BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

With the suspension loaded, it should be ~13 inches from the hub center to the top of the wheel well arch for 96-00 Civics, regardless of rim size.

I am wondering if the shop you went to clocked the front bushings correctly.


Settle? No I don't think so. A lot of "settling suspension" talk has come from people who are unaware that the bushing bolts need to be tightened with the suspension fully loaded (clocked). Tighten them with the suspension fully unloaded and the car will sit high for a while until the bushings tear.


Right.

shogee

Incorrectly Loaded bushings cant make the car sit a inch higher than stock. The worse it does wear the bushing down faster. I agree that aftermarket springs may not be as accurate as springs from honda, but hey it gets the job done and they're cheaper. Besides u dont have to loosen the lca bushings to get the struts out.

EJeff8

I'm going to measure this tomorrow. Much thanks. From you looking at it, does it look like it's going to pass 13 inches?

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Duno if you found the issue yet, but SHOCKS ABSOLUTELY DO NOT determine ride height. The only way a shock could determine height is if the perch was adjustable or if it was the type of gas charged shock (air shock) that could be inflated or deflated to change height.

Springs determine height. If they put on aftermarket springs that were meant to fit Si's as well as the other models, the ride height might have changed. Or if the aftermarket spring rates/heights are different than stock, it might have changed.

They also may not have clocked the springs correctly. The pigtails could be un aligned with the shock.

The bushings may not have been clocked. Although, I doubt you clocked then when you put in your coilovers...so they're probably already ruined and clocking them won't matter. Bushings cause lift when they're not clocked...but again...if you didn't clock them when you lowered the car before, they're probably already torn/weak enough that it won't matter.

Your car doesn't look THAT much different than pretty much any stock civic with new springs. Older springs will sag and get lower over time. So civics with their original springs might look lower than your car.

EJeff8

Alright, first off. People need to quit giving me this "You meant spring and not strut" bullcrap. THEY REPLACED BOTH, I USED THE WRONG TERM IN THE TITLE. Two. I never did the coilovers, I bought the car like that but thanks for reading the thread anyways. And yes, I sat next to a stock height Civic yesterday and there was barely an inch of difference anyways.

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

I think you would be 'shocked' to see how high it could sit.

Don't have to, but you should especially if the ride height gets changed as in the OP's case. Even if just replacing stock for stock, it's not a stupid idea to reset the bushings.

And if you think about it, replacing old sagging shock assemblies with new ones is a ride height change. The front upper and lower control arm bushings, as well as the rear lower control arm bushings should be loosened and then tightened with the suspension fully loaded. After a ride height change this is absolutely critical for the life of the bushings and proper suspension function. The next critical step is an alignment.


I eyeballed that pic and it looks like over 13 inches, but I could be wrong. The front is certainly higher than the rear. IIRC 13-14 inches is normal.

I am just guessing about the bushing issue being the problem. Could be the new springs or something else.
If this was my car, I would certainly re-clock all of the control arm bushings just to see if it is.

EJeff8

Well, I looked at the bill today and of course, to make things worse in my head, he wrote Honda Accord on the bill. I finally called and asked if this could mean I have wrong parts and he said "Oh no, no. I meant Civic of course." He asked if it rode well and of course it does. I asked about the wheel gap and he said that's what I should be seeing. He then said it looks a whole lot better than what I had -_-. Also, I'm no good with suspensions. No way I could "re-clock" something. Got new yokos on it today though. If it was lower, it'd be a handling machine. I don't want to measure it while my father is outside, I've already pissed him off with the topic once. The height no longer bothers me since it looked the same as a stock one, it's the wheel gap now.

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

In order for the bushings to want to raise the car like this, the bolts would have to be torqued with the control arms hanging down. That's not going to happen. Remember the bushings want to return to their normal state. If anything, unclocked bushings will be trying to pull the car downward lowering it. Especially since he was previously lowered.

Don't worry about the bushings.

94EG8

That's normally exactly what happens, everything is hanging on the hoist.

\

No

If you want to clock the bushings it's pretty simple, drive the car onto a set of ramps, loosen the bolts that go through the shock fork (and if the bolts that hold the LCA to the subframe, those too) tighten the bolts back up, that's it.

EJeff8

And it might lower my wheel gap?

94EG8

Slightly, don't expect miracles. If nothing else at least the LCA bushings wont tear on you.

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

No......

There was no reason for the mechanics to remove any other bolts in the lower control arms when replacing shocks. They simply pop right out when unbolted at the top and bottom. Every bushing, except the lower shock mount bushings, will still have the exact same setting they had before the work was done. And since the ride height is so much higher than before, all the other bushings (minus the lower shock mount bushing of course) will be trying to lower the car from this new off-road ride height...

One bushing fighting against 4 others (or even more at the rear) isn't gonna raise your ride height whatsoever.

I guess you could give it a shot and see what happens. I wouldn't expect anything myself...

Wrona

lol stop crying so much im just saying u posted 3 messages on the other page freaking out on how high ur civic sits in a row! they sit high they will settle they will be still high as sh*t thats why they made lowering springs to lower ur car if u want it low than shouldn't of gotten the new struts stop complaining about it being high and struts from the accord wouldnt fit btw... just saying guy made an honest mistake also stop telling ppl not to tell u what the dif between struts and springs are because u keep going on about it being to high if u want it lower than do this

1. shush until they settle
2. Cut ur springs ( i would not recommend this because of the obvious)
3. Get a set of coils with some shocks that will not blow out after 2 weeks

other than that just nothing u can do if u dont like it pick a choice
im just sayin

EJeff8

Dude. Shut the f*&k up. Seriously, it would help you tremendously to just throw your keyboard out the window.

Wrona

lol please stop nerd ragingi gave u advice on what to do if u dont like my advice dont take it

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

This isn't productive, guys.

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

They probably just used aftermarket springs with the same part number for every Civic and integra that they will fit in. OEM springs are different for almost every model and trim level because of varying vehicle weights and intended uses. You can either live with it, get OEM springs, or get aftermarket lowering springs. Either way, your not getting your money back...

94EG8

Even with the proper springs it'll sit high. I replaced my front shocks and springs a few months ago, used brand new tokico blue shocks, new OEM Honda springs and bump stops, it sits high like the OPs.

EJeff8

Well, Ima live with it till next summer. Kind of excited to sit at this height through the winter. No wheel wells full of snow.

D Griff

True. I think that over the years, as springs wear they begin to sit lower. I believe my Civic (1997) sits a bit lower than when it was new, maybe 1/2-1 inch. Since yours are brand new it might be slightly higher than other Civics driving around on 15 year old springs.

After being pretty low in the past, I have to say I'm enjoying the livability of my stock, "monster truck" ride height, you'll learn to love it.

EJeff8

Haha, I'm getting there.

ThatRicerDaniel

Many aftermarket springs will make a car sit higher in the front. It is really a case of buyer beware. When I do spring installs I always let the customer know this ahead of time. When doing springs I always like to cut a few coils off the front before install.. really depends on the application though.

Looking at your pics, that will not even out by settling.