Please don't tell me "Search", because I have and it is useless. I started, found a kit from omni that was supposed to be the best bang for the buck. So I searched Omni and I read "great", "wonderful", "I love it" then someone else is like "no way", "forum boner", "sucks *****". I don't know **** so wtf. Damn waste of time. One guys says up the other says down and me knowin squat has to figure out which is right?

Look, I know **** about cars, but I don't have a problem learning and doing. But I don't have time to go to Wyotech to do this. I am trying to drop my car so I want a coilover suspension. I don't want abnomal wear or any kind of problems so I want to do it right. I do not have deep pockets so I need as cheap as possible but done right so "Backroom Jacks Lowering Kit for $299.99 is out" because buying a suspension now and again in a year is idiotic.

So where do I begin? Is a kit my cheapest bet? Do I piece it together? What pieces do I need? I already know the better brands but everyone has a bargain cheapy setup that is more problems for lack of features so what features should I be looking for? Hell I found some koni reds for $80 a piece but if there are 100 other bits I don't know about that I need to do this then that $80 deal may not be such a deal.

I am not interested in racing right now, although in the future SCCA might be nice but in reality doubtful, at least for the near future as I need to get my *** back in school or I'm gonna shoot my boss. Not to mention between work, my son, church, trying to start a meaningful relationship and whatever else I throw on the fire I have'nt the time so call it a daily driver with no racing. Not even street racing as I already know I got a pair of plums hangin and I am no longer trying to prove it.

Thanks

Jerry

 

what's more important to you, ride or handling? What's your REALISTIC budget? What car is this going on? What's your mechanical ability?

One of the budget coilover setups may be all you need. People have issues (myself included) with everyone jumping on bandwagons and that's what you're seeing here. Tein, Omni, etc. have all started movements by people who don't know anything about them and will recommend them for whatever reason. That's not saying they're **** but you're wise to look before you leap. An Omni or Tein basic may be all you need. Anyway, start with the questions above and you'll start getting some ideas.

 

Ride or handleing? I want a bit of both. I don't want so stiff that if I hit a pebble in the road that I get back trauma. But I also don't want so mushey that I hit a hump on the freeway and start bouncing around like I'm in a Cadillac. At this point without know what it would actually feel like I would have to say somewhere in the middle. A term someone around here threw out that sounds good to me is neutral handling but if that means brick house suspension then I take whatever you got.

As far a budget goes I can do up to $1000 but would prefer less. Its on a 1995 Integra RS coupe. And mechanical ability is good (what I mean by this is that is if someone does the brainwork I can do the manual work), however knowledge is squat. I do have the helms manual for my car though. And I am not scared to try things.

On the forum boner thing, I see it in every forum of every subject. It just gets freakin frustrating, especially when you are a newb and looking to what you think may be knowledgable people. Another problem I have here is I don't really know who's who, and just like as was stated at another forum I frequent post count does not always equate to wealth of knowledge.

 

My freind likes his omnis, I have not personally used them, but I have driven the car and they are a good ride.

 

you want a 'complete' coilover system? ...have you considered separate shocks and coilovers?

you can get a good ride with a nice blend of performance out of a setup like KYB AGX shocks and GC coilovers ... if you want something pretty decent for a good price, you can also get a set of GC coilovers and Koni Reds....

myself, i've just installed koni yellows dropped on the lowest perch on stock springs and it handles 100% better than before with a mild drop..

It's true about the post count thing.. I see dudes with like 3000+ posts but are complete *****

 

Personally, a good spring and shock combo should work well for now. You did mention SCCA so it is safe to assume that you are looking for something more performance oriented. There are too many to mention but if you go with a spring and shock combo, take into consideration the spring rate and if the coil is linear or progressive. Most companies should have their specs listed on their website. You can probably get a good set up well within your budget, less if you have some connections (I got my tanabe GF210 springs for $170 and tokico shocks for $180 [all four] so that's only $350, suspension was for my AE86). Since your budget is higher than mine, a good set of coilovers like teins and tanabe are within your range as well. In either case, it's hard to tell unless you've had first hand experience with the product.

 

JulesWinnfield, I like you. You have a good attitude...

The reason most people bust on Omni, is because they are new and un-proven. They also use the same spring rates for every kit on every car that they sell (shows they didn't do a lot of research). That kit may still be a good setup for what you want, but the longevity and customer service has yet to prove itself. Personally, I decided to go with the Koni Sport (yellows) & Ground control coilover setup. Both companies offer a lifetime warranty and also leave with the option to customize later (shorten/revalve shocks or order custom spring rates). Koni & GC's customer service is absoloutly the best too (I know from experience). The great thing about the Koni yellows is that the adjustment range is so large it can cover almost anybodies tastes for damping. The great thing about GC springs is that you can order any spring rate you want. And if you don't know what you want, they can build you the perfect kit based on what say you want from the car.

IMO Koni/GC is the best "sport" setup for a civic right now...
Expect to pay slightly over $800 for a civic...

 

I'd recommend the gc/koni combo as well if you want the ability to play around with spring rate or ride height. As for straight spring/shock combos, the H&R Cup kit is (was at least) a good deal. I think it's around $600 or so for the EK-bodystyle civics. It's basically Koni Yellows (although rebadged for H&R) with H&R springs.

 

Koni and Ground Control!!!!

Give Ground control a call. They can give you custom spring rates for the same money as off the shelf. If you tell them what you want and what your rpiorities are they can give it to you exactly. If you are not sure, go with their off the shelf setup.

But, if you plan on going to school, you are going to be strapped for money so why don't you just do nothing - its the cheapest and you can use the time to learn a little more about suspension (like riding in other peoples cars and seeing their ride/handling compromise)

regards,
alan

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 00R101 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">But, if you plan on going to school, you are going to be strapped for money so why don't you just do nothing - its the cheapest and you can use the time to learn a little more about suspension (like riding in other peoples cars and seeing their ride/handling compromise)

regards,
alan</TD></TR></TABLE>

He makes a very good point...

 

I am cool with school. I am not able to stop working just because I start going to school so cash will not be any more of an issue then it already is, but thanks for the concern and advice.

So, lets say that I decide to piece meal a set; what are all the necessary components to make a clean install on my 95 Integra RS.

Coilover Springs
Shocks
????

 

that's basically it although there aren't really any "coilover springs". Coilover is a suspension type where the spring is around the shock. It's getting thrown around all the time (myself included) so figure while you're learning....

 

If it's just for street, then shocks & springs will keep you happy for a good long time. You can play with the shock settings on koni yellows, based on what your going to be doing that evening (the difference is amazing). If your going to make the car really low (2+ inches), then I suggest you get some extended upper shock mounts (shown in my avatar) for the front end. There is plenty of shock travel in the rear, but the front is really lacking at that ride height. I'm lowered 3" and once I installed them, I felt a world of difference. No more riding on the bump stops. Much softer over bumps, and a lot less troubling driving around town.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JulesWinnfield &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A term someone around here threw out that sounds good to me is neutral handling but if that means brick house suspension then I take whatever you got.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Neutral handling is when all 4 tires slide the same amount, as in no understeer/oversteer. Our cars are factory tuned to understeer. Some things you can do to eliminate understeer are spring rates, anti-roll bars, and tire pressure.

You'll see around here that GC/Koni is a very popular setup. I opted to go with an omni full setup because of the ease of installation (unbolt old, bolt in new ). I'm very happy with it. That's just me though. Hope this helped.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If it's just for street, then shocks & springs will keep you happy for a good long time. You can play with the shock settings on koni yellows, based on what your going to be doing that evening (the difference is amazing). If your going to make the car really low (2+ inches), then I suggest you get some extended upper shock mounts (shown in my avatar) for the front end. There is plenty of shock travel in the rear, but the front is really lacking at that ride height. I'm lowered 3" and once I installed them, I felt a world of difference. No more riding on the bump stops. Much softer over bumps, and a lot less troubling driving around town. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yup, only downside to hondas.... extended top hats are a good addition to any Honda's suspension.

 

What about camber kits. I always hear camber kit, camber kit, camber kit. Are they not necessary for a teg. "extended upper shock mounts" any particular ones or are they all the same? And what about the bump stops? Do those come with or am I reusing the ones on my stock suspecsion (assuming stock has them)?

 

Bumpstops - Cut old ones in half when you lower your car.

Extended Upper Mounts - Two options here, Ground Control top hats are made specifically for the Ground-Control adjustable spring kits. You can't use them w/ regular springs or most lowering springs (they must be 2.5" inner diameter). Also, the GC mounts come with new softer bump stops. Your Second option is to modify your existing upper mounts (click here for info)...

Camber Kit - This whole subject is pretty debatable. I have run my car for 5 years now lowered 3" and I have no camber adjustment parts at all. I have NEVER had any problems with uneven tire wear (and your integra has the exact same suspension as my civic). I believe the added negative camber helps keep the outer shoulders from wearing when I drive since I like to take spirited corners. I also feel that changing the lenght & mounting postitions of your upper or lower control arms adds unwanted bump steer and that is why honda didn't make camber adjustable from the factory.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Camber Kit - This whole subject is pretty debatable. I have run my car for 5 years now lowered 3" and I have no camber adjustment parts at all. I have NEVER had any problems with uneven tire wear (and your integra has the exact same suspension as my civic). I believe the added negative camber helps keep the outer shoulders from wearing when I drive since I like to take spirited corners. I also feel that changing the lenght & mounting postitions of your upper or lower control arms adds unwanted bump steer and that is why honda didn't make camber adjustable from the factory.</TD></TR></TABLE>

what doesn't make sense to me is that when i had my car lowered and had negative camber, i had to replace both front wheel bearings due to grinding... i'm guessing from being lowered with no camber kit.

or what could it be from? what would cause the wheel bearings to start grinding?

 

To low or high of an offset on your wheels can cause your bearings to go out. It could also be that you have an old car. I haven't had any bearing problems, but I do live in the desert. There isn't to much wear & tear on the chassis out here (only your paint gets fried)...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To low or high of an offset on your wheels can cause your bearings to go out. It could also be that you have an old car. I haven't had any bearing problems, but I do live in the desert. There isn't to much wear & tear on the chassis out here (only your paint gets fried)...</TD></TR></TABLE>

stock wheels 15" .. 99 integra.. lol.. could a botched alignment also cause pre-mature wear on the bearings?

 

Couple more questions;

What are the pros/cons of buying used?
How long do konis live?
What do I need to watch out for?
Whats the max I should pay for a koni yellow/gc setup-ballpark?
What are the max spring rates for koni yellows without needing a revalve?


Spare shocks?
Will work for suspension!
Vietnam vet (not really this is just my shamless & pityful begging sign for shocks)

 

oKay, I know that was the exact kind a post everyone hates but I was looking through the classifieds and there are some used shocks in there and I was just being negative, because I get worried if I do go used then something will go wrong.

What about the max spring rates on stock over the counter koni yellows?

 

Call Koni & find out how much it costs to get 2 or 4 shocks serviced if they do blow out. Then add that price to the amount the seller is asking for the used shocks. If that total is more than the amount for new ones, you should probably buy new (in my opinon).

Koni guarntees their shocks will last the liftime of your vehicle. That doesn't mean they will every time (especially when abused), but it certainly speaks volumes for the quality of their product. It also means they will back it up (as long as your the orignial purchaser of the shocks).

As for the max spring rate, the general consensus seems to be around 500-600 lbs/in is the max. Again that depends on your personal taste, but you would definently be maxed out at that point.

Watch out for pot holes! Seriously though, a good thing to check is if when shocks are compressed, do the extend on their own (even if it's super slow). This shows the shock still has it's nitrogen charger sealed up. Also look for any drips or runs coming from the piston seal. It's normal for slight oil moisture to be present, but no drips or globs. Also check the adjuster nut tap at the tip of the shaft. It is possible for the seals on the adjuster to blow, causing oil to spray up out at that spot.

Max new price would be around $525 for the shocks and $330 for the GC coilovers (ask GC for the "Koni Baby Tubes" because they are nicer than the adapter sleeves). If your buying used, then I couldn't tell you.

Pros of buying used:
Cheaper

Cons of buying used:
Unknown condition (buying over the internet)
Unknown history
Unknown seller (buying over the internet)
No warranty

 

damn it!......good points.....****.....being poor sucks!!! I need a new job.....

Thanks 94

 

koni yellows + custom rates on GC's=