i have a '01 accord ex 4dr I4 completely stock. i want to change that in the next month or so... i've been reading a ton online and still have some questions so i'm posting here and in the accord forum looking for some help.

i want to lower my ride 1.5-2" and keep the ride quality pretty close to stock. i want that lower center of gravity and the more aggressive look. i also want to be able to adjust the height upward for when i drive to LA (reppin San Jose). this leaves me looking at coilover solutions and i'm liking the tein basics for their price range, people's overall comments about the ride quality being close to stock and their adjustability. tein ss are a bit pricey plus i don't know if i need all that adjustability since i'll never track this car or autox it. i've seen the tein basics for $660 online, but the places closer to me are sellin for $712. how much can i expect to pay for installing the coilovers? do i need a camber kit so my tires will last close to their recommended 50k miles? how much do those run and what models should i look for? also, i plan on riding on my stock michelin's and the ex premium wheels (15"). i read in a thread here that people don't get camber kits and just get the car aligned (toe fixed) and their tire wear is okay... so what's the good of fixing the camber? is it mostly useful with the bigger tires?

i've read a lot about people putting in the acura tl rear sway bar (anywhere from 17-23mm) to neutralize some of the understeer and that is really appealing to me too since i like to take my corners fast and want to get rid of that body roll. i see people picking up the stock rear sway bars from acura dealers for 60-80 bucks with the bushings. seems reasonable and i will probably go with a 17 or 19mm bar so i don't lose too much grip in the back. i'd like to have this installed when i get my suspension done so it won't cost that much to do. do i need any bars up front? i don't want the ride to get superstiff as that will detract from the stock ride i enjoy driving to/from work daily.

also, every weekend i'm going to be taking the 880 up to berkeley and that is a pretty rough freeway, lots of potholes, etc. anything i should take into account when upgrading my suspension in light of this? do the coilovers/lowered height put me at risk of damaging my car if i hit a pothole or bump going 60-85mph?

also can anyone recommend places to buy this stuff together at a discount? anywhere in the bay area where i can get this installed well and not too expensively? how much would all this labor cost me?

Thanks!

 

Just to add, but you do know that you will need an alignment every time you change the ride height? Especially if you're going to do it for long trips, as the tire wear will add up over the miles. I would recommend getting different wheels, with oversized tires, for the long trips. That will give a little extra ground clearance, as well as lowering the cruising rpms. Just be aware that your speedo will be off.

Eibach Sportline springs and some decent shocks (KYB AGX, Koni Yellow) would probably be a good combo. I have no knowledge of rear swaybars for the Accord, so no comments.

You don't need a camber kit to save the tires, you need an alignment. Lowering the car changes the toe. I've been running -4 (-6 when I bought it, worn spring) degres on camber on the back on my Spitfire for 11 years now, and the tires wear just fine. However, not everyone likes the neg camber look. A little negative camber in the front will help cornering traction.

If you want it lower, you want it stiffer. Lowering it without the springs being stiffer would make it easier to bottom out. Thats why I'm recommending the Eibach springs, they're a little lower, and a little stiffer, than stock.

As for changing the rear swaybar, don't pay anyone. I did mine in under 3 hours in a parking lot (would be alot faster if you have access to a garrage) using very basic hand tools, the scissor jack, and a torque wrench that I had purchased that morning. And I only bought the torque wrench because the Comptech kit required removal and reinstallation of the lower control arm bolts, though others will probably say you should always torque everything down correctly.

Whatever you decide, there certainly a wealth of information in the archives.

 

yeah that's fine since i'm probably going to sign up for firestone's lifetime alignment plan. i'll plan on getting diff wheels next year sometime when i can commit the right amount of money to them.

thanks for the suggestion. i'm probably going to stick with the full coilover setup b/c of that adjustability issue. i'll probably pass on the camber kit if the alignment readings come out well. since i'm not looking to drop too much, it shouldn't be too bad.

still looking for norcal shops that could hook me up with a good deal. got an offer to get the tein basics installed for $710 but that was in LA....