Are all integras drifty? like the steering is really loose and non-responsive?
I cant stand this. Would non-unidirectional tires help any? Im about to buy some new tires ( i currently have nitto 555's) Or is this just an integra problem?

 

um i always thought integras were quite solid on the ground......even with just coilovers and struts........now ive got coils, struts, strut tower bars and lower tie bars.....my car is quite agile

 

I think I know what you mean by "drifty." Actually, compared to most other cars I've driven, my Integra is pretty solid too, and it's just got some H&R O.E. Sports so far. But compared to my wife's 318i, it does feel a bit less focused. I think a lot of it has to do with the weight of the steering and the quickness of the steering ratio (hard to beat E36 steering feel) as well as overall chassis rigidity and, of course, RWD vs. FWD.

I'm hoping to upgrade to some good shocks and tires soon, as well as doing some serious chassis stiffening. If that doesn't improve things, I guess I'll just have to buy a BMW.

My advice: go to your local Hertz Rent-a-Car and get yourself a nice full-sized GM vehicle for a week or so. Then when you get back into your Teg, it'll feel like a dream!

 

--My advice: go to your local Hertz Rent-a-Car and get yourself a nice full-sized GM vehicle for a week or so. Then when you get back into your Teg, it'll feel like a dream!

--

exactly !
my dad has a suburban.....oh my god i feel very unsafe driving that thing......it cant stop and the steering is so sloppy its......well its just that.....an american piece of crap

 

Take off your power steering belt... the power steering makes the car feel drifty. My CRX with no power steering feels oh-so-stable and has entirely responsive steering.

Dustin

 

What kind of tire pressure are you running? You might get your alignment checked when you have the new tires put on.

Integras will probably never steer quite like a Miata/MR2/BMW, but for a FWD car, they're basically as good as it gets! ...besides the CRX of course - why did Honda quit making that car?!?!?!?

 

man...i just put my 17's on this weekend and noticed that since i have more grip on teh road now that my car is more "drifty" as well...went from car out handleing the tires to the tires outhandling the car....i think the only solution is a drop!

 

dropping it wont really do much. i'm dropped on 17 and it still feels "drifty". you hit a little bump on one side and the steering wants to veer in that direction. thats ok, just gotta be alil more alert

 

The main culprit in the way the Teg feels thru the steering wheel is the caster setting. If you were to increase the caster the steering would feel a little heavier at low speeds and more stable at higher speeds. You can increase the caster using several methods.

 

Can you elaborate on ways of increasing the caster?

 

yes , please do I just puit some neuspeed race springs on my car, pretty low now, real stiff springs, they seem to help a little with drift. Yes plase expain about Caster.

 

yea, lowering definatly helped me (sportline springs + koni yellow adj shocks and stuts)

About the power steering belt... how hard is it to do? Does it make it a bitch to drive slow?

 

You can remove the belt in about 5 minutes... and yes it is hard to drive below 10mph.

Dustin

 

Get some Energy Suspension polyurathane bushings for front and rear suspension, it will eliminate the "play" in the bushings which will keep the car going straight. A bit of warning though, the car will feel a lot rougher than before. Like a totally different car.

 

or just put in new polyurethane motor mount bushings in
just the two in the front.
it made my teg feel so much more solid

 

Caster is the angle of the steering axis as seen from the side, with the upper and lower points being the upper and lower control arm pivot points. Most cars have positive caster to decrease steering effort, most Honda/Acuras use 0-1 degree positive. If you increase the angle the steering will feel heavier at low speeds as the center of the weight over the tires will have shifted further back, which also aids in high speed stability.

On the 92+ Civic and 94+ Teg the caster can be changed by pushing/pulling the lower control arm forward in relation to the postion of the upper arm. Or to move the upper arm back in relation to the lower arm. The easiest way is to use an adjustable upper control arm kit and 'tilt' the arm until the desired increase in caster is obtained. This method may not provide enough adjustment to make a difference due to design constraints.

With then new z10 radius arm kit, the change in caster is very easy, just put more preload into the arms, in effect pulling the lower arms forward a bit.

BTW caster changes do not affect tire wear.