sodaZC

Alright, got a 90 Civic SI - dohc ZC. Has blown stock struts with ebay 1-4" lowering springs. So bouncy my girl has to wear a sports bra when we ride.

Been looking at 2 things - Preset coilovers - Yonaka mainly, and Buying struts with seperate lowering springs.

Now Ive searched all over and any time I see a thread it's someone sayin, " whats the difference between springs and "full coilovers"" and they just get flamed into oblivion.

What are the pros/cons of buying seperate struts with lowering springs as opposed to buying a preset coilover? Could I get a firm ride that performs well if I buy some good struts and keep my ebay sleeves? Im looking to drop 2.5"-3" so what should I go for?

So far I have been looking at Yonaka coilovers or Tokico Blues/Skunk2 Sport struts. I'm a mechanic and know a good bit about suspension setups, but this is the first time I want to slam the car and keep a stiff ride with good performance.

TLDR; Whats the best/most cost effective setup to slam my EF with good performance. Dont want bouncy, but dont mind firm.

Thanks in advance, keep the flaming to yourself please. This is an honest question and I've searched for similar threads prior.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

WTF is a preset coilover?

sodaZC

To be clear, I'm not sure of the terminology but I'm wondering the difference between buying a coilover (strut/sleeve) vs. Buying a strut, then buying a seperate sleeve. I know coilovers (strut/sleeve) and pre-adjusted when you buy them. Does that help?

EDIT: And to be honest, I stayed away from saying "full coilover" because I have seen you specifically start a flame-fest when people used that term on other threads.

TunerN00b

It's a flame fest for a few reasons. Your car doesn't have struts, it has shocks. The term "coil over" is the short form of "coil spring over shock", and the car not only came with coil overs, but anything you could swap in there is also a coil over, whether all parts came from the same manufacturer or not.

And nothing will arrive "pre adjusted" other than a stock replacement. You will need to do that yourself, due to adjustable ride height and/or shock damping.

You want low and stiff, but not bouncy (under damped). Koni Sport (yellow) shocks and GC sleeves with custom spring rates depending on your desired ride height and tolerance for stiff. This is the "best bang for the buck" answer, especially with the warranties provided.

Black R

^ pretty much this.

If you want to go lower, then you'll have to get extended top hats (gc) and possibly a-arms and rear camber arms.

If you want to go super low, you can also get drop spindles in the front and drop trailing arms in the rear...

What's your budget?

How do you want your car to handle?

Intended usage?

sodaZC

I intend somewhere in between 2.5 and 3.5 inch drop. Ki do want something fully adjustable for future tire/rim purchases. I want a ride for amateur autocross but something thqt wouldnt break my neck daily. I doubt anything could be worse than blown SHOCKS and eBay springs. Price range 300-600. Preferably cheapest option that can handle trying autocross for the first time. Sorry if this post is riddled with spelling and grammar errors; on my phone.

TunerN00b

Your price range is too low for anything more autocross worthy than stock. You'd be best off picking up used stock equipment and using it while you save for something decent.

A 3.5" drop is slamming the car. That's going to be way too low for performance use without significantly higher spring rates than any budget performance shock can handle.

90_EX_Civic

you can't ride slammed and autotx.

lowest ride height is a finger gap, with the wheel/tire setup you are running for. not a finger gap with the rims you daily(this is if you are going to swap wheels for autox)

sodaZC

Well, I'm getting some good ideas here, and thanks for that. So, lets say I went with a 2.5" drop for looks and daily driving, what would be the ideal setup that is at least equivalent to stock within my price range. I've never done auto cross before, but I want to try it out. I guess this means I want a pretty stiff ride, with as little bounce as possible. If I decide to get serious with auto cross, I can dump more money in my suspension later. I don't want my car sitting on the fender wells, but I want it to be low. Really I've got to get away from my shocks and ebay springs. Just seeing what is my best bet with $600.

Tyson

dont drop it so low, and you will get a good ride.

sodaZC

Now there are 2 things I'm looking at in my $600 price range.
-Yonaka fully adjustable coil overs
-Tokico Blues/Tien SS springs

How do you think each would fair with a 2.5" drop? Too bouncy? Ruin the shocks over time?

Also are there different options and suspension components to dropping ride height but not throwing away the integrity of the ride?

Edit: Still trying to get a better understanding here:
Buying shorter(?) top hats - would this lower ride height but help me keep ride quality/integrity where I want it? Is this even something possible or common?

90_EX_Civic

suggestion, buy a set of progress c2's. run it with the 350 front and rear. with the c2's, you can just use your stock hats.

they are the best bang for buck for someone starting to autox. when you start to get really serious, then you can upgrade.