I recently installed some coilovers on my civic and i had to compress the spring so much to lower it that there's like no spring left. So the question is: Is it the same way with yours too? I got cheap o ebay ones. Do real brands not have to compress the spring to nothing to get the car lower?

 

There is no reason to compress the springs that much. Actually they should be free between the coils. The most you can lower the car is the amount of thread on the sleeves (normally). I suspect you do not have springs that are stiff enough for the car to begin with.
REAL coilovers do not suffer from this. Springs are selected based on ID, rate (lbs) and length.
To remove the stock springs-you should always use a compressor to take the tension off the assembly. After that, everything should go back together without the need for that tool again.

 

Yeah, I didn't need a compressor to put them back on. I'm saying when I'm adjusting them to lower/raise the height I have to crunch them up quite a bit. Maybe it's normal but new to me.

 

Are you jacking the car up when you adjust them??

 

the only time they should "crunch up" is when you higher the car, lowering it should relieve all that--so just keep lowering! oh yeah good luck with the ebay coilovers (crazy bounciness yO) and please tell me u at least upgraded to blues cause stocker shocks will not handle the load.

 

i still have stock shocks. any recommendations on shocks? tokico blues like you said? how much? illuminas?


[Modified by slowmanEF, 4:20 PM 2/6/2003]

 

yeah

 

If you jack the car up so the wheel is off the ground the spring should come out of the boot at the top.

 

are ebay coilovers that much more bouncy than GC?

 

what do you guys mean by ebay coilovers? i got mine off ebay but they are ractives wich i thought were reasonable.

 

not really
i go tthe Droipzone and they perform pretty good..... even better than NEuspeed Race springs

 

It doesn't matter where you buy them from, if you don't have struts that can handle the spring rate they're gonna be bouncey. Most the "ebay" coilovers are pretty stiff, 350lbs and 450lbs, and that's why they're bouncey.

When you say the spring is compressed, are you sure you don't mean the strut?

 

Yeah it should ,but make sure you dont jack it up on the control arm or anything like that or it aint going to work...

 

I have Tenzo adj. springs on Tokico HP's and they ride just as smooth as my Eibach Sports did on the Tokico's. The Tenzo spring rates are the same as Skunk2's. Ground Controls are good i just dont think they justify the price difference between them and a cheaper adj. spring. In my opinion of course.

 

How low did you want to go. The good springs are avialable in different lengths (usually 6", 7", 8") and how you set the sleeves on the perch will also make a difference in how low you can go. This is particularly true of shocks like the Koni "yellow" sport. If you happen to have threaded shocks that is a different story.

What you are describing is not correct-there must be space between the coils for the springs to work.

 

i had a 90 Ex 4 door,(RIP) i had that thing slammed on Skunk 2 GSR coilovers and that car hugged the road like a size 38 pants on John Goodman. Yes it was a little bumpy cause i had stock shocks, if i upgraded the ride would would have been better. Whenever i adjusted my springs i had a lot of room between the top of the spring and the cup, even when i raised my car too. it's just the springs you choose to use, the GSR's were stiffer and i don't think they were as long as the civic ones, IMO, Skunk 2's are the shiz, sell yours and buy some of those, you won't be sorry.


[Modified by darkracer, 1:19 AM 3/2/2003]

 

i had a 90 Ex 4 door,(RIP) i had that thing slammed on Skunk 2 GSR coilovers and that car hugged the road like a size 38 pants on John Goodman. Yes it was a little bumpy cause i had stock shocks, if i upgraded the ride would would have been better. Whenever i adjusted my springs i had a lot of room between the top of the spring and the cup, even when i raised my car too. it's just the springs you choose to use, the GSR's were stiffer and i don't think they were as long as the civic ones, IMO, Skunk 2's are the shiz, sell yours and buy some of those, you won't be sorry.