Help Needed: Upgrading Suspension on My EK4 Civic!
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Help Needed: Upgrading Suspension on My EK4 Civic!
Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well! I’m excited to reach out to the community because I’ve been a proud owner of a 1999 EK4 Civic 3-door since 2007, and I’m still in love with this car. About two years ago, I completed a full restoration and upgrade of my B16A2 engine, and now I’m looking to upgrade my suspension setup from scratch.
Current Setup: Right now, I’m running Bilstein B8 shocks with H&R Sport Pink springs (unfortunately, these springs have been discontinued, and I haven’t been able to find their exact spring rate in order to be more specific about their specs). My ride height is currently at 320mm from the center of the wheel to the fender. Concerning that, my mechanic mentioned that although the center of gravity is low, this height causes the suspension to work incorrectly due to limited travel. This has made daily driving on bumpy roads a bit concerning. It is worth mentioning that with the above setup I already run 210.000km!
What I’m Looking For: I really like the stiffness of my current setup and want to maintain that, if not go even stiffer. I’m not looking for a dedicated track car feel, but I do want a noticeable increase in stiffness. Additionally, I’m aiming for sharp turn-in response and the ability to adjust the ride height, ideally raising it to around 345mm without losing that planted feeling. Coilovers seem to be the best route for this.
Current Options: I’m currently considering:
• KW Variant 2
• Cusco Street Zero A
• Fortune Auto 500
• Tein Flex Z
Alternatively, I could go with brand new Bilstein B8s along with Spoon Sports springs to increase the height a bit. This last option feels more conservative, as it keeps me close to the setup I already know, minimizing the risk of spending a lot and potentially not liking the new choice.
Seeking Your Input: I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with the Bilstein and H&R combo. Which of the coilovers I mentioned might be closest to that setup? Additionally, if you’ve tried at least two of the options I’m considering, I’d appreciate your opinions based on your prior experiences. I understand that suspension choices are very personal, but please keep my needs in mind as you share your insights.
Closing Thoughts: Before I wrap up, I want to mention that alongside whatever coilovers I choose, I plan to replace all of my bushings with new Hardrace hardened rubber ones. I’ll also be adding a camber kit front and rear, a rear toe arm kit, and a 19mm rear sway bar with an ASR brace. So, this suspension upgrade will be significant and definitely on the stiffer side.
Apologies for the lengthy message!
I really appreciate any feedback and opinions you can share.
Thanks in advance!
Current Setup: Right now, I’m running Bilstein B8 shocks with H&R Sport Pink springs (unfortunately, these springs have been discontinued, and I haven’t been able to find their exact spring rate in order to be more specific about their specs). My ride height is currently at 320mm from the center of the wheel to the fender. Concerning that, my mechanic mentioned that although the center of gravity is low, this height causes the suspension to work incorrectly due to limited travel. This has made daily driving on bumpy roads a bit concerning. It is worth mentioning that with the above setup I already run 210.000km!
What I’m Looking For: I really like the stiffness of my current setup and want to maintain that, if not go even stiffer. I’m not looking for a dedicated track car feel, but I do want a noticeable increase in stiffness. Additionally, I’m aiming for sharp turn-in response and the ability to adjust the ride height, ideally raising it to around 345mm without losing that planted feeling. Coilovers seem to be the best route for this.
Current Options: I’m currently considering:
• KW Variant 2
• Cusco Street Zero A
• Fortune Auto 500
• Tein Flex Z
Alternatively, I could go with brand new Bilstein B8s along with Spoon Sports springs to increase the height a bit. This last option feels more conservative, as it keeps me close to the setup I already know, minimizing the risk of spending a lot and potentially not liking the new choice.
Seeking Your Input: I’d love to hear from anyone who has experience with the Bilstein and H&R combo. Which of the coilovers I mentioned might be closest to that setup? Additionally, if you’ve tried at least two of the options I’m considering, I’d appreciate your opinions based on your prior experiences. I understand that suspension choices are very personal, but please keep my needs in mind as you share your insights.
Closing Thoughts: Before I wrap up, I want to mention that alongside whatever coilovers I choose, I plan to replace all of my bushings with new Hardrace hardened rubber ones. I’ll also be adding a camber kit front and rear, a rear toe arm kit, and a 19mm rear sway bar with an ASR brace. So, this suspension upgrade will be significant and definitely on the stiffer side.
Apologies for the lengthy message!
I really appreciate any feedback and opinions you can share.
Thanks in advance!
Re: Help Needed: Upgrading Suspension on My EK4 Civic!
Unless the roads where you drive are total crap, 320mm is at the lower end of reasonable - but the lower you go the stiffer you generally need to be since you have less travel. B8s are great dampers but at stock length you may be less than ideal on travel.
- KW 2s are a great street cruiser setup and their dampers are excellent. They come with pretty soft rates though. Should be fine if you are raising your car an inch anyway.
- Never seen these particular Cuscos but their offerings usually use pretty short bodies with limited droop. Not awesome for street use, but maybe these are fine since they are listed as a street setup.
- If you're interested in FA500s, check here first: Cygnus Performance – World Class Suspension . He is selling FA500s cheaper than you can get them direct, with free (US domestic) shipping and in custom colors if that's your thing. He also does custom built dampers, starting around the same price, that are based on FA dampers but with upgraded internals and custom rates/valving for your application. I ordered a set of his X-1 Motorsport edition coilovers earlier this month, hoping to have them before mid-October. Pony up for a spring upgrade, he has Hyperco and Swift available. Either are a great upgrade. Killer customer service too.
- Can't really offer an opinion on anything Tein. Nothing wrong with them, but I've never been particularly impressed with any of their offerings either.
- KW 2s are a great street cruiser setup and their dampers are excellent. They come with pretty soft rates though. Should be fine if you are raising your car an inch anyway.
- Never seen these particular Cuscos but their offerings usually use pretty short bodies with limited droop. Not awesome for street use, but maybe these are fine since they are listed as a street setup.
- If you're interested in FA500s, check here first: Cygnus Performance – World Class Suspension . He is selling FA500s cheaper than you can get them direct, with free (US domestic) shipping and in custom colors if that's your thing. He also does custom built dampers, starting around the same price, that are based on FA dampers but with upgraded internals and custom rates/valving for your application. I ordered a set of his X-1 Motorsport edition coilovers earlier this month, hoping to have them before mid-October. Pony up for a spring upgrade, he has Hyperco and Swift available. Either are a great upgrade. Killer customer service too.
- Can't really offer an opinion on anything Tein. Nothing wrong with them, but I've never been particularly impressed with any of their offerings either.
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