Hey all,

I have a 2001 accord sedan. The rear is feeling a little bouncy after 220k. Would like to get a set of reasonably priced shocks/springs or a kit to freshen up the suspension. Not looking for anything extreme, would like to lower 1.5 - 2. Is for a daily driver... so looking for something a little stiffer and lower but not super harsh. Any first hand advice?

I would like to get a set of pre-assembled struts that give a little lowering... does anyone make that?

Thanks!

 

haven't seen anything pre-assembled that is reasonably priced, trustworthy and lower than stock.

stock ride height: I personally prefer KYB excel-G (same as GR-2) you can get them pre-assembled from most online auto-parts stores for a good price.

lowered: tein S-techs will be a popular suggestion. I'm sure you could have a local place assemble them for you with the KYB from above or Koni yellows for a reasonable fee.

many say you can't run lowering springs on OE shocks. I wouldn't recommend lowering springs on old, used OE shocks... but I've never had an issue running NEW OE "style" shocks with lowering springs.

and if you haven't planned for it already (or done it already...) get ready to shop for new wheels. for some reason, lowering even 1"-1.5" makes the stock wheels look wimpy. i went up one inch in OD and 1/2" in width and have been happy with that long term.

 

You can use some fresh, basic shocks for a mild drop without issue. The KYBs recommended above are nice for a mild drop. For springs, I would recommend the Eibach Pro-Kit which gives a 1.5" drop all the way around and is a progressive spring. For a daily driver, a progressive spring is the way to go. It will maintain OEM-like ride comfort during normal driving but stiffen up as the spring becomes more compressed during spirited driving.

 

What do you think about the tein street basis kit? I haven't bought it but I was considering it.

 

I personally have no experience with Tein products. I have heard that they are quality products but some people complain that they're too soft. Usually those people are more performance oriented so they may be perfect for a daily driver that doesn't see much aggressive driving.

 

That was my thought as well. When I go to replace all my bushings I was thinking of using oem, for ride comfort, but am reconsidering urethane since it seems like most companies can make custom bushings as needed.

 

You will hear it both ways when it comes to bushings. Some people swear that you want the deflection of a rubber bushing as the OEM intended, others say urethane all the way. Every bushing under my Accord has been replaced with urethane and the only differences I noticed were a tighter, newer feeling vehicle and superb handling characteristics. No real drawbacks to speak of. I rebuilt the entirety of my father's '78 F100 with urethane bushings and he was super happy with the results as well. Said it rode and drove better than it ever had. The important thing is to grease and install them properly.

 

Lets say I went with the eibach pro-kit and had the 1.5 drop all around. At what point do I need to worry about anything else? Is that 1.5" drop going to tweak camber? Do I need to install some adjustable balljoints at the same time? Or will it be ok as is?

 

You will need an alignment to correct the toe but no additional parts are needed for that. Camber change for such a small drop should be negligible and won't effect tire wear too much. The additional toe-in from the drop is a much more prominent concern and will cause massively accelerated tire wear on the inside edge of the tire if not addressed after the springs are installed.