I am on a tiite budget for my prelude 97 ..
and i don't wanna get yellow konis..considering other options for now ..
SO ..

is there such a thing as universal racing shocks ?
cause i have no problems on doing myself a custom top mount and lower brakets for rear ..

waht about lenght ? lenght of springs ?
i know that some pople in here have played alot with custom suspension setup..

please help me...i need hints and tips and ideas
i wanna MAX out my suspension/chassis tunning

thanks

 

max out suspension and tiite budget don't go well together.

Why don't you wanna run Koni yellows?

Warren

 

Well it'll be maxed out ( talking about my busget here! hahaha )

well i mis explained myself..
it's not that i don't wanna run on konis..they seem to be of very good quality
it is jsut that konis don't damp good at 500 lbs/" + spring rate..
though that is not the case cause they dam at the wheel rate but thats an approximate neway

i talked few times with a guy over at koni..last summer..when i was looking more for suspension .. and he told me that to damp correctly a honda suspension with 500lbs/" + on the springs.. u need to adjust the konis at almost max level..and they'll be wearing out fast and u won't have a lot of adjustability with it like that..

so the point is that if i finish by getting konis..i will need to get them revlaved ..and for now this is simply out of price..what are place charging now..100+$ USD each corner ?
it's kinda ridiculous to charge that for shocks that are worth 115$ each ..nah ?
unless u can find me a place that revalves yello konis for 20-30$ each ..
i will try to consider ither options before..

and..+ if i could get cheaper universal double adjustable shocks for roughly the same price ( new or used i don't care ) i would be happy too
and like i said..doing custom mounts is not really a problem for me as i have access to lots of metal working tools and info ..

 

APC has a coilover suspension for about $150.

 

Why not just buy bilsteins and get them revalved...bilstein is charging(I think) $50us a corner.

Also why do you want double adj when you don't even have single adj now?(you have stock shocks right? Too much adj justs get confusing.

How about some Monroe sensitracs to go with those APC coilovers, those shocks adjust themselves.

 

How about you MAX out your driving ability on a stock suspension first? It is much cheaper.

 

If you want to run 600# springs, you have to pay to play. I would:

1) get some seat time on the track, get good brakes
2) buy some r-tires and koni shocks
3) get more seat time
4) get more seat time
5) get more seat time
6) NOW "MAX out" your suspension because then you will have a better idea of how the car handles on a road course and can drive it near the limit, if you utilize your track time properly. No sense upgrading the car when you arent utilizing all of it in its stock form - yes you'll probably be faster, but inconsistant and probably in a wall somewhere.

-Ryan

 

why do yo guys try to insist on seat time and why i want thoose particular...
u don't know me..
i've did a full complete season of solo 2 with this car last year...
i really liked the car at the end of the season cause i had changed the rear sway bar and it was a lot easier to control steer caracht. with that..

but.. the 97+ prelude weights almost 3K lbs and runs on 150-180lbs springs..
so body roll is really excessif even with sway bars.. and i know i need more than that..

then..for the shocks..i don't wanna buy right now, but as i always try to do..i am valuating all the possibilities..sometime we buy mid quality stuff and we could've get top notch for few bucks more so ..

then again..maybe i'l just get GCwith ERS springs and adj konis if i find that both front and rear + rear adjusted stiffer sway bars work enough on roll limitation ..

thanks neway

 

And the point is? Just for reference I have done 10 "full complete" solo 2 seasons. I am still tracking on a stock suspension. Why?

1. I can't out-drive what is on the car yet
2. I can't afford the suspension I want so I will wait until I can instead of getting something cheaper (of course RoadRacer is helping me get what I want at a reduced rate).

The point is I promise you haven't maxed out the car's potential. Add to that the fact that you are complaining about money then my BEST advice is to just wait, learn the car more and save for the good suspension.
Yes but going to a full roadrace setup is the opposite extreme and not very beneficial for Solo II. A roadrace suspension is set up to rotate and slide. An autocross suspension is set up to transition faster than a ****. The 2 are not the same. Going with a race suspension will make you less competitive in autocrosses and it will make you hate the car because of the uncomfortable ride on the street.

Bottom Line - You asked for advice and people with a helluva lot more experience than you and me have told you what they feel is the best thing. Take that info and do what you want. You are only going to screw yourself if you don't think about what they have said.

 

Please, don't take offence to this, but I read all your posts, and each time, I think "needs more track time".. I am serious.. I have been tracking my car with some RS*R springs that I have NO clue of the spring rates, something like 300#/200#s, I bought AGX shocks a year and half ago, I can't complain for 320$.. And I have just learned to drive the car at what it is, and I can really push the car hard now, and I know EXACTLY what it is going to do.. Yes, I plan on upgrading for a nice suspension for about 1400$, but untill then, I will continue to drive the ***** off what the car has on it now, and I guarantee I will be faster in the old suspension, than the new suspension at first whenever it comes.. Hell, I woud probably still have stock suspension to this day if I didn't buy the car with the RS*R springs..

I guess what I am saying is, don't upgrade, UNTIL you get the most out of what the stock suspension will do, and save up to get something you will be satisfied with...

 

Listen to Corey. He drives his lude fast as nuts. Probably because he is one, but that's another discussion...

Warren

 

we can leave psychological analysis out of this thread..... only because i dont want to play However. You must first define your objectives with the car. Then work towards those objectives with a definate plan rather than doing something else or what you can buy cheap. When you added the rear sway bar to the car, did you get faster? More consistent? I'm likely to think no, since it will make the car 'feel' better, which is not always faster. Have you attended any autocross schools? I'm guessing a $450 weekend on an evolution school is too expensive? In all truth, that $450 you spend will make you and your car much faster than any $400 you can buy in parts. Or $1000 in suspension parts.

I've completed 3+ solo2 seasons. The mods i've done to the Saturn:

Kuhmo V700's on 18lb stock wheels
Alignment
Brake Pads
Harness

I maintain the car and keep it pretty. Whats stock on the car:

Suspension (all of it - shocks, springs, swaybars, bushings)
Engine (no intakes, exhaust, header, etc)

Why? Because i'm still learning. I went to an Evo school this summer and spent EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND autocrossing somewhere from may through august, and in october/november this past year - and i am only now at the point where i feel i am consistant and getting 9/10ths out of the car. I can do 3 autoX runs in a row within .05 of each other, all of which i feel i am getting most of what i can get out of the car. Is there more left? Sure. But i'm consistent enough to where i can know if improvements in events is due to changes i made to the car. After one season, unless you autoX'ed every weekend and got one-on-one instruction from Tim Aro for 8 hours every sunday then you are NOT maxing out your potential with your car....

-Ryan

 

..eheh
i know that you guys are just giving me good hints..
that is not the problem..and i also know that i am nto even at 70% of what that car as of potential on stock suspension..

one of the first problem is that there is not a lot of schools in quebec..it is not like in USA where you guys ahve tracks everywhere and lots of experienced people giving trainning to rookies..there is almost no such thing in here..

then.. i don't wanna keep that car for more than 1-2 years again ..then i'll surely be upgrading to new Integra line ..or maybe sporty accord 4cyl if we ever get one ( i love sedans )

then again..it is not all on driving skills..before loving to track the car, i also love mechanic and tunning..i really reallly like to play on cars and adjust suspension and thknk of a plan and plan all my upgrade and stuff
this is like a hobby..in here winter is really long without my car
( riding accord 86 carb right now )
so while i still have a chance..i wanna tunne up a little this car..
i was also planning on engine modifs and stuff..but i don't have the money
so i wanna see what I can do on this car and make THE CAR ( not me ) faster ...
before i get a new car that i'll leave stock for few years for sure so ..

i really 100% understand and agree about the "stocK suspension" and getting more seat time ..can't be more true than that..but i also know that i can feel cars very well..and i know my car alot even though i ain't riding it at max for sure..

still..last year i went from 10+ postision on 15-20 cars at the beginning of the year to 2-3-2 positions on the last 3 events or so .. right after i added the rear sway bar
and the reason why i added the rear sway is that i was feeling that the car was always understeering and i couldn't do what I want with it... i had to fight alotwith the car instead of concentrating on the road..so when i ad up the rear sway..i got really fast there all of a sudden..so fast compare to before that i blew lots of ecperience guys ( please i'm humble don't take this as a look at me talking )
but i just did.. and i was impressed with the change and really liked what it did

so neway.. i am 80-90% i will get at least shocks and springs..even if it's nothing more than GC/ERS with konis or any good shocks.. used if i can too save some money ..but at least i will ahve fun tunning up the car

and i also plan on eliminating suspension play alot using hard bushing ( not metal bearings..but still stock rubber is just too loooose )

so it'll be easier for me without suspension bushing flex too much to set up the right camber and height for the car

ok..so thanks for all the input
as always..u guys have very good recommandations

 

Here is another option that is not really discussed here. You love to play and tune, well you can do that and still stay in stock class and not spend much money. I wold sugest you stay in stock class and pruchase a set of Koni's (single or double adjustable. You would be amazed how much they can change a stock car.

As for those cars "needing" to be changed, that is just not so, they have trophied well before in GS at Solo Nationals. I know it is not a Type R, but it has a GREAT deal of potential as well.

Just my thought.

EC

 

UNfortunatly..i can't be in stock class in here
15" wheels and tires.. dowen from stock 16" puts us into SS in here ..

then being in SS i have to face people with complete suspension mods and I/H/E and stuff ..

so prelude is already hard to drive at solo2 cause i dont' have LSD nor ATTS and it's a boat .. facing people with souped up car is not really fun .. unless i finish the year in 2-3 positions all the time like i did at the end of the last season but...i don't think that this will happen ..
the one that was always in front of me in SS has a 91i think BMW .. DoEs AnYoNe KnOw WheRe I CaN GeT SoMe StRObE LiTEZ AnD LiGhT uP WiNdShiElD NoZzLeS??in stiff car..race seats..complete suspension and reallly really well tunned..but most of all..that guy is a kick *** driver and he was always 1 sec+ on 40-70secs laps than me ahhaha

 

JF, I think the problem here is that you are seeing all these people on here running 800#, 1000# springs on their race cars and you think that's what you'll need for your car to handle.

IMO, the Prelude will work very well for autocross using something like 400-450F and 500-550R springs, well within what Koni yellows can handle. And this setup will still be stiff enough to ratlle your teeth fillings on the Montreal roads.

And as the others said, work on your driving. Consistency is the key. I re-checked last year's results and except for that one time where you finished 2nd less than 1 sec behind David's BMW (it's an 87 325is BTW...), the rest of the time you were anywhere from 4-8 sec off his time along with myself and a whole bunch of other people in DSS (DSS=DSP for our SCCA friends). The car has some potential to be competitive regionally and at the Canadian nationals as well but you have to get your driving skill to the point where you will be CONSISTENTLY within a second or so of the top time, THEN you can go find that second with carefully planned mods. Until that time, save your money.

later...