Midori.EK9

Well Im trying out auto crossing for the first time next season and i want to come out with a nice setup . What I have in mind is getting the following ..

Now my questions are ,

Also if it matters , car is a 96 dx coupe .

98civdx

Do you have a front sway bar?

A CTR rear bar would do well, for most people.

have you looked into any other coilovers? Koni/gc AMR?
PIC is great too, just wondering what other setups you've looked at.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

PIC/SUJA1 vs HardRace is probably a win either way. I don't have personal experience with HardRace but many people like them. I can say that PIC/SUJA1 is very well made and installs relatively easily and it stiffens the ride without making it too harsh. Customer service if you order direct from either PIC or SUJA1 is very good. FWIW HardRace is slightly softer at 75A compared to 85A for PIC. Not sure if there are any nuanced differences in the materials they use. Both are rubber and should last 10+ years.

Function7 LCAs come with their own poly bushings pre-installed. You will have to determine whether to replace them with your rubber bushings and if that is even possible.

For ball joints stick with OEM, period.

Sway bars don't effect the daily driveability of the car, as they barely effect ride quality. You just need to determine how much rear bias you want and pick the appropriate bar. ITR/CTR is by far the most commonly used, I think.

Midori.EK9

No , no front sway bar . Is the CTR bigger than a Si ? My friends Si has the oem sway bars and I'd like something a little stiffer compared to his .
Also , I havent done much research on any other than PIC .. I'd like get some personal opinions as well .

For the LCA's I've been reading on the metal bushings as well for the rear trailing arms HOWEVER I've also read that is too rough for daily usage so idk . Im kinda iffy on that aswell lol

mighty137

By any chance is the motor swapped with a heavier one?? This will be a huge weight distribution factor with spring rate choosing. You can never eliminate body roll but you can sure minimize it with the proper springs, sway bar, and tire sizing (or compound) combination.

I've personally noticed have a nice set of tires is more noticeable in lower track times as compared with a great suspension setup and poor quality tires.(with tire inflations around 27/29ish psi)

You don't really want the car to be too stiff because during hard cornering the weight distribution is horrible with traction trying to plant all wheels to the ground. A limited slip will help lots too.
OEM or aftermarket parts combinations can both be used to achieve whatever goals you may want to accomplish. Its just a combination you'll have to play with & keep on dialing till you get it right!


G/L

98civdx

No, they're actually exactly the same. Along with the lca's, and shock forks. I've been told the bushings are different, but that is a different story.

Si's are 26mm, 13mm. You really don't need anything bigger then a 26mm in front, in fact most people say loose the 26 in favor of something smaller.

I like my 26mm though.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

But the CTR had a 22 mm rear. That would be the one to get.

Edit: and stay with poly or better yet rubber for DD bushings

bnetkillzone

As for the rates there are a few questions you need to answer:

How low a drop you want?

Comfort vs Performance?

DD?

Road Conditions?

Midori.EK9

So CTR front & rear sway is the way to go .. Gotcha thanks Gagnar & 98civ .

As to the bushings . Im getting the PIC Master Kit ; no questions asked lol .

And bnetkillzone .. I really dont know yet . Depending on the wheels i get i guess lol . Aslo i would rather have a comfortable ride but do good as well performance wise . It is my dd so thats why i want to keep it more on the comfort side .

98civdx

Not exactly. just my opinon.


A LOT of guys that autox will tell you not to go with the CTR/SI front bar, but deffinetly in the rear. Plus, they can be a pain to get ahold of.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

OP, keep in mind in autocross oversteer is extremely important, but for street driving it's safer and probably better to be closer to neutral. Of course you could always disconnect your front sway for autoX and keep it installed for around-town, or you could put up with the oversteer around town, but be careful...

If comfort is important you probably want something in the neighborhood of 250 rates in the rear, but if you're willing to put up with some jounce and/or live in an area with nice roads, you could go higher. Some people here who DD are totally happy with 500-600 rates in the back, which are obviously going to be better for autoX. You've got to:

1) identify what kind of drop you want, and whether you are interested in appearance or performance
2) do some soul searching to find out what ride/performance compromise you want to make

If you want a big drop that sets a lower limit on the type of rates you can run.

STOCK_SOHC_DX

If your looking @ PIC coilovers you might want to check out AMR, since the price is comprable and to me the quality of build is better. Plus you can't go wrong with the warranty. As for the F7 LCA, is there a reason for going with (ITR spec)? Usually they are more expensive and a pain to get shocks/coilovers for. Also I have heard good and bad things about RCA for double wishbone cars, so IMHO stay with brand new OEM.