I have saved my money to get a new suspension setup for my 1997 Integra GSR, and wanted to run it by the experts before I made my purchase.


Mainly this car will be a daily driver, but I will occasionally take it to the track to drag or auto x. My plan was the PIC Apex or the Koni Yellow/GC setup. The cheapest I could find the Koni/GC was $799 shipped and the PIC from their website for the same price (the guy I pmed on HT marketplace did not respond yet).


The rest of my suspension is somewhat of a mystery. The LCA's, camber kits, and bushings are up in the air. I would like to use my OEM ones to save on money, but if I have to I will buy whatever part I need. I heard energy suspension is not the best kit, so I looked into PIC and they have a kit for $200 (again, the seller on HT marketplace might be able to provide them cheaper).


For my modest setup, do you think it would be necessary to get new LCA's, Camber kits (front and rear), front lower arm bar, etc? Thanks for any imput.

 

What are you using the car for?

I have no experience with either of those dampers. On the subject of camber kits it is unlikely you will need them unless you are in one of two situations:

1. You track heavily and require more static camber.

2. Your car is super dumped and you have -6 camber. But in this situation aftermarket camber kits are going to eat into your bump travel and make the upper control arms slam the chassis non stop.

So in effect you don't need camber kits. If the car is for the street and you want a nice long service life out of suspension parts dont use poly, stick with rubber. OEM, Mugen or possibly the stuff you mention from PIC.

 

I will drive this car every day to work and school. I do not like dumped because it will eat up my headers (i have lost two headers like this).

Do I need the LCA's at all? eventually I will want a subframe brace and 24mm sway bar installed.

Does honda sell a complete bushing kit?

Thanks so much for the help.

 

For your use then you dont need any camber adjustment parts in my opinion and plenty of people on this forum will agree with me. Just make sure you get the car professionally aligned with zero toe to preserve your tyres.

Stock GS-R lower control arms have holes to provide for a sway bar correct? And they will work with your planned swaybar brace setup? If that is the case I wouldn't bother with rear LCAs unless you want the bling. I have a DC5 so I don't know everything about proper double wishbone hondas .

No idea whether Honda sell the complete bushing kit but I think it is unlikely, you will most likely have to order each individually. I have ordered stuff from oemacuraparts.com with success before. Their prices and service were good.

 

Thanks for the advice!

Pic actually stopped producing them because they had issues with fitment, and will not be selling them for a couple of months (a fellow Team Integra member called them after his did not fit). The same member got a "Hardrace busking kit" and gave it a good review. Off i go to look.

Still opinions on spring rate (looking at 350/380 for the koni/GC setup) would be helpful. thanks.

 

The Koni's have adjustable damping, the PIC Apex's don't.

For your needs, none of those parts are necessary, including the coilovers. If your bushings are old and worn out, then that's probably the only thing you'd need to change.

As clarification, I haven't stopped producing the bushing kits. We've simply stopped offering the 94-01 Integra sets since the rear lower control arm bushings (outboard and inboard) are the incorrect size, and that's been rectified. We just need to get a lot of them made.

Honda does not sell a bushing kit, but some bushings can be purchased separately. Some must be purchased with the entire control arm. If you were to purchase all replacement bushings (including the arms were necessary), the total is about $850 last I checked.

 

I looked back at what i typed and realised i made it sound like you will never produce them again. whoops. the thread on TI said it would be over a month from april until you get them in stock. Is there any update on that?

 

I'd say that's accurate still.

 

I dont see me running more than a 1.75" drop, so what if I just waited on the camber kit for now, and got it later (like a month)? Right now I need suspension and tires.

Tires are between Bridgestone Potenza RE760 Sport ($440 shipped) and Yokohama S.drive ($400 shipped). The suspension will be Pic Apex ($780 shipped) or Koni/GC ($800 shipped).

My car does only have 90,000 miles on it, so my bushings are something that I think I would like to have, but will have to wait on for cash. I only have $1400.

Are the stock LCA's with PIC or Hardrace bearings just as good as an aftermarket LCA? (style is not a big deal, because I dont want my car looked at by theives)

 

I just finished installing my suspension. I found out that my LCA's had bolts with snapped off heads inside them, and my bushings were done.

I plan on going with some aftermarket LCA's, camber kit, and the ASR swaybar/subframe brace combo. Then extended wheel studs and lug nuts, strut tower bar (mine was stolen), and finally bushing kit. Then my suspension will be done!

Pics will come tomorrow when I find my camera.