I hate my car... even my CR-V handles a lot better than this stupid Civic. Its lowered on H&R Sports (is it normal to have a wider gap in the rear?), with SiR rear components. I've had an alignment recently.

The issue is that whenever I go over a bump, my car kind of hops. Whenever I go over tracks, it feels like my car is extremely hollow. Are my shocks blown; the ride isn't too bouncy, just unstable?

 

What do you mean SiR rear components? Rear Disk? OEM Shocks?

What other Components do you have? Sway Bars? Strut Braces? What about Wheel and Tire? The more info the better!

 

Possible problems:

- blown shocks (what shocks are you using?)
- bad alignment (post the print-out from the alignment you had done after you installed the springs)
- improper tire pressure

I have no idea what "SiR rear components" means.

 

Front Shocks: Honda
Rear Shocks: Tokico Blue (garbage, the Honda are doing a better job)
Tires: 205/40/16 Bridgestone gForce Sport, 35 psi cold

Front: Stock EX, stock sway bar, no strut brace
Rear: SiR Rear Disc, no rsb

I am pretty sure its bad shocks but I want to make sure. This happened before alignment, more noticeably after rear disc conversion. I was informed my passenger upper control arm needs to be replaced. The car was fine on current setup with H&R sport for a while. When I go on onramps, it feels like my rear is about to lift.

 

i dont think your alignment has anything to do with your car hoping around. and bridgestone dose not make a g force BFG dose. I would say maybe you shocks are blown or just crappy ones.

 

Struts are more critical to handling than springs, assuming at least that the springs are a decent match for the struts.

It should not surprise you that a stock Civic would handle better than your setup (lowered and worn stock front struts, lowered tokico blues on the back)

 

most likely the front showa dampers are blown...just cause they are older, and meant for a lower spring rate...

double check on the springs... who knows you could've installed the rear springs in the front, and the front springs in the rear...

 

Thats not a valid test for worn dampers. All it can tell you is that a damper is absolutely, 100%, totally, utterly and completely buggered. I've had dampers that passed that test easily but were hopeless on the car, keep in mind that the force you can physically exert on the damper is miniscule compared to the forces acting on it when fitted ro the car...

 

so how do you test a damper?

-btw that came straight from the honda repair manual...

 

that test is good for most oem dampers.

if you try that on something like a new koni yellow its going to fail.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Azxster &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Front Shocks: Honda
Rear Shocks: Tokico Blue</TD></TR></TABLE>
You're joking, right?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Azxster &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I was informed my passenger upper control arm needs to be replaced.</TD></TR></TABLE>
So have you replaced it? Because letting loose ball joints go is just asking for wheels to fall off . . .

 

lol man. Throw a few fat people in your car and go over a road that your car would normally bounce around on and see if it bounces. The fat people will make the springs rebound more slowly so you won't get that.

My old (98 DC2) integra had blown shocks because the idiot who lowered the car before I bought it decided that it would be a great idea to take off the spring retainer nut with an impact gun and spun the guts out of the shock...

when I had passengers I couldn't believe the difference! That is a more valid test to check the health of how well your shocks are controlling rebound I personally think.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bpr0422 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so how do you test a damper?

-btw that came straight from the honda repair manual...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Only on a damper dyno, or by feel on the car. That test is better than nothing and any damper that can't pass it should be junked out of hand or rebuilt (if possible). All I'm saying is don't assume that a damper that passes that test is therefore in great (or even good) condition, it may well not be...

 

Well just to throw it out there... if you put the front springs on the rear and the rear on the front it will be higher in the back and handle like ****. Just a thought...