Well, I'm snorting around the '07 area and driving an '08, but I can tell you that I have driven from Charleston to Columbia (South Carolina - all flat land, mostly) with police escort averaging 120MPH and at points hitting about 135 with no problem. From what I've been told - I have the same shocks that are in all the '07 models (apparently 20-Oct-07 is the date that they switched to the new -640 series shocks). Mine came off the assembly line on July 7, 2007.

wobbly_ears

I agree with you on wives appreciating the power pedals. In my 07 Azzy, the memory seats have made me appreciate this feature even more. My wife & I have our favorite seating positions (mine further back while she, like most women likes to hug the steering wheel).

However, I wish the power pedals positions could be remembered by the memory seat option. It just surprises me that Hyundai didn't integrate this with memory seat function. So, my wife & I have a common position for the pedals we both are comfortable & we don't change pedal position. So, for us, power pedal isn't an advantage at all.

carolinabob

Why were you driving 120+ MPH even on the interstate and with police escort? Are you the Lt. Gov.?
Regardless, as most have posted, the Azera does fine on interstate type highways. It is when you get off on back roads that the problems surface, especially county roads. Try US 176 or 276 in the Columbia area and if you don't see the problem, considere yourself very, very fortunate.

carolinabob

Why were you driving 120+ MPH even on the interstate and with police escort? Are you the Lt. Gov.?
Regardless, as most have posted, the Azera does fine on interstate type highways. It is when you get off on back roads that the problems surface, especially county roads. Try US 176 or 276 in the Columbia area and if you don't see the problem, considere yourself very, very fortunate.

ratledge

No, actually - not the (now ex-?) Lt. Gov. Andre Baeur (sp?)

I work at the U S Dept. of Justice's executive offices...

fushigi

Sorry to drift OT for a moment, but if your wife is too close to the steering wheel it could prove dangerous should the airbag deploy. I've read previously that 10" should be the minimum distance between the wheel & the driver. It's been a while so I don't know if that's still the recommended distance, but it is something to keep in mind.

doveman7

I'm almost positive the seat heater on the drivers side is on, even tho it is set to "0." I remember reading a post on this but don't recall any solution. Is this a common problem and has anyone solved it? My dealer is clueless and tells me it's all in my mind but I don't think so. Thanks.

carolinabob

And that authoriazes you to drive 120+ MPH in a civilian vehicle? Bauer is still the Lt. Gov.

allmet33

What's that say of the police escort that was right along with him?

I did it with no police escort (actually...135 mph)!

oskidunker1

There is something wrong with it. They replaced the switch once and then it started doing it again. Iwould have to lift my back from the seat and either open the window or direct an A?C vent towards the seat. I don't need that problem since I rarely use it. I will probably not reconnect it in the winter.My Advice is to have it disconnected then you can know for sure. The seats are not ventilated and do get a little warm but nothing like when I had the seat heater connected. They tell me there is no way for it to come on. It is designed to turn OFF automatically when the outside temp is high. Probably this feature is working in reverse. Would be nice to get a fix, wouldn't it?

rminor

That's why my wife loves the power pedals. She's short (4'11") and in our other cars she had to sit very close to the air bag. Now she's able to sit a good distance from the wheel. Also, as far as the memory function ours is easy. she has the pedals all the way out, I have them all the way in.

doveman7

Do you know what was involved in disconnecting? Is it as simple as pulling a fuse? Knowing my dealer, they will charge to disconnect and reconnect.
Thanks.

oskidunker1

went away for 10 days. Came back and the car would not start. Had to get it jumped. Seems to me there was a thread regarding this. Anyone know? No lights were left on. The only thing that I can think of is that maybe when the dealer dissconected my heated seat, he left a circut open.Seat kept coming on by itself so I had it dissconnected a few months ago.

gamleged

You might check here:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1037a2/25!keywords=allin%3Amsgtex- t%20limit%3A.f0aaebf%20security#25

alymac

Hi Mahout,
Snaglepus said you lowered your azera by 5/8 inch on the front by cutting the coil..
where you able to still get correct camber and castor?
Also did you lower the back?
Allmet said he lowered his with H & R springs apprx.1.4 to 1.5 inches..is this too much , do you think? ie cause bottoming?
Why do I want to lower...lower centre gravity..reduce lean on corners and improve
look...so close the fender gap
ISomeone said one could change springs for coilovers ??
Appreciated your thoughts on the susbject of lowering
Thanks in advance
alymac

pat

Questions about discussion management should be directed to me in email, not posted. Thanks!

allmet33

Allmet said he lowered his with H & R springs apprx.1.4 to 1.5 inches..is this too much , do you think? ie cause bottoming?

Alymac...I did NOT lower my Azera yet (I'm planning on it though). I originally posted some links to show you a couple of guys that have lowered their Azeras though. The pics are on cardomain.com. If you do a search by model, look up Azera and you'll see 2 maybe 3 that have lowered their suspensions.

I don't think you have to worry about bottoming out if you lower it using the kit. The aftermarket kit comes with the coil over shocks and much stiffer springs that stock. Personally, this is something I the the car's OEM springs should be...stiffer. I think it's possible to have them a bit stiffer and not be a hard ride.

Coil overs are replacements for shocks, not the springs. The springs can be replaced as well.

snaglepus

"I originally posted some links to show you a couple of guys that have lowered their Azeras though."

Where are those links now? What happened to those links? I cannot find them!

allmet33

I would look for them, but I can probalby re-post quicker, so...

Elninorudo's CarDomain page Used coilovers

OpirusXG's CarDomain page Used lowering springs

Martianiv's CarDomain page Used lowering springs

snaglepus

Thanks Mike.

alymac

Allmet33,
Thanks for your reply.. think I need a little education on coilovers.. you wrote that coilovers replace shocks not springs..I thought that coilovers replace the
springs on a car.c ould you mind clarifying this for me..obviously I dont understand
the subject.
Also you mentioned an aftermarket kit.......who makes it and what does it consist of?
Sorry I sound so dense on this subject but.. heh.. theres only one way to learn
Appreciate your reply
Alymac

allmet33

Here is what the coilover set up looks like. Most coilovers are adjustable, which means you can adjust the amount of damping and control just how the shock performs in handling and ride contol.

Azera Coilover Set

Here is what the lower springs look like, nothing but a set of springs that you replace the OEM springs with. They are shorter and much firmer, but still rely on the OEM shocks. Personally, I think the aftermarket springs by themselves would improve the ride of the car, but I really don't know because I haven't done it and I haven't spoken to anyone that has.

Azera Lowering Spring Set

The guy that used the coilover kit said that replacing that has significantly improved the handling of his Azera. He said in turns the car tracks like it's on rails.

snaglepus

"Azera Coilover Set"

"Here is what the lower springs look like, nothing but a set of springs that you replace the OEM springs with. They are shorter and much firmer, but still rely on the OEM shocks.
Personally, I think the aftermarket springs by themselves would improve the ride
of the car, but I really don't know because I haven't done
it and I haven't spoken to anyone that has."



You are wrong Mike. All four shocks are replaced. Two in the front and two more in the rear.

Look closely at the picture. In fact Zoom in.
What are those two cylindrical objects laying flat on the table?
Those are the rear shocks. :surprise:

You had better get all four springs and four shocks for 12 bills.

allmet33

You are wrong Mike. All four shocks are replaced. Two in the front and two more in the rear.

Look closely at the picture. In fact Zoom in.
What are those two cylindrical objects laying flat on the table?
Those are the rear shocks.

Snags...what are you talking about??? If you look at how I did the posting...I put a short narrative in FRONT of the link showing what it was. I know the coilover set is replacing all 4 shocks. Duh...that's exactly what the picture shows. My post started by saying that most coilovers are adjustable... I didn't say much more because I've never dealt with them, but I NEVER said anything about only replacing 2. :confuse: Then I put in a link to show what the coilover set looks like.

Then went on to mention the lowering springs...and posted a link to show what the lowering spring kit looks like.

I ended it by saying I spoke to the guy (via email) that went with the coilover kit and he says his handling improved dramatically.

Sorry old-timer, time to take a trip to the optometrist and get an upgraded prescription.

snaglepus

"Snags...what are you talking about??? If you look at how I did the posting...I put a short narrative in FRONT of the link showing what it was. I know the coilover set is replacing all 4 shocks. Duh...that's exactly what the picture shows. My post started by saying that most coilovers are adjustable... I didn't say much more because I've never dealt with them, but I NEVER said anything about only replacing 2. Then I put in a link to show what the coilover set looks like."

Here's what I read from your earlier post:
"They are shorter and much firmer, but still rely on the OEM shocks."

Now what are you saying? "still rely on the OEM shocks" to me
or anyone else means using the original or OEM shocks.

Just because I have few wise years on you in no reason for you to try and insult me.
I know what you posted; It is right there for anyone including yourself to see.

At seventy two years young, I have 20/25 vision and do not have nor wear corrective lens at any time, and my vision is perfect thank you.

Chill out as you young people like to say.

allmet33

Snags...first of all, you're getting all worked up over nothing. Let me explain...old-timer is not an insult coming from me ( I'm 37). I have great respect for those that are in their senior years as you have and are still living a full life full of much experience that one like myself can gain from. An insult would have been blind old geezer.

Now...you're right, your vision is good, you are correct in what you read, however...wrong in it's context. Again...I put the narrative in FRONT of the link showing what each is (narrative/link...narrative/link). What I stated about the lowering springs being shorter and stiffer than OEM... PRECEDES the link for lowering springs. I think if you go back and look at my post...you'll see that. In which case, I am correct...the lowering springs are shorter and stiffer and rely on the OEM shocks (because the springs are all that are being replaced). That statement was NOT said in reference to the coilovers.

If you notice, my explanation of the coilovers is very brief as I don't have any experience with them at all.

As you said, it's right there for everyone to see.

richardcot

9-21-07 Just got back yesterday from an 850 mile trip from Atlanta down to the Florida panhandle. Made sure tires were inflated to 32 PSI prior to leaving. With 200 lbs of luggage and stuff I could tell the car was loaded just by the reduction in wheel clearance. The extra weight only made the car ride worse. Felt every bump in the road and the construction on 85S didn't help. Not a good car to be in when you have to pee and the next rest stop is 43 miles. Other than that the car performed excellently especially when passing the slow driving rednecks on the two lane roads of L.A. (lower Alabama). (Hey I can call them that since I lived there for 14 years). Averaged about 26 MPG according to the computer. Had to wash her this morning as there were hundreds of dead love bugs all over the bumper and
sideview mirrors. I have the clear bra protection but it still took a while to scrub them off. Definitely now going to pursue getting the struts replaced with the latest part.

oskidunker1

Just drove from San francisco to Ashland Oregon, about 350 miles with 4 people and luggage and newley installed 640 shocks.. The car rode pretty well most of the time. Better than before the 640's. I would agree, however, that the car rode worse with the increased load when I went over a few bouncy roads. Overall, though, it was fine. It it stays like this, I will be happy. Will report back after the 5,000 mile barrier is breached.

Got 27 Miles per gallon . Very quiet and I still hear no noise at 15,000 miles with the Michelin all weather tires.

medic481

Hi just saw your message regarding the distance between airbag and driver. I just retired from 22yrs as a paramedic, and in that time I saw some pretty severe airbag injuries to drivers who sat too close to the wheel. I would recommend sitting as far away from that thing as your arms,(and legs) allow. The airbag deploys at about 120mph. If you're lucky, you come away with only a bloody nose. I have long legs, so I always sit at arm's length from the wheel. I cringe everytime I see a fellow driver sitting right up on the wheel. That's broken ribs, punctured lungs, & a cardiac contusion waiting to happen.