I've recently been upgrading the suspension on my '92 Integra GS-R, and wanted some advice on the next upgrades.

I purchased the master set of Energy Suspension bushings: Energy Suspension 16.18104 - HyperFlex Master Kit Acura Integra 90-93. Energy Suspension ENE-16.18104G plus trailing arm bushings (most are not installed yet, though)

So far, I have:

Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable shocks all around
Ground Control coilovers (Eibach springs), -1.75" F / -1.5" R
Energy Suspension sway bar links
Energy Suspension shock mount bushings

Also have new drive axles

What I'm looking for is advice on good aftermarket replacements for upper (adjustable) control arms, lower control arms, sway bars, strut tower bars, etc.

Thanks for the replies.

 

and searching here and G2IC.com you will find a ton of reviews and information on what you are seeking advice on.


From I the topics I read, OEM is preferred over aftermarket in some areas, unless you are trying to achieve something specific.


What is the car used for?

 

For upper control arms, ideally use OEM. if you want more camber, go lower. Simple as that. For lower control arms, check out function 7, ASR, voodoo13, or hardrace. For sway bars, ASR, hard race, or ST. You really only need a rear bar. Just replace the end links on the Oem front. Anything more than a rear sway will give you more understeer. As for the strut bars, use Cusco, or ems racing. I'm sure there are others, but I listed off some good brands for you.

Jealous of your GSR. I've owned two DA's. Made a vow to never own another though. I need to experience other cars.

 

Thanks. I've been doing a lot of that; here and g2ic.com ...

Thanks for the recommends. I'll look into the UCA's, LCA's. The front strut bar is a challenge: ABS is great -- until it's in the way of the strut bar. I purchased a Tenzo R years ago -- never tried to install until recently -- and come to find out it doesn't fit. As for rear strut bars, the mounting brackets are usually tall, and require cutting or removing the interior.

And I've been considering rear sways; I'll definitely take a harder look at those.

As for the ride, I've owned my DB2 for going on 19 years now; she's part of the family at this point. I'm just trying to get rid of the creaks, squeaks, and body roll after 24 years of OE parts and rubber bushings.

 

use OEM trailing arm bushings and not ES. everything else i'd use polyurethane on. just make sure to pick up a tube of marine grease and lube everything up good when installing. had three DA tegs and a 92 gsr. shoulda never gotten rid of the gsr...

 

Thank you (sorry for the late response). I bought the ES trailing arm bushings pretty inexpensive, but I hear what you're saying about staying with rubber.

So far I have my eye on:

Voodoo 13 rear lower control arms
ST Suspension rear sway bar
Megan Racing front and rear upper strut bars

Anyone have experience with J2 Engineering products?

I can't seem to find any decently-reviewed front lower control arms for this car... most people just replace with new OE parts.

 

Don't get megan racing strut bars. They are not rigid enough to actually provide any structural rigidity. Rather, they are for aesthetics only. When looking for a strut bar it should be a rigid one piece unit. such as the Cusco OS or EM racing. and yes, I would get new OEM front lower control arms. A good example of an "aftermarket" front lca would be sankei 555. They are an OE manufacturer.

 

Thanks again. You're a wealth of information. I'll look for the Sankei lca's. And I can see what you mean by the aesthetics vs. rigidity of strut bars; they're all over the map. Unfortunately the Cusco front strut bar is for non-ABS only, and it doesn't look like EM makes front strut bars. So, more shopping...

 

I would dump the ES kit in lieu of genuine Honda replacements...or Hardrace at the very least. For the sake of comfort and longevity. Even if you decide to install them to find out if I'm right or wrong...I would definitely not do the trailing arm bushings with polyurethane.

If you're lowering your DA 1.75" on Illuminas (or any stock length shock), you will likely need extended tophats. Thats a big drop for a DA. That's bordering on being a bit much for a DC chassis.

 

Thanks. At this point, the ES kit (save for the sway bar end links and strut mounts) will be replacement parts. But where I used them has made a difference. 24-year-old rubber over speed bumps is annoying, let alone making the ride squirrel-ly.

Thanks to Black Friday sales, I purchased an ST Suspension rear sway bar, and Voodoo13 rear lower control arms. Right now I'm shopping OE replacement front lower control arms (thanks again bigtimegambler)

And years ago (for a month) I had the car dropped 2.5" on lowering springs with the Tokicos, and it was a comfortable ride... until someone cut me off at 70mph around a hard turn, the ABS kicked in, and the car almost rolled. So those came out.

With it lowered at the moment, I reset the Tokicos to 3 in the front, 4 in the back (out of 5). Overall, it's a great ride.

 

You should start your own build thread! Document all this work. I would like to see the progress.

 

Thanks, I keep telling myself to take pics along the way. And I appreciate all the advice. Hope you're having a great Thanksgiving weekend!

 

OK, now I have another question:

Rear subframe brace, rear subframe tie bar, or both?

I understand that stiffening the back end (say, with a sway bar) can be bad on the chassis. Is that why I would add one or both of these?

Thanks.

 

For any bar that's significantly stiffer than stock, you need a subframe brace to mount it on. If not, there's a good chance that the bar tears itself from the subframe. Usually, this happens with a combination of big bar, soft springs, sticky tires, and hard cornering (track/autocross).

 

Good to know. Thanks. I'm checking out ASR subframe bars, unless there's a better recommendation.

 

So I'm bumping this thread for some more advice...

First -- after the Ground Control coilovers were installed -- I'm noticing that, unless I'm going 2mph, the front end shocks are hitting the bumpstops due to the numerous speed bumps in my office parking structure.

They're the really nasty ones...



Overall, though, the ride is fine on my Tokico Illuminas, and the rear is fine going over these.

Should I get extended top hats? And if so, should I stick with Ground Control, or will any decent ones work?


ALSO, I've done exhaustive research on front lower control arms (not a lot out there for 90-93 Integra)... From numerous reviews for and against -- OE and aftermarket -- I can't seem to figure out what I should do.

On the OE front:
Sankei doesn't make them
MOOG doesn't make them
Dorman makes cheap OE replacements
Otherwise, it's genuine OE parts at roughly $200 a side (if you can find them)

On the aftermarket front:
None of the big names make them (Hardrace, SK2, Function 7, Megan, ST)
J2 Engineering makes them, but they're expensive ($180-$200 / pair) and people here don't seem thrilled with them.

Help. Thanks.

 

Have you tried going over them 1 wheel at a time? maybe raise it up a little? Also, I would suggest to dish out the extra $$ to go with OEM because I also tried looking for a cheaper solution and came up with nothing solid and call the dealer they should be able to find them (over here they are able to have them shipped in a couple of days). Hope this helps.

 

Thanks. I typically do go over them one at a time; it's just annoying. But I really like the look of less wheel well...

And I hear what you're saying about getting the OE replacements: most here say stick with OE for the front LCA's.

 

Earlier in this thread....

I have actually never been wrong ever about anything.

How do you know its hitting bumpstop? Are you getting a lot of noise? Or just noticing an abrupt stopping of the travel?

You really shouldn't be going over those speed bumps at more than 2mph.

Did you already have those shocks laying around or something? 1.75" is such a big drop for that car. An actual full body coilover would have done it so much better for about the same cost....

As a PSA for future users....with "streetable" spring rates and stock length shocks (stock, koni, illumina, agx, etc)...the max drop you want for a DA is about 1". For a DC, about 1.5". If you want more...buy a good quality coilover with shortened shocks and/or full body adjustment. Extended hats are an option. But...then the cost is likely more than just buying a decent coilover in the first place...

 

Thanks the reply.

It's an abrupt stop if I'm not crawling over the speed bumps. Aside from that, no other noise...

I had the Illuminas installed years ago, with a plan to buy the GC kit specifically for those shocks.

So I guess the missing component was/is the extended top hats, which I'm sure would have been included had I bought the entire thing at once.

 

No problem. Are the bumpstops cut down? And have you tried stiffening the shocks (this will work if Illuminas are compression stroke adjustable....idk if they are....)?

 

The bumpstops were cut down from years ago when I had a crazy 2.5" drop... and I have adjusted the Illuminas from 3F/2R to 4F/3R (out of 5) after the GC kit was installed.

Overall, the ride is great without being harsh.


OK, so if I get extended top hats: Ground Control or will almost anything do?

 

Well...the hats are just solid pieces of machined aluminum. GC does have a good reputation. I usually go for the original or most well made part. I'd buy ones from GC if I needed them.

But I'm sure people are using knockoffs without any issue. Or any issue that they're aware of.

 

So I thought I'd post an update on the progress of upgrading the suspension...

Installed to date (front, back, and all-around):

Ground Control coilovers on Tokico Illumina 5-way adjustable shocks
Sickspeed extended top hats (fronts only)
Energy Suspension front sway bar end links
ASR 24mm sway bar / subframe kit, with adjustable end links
Voodoo 13 rear lower control arms

TBD: replace front lower control arm bushings

Overall, very happy with the ride: less squeaks and creaks, and definitely more responsive. Thanks for all the advice and help on this.

 

I believe the illuminas are rebound adjustable only. Don't quote me on that though.

I'm surprised you had issues with suspension travel at that ride height. Is it resolved now that you have the extended top hats on there?

For the FLCAs I would suggest just replacing the bushings vs replacing the entire arms. Last time I checked the OEM bushings are still available from the dealership. All 4 of them would cost significantly less than replacing the pair of arms.