SpecialKPB

This is a quick review as I just installed these on my civic a month ago.

Installed on: 2005 Civic Coupe

Reason for Purchase: stock suspension was sagging and rear struts blown.
Stealership quoted me more then the cost of replacing it all with theses, so uh yeah, we have a winner!


So installation was very simple, straight forward, reused all existing bolts. Taking off the existing suspension was less then fun, had to cut off the rear driver side strut assembly due to insane rust that must have formed from Chuck Norris sweat...that is the only practical explanation.


Since I had tires on that were 90% done I decided to try a few height settings to find the height I desired before buying new tires and getting a full alignment. Don't skimp on the alignment, it may be extra money that you think you can avoid, but it'll catch up with you in the end with your tires if you cheap out from day 1.

I measured the beginning (stock) and after (Tein) setups and the car is now approx. 1" lower. I originally had it at around 2" drop in the front and 2.5" in the rear, it actually leveled out the wheel gap from front to back. It looked pretty cool and drove like it was on rails! but the ride was HARSH, very harsh.
RR tracks once before fair; were now going to beat your car up and you too!

So I raised it up to about a 1" drop in the front and back, keeping that even stance with the wheels in the wheel wells even, and it instantly rode better.


From there I adjusted the "clicker" **** on the top of each strut to '8' (middle setting) and the ride improved; almost back to stock setup.

I recently installed a 4 channel amp so while the dash was apart I wired the EDFC into the radio harness to pull the correct wires. I'm sure there are other ways of wiring this up but this way was pretty direct and simple.

The EDFC works great, exactly how it should, back-light dims with the radio when the headlights go on, looks great, and if anyone else has the odd random pocket below their aftermarket radio, this fits in there nicely. I removed the plastic behind it to run the wires. Mounted it inside flush with the front with the double-sided tape Tein provides and it's solid.

With the EDFC installed I can now adjust the coilovers adjustable settings while in the car and not have to climb around like a monkey. It's pretty sweet. Do you need it, naaa. Did I want it? oh hell yeah, more bells and whistles; count me in!

I currently ride now on stock 15" steelies (17" rim days are over, grew past that) the car handles great and its nice to know it's all adjustable.

Like most people on this site I will keep my car and ride it until it dies, So I will try to keep up on any updates I encounter with these going into the winter and such.

Sorry for writing a novel of a review, but these are pretty slick. If your sitting on blown/saggy suspension and on the fence - go for it, it was worth it!

MindBomber

Great review!

I just got a set of tein ss and I'm really excited to install them, I don't have edfc yet but I'm hoping to get it soon.

maxtierney

iTrader: (5)

I've got a an EDFC sitting in my room. It's the silver controller, I want a black one (I'm picky). Got four motors/servos too. Let me know if your interested.

SpecialKPB

I have some pictures of the suspension I installed and reviewed. Hope these help those interested:

[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]


I'll try to snag a few more pictures of the EDFC installed on the coilovers and also the unit within the car for anyone interested.

hagmil777

Did you buy your ss from tein's website or from somewhere else?

SpecialKPB

Hagmil777: Sorry for the insane delayed response, I purchased the Tein SS w/EDFC from procivic.com, pretty good prices, and it shipped very quickly.

SpecialKPB

Update on TEIN SS coilovers w/EDFC -
Car is still rolling down the road with all of this suspension setup.
Rides the same as it did on day 1 of install. No squeaks from any of the parts.
The small motors for the EDFC all work flawlessly, control unit within car works the same as day 1, no hiccups. No sagging on any corner, the suspension enjoys the warmer weather I have noticed; rides a little smoother.

I run 15" steelies for summer, and a separate set of 15" steelies for winter. Never had an issue with snow/slush/ice build up in wheel wells due to car being lowered.
One advantage of separate summer/winter wheel setups is being able to take each wheel off, grease the Moog endlinks (still working like day 1 also) and inspecting the coilover for any wear/rust/issues. So far there is no irregular wear/rust on the coilovers.

Now that some time has passed from when I purchased/installed them I look back and am very happy I went this route of suspension upgrade/replacement. perhaps for someone who might not have plans on keeping your civic for more then lets say 3 years, this option might be overkill and not worth any return.
In my situation, the car is running great: High MPG + Reliable='s Keep it as long as possible, so it made sense for me.


Hope this helps