Originally Posted by rawrjaay

hello i wanted to no if i got springs instead of coil overs that lowered my car about an inch and a half or so, would that be better than getting coil overs with stock struts and shocks?

because i cant afford full sets of coil overs and i want coils, but people say it will blow out my stock shocks quickly BUT I DONT WANT TO RIDE SLAMMED!

so thats why i ask would it be better to get springs with stock struts and shocks, or coils?

Originally Posted by motegicivic

You can go the spring route, I would check the struts/shocks since it is like 14 years old, since either you are doing it or shop is doing it why do it twice.

Also, do not go too low esp if for street use.

A coilover is expensive.

Originally Posted by rawrjaay

how would i check it, i didnt really understand what u meant by the shop doing it twice? sorry (=

Originally Posted by grumblemarc

He means installling springs and then having to go back and install new shocks when your old busted ones fail.

Is your ride pretty bouncy? Can you push down easily on the fender and it BOUNCE back up?

Originally Posted by motegicivic

Basically, if you went the spring route with the orig struts/shocks in bad shape, and the struts/shocks are leaking or worn out, then you will have to have them removed and start over.

If you went the shop route let them inspect the originals to see if it is worth keeping them, but do not go too low with the originals if you want to take a chance, no more than say 1.5 inches.

Originally Posted by rawrjaay

ok i see what your saying, is there a shop or place that would inspect them for free then?

and yea my car is stock height, so 1.5 inches would be a good drop.

Originally Posted by ek forever guy

From personal experience I would tell you to wait. Save your money and buy somethign worth buying. You're going to be unhappy with it in 6 months, if not much sooner, I promise. I love my suspension ($600) and I regret not spending the extra $200 for Koni/Ground control. If you think about it in terms of time, it's peanuts.

Originally Posted by motegicivic

I would call around and see who does that kind of work and get some prices, it is a few hours labor.

How many miles on the car, if it seems tight you should be able to get away with springs only, get a decent brand, no ebay crap, and no more than 1.5, you should be pretty happy with it.

If you get it done take some pics and tell us how they are.

Originally Posted by rawrjaay

hey man thanks for that, you no what i think i might just do that, because for a lifetime worth of driving my civic, i think that would be the best way to go,

but i will try all my options to see where im going to go with my car, (:

Originally Posted by ek forever guy

Indeed, trust me you'll be much happier in the end by buying the good stuff the first time. I've spent thousands doing it half-assed the first time, and now I have to do it right and sell the crap parts for a lot less to make up for it.

Even if your car is slow, it's nice to have a good looking/well handling car. And even then the good looking part on requires some decent detailing skills. Leave it stock on the outside. Simplicity is often the quickest way to recognition. A lot of cars take it too far and put an aftermarket something or other on every nook & cranny of the car.

Here's mine, left it pretty simple on the outside. Just had the trim paint matched and got a front lip from an Si for $80 local to me. Had it repaired and painted at a local shop for $70:





Selling my konigs to buy my volks was the best decision I ever made. Took me some time and saving, but these are wheels I could have for years and years to come without worry of them ever bending, cracking, or the finish chipping like my konigs were after 2 months.

The same with the recaros, I know they'll last if I take good care of them. Worth every penny once you've sat in a pair. It's really refreshing to know that you've achieved what everyone else would like to with their fake parts and never will. I only make $9/hour and I work two jobs and go to school full time. I still manage to save for retirement, my car savings, rent, etc. I do have patience, which gets me where I'm going. The best part about waiting is you can often find a good deal on something like I did, I got a new rear bumper to replace my cracked one that had an authentic CTR rear lip on it for $150. And I got my recaros for $800 in 8/10 shape. So patience is my best advice to you, good luck.

Originally Posted by SCCA Forums Instructor

Here's a little secret when it comes to suspensions.

When you buy cheap dampers you get the worst of both worlds! meaning you get crap ride quality (harshness) and poor track performance. Why would anyone want to do this is beyond me. I've done back to back tests a long time ago with high end coil overs (Ohlin racing dampers) and a low end budget coilover.

We actually ran a car on the track for a bunch of laps and watched the rear suspension and what it was doing. BTW we had Mark Daddio (Multi-national SCCA champion) at the time testing the car. We then switched just the rear dampers and kept alignment and spring rate the same. The high end damper let the suspension work, it handled high rate bump correctly, kept the tire on the pavement consistently, which equated to faster lap times and much better driver feel.

We then put the whole high end suspension on the car and we could go way up on spring rate and get the car to handle very well on track and it rode much nicer on the street than the cheap dampers.

It all comes down to damper valving. Who cares how much adjust-ability it has when it's all crap? To really see what is going on with a damper you need to see shock-dyno charts. The perception of 'feeling good' on the street is very misleading, most people thing that a stiff ride means 'good' as far as suspension goes, because stiff means it will handle better, not true at all.

I wont' even sell cheap dampers in my shop to anyone, I don't want to see someone waste their money and reduce the quality of their automotive experience. If all you're going for is a lowered look, get some lowering springs. If you want good dampers, save your money and get any good quality higher end damper for your applications (street/club or pure race); JRZ, Ohlin, KW, Moton, Dynamic Suspension, etc.
I'll step off my soap box now..

-Martin

Originally Posted by redline23

i was just saying he's not going to autocross just daily driving. then that will work.