i got a 95 accord LX,

i would like to get a set of Rota IK-R.. my question really is, whats the best way to lower the car? i would love to have coilovers, but i dont want to spend thousands on top of the line brands, and if i go to a show or something, i would want to dump my car, and i feel that if i get springs and shocks, ill be "stuck" so to speak, but what does everyone think of coilover sleeves? are they worth it? plus i live in south florida, and when it rains in my location, the puddles get pretty big... so wha does everyone think of the sleeves?

 

"true" coilover. is that fuc king noob and ignorant term still around?

 

sorry, i dont think that answers my question

 

Not just still around, but very prevalent even.

Unless the car is a Fit, all Hondas built in the last 2 decades have "true coilovers" from the factory (for sale in the US anyway).

 

It kinda does. Define "true".

 

you see koni/gc aren't true coilovers because you can move the sleeve. if you're tein and tac on the sleeve then it's a true coilover because the tac increases your hardparker status and gives you the ability to tell all your brahs that you have "true coilovers"

 

Yeah. That's all I'm thinking it is.

 

Everyone hates the term full coilover, but it's totally accurate.

Sleeves with dampers are generally lowered end products and don't perform as well as full coilovers. GCs with konis or bilsteins are the one exception to that rule, but that one exception doesn't negate the entire rule.

 

So you're telling me a Koni/Bilstein shock paired with a drop spring won't perform as well as a crappy China made 1 piece? GTFO here with that ****. You may lose hard parker status points though since it wouldn't be low enough.

 

That's straight garbage. Back that up with some pure technical data and maybe I'll believe you. But I don't think you'll be able to because it's all uninformed opinion. And the term was "true" not "full" coilover.

 

A coil spring over a shock is the definition of a coilover. Nothing else can make it any more "full" or "true".

The term is misleading, since it isn't even close to accurate.

 

^^^^This.

 

That's not what I'm saying at all, stock springs on stock shocks probably perform better than a set of china one pieces. I'm referring to good quality one piece coilovers, I would think that was obvious, but perhaps I should have been more clear.

It's not straight garbage at all. The terms true and full coilover refer to the same thing and are interchangeable, referring to them by a slightly different name doesn't change a thing.

 

Don't skirt the issue. Please provide tech-ni-cal data as to why one is superior than another.

 

Well this is my perspective on the issue.

Koni/Bilstein with ground control sleeves are the best performing damper paired with a adjustable height spring combination, no other sleeve that I know of compares to the quality of ground controls. There are very few springs, at least for my platform, that are designed to perform well enough for autox.

Moton, Spoon, KW, higher end Tein and so on all match or exceed the performance of off the shelf konis with springs. Making full coilovers generally a higher end, better performing product. It has nothing to with hard parker points, it has to do with the majority of best damper manufacturers not selling the dampers separately.

I would have gone with Koni/gc if I didnt score a deal on a set of Tein SS, I'm not saying they're not a set-up that performs, I'm saying that there are more options for high end damper/spring combinations with full coilovers.

 

I don't give a rat's *** about your perspective as it's flawed as you try to compare higher end against lower end product. Please provide technical data.

 

What do you want from me...

Shock dynos comparing the dampers in good quality full coilovers to konis and bilsteins?

I'll go find some if I have time, I have a life outside the internet.

 

And yet here you are. Put up or shut up is the term I believe. Your opinion and warped perspective is not backed by any technical information. Solid data or nothing.

 

OP. What is your budget? That should narrow things down.

 

Yes, here I am, writing a one minute response. I don't have shock dynos saved on my hard drive for quick access in the event that a discussion on Tein dampers versus koni dampers erupts. Your just repeating the same line and essentially saying that off the shelf konis are better than any other damper ever made, so why don't you provide data as well.

I repeat, what data specifically do you want me to post?

 

This thread is asking for advice, not to start an arguement on this and that. Depending on the use of the car, and the roads it drive on, one set up could be better than another.

Anyways, someone ACTAULLY answer the question.

 

And you're still here. Some data to backup your statement is all. You said one was better than the other. I'd like to know how that is. I'm sure the OP would as well. I know if I was going to spend a few hundred or even a few grand on suspension I'd like a little more than an uninformed opinion. According to you and your blanket statement Function and Form is better than a GC/Koni setup because it is one piece.

 

Why don't you answer it?

 

Ok, fine. Which one is actually answerable?

There is no "best way", other than "have sufficient damping to handle the spring rates chosen, and choose spring rates based on the intended minimum ride height and intended use of the car", which doesn't apply because...

He would be "stuck" with the ride height any spring not mounted on an adjustable perch is designed for.

In general, they do exactly what they're intended to, allow an adjustable ride height.

Subjective, thus unanswerable.

Um, what does that have to do with anything?

Which sleeves? Threaded metal is threaded metal. As long as it keeps the spring perch in place, it accomplishes it's objective.


Overall, the OP wants to be able to adjust height. That means he needs to either skip that desire, or get something adjustable. Anything adjustable will cover the only stated need, whether that's a bundled solution from one company or a pieced together setup.

But without any usable information given (total budget, intended normal ride height, intended use, etc...) there are no answers to provide...

 

If I weld the sleeves onto the shock, does this make them full coilovers?