I need some advice here. I was planning to lower my car with H&R Sports w/ Illuminas, but this is my daily driver and I'm going to drive this car all year round. These past few weeks in Ontario (Canada) it has been snowing and we are have some really bad weather. I was wondering how are the members here driving their integras in the winter. Are you guys running springs or coilovers. With springs your stuck at the height but coilovers you can raise it up in the winter. How tough is it to drive in the winter with lowering springs for those that drive the integra in the winter?

 

mine is crushed on skunk 2 coilovers all year but it doesnt snow that much hear but i still would never raise it up!

 

what do you mean by crushed?

 

He means lowered really low....pretty much tucking all tires.

 

oh I see. The Skunk2 coilovers rate to stiff though. I think they are F-500lbs/R-400lbs. That's just too stiff for my daily driver. I might have to cheap out and get the Megan Coilover sleeves even though I heard bad things about coilover sleeves but I need the ability to raise and lower my car. I'm also on a budget and the GC/Koni setup will run me at least $900.
My budget right now is only $500-600. I'm only using this car on the street as a daily driver and I think I can bare with the 325/300 spring rate of the Megans. It sucks, I really had my mind on H&R Sports w/ Tokico Illuminas, but after all the snow we have had for the past weeks it just seems I will need something adjustable. Also found that setup for around $500 shipped which is pretty decent I think.

 

I run DropZone shocks and lowering springs on my GSR all year round in North Dakota... I've driven after a 5" snowfall and there wasn't any huge problems, you can definitely tell your lower in the winter, though.

My springs drop me about 2.5", so not a whole lot of clearance, but it really isn't bad...

 

I'm in Ontario too, and I drive my car year round. For a suspension I just have some Koni Yellows, and ground controls coilovers. I never raise them for the winter, all I do is put winter tires on the car and its good to go. I've also never been stuck or never had a problem getting where I'm going. This is the ride height of the car for reference.

 

My DC is lower about 1.5". I run taller (195-60R15) Blizzak WS50 tires in the winter.

 

nice jdm conversion cdntegintx. how low are you dropped on those GC? Also how much did the GC/Koni combo cost you?

 

To be honest, I didn't measure how much lower it is, I just lowered it until most of the wheel gap was gone. It doesn't scrape anywhere and I think its a good all around height. The suspension I bought a while ago, but if I was to do it again, Id call teknotik in scarborough and get a set of PIC select coilovers, they're around $1200 I think, but I've seen them on many cars and they seem great.

 

Yup I heard PIC are koo and a good all around set up.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by matryx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I might have to cheap out and get the Megan Coilover sleeves even though I heard bad things about coilover sleeves.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm curious what's so bad about sleeve coilovers?

 

They're just not going to be as good as a full coil over set that has its shocks and springs that have been designed to work together properly. They're also usually lower quality, and low quality is not something you want for suspension parts.

 

I live in michigan, yesterday night we had a bad bad storm, snow was really high as well, i nearly got stock all night driving home. I am glad i still have my stock suspension, i say for winter raise your car up and get snow tires, and you should be fine. im on stock height with whatever all season tires on and its OK not the greatest at all for winter

 

Im a little over 2 inches in the front and about 1.75 in the back, and i run smaller tires in the winter (185/60/14) and i havent been stuck yet, knock on wood.

 

thats what I'm worried about. I was all set for springs and shocks until some bad winter storm we had these past weeks. I'm not sure if I can drive through that kind of winter with lowering spring and be stuck at the height. Thats why I'm considering a set of coilover sleeves with illuminas. Need some height adjustment.
Somebody from my local forum was driving with his car lowered and broke his front lip. Although it is his fault for not taking it off but still.

 

It depends where your driving dude. I've never taken my OEM lip off. I've never had a problem anywhere. Just make sure if you raise or lower your car you always get an alignment afterwards.

 

I never thought I had to get an alignment done every time I make height adjustments. I thought I had to do it only once.

I think I'm just going to have to go with the H&R Sports and Tokico Illuminas and tough it out in the harsh winter we get here in Ontario.

 

You could always just put your stock springs back on before the snowfall, and your car would be stock height again?
Right now I have cut civic springs on my integra, lowered, and they are real soft spring, with winter snow tire, my car handles amazing in the snow! It basically seems like there isn't any snow on the road at all.
But am putting my PIC Select coilovers on when the snow goes away!! Cant wait

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Dogginator &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My DC is lower about 1.5". I run taller (195-60R15) Blizzak WS50 tires in the winter.</TD></TR></TABLE>

same size tires here, too. good to see an OG running larger tires like me

again, i'd be more concerned with running SNOW/WINTER tires than your actual suspension setup. if you have them, you're good to go. otherwise, consider this investment first cause you'll most likely be out of luck with all seasons with the winter you guys are having up in the northeast no matter what suspension you have.

 

I used to drive a lowered civic in the snow. I plowed for free.

However, I live in Illinois, not the candian arctic circle where you need snow shoes to get to and from your igloo that is built on a glacier made from this year's snow.

If you do get coilovers, you will have to get your car aligned when you raise it back up or you will have HORRIBLE issues in the snow. When you lower, the front toes out, the rear toes in. The opposite is true when you raise. The front toes in and the rear toes out.

Excessive rear toe out in the winter is asking for a horrendous crash...since you live in canada, maybe it will involve a walrus. They have tusks. So be careful.

You can buy a lifetime alignment from some place. Raise it and lower it seasonally and get your alignment. Toe is the critical angle. Moderate camber does very little for tire wear by itself unless you're doing burn outs...or if you have like -6 degrees of camber or something insane.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I used to drive a lowered civic in the snow. I plowed for free.

However, I live in Illinois, not the candian arctic circle where you need snow shoes to get to and from your igloo that is built on a glacier made from this year's snow.

If you do get coilovers, you will have to get your car aligned when you raise it back up or you will have HORRIBLE issues in the snow. When you lower, the front toes out, the rear toes in. The opposite is true when you raise. The front toes in and the rear toes out.

Excessive rear toe out in the winter is asking for a horrendous crash...since you live in canada, maybe it will involve a walrus. They have tusks. So be careful.

You can buy a lifetime alignment from some place. Raise it and lower it seasonally and get your alignment. Toe is the critical angle. Moderate camber does very little for tire wear by itself unless you're doing burn outs...or if you have like -6 degrees of camber or something insane.</TD></TR></TABLE>

lol. made my day. lifetime alignment = good investment.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B serious &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

If you do get coilovers, you will have to get your car aligned when you raise it back up or you will have HORRIBLE issues in the snow. When you lower, the front toes out, the rear toes in. The opposite is true when you raise. The front toes in and the rear toes out.
.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I live is stl, and it just snowed like 7in here and I couldn't drive my car for 3days..lol
But you bring up a good point cause I never thought of that!.. I was going raised mine up for winter, but it's a little late for that! but again I'd say just screw it, if it snows a lot I have a reason not to drive in it..LMAO
I'm driving like this now for winter..


That's like a what 2in drop? I'm not sure.. lol

 

I drive my car lowered about 2 1/4" year round and this year we've had quite a bit of snow and I havent had any problems so far with driving it in about 6"+ of snow... Im also using the PIC Apex Coilovers with the 10k/8k spring rates which some people think are a bit harsh for daily driving but I like the way it rides... and so far they look to be holding up very well with all the salt and snow so far... They havent started to rust yet and hopefully they wont for a long time to come but it also might help that I get my car washed about every week or two just to get rid of any salt that might be on the paint or under the car.