Suspension & Brakes Theory, alignment, spring rates....

function form type 2 extended top hats

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Old Feb 15, 2010 | 06:47 PM
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Default function form type 2 extended top hats

i asked this question months ago, no one ever gave me an answer. so im here for anyone tha might be tryin this. it works, n can be done. how u make it look is up to u.
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Old Feb 15, 2010 | 07:34 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Wait.... what's the question?
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 01:59 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

no question.
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 04:09 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

what top hats did you use?
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 05:09 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Looks like a GC or Ebay top hat, or did you make it youself from the FF top hat?

The dust boot is not original? How did you construct it?

Last edited by kristo; Feb 17, 2010 at 08:19 AM.
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Old Feb 17, 2010 | 06:49 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

everything is roiginal. other than the top hat itself. there is some guy on honda-tech selling them. i ran into a problem tho. the car bounces like crazy. will stiffer springs help me on that.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 12:16 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

The reason your car bounces like crazy is because Function Form has crappy shocks. What will help you is if you ditch the F2s like a bad habit and get something better.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 05:15 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

ok. other people have had great reviews on them. i have never had a problem, in fact i have told myself the only way up from FF is tein, but in all honesty $$$ talks. so if i wanna keep my FF's, will stiffer springs help. its never bounced before, so i kno, this is because of the top hats. myabe theres too much shock travel, not enough spring stiffness, thas y im thinkin stiffer springs.



one more thing, how do u measure spring rates, and in your opininons, wats the no-no spring rate for a daily driver.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 07:44 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Any spring rate less than 12k is a no-no for a daily driver.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 07:51 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

wats the highest i can go. where can i purchase them.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 08:37 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

i was going to do the exact same thing on my type 1s guess i wont if the ride is that bouncy.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 10:09 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Originally Posted by Boostn B20
wats the highest i can go. where can i purchase them.
I'm pretty sure I read about 22k setups before.
**** would ride bomb, son. Especially for a DD, AND on stock tires. Oh, yeah.
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 10:20 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

lol
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Old Feb 18, 2010 | 10:32 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Originally Posted by Boostn B20
1.so if i wanna keep my FF's, will stiffer springs help. its never bounced before, so i kno, this is because of the top hats. 2.myabe theres too much shock travel, not enough spring stiffness, thas y im thinkin stiffer springs.



3.one more thing, how do u measure spring rates, and in your opininons, wats the no-no spring rate for a daily driver.
1.it probably is because of the top hats, from your picture it looks like the spring is pre loaded way too much, and those FF struts suck.

2. Stiffer springs will make it worse, cause then those crappy struts will be underdampened

3.springs should have markings to tell you the rates, any spring rate is sutible as long as you have the struts and tires to match them
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Old Feb 19, 2010 | 06:40 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

You don't really seem to understand how this works.

I fail to see the purpose of using a part intended to sacrifice droop travel for increased compression travel on a fixed-stroke damper. The entire point of using a fixed-stroke damper is to have the ability to adjust ride height without affecting the compression:droop travel balance.

You're probably topping out the shock over every bump, which is why it rides like crap.

Put the correct upper mounts back on.
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Old Feb 20, 2010 | 10:04 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

F&F were never ment to put top hats on. If you want this setup get koni yellow and GC than top hats!
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Old Feb 20, 2010 | 10:20 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

^THE ****ING TRUTH.
OP = owned.
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 02:32 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

This is my theory on it. If the shock is all the way out, because the xtd top hat pulled it all the way out, then y am I bouncing so much. If it wud be the same as if I took off the top hats, and preloaded the spring back to its original position. It has the shock travel, it did not lose that. Do I ned stiffer springs or do I need shorter springs…..i believe it can work. Im not worried about my car bottoming out, or the control arms banging the **** out of my shock towers. I jus want a stiff, hard and non bouncy ride.


Where can I get these either stiffer springs or shorter springs?
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 03:18 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

I'm pretty sure those shocks are shortened on all the one piece coilovers, so you don't get droop. All you ended up doing is essentially making the shock sit closer to the top hat. You might be making contact with the tophat and shock.
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 06:11 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Originally Posted by Boostn B20
This is my theory on it. If the shock is all the way out, because the xtd top hat pulled it all the way out, then y am I bouncing so much. If it wud be the same as if I took off the top hats, and preloaded the spring back to its original position. It has the shock travel, it did not lose that. Do I ned stiffer springs or do I need shorter springs…..i believe it can work. Im not worried about my car bottoming out, or the control arms banging the **** out of my shock towers. I just want a stiff, hard and non bouncy ride.


Where can I get these either stiffer springs or shorter springs?
Alright so put the regular function form top hot on and your set.
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 02:21 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

There is no reason for extended mounts unless you are cutting the bottom mount and losing the lock rings. What you have done is repositioned the shock to give more compression travel, that you don't need, at the expense of extension travel that is already limited on full body coilover. If you lose too much extension travel, the ride suffers.
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 04:34 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

Originally Posted by Boostn B20
This is my theory on it. If the shock is all the way out, because the xtd top hat pulled it all the way out, then y am I bouncing so much. If it wud be the same as if I took off the top hats, and preloaded the spring back to its original position. It has the shock travel, it did not lose that. Do I ned stiffer springs or do I need shorter springs…..i believe it can work. Im not worried about my car bottoming out, or the control arms banging the **** out of my shock towers. I jus want a stiff, hard and non bouncy ride.


Where can I get these either stiffer springs or shorter springs?
Your theory is incorrect. Function Form coilovers are junk, and many other reputable brands' shocks **** on F2s face all day long. If you want something stiff, get a shock that can handle a high spring rate and then you will get what you want.
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Old Mar 28, 2010 | 11:07 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

thas not wat i want. i want something where i can sit as low as i am, and have a lil better ride. slammed is not comfortable....i understand that 110%, there is no doubt inn my mind that slammed can be in any way shape or form comfortable, but at the same time, i see people ride as slammed as i am, and im sure they dun have the same problem as me. i drive down the street and it literally feels like the car comes off the ground every time it bounces. im bouncing all over the place. dont want that. forget my theory....jus help me find a setup that can support my needs.
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Old Apr 17, 2010 | 07:38 AM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

I have extended tophats on my function and form type ones and it drives fairly well.


its possible that the "tophats" are badly made. I inspected my friends ebay tophats just to find out they aren't helping improve ride quality. The bottom shaft of the ebay tophat runs right into the shock (part that keeps the spring center into the tophat) although it adds shock travel, the car will ride like ****

The f2 coilovers themselves are super short, so you can be doing plenty of things wrong to make your car run like ****.

1.)Too much preload( how did you compress the spring? did you check the clearance between the shocks and the tophats/ and if there is any clearance with the bumpstop?) You have too many collars on there with those tophats..


2.) did you check for clearance at the shock tower? It can be possible that your car is driving with the arms resting on the shock travel preventing suspension travel......

3.) you sacrifice alot being as low as you are.
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Old Apr 17, 2010 | 04:45 PM
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Default Re: function form type 2 extended top hats

my freind is that low on function form type 2's and the ride really isnt all the bad, sure it nots perfect but being slammed you give up alot of things, i am almost that low and my car rides like complete ****.

for as short as the ff coilovers are i really dont think you would benefit as much as you would if you had top hats on say, a koni/gc setup... BUT, i have been in many cars with tophats and they only give more shock travel, i have never felt a improve in ride quailty, except you can cleary feel its not bottoming out anymore.
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