How much shock travel does everyone have? I have the Koni Coilover setup on my coupe and well, things bottom out on the bumpstop a lot, here is why:



The white you see on the top of the spring there is actually a white plastic washer that is included with the Koni kit, so that is the top of the shock. I have about 1/2" of shock travel before the bump stop.

Another view of the travel, from the bottom. Here you can see the white washer better.




Here you can see how much adjustment I have on the kit. No matter what I do, the travel will not increase. I don't even have the car that low, I can fit 3 fingers between the tire and fender, nearly 4.



BTW, these pictures were taken with the car on the ground and setteled. Anyone have a suggestion?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Here you can see how much adjustment I have on the kit. No matter what I do, the travel will not increase. I don't even have the car that low, I can fit 3 fingers between the tire and fender, nearly 4.
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damn that's not a very small gap. I'll take pictures and post them when i get back home, i have a decent amount. If you really want more travel get the GC upper mounts for the front. I also cut my bumpstops a little, so i only use half of it. Not sure if the Koni coilover set up is much different that others, i just have a GC coil set up with KYB's.

 

did u remember to cut the bump stops

 

I'd rather keep the bumpstop where it is, as it does serve a purpose ( at least Honda thought so). I don't want to bottom out the suspension on the car and ruin ball joints or bend/mangle things.
When the shock is not installed in the car, or I raise the car, I have about 2.25" of travel room.

 

Koni does not recommend or state to cut the bumpstops for this setup.

http://www.koni-na.com/pdf/1150-5006-1.pdf

 

Look into the Ground Control 'tophats' that they sell. It will help extend your shock travel another inch or so.

 

ther was a thread on here about extending the top hats and lowering the LCA monuting brackets. It helps to increase shock travel (a lot, like 1 or 2 inchs).

It worked out really good and they did a full write up on it. I don't think it was in this Forum though. They used it on there race cars so I am sure it would hold up to almost any conditions.

It involved a little welding so it is a semi complicated job.

It was in the EG forum
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=469485

 

I did read that, but as I said before, extending the top hats is the same thing as cutting the bumpstop, it could allow the suspension to slam into the shock tower, something I want to avoid. The other part is, this is a kit designed by Koni, I figured they would have though of things like this. Turns out they sell the same kit for all 94-00 Integras and 92-95 civics.

Edit: Race parts aren't designed to hold up to every day driving, I wouldnt drive a race engine every day, it would fail on me, so I don't want to drive a 'race' suspension, because it will probably fail.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I did read that, but as I said before, extending the top hats is the same thing as cutting the bumpstop, it could allow the suspension to slam into the shock tower, something I want to avoid. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What?


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> The other part is, this is a kit designed by Koni, I figured they would have though of things like this. Turns out they sell the same kit for all 94-00 Integras and 92-95 civics. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Duh, same chassis design

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Edit: Race parts aren't designed to hold up to every day driving, I wouldnt drive a race engine every day, it would fail on me, so I don't want to drive a 'race' suspension, because it will probably fail. </TD></TR></TABLE>

If you say so!!!

I don't think you know what you are talkin about. All three of those statements seem stupid to me.
did you read the second part about lowering the mounting bracket?

Oh well I tried

 

Yeah, I read what you said, but like you think of me, I don't think you know what you are talking about.

People think that just because a race part works on the race track, means it will work on a street car. This is so far from the truth, it isn't funny, with a few exceptions I guess. Race parts are made typically for one type of scenario. Lets take for instance suspension. Race suspension has one job, keep the wheel on the ground, and tracking the way the racer wants it to. This is why you see spherical bushings, 1000lb/in springs, 32mm hollow sway bars and the like. Do you think those parts would survive on the street? Maybe, but they would make the car ride so rough, you'd opt to walk instead, so you have to make some compromises. Softer springs, more shock travel, larger tolerances...which is where I have an issue with the whole article you listed. Race tracks don't have pot holes, rail road tracks and speedbumps to worry about, so if you take a little bit from one area and give to another, you will probably be OK, but on a street car, that little bit you give up could end up causing disaster.

There, is that a little clearer? I understand not everyone can 'see' things, so sometimes i have to stop and explain them....

Edit:
Just so you know, MOST suspension kits account for weight differences of the Integra and Civic, so I thought it important to call out that Koni uses the same kit for both cars.

Edit2:
Umm, what is it about cutting the bump stop is the same thing as extending the top of the mounting point? TO the UCA, it is the same net effect, the UCA gets to move closer to the shock tower. Umm, ok?

 

Did you replace the factory bump stop with the one that koni offer's. or did you keep the oem original? koni's bump stop is around half the size of the oem one. if you dont have one and planning to get a koni bumpstop there are two sizes. holes in the bumpstop are different in sizes which shock slides threw. Due to the piston shaft(i guess its called) diameter

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I did read that, but as I said before, extending the top hats is the same thing as cutting the bumpstop, it could allow the suspension to slam into the shock tower, something I want to avoid. The other part is, this is a kit designed by Koni, I figured they would have though of things like this. Turns out they sell the same kit for all 94-00 Integras and 92-95 civics.

Edit: Race parts aren't designed to hold up to every day driving, I wouldnt drive a race engine every day, it would fail on me, so I don't want to drive a 'race' suspension, because it will probably fail.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I dunno man. You're in the minority on a lot of your thoughts on this one and are most likely wrong. The kit koni sells certainly doesn't include spring rates that are considered "race car" worthy. They're much too soft and on the contrary are meant for everyday driving. They are valved for street spring rates and wouldn't hold up to spring rates that you would typically see on a race prepped honda.

As far as cutting the bumpstops you definitely should. Koni's instructions are most likely generic and i bet if you called them and told them you're application they would recommend you cutting the bumpstops. They're not going to cause you to bottom out. They're only rubber anyways. If your suspension is slamming into the shock tower the bump stops are just compressing anyways. They will give you more shock travel by cutting the stockers in half but will not prevent bottoming out on the shock tower if your ride height is too low (which doesn't seem to be the case.)

I dont' know how you think cutting the bumpstops or adding the tophats will cause the suspension to slam into the shock tower. The tophats increase shock travel but will not cause the suspension all of sudden to slam into the shock tower. You can bottom out the shock travel well before the UCA starts hitting the shock tower. Too low of a ride height causes you to hit the shock tower, not by losing shock travel.

But hey, if you insist you're right then that's cool. You're the only person I've heard that has this problem in a long time and is usually remedied by cutting the bumpstops, shortening shock bodies, adding top hats, or increasing ride height. Since your ride height isn't too low it seems obvious to me.

s

 

I did call Koni, they said NOT to cut the bump stops, that is incorrect.
I guess since I am not popular here or whatever, I am considered wrong, which is just the way people are these days, that's cool, whatever.
I am not using the koni setup on a race car, in fact I am using it on my daily driver &lt;whoa!&gt;.
Well, lets look at it like this, the bump stop is a certain length from Honda, with a stock ride height. Now, I would take a WILD guess and say the engineer(s) at Honda thought about how much suspension travel they would have at the given ride height, and engineered the bumpstop to accomodate the suspension travel to where it would NOT damage parts. The bump stop is rubber, and is made to compress a slight bit, which it is probably doing anyway, right now. By moving the bumpstop up, it will allow the shock to travel further UP, along with the rest of the suspension, no matter the ride height. Ride height USUALLY means less shock travel unless you have custom shocks that are shorter, or you made modifications to the car like hacking the "tophats" or the shock mounting point. I have an almost stock ride height, yet I have less shock travel than when I had the JIC on the car and was 2" lower.

but hey, no matter. I'll discuss it with Koni, they have quite a bit more knowledge about suspensions than the hacks here, which most seem to follow people with high post counts, and take what they have as the 'spoken' word...

 

calm down buddy

I understand what you are saying, but I do not think that cutting the bump stops or extending the top hats will change your suspension geometry enough to result in your upper A arm contacting your shock tower.

One thing I can say is that the reason why you are getting responces like this is because it is a very uncommon problem. I have never heard of anything like this in any situation other than when a car is lowered to much. If you are not lowering it and you are not to conncerned with the performance of the car why did you go with an aftermarket setup instead of stock?

A lot of what you said is just opinion and personal preferances, seeing as how I have almonst all of the parts that you deemd would not survive on a street car, on my street car, and it holds up just fine. It is a harsh ride but thats the way I wanted it, again just personal preferance.

and last but not least if you are so sure that the engineers at Koni and the Engineers and Honda made things so good then why are you having problems? Sounds like something is messed up hoefully it wasn't your smart ***

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Umm, what is it about cutting the bump stop is the same thing as extending the top of the mounting point? TO the UCA, it is the same net effect, the UCA gets to move closer to the shock tower. Umm, ok?</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is definetly wrong too!

cutting the bump stops will give you more shock travel but not really. While extending the top hats will actually give you a longer suspension travel

What ever I was just trying to help

Good luck let me know what you end up doing?

 

This used to be a car I drove on the weekends, and to DE events, and a few autox events. Since I recently purchased another car to use for that, I decided to put this one back on street duty, and sell my 'beater'. The suspension I am using came on the car I purchased, and from what I rode in the car, it was just fine. When I put it on this car and raise it up, things just don't work.

Koni as agreed to send me some new bump stops that they use in thier applications. Once they are installed, I will post about my results.

Cutting the bump stops will allow the shock piston to go 'in' further, giving a little more shock/suspension travel but you won't be risking pushing the UCA through the shock tower. With moving up the bumpstop, you are allowing the suspension to actually move up further. Where before you might have had 1" of clearence between the shock tower and the UCA at full compression, if you move the bump stop up 1", now you have 0" at full compression.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I did call Koni, they said NOT to cut the bump stops, that is incorrect.
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that's probably because they want you to buy there bumpstop. Which will most likely be a shorter length.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I am not using the koni setup on a race car, in fact I am using it on my daily driver &lt;whoa!&gt;.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's what I was trying to say. That setup isn't meant for a race car. You mentioned how the extended top hats were meant for race cars and you're driving this on the street. Extending the top hats at the ride height you're at and increasing shock travel is a good thing, no matter on a race track or the street. The spring rate is much too soft and the shocks aren't valved to handle higher spring rates. That setup is made to run on the street. That's what I was trying to say. You're the one that was mentioning race parts and stuff.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Ride height USUALLY means less shock travel unless you have custom shocks that are shorter, or you made modifications to the car like hacking the "tophats" or the shock mounting point. I have an almost stock ride height, yet I have less shock travel than when I had the JIC on the car and was 2" lower.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Lower ride height doesn't usually mean less shock travel. If the parts are designed right there's no need to lose shock travel. You can also move the shock further down into the fork to gain more shock travel. That's another thing people do.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DavidR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Cutting the bump stops will allow the shock piston to go 'in' further, giving a little more shock/suspension travel but you won't be risking pushing the UCA through the shock tower. With moving up the bumpstop, you are allowing the suspension to actually move up further. Where before you might have had 1" of clearence between the shock tower and the UCA at full compression, if you move the bump stop up 1", now you have 0" at full compression. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I realize this. At the ride height you're at you have no chance of pushing the UCA into the shock tower. Gaining shock travel doesn't mean that you're going to push the UCA into the shock tower.

But they, it's your car. Do what you will.

s

 

1. They sent me the bump stops for free.
2. I see all sorts of people dropping names about a 'race' team ran this blah blah blah.
3. USUALLY, yes, lower mean less shock travel. How many shortened shocks are on the market for civics?? Why isn't every shock maker making them, if they knew we would buy them (to keep a decent ride while having the car lowered)
4. I have no chance? I think that is an assumption, so I'll treat it as such.

I will, and thanks.

 

if you leave the front brakeline brackets off,
and stuff the shock down into the shock fork, until it rests on those little nubs,
you'll gain alil over a half inch of travel at the shock(thats like .7" at the wheel I believe)

u'll need to pry the shock fork open wide tho