So I’ve searched for info on the height in which the EK chassis will handle the best; where the roll center and CG are optimal. I have yet to find this info without being directed to roll center adjusters.
I plan on getting GC/Konis and using a rather medium spring rate as i already have a car that is super stiff.
I also plan on a rear sway bar.

Is there any predetermined height that is best? I’m trying to avoid calculating this myself

Thanks

 

Hmmm, this would be interested to know so that i can then apply it to my EK...

 

I think in the real world it's pretty hard to calculate this sort of thing, unless you have extensive suspension tuning and suspension geometry knowledge, and perhaps a 3D computer model of the car. Otherwise it's really just all about trial-and-error, and taking measurements on the actual car, making changes, seeing how it affects ride and handling, etc.

 

For street use I find that the best ride-height setting is the lowest one that doesn't bottom out...

If it's street it really doesn't matter as long as the rear end is not washing out (loose/over-steer). If you want quick left/right transition, add larger sway bars and/or stiffer springs. Ride height doesn't make near as much difference. Of course the added camber from lowering does help cornering a little. It will also help preserve your tires if you enjoy taking hard turns more often than your average old lady that these cars were originally designed for... :D

BTW: If your talking about track performance, that's a different story. No two tracks are the same, and no two driving styles are the same. Setup will always change even when running different days on the same track. If you really wanna know about suspension setup, get into RC touring cars. Every aspect of the suspension & chassis is adjustable, and quickly learn that there is no one-size-fits-all setup. Choosing the right tires gets you 70% of the way there. When setup is right for you, the car is easy to drive consistent low lap times...

 

I thing 94eg! is right.
I dont think there can be a certain ride height or setup that will suit all drivers and their preferences.

But IMO what the OP is trying to find out is how low is too low on the EK chassis.

 

I read somewhere that on a EK chassis that lower than 2" of drop begins to have a negative effect on handling.

 

I don't know about that. I would install some coil-overs and try different settings and find one I liked. just make sure to reset all your suspension bushings once you've found your final spot. This will let your suspension bushings live long & happy lives. It's the number one thing that gets overlooked when people lower their cars.

If you don't reset your suspension bushings, they will be twisted at all times. This increases stress and causes them wear out prematurely...

PS: The EK gains more camber in the rear than other civics. If your going low, you may need to space the rear upper arms out with a washer or two in the back. Just be sure to get slightly longer Grade 10 metric bolts (Grade 10 metric is the equivalent to Grade 8 SAE). -1* or -1.5* of camber in the rear is a good starting point...

 

thanks for the responses so far.
i'm not worried about achieved camber and such. i have a strong grasp of that. like i mentioned in the first post, i have another car that i track with.
i am worried about bringing the rollcenter too low, as xd69 said, i'm worried about going lower than what the suspension was designed for. i don't want to have to increase my springrate to counter the effects of more body roll from being too low.
i'm absolutely not worried about looks on my ek.

i was just hoping someone had measured the roll center and center of gravity for the front suspension before and knew where the optimal settings would be. for my other mcpherson setup car, the magic setting seems to be when the control arms are parallel to the ground. once they start to point upwards, they RC is below the CG and you start getting adverse effects; bumpsteer, more roll, etc.

sorry for the novel

thanks guys!

 

My thoughts on those roll-center adjusters is that the companies producing them did not do any real mapping & calculations either. I personally believe they made them because they could and are selling them because they can (and that's about it). I know for a fact that their corny diagram does NOT reflect the actual honda suspension (which really bugs me cause it's just marketing hype). There is no evidence to back up their claims that lowering causes the roll-center too far go out of whack...

I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it was a big issue, you would see more people complaining about too much body roll in their track civics. Besides, altering lower arm angle in relation to tie-rod & upper arm angle will surely increase bump-steer...