jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

Got a quick question guys. Ok, if I were to get a set of stiff racing springs, how long do you guys think my stock shocks would last with 1-2 AutoX events a month, & the usual work commute.

Which springs would you guys recommend for autoX. Would I be better off just getting some better shocks?? I dont really care how much they lower my car or how bad the ride is, I just want the best performance possible without going broke, I know I need coilovers to do it right, but not enough $$ right now so im trying to do it cheap.

I dont know anything about this stuff I. Tried searching, but I got tired of sifting through all the "yuO ShOuLd GeT 5 InCh dRoP, ThAt bE mAd tYtE y0!" ****. Plus, theres few people on this site that I trust know what theyre talking about, & they all post in here, so.



Oh yea, Im about to get a neuspeed front strut bar, it this going to be worth it with a near stock suspension?? Or should I concentrate on springs right now? So far all I got are some 12 lb 15X7s wrapped in Azenis, RSX sway bar, K&N intake & a short shifter.

Thanks for putting up with my n00b *** guys.

dvsdara

iTrader: (1)

Wow. With all those AutoX events I'm surprised that you haven't done any suspension work yet. You can get a nice set of springs for not that much. I'd say for the Eibach Sportlines, you can get it for 199 shipped from Eddie at www.turehonda.com. As far as the struts go, it all depends on whether you would like to adjust them or not. Obviously, there are only two available at this time. The tokicos and konis. The only set back about Koni that everyone seems to have is just the pricing. The ride is just incredible after. I have it set somewhere in the middle for daily driving. When your AutoX events come up you can just adjust it to ride softer or firmer to your preference. That's just my .02 cents worth for the day. Good luck!!!

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

I know you aren't going to want to hear this, but I suggest the konis. I know they are going to be a pain in the *** to install but from what I hear, they are worth it. If you can't afford coils, get konis and a set a springs. Factor in the cost of alignment and camber kit and you are looking at about $900. If you can't afford that, the prokit would be a good choice. It isn't a low drop and from what Spencer has mentioned, he has gone quite awhile without blowing his shocks.

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

Its my first season, im just trying for seat time more than anything, doing one mod at a time so I know what everything is doing.

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

You know im getting married this next spring, so unless I win the lottery, pretty much anything over a couple hundred bucks is out the window. Im just trying to do what I can for now. I might be able to start saving the expensive stuff after I get married, but by then I might be closer to getting a Miata, everythings still up in the air right now.

I might just drop some springs on there & chance blowing my shocks, I dont know. Would it be worth it on stock shocks??


Any ideas about the strut bar??


Thanks guys.

dvsdara

iTrader: (1)

I understand. I''m getting married next summer as well. Otherwise I would've gotten boost instead. Anyway, couple of hundred bucks can get you a set of Eibachs, if not, try H+R Springs. I was riding the H+R for a while with the stock struts before i got my Konis. The stock struts shouldn't go on you that fast. I just got them cuz the ride wasn't stiff enough. The stock struts weren't blown.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Well do you plan on keeping the civic after you get the miata? Will it be racing? If not, just get a prokit. You have the RSX rear sway. You might not be as competitive as some of the other cars in STS but if you aren't going to be racing the civic much after you get the miata then don't bother.

Sickboy

iTrader: (3)

PM FattyMcJ. If I remember correctly, he blew his rear struts using Neuspeed Race in less than a week.

Boilermaker1

iTrader: (16)

Well first off... you don't need to do a thing to the supension and you can still race it.
Second of all... he's doing it all the right ways, going 1 piece at a time. If you just change everything, you're not going to know how to drive it, and you'll be a worse driver for it. Learning to drive an understeering bafoon is a lot tougher than a well set up neutral car. It took me 2 months to re-learn how to drive after putting my JICs in, and that was the last thing I did... after the sway and tower bars went in. I'm gonna be completely honest here... I think a set of konis would do you more good than a set of springs. Now obviously, it makes no sense to take the suspension apart and not do the springs too, but if you want uberstiff, you're gonna need custom Konis or a set of full coils. Its not worth your while to get cheapo coils, so plan on Tein SS or higher, because you'll want damper adjustment. Now that having been said, you'd probably be best with an Eibach or H&R spring set, they seem to be rigged up more towards sporty type handling, and its a trusted racing name and not so much a tuner name. Moving right along...
If you want superstiff for cheap, custom rate ground controls would be the wise way. Konis are only good for 450 lb springs with stock valving, so you'll want to back it off a little... I'd say no more than 400 in the rear and maybe about 325 in the front. Want to go higher, get them revalved, Koni does it. I think ideally for street tires, something like 425/550 or 375/500 would be best, but it'll take a set of coilovers to do that.
To return to your initial question, stiff springs and soft shocks are gonna be dead in no time. All you're gonna do is bang the shock around, it'll never be able to keep up.

Green Civic

I have the eiback pro-kit and love it. I havent auto-x with it, but the cornering with them is good. They can get a little bouncy on bumps, but that doesnt bother me because I like the performance in them, not the ride quality. Just change the springs if you want to run coilovers in the long run. Dont wait your money on a spring/shock combo if your just going to throw it away for a new setup.

Zzyzx

I second the Konis. Just installed them on my car and now it feels like a new/better car then it ever was.

About eibach springs, I have them too, (Sportlines) and I like them so far, BUT.... They are progressive springs.. meaning they are soft for the street and as they compress they get harder.. Great as a duel purpous spring, but not what you want if you are trying to get every last bit of handling performance you can.

When I do end up changing springs the current plan is to get Ground controls with a custom spring rate (That has yet to be determined).

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

Ok, Green Civic & Zzyzx, how long have/did you have your Eibachs w/ stock shocks?? Thats the springs im looking at. If I got the Eibachs, I would most likely run them for the rest of this season on stock shocks, then throw some konis on in the downtime, have a fresh setup for next year. My only concern is blowing them before that.

What if I just got some Konis with stock springs?? Would that be worth it at all??

This month before next race, its either springs, or the Neuspeed bar, would the bar be worth it on stock suspension, or should I wait on that??

FattyMcJ

Yup...stock rear shox blew within a week of install. Why? TOO LOW, not stiff enough.

I ran Neuspeed Race/Koni's for about 4 events....

BEST SET-UP THAT I'VE EVER FELT!!! (Better than my friend's Mugen set-up in his EP3)....reason? ADJUSTABLE, STURDY, BETTER THAN STOCK!!

I don't recommend the Neuspeed springs though... They're decent, but a bit too low, and not quite stiff enough...IMO. I think some Ground Control's would have been MUCH better...but ah well....it's ON TO THE EP3 NOW!!!

The Koni's are PERFECT. If you can do no other mod to your suspension....GET KONI'S !!!! Don't worry about the strut bar....it doesn't help THAT much.

Best two things, with the most noticable changes/gains...Koni's and Progress Rear SWAY bar/tie bar. Those two things will benefit you more than you know.

(Next to a good set of tires, lol)

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Koni's on stock springs would be worth it. The springs would help better than the bar, but the bar will help also.

Green Civic

This december will make a year on the pro-kit. I still have the stock shocks in and they are running just fine. I had honda change my back right only because it was blown before I had the springs were put on. So three of the shocks are as old as the car and running fine. The drop is an inch, but after settling, its a 1.4 inch drop.

Zzyzx

The proper dampers are supprisingly important to the overall handling of the car, sure the stock shocks may be ok and not blown, but if you slaped on a set of konis..... The car would feel, and handle oh so much better. So much that if I did it all over again, a set of Konis would have been the 1st suspension mod I would do.

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

OK cool guys, thats what I was looking for. I think i'm going to save up for some konis, then get springs later, since i'm not too concerned with looks, just handling. What all modifications are required for the konis, is there a DIY floating around somewhere, I hear theyre a bitch to install. Will they affect camber at all, that I need to correct, or does that come with springs.

Sorry for all the n00b questions guys, i'll search later, but I dont have time right now.


Thanks guys, youre all a huge help, I appreciate it

Zzyzx

I installed my Konis in about 4 hours. and The rears were harder to get in then the fronts.. They are pretty simple to install, just make sure you ahve all the nessisary tools before hand. The most important thing though, is MAKE SURE YOU GET THE RIGHT INSERTS!!!!! there are 2 different diamiter inserts, the 01 and some 02s have 50mm front struts and the 02+ have 55mm front struts. Be sure to get the ones for your car.

Once you get them in then you get to have fun of spending the rest of the season trying to find the right setting for your car....

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

^^I hear people saying you have to cut up your stock struts to install the konis for some reason, why is that?? Did you have to do this??

Zzyzx

Yup, that was actually pretty easy. Used a pipe cutter rather then a Hack saw. Came appart in a Jiff.

FattyMcJ

LMAO..yeah..I remember THAT ordeal. Tried the hack saw, didn't work. Tried the pipe cutter...broke 3 wheels for it....gave up. Then....whipped out the SAWZALL!!!! Took that baby RIGHT off!!!

SAWZALL > all !!!!

Zzyzx

It was actually harder to line up the hole on the Rear shocks then it was to gut and install the fronts.

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

What do you have to cut, & why??

Edit: nevermind, I searched

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Good job, noob

gotta give him positive reinforcement so he keeps searching

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

^true, I can be a lazy bastard

Green Civic

Its ok. It happens to all of us. You decided to keep stock springs and go konis? Thats a good idea. Keeping stock height while having different levels of adjustability. Your going to keep that setup until you get your coilovers?

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

Actually, I was thinking of just staying with a koni/eibach setup. Would I get more performance out of coilovers, enough to justify dropping the $1500 or whatever on them?? I think im going to keep the civic untill it stops breathing, at least as a daily driver, & get a miata or comparable dedicated race car, but that wont be for at least another year or two. So given that, the konis/eibach setup should be good enough untill I can get a better suited car for racing right??

FattyMcJ

Well....yes and no.

Justifying (sp?) the $1500+ on coilovers would be a HELL of a lot easier if you didn't have the Koni's....but honestly.....the Koni's will give you as close to "$1500 performance" as you can get...for a LOT less. The Eibach's however...I dunno, but you might think about getting a different spring, if you're gonna race heavily....with the Vic.

If you only want it to be "decent" for another year, until you get something better....then yes, you've achieved that goal and then some. They WILL last you for at least a year...prolly more....but like I said, the Eibach's are a bit too soft for my liking....just my $0.02

So yeah...stay with what cha got, learn it, become a better driver...THEN go to a Miata or whatever. You're good to go for quite a while bro....

FattyMcJ

It IS a good idea......why?!?!?

Because you can still run HS with Koni's....and have a MUCH better handling car than stock shocks. (Unless you've got an intake or something like that)

If I knew then what I know NOW...I'd have stayed stock longer...

Which is what I plan on doing in the new EP.....stock...until I can get enough parts to achieve full STS trim. Then....add them one by one, learn them, and go from there.

jiggerachi

iTrader: (4)

^ That is a good idea, but I have a k&n intake, a short shifter, RSX sway & 12lb 15X7s, all of which I wouldnt give up. Besides, I like being in STS, everyone in stock classes are running slicks($$$), & I have more fun modifying my car(also$$$).