Okay Honda Nation, I am posting this survey to find out: which Honda/Acura has the best balance and handling?

I own a Civic with a Type R swap, with the rear almost gutted, so now I am trying to figure out how to rebalance the car, and how much weight I need back there- the car has TONS of oversteer, and the rear threatens to come around in a fast turn. So, now I am obsessed with balance and handling.

So, this will be a survey with two lists:

One, for front drives, and the other for the select few rear drive cars.

Thanks for your help! Really looking forward to the feedback..

 

this should ne asked in the suspension forum. Oversteering is good for FWD cars. It also depends on what you plan to do with the car. To correct the oversteer i suggest just upgrading your swaybar.

S2k and NSx has the best handling as far as RWD go. Well those are the only RWD in the lineup anyway.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gyrmaersk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Okay Honda Nation, I am posting this survey to find out: which Honda/Acura has the best balance and handling?

I own a Civic with a Type R swap, with the rear almost gutted, so now I am trying to figure out how to rebalance the car, and how much weight I need back there- the car has TONS of oversteer, and the rear threatens to come around in a fast turn. So, now I am obsessed with balance and handling.

So, this will be a survey with two lists:

One, for front drives, and the other for the select few rear drive cars.

Thanks for your help! Really looking forward to the feedback..</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't throw any weight back there. Either put a smaller sway bar back there or soften it and the shocks up if they are adjustable to try to get some more grip. If that doesn't work get a bigger sway bar up front or adjust it if yours is adjustable to make the front stiffer. Stiffen up the front shocks too. You want to make the front understeer more, not the rear oversteer less by throwing weight back there. That way the front will come out first before the front ever steps out and you will be in a nuetral handling zone longer. Its easier to correct while driving a car with slight understeer than it is with oversteer.

I drive a 2002 Civic Si. Its got Koni Adjustables, Eibach springs, and Hotchkis sway bars. The sway bars have poly bushings which sucks but I can't find rubber. This car weighs too much to be a racer but it's my daily driver It handles good enough to have a lot of fun ripping around the Santa Cruz mountains where I live.

And I agree, this should be in the suspension forum but I never go there so I thought I'd throw in my $ .02

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gyrmaersk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">which Honda/Acura has the best balance and handling?
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I'll say anything with a Type R emblem from the factory.

 

Hey, you're local, we both live in Santa Cruz- we have awesome mountain roads out here This is exactly the sort of driving I enjoy, so I need my car to handle in top form. What roads do you usually take?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gyrmaersk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey, you're local, we both live in Santa Cruz- we have awesome mountain roads out here This is exactly the sort of driving I enjoy, so I need my car to handle in top form. What roads do you usually take?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are you refering to me???

 

1g CRX, imho.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gyrmaersk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey, you're local, we both live in Santa Cruz- we have awesome mountain roads out here This is exactly the sort of driving I enjoy, so I need my car to handle in top form. What roads do you usually take?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Bear Creek Road to Boulder Creek. I have friends that live there and so does my sister and I might move there just for the commute . I actually live in San Jose right now.

 

See, that's why I want to get my suspension issues worked out, can't wait to tear it up again on those mountain roads. Do you have a favorite loop that you like to drive on the weekends?

I thought poly was better and stiffer than rubber for bushings. Is it no so?

 

Poly bushings are better if you are going to take your car to the track a lot but they make so much ******* noise they drive you crazy. You've gotta take them off and re-lube them every couple of months to quiet them down.

I usually take 17 to Bear Creek road and either go to Boulder Creek or go North on Skyline over to 9 and then down to Saratoga. I just love getting lost back there. There's so many backroads.

 

Man, my front end is making some racket going slow over bumps, a squeaking rattling noise, I thought it was my radiator bouncing around, maybe it is all the poly bushing in my swar bar and traction bar. I'll try lubing them- do I use WD40 or ? What do you recommend?

I get kinda concerned with some of those backroads, there are thousands of 'em and seems like you really CAN get lost.. but a blast to drive!

I found some weird taped crap jammed into my left front strut tube that only revealed itself when I jacked up the front end, my vehicle seems to handle a lot better on 17 now, I wonder if that was the problem..

 

You need to lube the bushings with special grease. I believe it is sold at most Auto Zones. The WD will work for a couple of days but then will just dry them out and make it worse.


What was taped in your strut tube?

 

I have no idea what it was, at first I thought it was some kind of seal, but all the seals are internal- it was a circular loop of tape wrapped around some red crumbly crap, like upholstery foam or something. I have no idea how it got way up inside there or what purpose it could have served, if any.

I have my car back in the shop and am having them check the frame alignment. How much does the frame have to be out of alignment for it to affect handling? A few millimeters, or much more?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gyrmaersk &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have no idea what it was, at first I thought it was some kind of seal, but all the seals are internal- it was a circular loop of tape wrapped around some red crumbly crap, like upholstery foam or something. ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Are these shocks new? It sounds like it was the bumpstop and it had just gotten old and crumbly. I've seen them do that before. You need that in there or you can ruin the shock if you hit too many potholes. Plus it adversely affects handling especially if the other side is still in there.

 

If you have oversteer problems in a Civic you either have a bent or broken suspension component or you've done something horribly wrong with your aftermarket parts choices.

Oversteer is a problem, not a desirable condition.

No car always oversteers or understeers. Slow down before entering the turn, and punch the gas halfway through. You should have massive understeer, especially if you have any kind of power.

 

The bump stop- that could have been it- these are KYB shocks, would the bumpstop be made with black electrical tape, or held in there with it? It was only visible when the shock was extended when the front end was jacked up. The right shock had nothing unusual with it- does that mean the bumpstop is long gone, or is still jammed in there? How can I check for it?