Heres my dilemma,
I drive a drag turbocharged 2000 civic si with tokiko illumas with skunk 2 adjustable springs. This setup rides like **** and i get no traction. Ive tried everything. Im cosidering buying a coilover setup from maybe JIC, Progress, or any company that gets good praise.
Got any experience with Coilover setups... Ill try anything. Imput is dearly apprieciated

 

Why your car rides like ****:

Skunk2 coilover sleeves come with some fairly high spring rates. I could be wrong, but I believe they often put 8k and 10k on the integra setup. (~450/550 lb/in). 6k (336lb) is the softest thing they even make. These are stiff rates for the street, and much more than your illuminas can handle. Even if you had decent shocks like a Koni Yellow you would still be working at their upper limit, if not past it).

One option is to buy replacement springs to soften the rates up. While you're at it, a progressive spring would give a more compliant ride. The Skunk2's are linear. You don't have to go back to Skunk to buy these. What you need is a 2.5" diameter coil spring in the length that's on your car. (probably 7") and the spring rate that you want.

I lost count of how many times I've heard that "Skunk2 coilovers are junk". 90% of the time, it's because someone has paired them with cheap shocks, and the other 10% the person just doesn't realize that 400+ spring rates aren't going to be comfortable.

If you want to spend more money though, I would recommend doing some research and figuring out what spring rates you're comfortable with. I can say that I owned a set of Progress threaded body shocks (coilovers) and they were well suited to the street. Stiffer, but not uncomfortable at all.


[Modified by JeffS, 11:56 PM 12/21/2002]

 

What are your goals? What have you tried? Do you have a LSD? Poly engine mounts? Camber correction? How much travel do you have before you hit the bumpstops?

 

ive tried to adjust them to different heights and switching the shocks.
My goals are just to ride comfortable and still be able to launch HARD on the street/strip. I don't have a lsd, i do have a chamber kit, and i get pretty shitty dampening when hitting speed bumps and would poly motor mounts help?????

 

z10 radius arms my friend are the key.

 

I know it's different on the other forums, but if you talk about street racing here, you will be burnt.

Anyway...

That's the compromise for everyone (though not exactly the right forum). The Skunks do get a bad rep for their collar kits, and partly it is poor marketing. It is sold primarily as a street performance though the spring rates are way too high for just a street car (at least the Integra verison). Most people do not research what they buy, besides asking "What's good?" and there you go, a back pounding ride.

With a turbo'd front driver, you probably would want softer springs up front, to allow the suspension to flex. Stiffer springs in the rear allow you to keep the front from pushing up. I believe the Skunks are front stiff

I think Ground Control and Eibach (sort of same thing for springs) make Drag Racing spring applications. Why don't you give them a call? The help is free.

 

400+ spring rates are nothing with a proper coilover setup.