Sorry to be totally impatient. I'm hoping that I have a different situation from other posts though.
Currently have a stock susp. but I need to replace the OEM struts. I will be buying something better then stock on the struts. Tokico HP struts don't appear to last well on a lowered car. Any idea how they would do on OEM springs? Are they any better then stock?
Another strut I was looking at is the KYB AGX. How do these too compare?

I'm also thinking of replacing the OEM springs in order to get a better ride and performance. I don't mind the stock ride height, but I also like the look of a lowered car. However I don't want to lower the car more then 1.5"

Given all this, what do you recommend for struts, and springs OEM or Aft. mkt.?


Thanks
matt

 

Well, it all depends on what you're after and what your driving conditions are. If you're gonna keep the stock springs, the HPs should last a good while. If you're gonna lower it, get at least Blues. If you want some springs, I've got some Eibach's I need to get rid of. $160 shipped ($200 plus shipping in stores)

 

I guess I should include my driving style. I cruze around most of the time, but other times I let the car stretch its legs. I love having things to tweek like the adjustable shocks. I'm the kinda guy that would adjust the valves one way for getting around town and then setting them another for the highway. Then another for well I can't really think of anything, but adjustments will be used if given the oportunity.

As for blues I'm having some trouble finding info on Koni Blues. Are these the sport or special line from Koni. Prices? I understand that they are higher then the KYB's I found a side that had some koni's for about 500 adjustable pearch. Are these the ones?

I'm thinking I wouldn't mind just buying some Gabrial struts(money). I don't think I want to spend 500 at this point.

Thanks
matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by M@ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I guess I should include my driving style. I cruze around most of the time, but other times I let the car stretch its legs. I love having things to tweek like the adjustable shocks. I'm the kinda guy that would adjust the valves one way for getting around town and then setting them another for the highway. Then another for well I can't really think of anything, but adjustments will be used if given the oportunity.

As for blues I'm having some trouble finding info on Koni Blues. Are these the sport or special line from Koni. Prices? I understand that they are higher then the KYB's I found a side that had some koni's for about 500 adjustable pearch. Are these the ones?

Tokico Blues bro, not Konis.. Konis make the yellows and reds..

I'm thinking I wouldn't mind just buying some Gabrial struts(money). I don't think I want to spend 500 at this point.

Thanks
matt</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Ok Tokico blue that makes sence now why I could only find yellow and red. Tokico's site only lists illumina is that what "blues" are?

THanks
matt


Modified by M@ at 4:18 PM 10/13/2005


Modified by M@ at 4:24 PM 10/13/2005

 

are you getting rid of the sportline springs or pro-kit?

 

1) Go to http://www.shox.com

2) Buy the discount package with Koni Sports (yellow) and H+R Springs

3) Enjoy driving your Prelude

Don't cheap out on suspension - you'll regret it. If you can't afford Koni or Bilstein, save up and wait. Bilsteins run a bit too stiff on the Prelude, even with softer sport springs (personal experience) so I would go with Koni and a nice lowering spring like H+R.

H+R is known to give a pretty even drop. B+G would be a very good choice as well. Eibachs are well-made but for some reason are known to drop the rear lower than the front on a lot of Preludes.

 

i just ordered a set of Buddy Club Racing Spec Dampers for my 4th gen...i'll let you know how that goes when they come in

 

although MOST Of people will say the best shock/spring combo are Koni Yellow and Ground Control coilovers, if you are short on budget, then i would say just get KYB AGX and Eibach Sportline (or prokit depending on how low you want it). OR you can just SAVE up some money and get the best choice which is Koni and GC

 

So would the Eibach Pro-kit give me a better/smoother ride, and better handeling. Or if I wanted my car to be a limo would it be better to keep the OEM springs?

Thanks
matt

 

The reason I ask about the OEM springs is that I'm happy with the stock setup. A couple of my friends have lowered cars and they ride like ****. I realize they may not have a good setup. So that was why I ask.

I was looking about the write up on another site. It says to pop the upper ball joint in the rear suspension. Is this nessicary?

Thanks
matt

 

If you use a decent shock like Koni (KYB AGX are ok too, but read my last post) and a quality SPORT spring you should still have a smooth ride.

Life is much easier with the pitman arm puller for the rear. You can borrow it for $30 at Autozone and get all your money back when you return it. Do it.

Ask around about the Eibachs on the 4th gen ludes - not sure if they'll drop as uneven as the 5th gen since the weight of the car/layout is a little bit different but I'd hesitate to get them. I'd go H&R, B&G, or Progress Tech.

Whch reminds me, I have a set of Progress Technology springs with ~700 miles (thats right, not 7000) on them that I'll be selling a few weeks (long story but springs are PERFECT) that give an excellent, smooth ride and even drop.

 

Will this be a smoother ride then stock?

 

If your current shocks are worn out, you'll get a better ride but I guess how the sport shocks feel overall is going to come down to your definition of "smooth."

You should notice more control when cornering (and stopping if your current shocks are really bad). You'll also notice bumps/cracks in the roads more often. If you're running stock springs, your ride will not be harsh at all. Most sport springs will not be harsh either, but keep in mind that its always a compromise - the better the handling/cornering, the rougher the ride. Most people like the slightly firmer ride of Konis and a sport spring since it is still very easy to deal with on the street - only slightly rougher than stock and much better in the corners. If you want a Cadillac ride, #1 you're driving the wrong car, #2 you should just buy stock replacements or equivalent.

Maybe your best bet is to find another prelude owner with aftermarket shocks/springs and go for a ride.

 

Thanks alot for helping me. I know what I want. A cadallac ride and the best handeling. That won't happen. I am happy w/ the handeling in stock form. I don't race at all, but I have thought about it. What I'm unhappy about is the roughness of the ride.

So would I get a smoother ride if I bought Koni's and used the OEM springs? I could then also lower the mounts some, and also lower the CG.

Or would some progressive rate springs with some Koni's give a smoother ride, and better handeling?

I'm was thinking that the second would be true. Its seems as though I'll get better handleing and ride quality if I just change the struts, but can I get better handeling and better ride quality if I change the springs also?

I guess my problem is that I'm the only person on this board that wants to improve the ride smoothness over stock.

Thanks again
Matt

edit: I think I'm going for the Koni sports on the OEM springs.


Modified by M@ at 1:54 PM 10/17/2005

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by M@ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks alot for helping me. I know what I want. A cadallac ride and the best handeling. That won't happen. I am happy w/ the handeling in stock form. I don't race at all, but I have thought about it. What I'm unhappy about is the roughness of the ride.

So would I get a smoother ride if I bought Koni's and used the OEM springs? I could then also lower the mounts some, and also lower the CG.

Or would some progressive rate springs with some Koni's give a smoother ride, and better handeling?

I'm was thinking that the second would be true. Its seems as though I'll get better handleing and ride quality if I just change the struts, but can I get better handeling and better ride quality if I change the springs also?

I guess my problem is that I'm the only person on this board that wants to improve the ride smoothness over stock.

Thanks again
Matt

edit: I think I'm going for the Koni sports on the OEM springs.


Modified by M@ at 1:54 PM 10/17/2005</TD></TR></TABLE>

i recently went from stiffer to softer so you're not the only one

there's a few things to think about when considering ride quality--dampers, springs/springrates, travel, alignment, etc. without going into a 5 page essay on each subject, suffice it to say that Koni yellows with a progressive rate, fairly soft spring will feel very amenable. Koni yellows + oem springs should feel just as nice as stock on the softest settings, and significantly "sportier" at the stiffest settings.

I think a spring like the eibach sportline, h&r sport, or the tein s-tech and koni yellows would be plenty smooth for your cruising moments, even if they are stiffer than OEM springs (for reference, i just went from 450 lb/in front and 550 lb/in rear springs to 350 and 250 respectively and there isn't a huge difference in ride quality on my car--but maybe that's a testament to the versatility of the konis...) so if you want the lowered ride height, i don't think you'd be punished for it in ride quality.

basically, anything that involves a koni yellow when it comes to suspension is a good thing. it won't feel at all like your friend's cars (given that the car isn't too low).

 

Where should I order my Koni's? There are none on Ebay. Tirerack has some for about 535 shipped. There are some vendors in the marketplace one has 465 the other 495 shipped. I'm not totally comfortable sending that much to someone w/o some advise.

Thanks
matt

 

Sorry, I need to order these soon so I can get a free alignment from a tire shop that diagnosed the problem then aligned my car. They gave me 60 days to get the car to them for a free alignment.

Thanks
matt

 

you can't go wrong with vendors on the honda tech marketplace..as long as they have them in stock

 

Ok I'm going to for sure run Koni's on OEM springs. Should I replace any parts that are bound to wear out. I know some say bump stops. Is this true? Anything else?

I don't want the car to have any more rattles after I change the shocks.
I currently have what I believe to be the OEM shock knock from the TSB.

Any other hints would be appreciated.

Thanks
matt

 

I'm not sure again. It seems from reading reviews on carreview.com that they will be stiffer then stock even on the softest setting. And they can't be adjusted w/o removing the interior pannels.

Should I just guy some cheapo's?

Thanks
matt

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by M@ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm not sure again. It seems from reading reviews on carreview.com that they will be stiffer then stock even on the softest setting. And they can't be adjusted w/o removing the interior pannels.

Should I just guy some cheapo's?

Thanks
matt</TD></TR></TABLE>

which cars are the "stiffer" people referring to?

adjusting them in front is easy. in the rear it just means you have to get under the trunk liner. not a big deal. and besides, once you find your perfect setting, it pretty much stays there. the only time i touch the **** is when i go to the track. otherwise i set it and forget it.

you may be happy with AGX's, it's really up to you. just be forewarned that AGX's or Illuminas aren't the best, and may or may not hold you back at some point in the future. if this doesn't bother you, then either shock will be ok.

also, if you're staying with stock springs, why not go w/ stock struts? they're probably the most comfy, and they have problems only when they lose travel from lowering or have to repeatedly dampen stiffer springs, which won't be your case? and i'm sure you could find some used for pretty cheap? and i guess there's also the HP's, Blues, and Reds if you're sticking with stock springs...

 

Go to shox.com and get the Konis for $500 shipped. They're a reliable place.

the adjustable rod on the Konis is primarily designed to compensate for wear, not adjust the initial ride quality - although a lot of people use it for that purpose. When you have Konis revalved to race spec then it starts to seve more as a tuning tool.

Carreview is a garbage site. If you cut two small holes in your trunk liner (one over each shock tower) you can adjust all 4 Konis anytime you want.

You can research this topic for months if you want but the decision won't get any easier - you'll hear some people tell you that their $50 Ebay sepecials are the greatest and others tell you that if you don't get $6500 Moton shocks than you might as well not get any.

Look at it this way - Koni and Bilstein have the best reputations and are known to last a long time. I can tell you from experience that Bilsteins are a little firm on older, uneven roads. The monotube design tends to give a alightly harsher ride. Thats why I've been telling you to get Konis all along. The lifetime warranty should also be a factor unless you plan on ditching your car in a year or two.

If your car has really high miles or your budget is really tight, get a set of slightly used stock shocks. A lot of guys have a set of stockers with 30k miles or less lying around from when they lowered their car (myself included). You can usually get the whole set (shocks and springs) for $100.

 

I didn't go through the entire thread but I have the Tokico HP struts on my Accord, dropped close to 3" for the past 5 years and still no problems. Just my .02