i want to lower my car, im just not sure the best way to go about doing it. i also want a smooth ride not bouncy.
any suggestions would be great
thanks chris

 

just remember if you get lowering springs, and you have somewhat bad winters you can't raise it up to clear the snow. Coils you can adjust them to a desired ride height. Don't forget springs always settle some, so if you thing the lowering springs might be too low just remember it may even settle lower

 

ok well then do you guys have any reccomendations for a good set of adj coilovers?

 

Skunk2, Ground Control are the best, dont get the cheep *** ebay ones, if anything get the BrandX coilovers off of http://www.modacar.com

 

ha ok thanks

 

For coilovers I'd definately have to say Ground Control (unless you plan on going to a fully tuned track setup). If, however, you decide to go with only springs, the Tein S-Tech rides really good.

 

yeah man if i had to do it all over again i would have done coilovers instead of the sportlines

 

if u want a smooth ride, i would suggest go with lowering springs. On my car right now i have ground control coilover with kyb agx shocks its more bouncy compared to my buddies with neuspeeds with stock shocks. In in handling wise, my corners better and is more still compared to him. Both are civics. just wanna to input my personal experience.

 

my reccomendation would be a set of ground-control coils with koni yellows, excellent dampners with little bounce/ or for that msame money look into tein basic or super street coil-overs all roughly about 1000 and under

 

ok guys......i got a serious problem.....i've got 18' racing harts with 215/35/18 tires..n my rims is a bout 1/4 an inch away from the fender which i like but...if i get the tein s tech. 2.5 frnt and 1.7 rear.. with that give me a close drop to the fender?...and also wen u hit bumps n potholes in the streets.. with they hit hard?...bc im from ny...so i also had the skunk2 and ground controls in mind but cant tell which of the 3 to get...please help me out i got 2 weeks to decide..thanx...and my email addy is yuhwanfyte@aol.com reply asap.. once again tanx

 

ok guys......i got a serious problem.....i've got 18' racing harts with 215/35/18 tires..n my rims is a bout 1/4 an inch away from the fender which i like but...if i get the tein s tech. 2.5 frnt and 1.7 rear.. with that give me a close drop to the fender?...and also wen u hit bumps n potholes in the streets.. with they hit hard?...bc im from ny...so i also had the skunk2 and ground controls in mind but cant tell which of the 3 to get...please help me out i got 2 weeks to decide..thanx...and my email addy is yuhwanfyte@aol.com reply asap.. once again tanx

 

the inch drop of the springs or coils isnt talking about the fender gap. its talking about how much lower to the ground u are. because my friend has tein S.techs on his sol. 2 inches lower but still has a big fender gap. i know H&R springs give u a small fender gap, but ive seen a civic on 18s with H&R springs and the owner said the tires never rubbed the fender. so it all depends on tha springs. well how they are made

 

Apex WS Dampers are also good. they come with shocks too. Lmk if you want them, im selling them for 650

 

If you don't track your car, get springs. You are wasting your money otherwise.

The idea of raising your car in the snow is ridiculous, I live in New England, have springs and have never had the need to raise my car up to clear the snow and I have driven through some **** *** weather in the last 2 years.

 

Agreed, you dont have to get aftermarket struts if you get lowering springs, if you get coilovers you have to. So, lowering springs are cheaper, give a smoother ride, and wont blow the stock stuts.

 

stock shocks on lowering springs will blow ur shocks.

 

I have had Eibachs with stock struts for 9 months and they arent leaking one bit. Took them out the other day and they are still really firm. Although mine are only a 2 inch drop. Anything more might have a worse affect but for me, my stock struts have worked fine.

 

i would get the springs...i have neuspeed races and they are pretty good. better than my s.tech's before. one thing i dont like about neuspeeds is that the front has a bigger gap than the rear

 

i have neuspeed sports and love the ride feel's like stock only lower...and as for blowing out shocks...mine are stock i've had the springs for about a year and no blowouts or leaks. and as for snow i wouldn't know FL rocks

 

If you're going for ride quality I'd suggest lowering springs. Most coilovers are linear so will be more bouncy, a nice set of progressive lowering springs will give a smooth ride. It just depends if you can find the ride height you want.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Xsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you're going for ride quality I'd suggest lowering springs. Most coilovers are linear so will be more bouncy, a nice set of progressive lowering springs will give a smooth ride. It just depends if you can find the ride height you want.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Linear rate springs are not bouncy! That is only an untuned shock. Skunk2, Ground Controls (Eibach Race springs), H & R race springs, are all linear springs!!!!!! If u have a quality adjustable shock like Koni's then u are fine. Itsa all about tuning. BTW Neuspeed has the Koni shocks shortened by 20 MM specifically for lowered cars. Definately reccomend them. Got them on my Civic. Ground controls with Koni/Neuspeed shocks are definately one of the best coil-over shock combo to go with.
IMO progressive rate springs are garbage for tuners like u and me. Progressive rate springs are for normal joe smo who want a stock riding car that handle a bit better. Way too much slop. I like tight suspensions that have good road feel, and predicable road handling. U wont get that with progressive springs. All linear baby!!!! Trust me I have had both.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Honda_Tengoku &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Linear rate springs are not bouncy! That is only an untuned shock. Skunk2, Ground Controls (Eibach Race springs), H & R race springs, are all linear springs!!!!!! If u have a quality adjustable shock like Koni's then u are fine.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I do have a quality adjustable shock like Koni. Ok, bouncy was the wrong word but it denately isn't a smooth ride, I have 450lb front 350 rear and you feel every bump

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Honda_Tengoku &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

IMO progressive rate springs are garbage for tuners like u and me. Progressive rate springs are for normal joe smo who want a stock riding car that handle a bit better. Way too much slop. I like tight suspensions that have good road feel, and predicable road handling. U wont get that with progressive springs. All linear baby!!!! Trust me I have had both.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

It sounds like this guy is a guy who wants a stock riding car that handle a bit better. Not all progessive springs are garbage, most give a combination of handling and ride quality that can please most people. It just depends what you want.

 

I have the neuspeed races and tokico illumina's and I love them, really tight combo, very little body roll. And btw they are progressive rate springs, as are the H&R's personally the eibach kits are ****, I wouldn't waste the money on that overpriced garbage, generally they are 100$ more for a softer ride... why would you pay $100 more for a softer spring?

 

Their is more to progressive springs regarding the compromise on performance for ride quality. Progressive rate springs are a bad idea for aggressive driving for several reasons. Soft initial compression of the springs allow the car to roll more on turn in, then the momentum built up by this roll hits the firmer part of the spring. This puts a heavier load on the outside than linear springs because the linear springs would not have allowed as much roll in the first place. And most progressive springs don't have "seamless" transitions in rate. They change rate in significant steps as active coils bottom on each other. A sudden change in spring rate, while at the traction limit, can result in a nasty slide. And further still, a progressive spring has two or more rates on one spring, right, that's what makes them progressive. ...let's assume that for the first 3 inches or three coils, the rates are 250lbs per inch and that for the next two inches, the rate is 350 lbs per inch. Therefore, when at rest, suspension will be compressed on the 250lbs spring section, and the next inch of movement will be in the 350 lb per inch range.

Now let's use the same scenario......a corner is entered and the outside spring is compressed one inch and the inside spring is extended .75 inch...rememeber the rates!

Now you encounter a bump in the corner...and since you are currently using the outside spring at a rate of 350 lbs per inch and the inside spring rate of 250 lb per inch... and the suspension is compressed the additional two inches....what happens to the spring rates? Since they differ, the chassis rotates around the roll axis... and the vehicle attitude changes/rotates differently than when in steady state cornering! Its motion becomes slightly skewed since to offset the bump deflection each spring must work through a different spring rate! If you were to then hit another bump, the attitude would change again...and so forth. All of these things of course would not happen with linear springs.

Progressive springs can be made to work in very limited conditions where the parameteres are well known, like a specific road course where telemetry is constantly giving feedback to help select the right rates.

 

Thanks for the lecture, I agree with most of what you say but no one said anything about aggressive driving. <TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"i want to lower my car, im just not sure the best way to go about doing it. i also want a smooth ride not bouncy"</TD></TR></TABLE>