what are some way i can improve handling without buying a full coilover kit?

 

i was thinkin the same thing for my own car, just got a coupe just like you (according to your signature) and thinkin about what i should do for suspension without having to spend so much on coilovers.

I think you can just buy springs and shocks, it'll improve handling but you just can't adjust ride height so you have to be sure about it. That's where I get stuck, this is my first car and I'm not too sure about how low I want the car

 

Search. That would pull up a lot of answers. The options for you are limitless.

Springs, shocks, sleeve overs, coilovers, bushings, sway bars, strut bars, chassis bracing, alignments, wider wheels, wider and stickier tires, etc. etc. etc.

It's impossible to actually answer the question you have without writing 5 pages.

In short:
-Ground control sleeves and decent aftermarket shocks will work very well. Ground controls are height adjustable. They're around $300ish. The springs are excellent quality.
-Don't dump the car.
-Have it aligned properly.
-Sticky tires are the biggest thing to improve handling.
-There are a plethora of OEM and aftermarket sway bars to choose from.
-Fresh OEM bushings for ones that are torn.

 

save money, get used springs! springs really are not a wear item.
then get some tokiko iluminas or if you can afford it, koni sport (best)

 

I believe someone hear wrote an article on the integra rack and pinion internal swap for 96+ civics. Not exactly better handling but less work for driving.

 

Actually the rack has less turns lock to lock...so with no P/S, it would be harder to drive. You need to swap in an EG/DC subframe for that to work.

 

Easy!

- good tires
- rear sway bar upgrade
- even just a good set of lowering springs

 

i wasn't planning on dumping the car. i figured i'd lower it slightly with some eibachs. i was trying to keep on a budget and go with SI sway and strut bars.

i have decent tires on the car, so for the time being i don't really want to buy a new set. i'll keep that one for down the road. i actually wanted to keep the stock look and go HX rims, but couldn't find a lot of option on a 185/65/14 tire. i saw a pic of HX's wrapped in Falken Azenis tires, but had no luck finding the size on Falken's website.

appreciate all the help.

 

i couldve swore their was an article on one with just the internals swaped and retained p/s and original subframe...i believe it was done for the steering ratio not for the l2l....but ill dig for it...

 

Dropping your car even a little can do wonders for your handling. Also run a rear sway bar set up and some frame braces. CHOICE!

 

i'm just a little worried about just lowering springs. i've driven cars lowered on just springs and it was bouncy as hell. no, they weren't chopped springs. i remember one in particular was an rsx-s with eibach springs.

 

Look, lowering a car with "just" springs, can, give you a very very nice ride quality, especially if you are only going to go an inch.

My favorite of all the brands for a good ride quality lowering spring is ST, i swear by them. I have also owned more cars than 99% of the people on this site!!

 

Good and affordable. Go with this!

 

I would look into a spring that has lifetime warranty, forged, and cold winded. Tien, Eibach, H&R dont have sag warranties and some are only warrantied for a year or 2


After doing ALOT of research, INTRAX seems to have a superior lowering spring.
I havent done any research on STSuspension's springs, but i do use their front sway bar.

Rule of thumb is anything over a 1.5" drop requires new shocks and struts.

But there will always be someone that says " i dropped mine 2" on stock shocks and mines ok" but 9 times out of 10 they need replacing soon after the new springs are installed.
Who wants to go thru that **** again. Taking everything off, breaking down the assembly, and doing it all over again.

I know Koni has yellows for CHEAP on their site. and find some decent springs.

Function & form coilovers might be easier/cheaper option as they dont need to be broken down to be installed. So u might be equal on pricing after its all over and done.

Shops charge alot to break down shocks and springs. Where the F2 coilovers just get thrown right in, dial the ride height as close as u can and then align.

For optimal performance, get them corner balanced and your suspension will thank you for it! Be sure to have adjustable sway bars installed before corner balance. but the difference is night and day!


Good luck with whatever route you choose.

 

Eibach Sportlines with Koni Reds or Yellows. Don't cheap out and go with the Koni orange street shocks, get the reds or yellows.

I have reds and sportlines on my car, and it handles amazingly well. Add a rear sway, and there's not much else you'll ever need on a street car.

 

Falken Azenis RT-615
/thread

 

i have a 94 dx coupe.I installed front and rear sway bars off a 95 teg along with the teg lcas front and rear.Then i lowered in on megan racing springs.Handles a hell of alot better well worth the money($100).Now for a camber kit!!

 

FIXED.

 

^^bitchin tires.

 

Now... look at the opening post, and the poster's sig line.
Go ***** out and cheap out on suspension?
It seems obvious to me that the poster does not want to spend alot of money on his car. The Dunlop are twice the price you'd pay for Azenis.

 

actually, i decided to not go ***** out. i just forgot how to fix my sig. i just wanted to upgrade the suspension a little bit.

i tried looking for the azenis in 185/65/14 but falken doesn't have them on their site.

 

as far as the rear sway bar goes, does anything from the SI or Integ work best?

 

Exacly, you're trying to do stuff that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Right? That's my impression anyway, and I'm not sharing it to put you down in any way or form.

If you google the tire, you'll find some vendors
http://www.vulcantire.com/azenis_rt615_t.htm

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/tir...%2FPerformance

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&r...=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Edit: Nevermind, I just noticed you'd be looking for a specific size that doesn't seem to be available...
I'd still consider a 195/60/14
I don't think you'll get much performance out of a 65 serie tire unless you go with something exotic and stiff as can be. a 185/65 serie tire will flex like you wouldn't beleive when you start taking corners. 195/60/14 is what I was running on my Sol up until a few days ago, I just moved up to 205/55/15 RT-615. Only when I switched did I start getting body roll.

 

no offense taken. i just didn't want to look like a fool. haha.. if i were building a car, i'd start with suspension first.

anyway, you're right. i'm not trying to spend a lot because the car is just my daily. i just want to get a little practice on certain things before i decide to start a project.

i appreciate the tire links. i'm jumping on it.

 

found an ITR strut bar for 85. fitment?

also, would 195/60/14 fit on the HX rim?