KraZyCHOWMEIN

First off I'd like to thank Ryan (coolhandluke), Tony (Jackson) and Ryan (vtecvoodoo) for helping me out with this install. There was a minor hiccup but the guys at Eibach made it right. Ryan (coolhandluke) thanks for helping me with all the late night texts and questions I had and linking me up with the guys at Eibach (Tony and Ryan).

This is actually one the first time I've ever attempted to install suspension on any car. I have to say because I had to make adjustments and install/uninstall a couple times I now feel very comfortable working on suspension and you should too!

First of all this was done in my garage and I purchased a craftsman HD cordless impact wrench. This thing is awesome and for $149 it was a great buy, I charged it once and was able to remove suspension bolts and lugs 3 times and it's still going strong.

I originally went with the out of the box spring rates 450F/400R and after only playing with a couple suspension settings the front felt crashy and it was hitting the bump stops. Tony recommended an aggressive spring rate because the car is mostly used on weekends and at the track running 650F/750R. I took her out for a brief spin and the car now feels very compliant and even on crappy street tires this setup just sticks.

The hiccup was with one of the rear reservoirs hitting the sway bar bracket. You can see from the pic it made contact upon install and when the suspension was completely off the ground. Given I started changing wheels at the track this was going to be a concern if it hit the reservoir every time the car was off the ground. Again I can't praise Eibach's customer service and the fact there are past/present R owners there for helping me through this. Big shout out to Tony for making it right!

The car now sits slightly higher then when I had my Koni setup but I like the clearance (for now) and can't wait for the norcal el nino storms to pass so I can hit the track and really feel the difference in this setup. I also picked up their adjustable rear sway bar kit which I'll try out after a couple track days with just the R2's installed.

vtecvoodoo

Thanks for the patience!!!!

redGSRguy

Bling bling

1223

Nice work! It took me a long time to get an impact gun but it's been amazing. Gives me confidence when I'm tackling a project that involves large and/or crusty bolts, also saves a ton of time.

I love suspension work because it's so mechanical. Levers, beams, links, bolts. You can see how everything works and, for most tasks, it's easy to access. Doesn't scare me like electrical stuff...

aw614

Interesting you found 650/750 much better than 400/450 on regular roads.

My only problem with suspension work on Integras has been getting everything properly connected in the rear, I always seem to have problems with the rear sway bar link bolts lining up. I've cross threaded a few LCAs where the rear sway bar endlink connects to.

With the fronts, I always found it easier to disconnect the UCA from the knuckle and then remove or install the shock

Todd00

Probably because the car was too low with the lower springrates and it was crashing off the bumpstops. He could have raised it and it would have been a lot better.


OP, did you establish any kind of baseline with the Koni/GC combo? Would like to know which suspension is better in certain places, but if you mixed springrates and/or the Konis were older, then any comparison will be moot.

vtecvoodoo

I ran the 450/400 setup on my street ITR and loved it. I am old, though. =D

KraZyCHOWMEIN

1223 & AW614
Suspension is definitely one thing I where it’s mechanical and it’s cool to see how all the pieces fit together. Since I had to remove and install a couple times I found a mini sledge tapping lightly on the LCA bolt convinces it to line up  I was nervous about running the stiffer spring rates because I’ve read other reviews where folks switched to a stiffer spring rate and it was really jarring. I’m also running a neutral setting for compression and dampening.

The Koni/GC setup I had was running OTS rates 380F/250R and only had about 10,000 miles used them daily for a bit and then it became a weekend car. I won’t know until I get back out to Laguna. Trying to gauge it on the backroads and twisties is a moot point because there are always outside factors.

I can say between the 450/400 setup and the 650/750 setup the car rotates better with the stiffer setup on the same test road I took it out on. I wasn’t pushing it to it’s limits mainly because there’s lots of cyclists and I also wanted to inspect everything once I got back. The setup was run at the same thread count on the coilover so it wasn’t “slammed”. Tony from Eibach did mention they add longer bump stops and they should be cut or removed depending on your setup. Just as he suggested with the stiffer spring rate it’s keeping it off the bump stop.

vtecvoodoo - I'm old too

More updates once I get it out on the track!

Jackson

The car and install looks great, Nathan! You're going to love the new 650/750 set up on the track.

KraZyCHOWMEIN

You're the man Tony!

Tom B

Have any you guys got experience with the KW Variant 2's?

I have these on my car and the spring rates are kinda soft, 360/170.

Currently have the rebound set to half a turn from full hard on the front and rear.

KraZyCHOWMEIN

I don't have experience with the KW's. I know with the GC/Koni setup there was a noticeable difference between full soft and full hard. Since it didn't have "clicks" or feedback of adjustment I only ran it full hard or full soft.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

I've had KW suspensions on 2 cars. But never an Integra. Yes, those rates are soft. German dampers usually have a lot of low speed bump...so that kind of makes up for the soft rates a little bit. They're usually fairly comfortable and really well built systems.

But...the integra system does seem very soft. If you're going for street comfort, they'll be great.

coolhandluke

iTrader: (2)

Good stuff! Hopefully I'l be on track soon to enjoy out there with you. I agree with Tony on the 650lb/750lb setup. I love mine in my 98'.

FlewByU352

They look like a nice piece, but is the ride $1,500 better than the Koni/GC setup? What if you had Koni with SPSS valving and stiffer springs?

KraZyCHOWMEIN

Good question and that's actually what redgsrguy suggested I go with instead of the R2's.

I haven't had a chance to track the new setup yet but I wanted a legit setup I could "grow" into and also rebuildable here in the US.

Tom B

Yeah, the spring rates are pretty low. Still stiffer than stock & the damping is a lot firmer than stock. Build quality does seem good.

Interestingly the Spoon Progressive Lowering Springs for the JDM DC2 are pretty close to the KW V2's. KW V2; 6.5k front & 3k rear, Spoon; 6.5k front & 5.5k rear.

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Stock rates are 4.5K/4.5K.

There's a pretty big difference betwen the KW and spoon rear rates.

These cars start riding poorly after about 250-300LB (5.5K) rear with most shocks...including OTS Koni Yellows.

I'm guessing the R2's still ride reasonably with those very high spring rates? That would make them worth the $$.

coolhandluke

iTrader: (2)

I'm not following the math here. The Koni/GC setups are solid but they are difficult to piece together (need an OEM setup to pull parts from) and often run over $1k new. My first set of Eibach R2's were new and they were far less than $2500. My second set was used from another member of OGHT for $1450.


I owned and daily'd the Eibach R2 OTS rates on my 97' (450lbF/400LR) and also own custom rates on my 98' (650lbF/750lbR.) In both cases the car drives very well and the roads out here are terrible, hence the lower rates on the 97'. I may even argue that the Eibach rates are in line with the feel from my S2000 if that offers perspective.

FlewByU352

How is the Koni/GC setup hard to piece together? The only OEM pieces needed are the top hats and front forks. These not being built in saves costs which is reflected by the price. You can buy new billet top hats if need be for less than $300, which does hike up the price but it is still around $1,000. Your USED set costs $1450... my USED Koni's cost $135, and yes that's for all 4.

I'm not saying the Eibach is a bad setup, I think they look great and Eibach makes good suspension bits. I was just curious if the approximate $1500 higher price tag is justifiable.

KraZyCHOWMEIN

I think what you're getting is the monotube design and also the ability to adjust rebound and compression. I took it on a typical 80 mile loop in the Santa Cruz mountains this weekend during a break in the rain. I even ventured off on some not so well paved/maintained side roads and I can say the stiffer springs feel great.

It's not a harsh ride but it's obviously not a lexus either. I still have the suspension settings set to somewhat neutral and whether it's the placebo effect or not the car feels faster and more confident in the turns. I wasn't running the NT01's I normally have on the car and also wasn't going flat out because safety obviously and I still wanted to take the wheels off after to make sure nothing I installed/touched came loose.

Whether it's $1500 dollars better then the Koni setup is subjective. I'm happy with the setup and the customer service/quality from Eibach.

FlewByU352

And honestly that's what matters... that at the end of the day, you're happy with it!

B serious

iTrader: (1)

Suspension setups don't increase in ride quality in proportion to their value. People are incessant about comparing Koni/GC setups to everything based on cost. A $1600 suspension of any brand almost surely isn't going to be 2X better in almost any respect to a $800 suspension of any brand.

If these multipros ride well with 400+LB rear rates...then they are already way ahead of OTS konis.

Double adjustable shocks also allow for a lot more tuning flexibility. Stock Konis are only rebound adjustable. Want more compression resistance? Buy stiffer springs. But you're contending with the fact that you start to quickly run out of rebound damping at like 400ish LB (rear) and about 500ish LB (front).

Monotubes allow for a slightly lower height. If you're lowering your R on Konis more than about 0.75", then you're doing it wrong. I have no idea how much travel the Eibachs have. But monotubes by design allow for a lower ride height.

There are quite a few reasons why the R2's cost more and may be attractive for someone who wants or needs more from the suspension.

Koni/GC are a great "value" setup. But it can't be said that a suspension needs to be one-dimensionally better by the same proportion as its added cost in order to justify it. A Porsche GT3 RS isn't $175k faster than your ITR, for example. Doesn't mean the price tag isn't justified if you were to look at the whole package.

KraZyCHOWMEIN

Don't get me wrong guys I was happy with my GC/Koni setup. It served me well on the track and street. It came to the point where I was looking for a step up and given the feedback from other R owners and also the fact Eibach is in SoCal I pulled the trigger. My wallet wasn't deep enough to spring for Moton, MCS, JRZ. I didn't go with Tein because if I wanted to rebuild or had any issues I was hoping for a domestic repair solution down the road.

Once I get these on the track I will be able to report back with feedback from adjusting compression and rebound settings.

94eg!

iTrader: (2)

I thought it was the other way around. Monotubes have LESS travel because the gas chamber ends up being in the way of the piston.



It's the remote reservoir on the Eibach R2 that allows the monotube shock to maintain the same or similar travel as a typical twin-tube like the Koni. Once the reservoir is added, the travel then becomes a function of cylinder vs rod lengths (which are probably both shorter than a Koni).