robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

For those of you that know or don't know, we DO have a Suspension FAQ on the front page. It contains updated the parts list with most of the recent parts. If you guys find any problems, find that I need to add a part/part number/specific, let me know. I want to try to keep it updated as much as possible.

READ ALL OF THE FAQ!

Suspension FAQ

It will always be in my sig.

If you have anything to add to make this FAQ better, please PM it to me and I will add it!!!!

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Please read this
The Car Maintenance Bibles

Indexing your stock shocks/struts
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/s...ighlight=index

Bellz's sway bar sheet - Give him a big kiss!
Honda Sway Bar Specs

OFFICIAL Koni Rear Shock Information

2K1 Suspension Replaced

What proper indexing looks like!

Air Bag FAQ

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Torque specs
Front nuts and bolts that hold shock assembly to brake assembly(2 on each side):
116ft lbs. (includes oem replacement bolts)

Front end links:
29ft lbs

Front bolts that hold the bracket and bushings on front sway bar:
29ft lbs

Front nut that secures tie rod to shock assembly:
32ft lbs

Front and rear shock tower nut in center (on top of shock)
33ft lbs

Front three shock tower nuts (on top of shock around center bolt)
33ft lbs

Front brake hose and wheel sensor harness bracket bolts:
10mm one: 7.2ft lbs
12mm one: 16ft lbs

Rear bolts to rear upper arm or camber kit (all three):
43ft lbs

Rear nuts on end links:
top: 28ft lbs
bottom: 29ft lbs

Rear bolt that holds brackets and bushings on rear sway:
16ft lbs

Rear bolt that holds bottom of rear shock:
45ft lbs

Rear two shock tower nuts:
43ft lbs

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

67230
REAR CAMBER ARM HONDA/ACURA

67230
Instructions

EZ Arm XR(tm)

1. Before beginning any alignment, always check for loose or worn parts, tire pressure, and odd tire wear patterns.
2. Raise rear of vehicle and support on jack stands.
3. Remove rear wheel and tire assembly. If applicable, loosen and remove small bolt holding anti-lock brake wire bracket to upper arm and position out of the way. Loosen and remove bolt and nut from spindle at the upper control arm. Remove the 2 bolts holding the upper control arm to the body and remove arm.
4. Make sure that both ends of the 67230 have equal threads showing on either side of the turnbuckle. Install the 67230 arm by first installing the 2 bolts at the body and torque to manufacturer's specifications.
5. Install the arm to spindle bolt using the supplied nut but DO NOT tighten. Replace wheel and tire assembly. alignment equipment, and re-compensate.

NOTE: Tightening the nuts with the vehicle in the raised position may cause premature bushing wear due to preloading the bushing.

6. Adjust camber by loosening jam nuts and turning center piece to desired camber specifications

NOTE: The maximum length of the arm is reached when the flat on one rod is visible at the end of the turnbuckle adjuster. DO NOT lengthen the arm beyond this point.

7. After camber adjustment is made, make sure that either set of holes on the center piece are pointing to the rear of the vehicle and then tighten the jam nuts. Tighten the arm to spindle bolt to manufacturer's specifications.
8. Cut part of the tab off as shown in Figure #1 on the anti-lock wire bracket with a pair of side cutting pliers. Mount bracket on center piece of arm so tab fits in large hole and install supplied small bolt in threaded hole and tighten, securing bracket to arm. Use care not to over tighten bolt.

Always check for proper clearance between suspension components and other components of the vehicle.

9.Set rear toe to specifications, complete alignment and road test vehicle.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...amber-kit.html

For the love of god, stop asking. I thought 3 times a day was enough, apparently not. I suppose its better to educate yourselves before rather than later, but if you use the search function like you're supposed to, and you do your research before you spend upwards of $800 on a drop done right, then you should figure out in 5 minutes or less that YES YOU NEED A CAMBER KIT. For mild drops (less than 1.25") you probably don't, but you may opt for one just to be safe. I have a friend dropped on Pro-kits, no camber kits, and he's got nearly spec alignment numbers. Any lower, you probably want one if you value your tires. While toe kills tires more than camber does, you can only adjust toe so much (especially in the rear). Toe and Camber settings effect each other, so you need to have the adjustability to get your toe to 0. In the front, your camber can be as much as -2.25 before your steering rods run out of travel, but -2.25 will probably do something to your tires.
Rear kits are a threaded adjustable length upper control arm. It bolts in with 3 bolts, 2 on the body, one on the back of the drum and you can adjust its length to control the angle of the wheel. This part is critical as the rear is far more prone to camber changes than the front (nature of a multi-link double wishbone). You need it. There's numerous kits available. SPC and Ingalls probably make the most inexpensive and widely used ones, they're $110-140 depending on the store... you can spend plenty more if you want, I've seen them go as high as $400 for JDM brand super adjustable (5 degree) arms, but they're unnecessary for basic adjustment. A normal range (+2/-3 degree) kit will take care of any reasonable drop.
Front kits... well 2 options. Camber or Crash Bolts that are smaller than the stock crash bolts give you additional range of motion by freeing space up in the knuckle hole to set the knuckle more upright. They're $20-30 bucks, but they have plenty of flaws. If you drive hard, they have a tendency to move and not hold their setting. As a result, frequent alignments (every few months) are a necessity. If you're looking at any sort of racing, I don't recommend them unless the rules specify that this is the only way you can change your camber. Honestly, if you can get your camber back to about -1.5 degrees or less without the use of camber bolts and still get 0 toe, I wouldn't even bother with the bolts.
Camber Plates are the better alternative. They replace the upper mount of the strut with a sliding bearing surface and the entire suspension angle changes from the top. This allows the use of stock crash bolts which hold their setting much better, it also provides a better reaction from the corner because the wheel is aligned with the suspension like its supposed to be (scrub radius unchanged). Plates run from about $200 to $400, there's a few available.
I don't think I missed anything.... if you have a question about anything that has been posted here or still do not understand, then post it IN THIS THREAD.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Provided by PunkingCivic

Ksport

MEGAN

D2

NEX

BG

OMNI

Progress

N1

Tein Basic

Tein SS w/ pillow mounts


Jic Magic

KW

HAYAME

BuddyClub

Function and Form

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

You have a few options for shocks currently.

Koni Yellow (50mm, 55mm)
KYB Gr-2 (2001-2002, 2003-2005)
KYB AGX
Tokico Blues (HP) (2001-2002, 2003-2005)
Tokico D Spec
Mouton (but these are mad expensive)
Spoon (but these are mad expensive)

1) Koni yellows - The front struts need to be modified for them to fit. There are a few different sizes (50mm or 55mm). These are probably your best bet for autocrossing or road racing if you don't have full coils.

You've got 2 sizes for koni yellows. 50mm and 55 mm. There is no way of determining which you need by year. You MUST measure the housings of the struts in your car and buy the right ones. Honda mixed them in randomly and there is no other way to tell which ones you need.

There also are two different types of GCs. There are GCs for stock shocks and there are GCs for konis. Make sure you get the right ones.

2) KYB Gr-2 - These are not performance shocks. While they are better than OEM they usually can't handle a very low drop. They will improve ride and handling, but aren't meant to be slammed on. They are non-adjustable.

3) KYB AGX - Adjustable shocks good for lowering and some racing. While konis might be better, these are a good alternative. They are either 4 or 8 way adjustable.

These shocks SHOULD fit with Skunk2 coilovers

4) Tokico Blues (HP) - These are decent shocks. They are non-adjustable. They are probably better than the Gr-2s, but usually can't handle very low drops.

The blues are NOT compatible with GC coilovers

5) Tokico D-Specs - 16 way adjustable shocks. These are probably very close to koni's in terms of performance, but very few people have them just yet.

READ THIS
All shocks, except for konis, are made for a 2001-2002, so the mount bolts are 14mm not 16mm like in the 2003+. Either you will have to drill them out or hope that the company makes a set for you guys. The can be put on your 2003+ but you run the risk of the mount bolts coming loose and the shock changing camber. The blues and GR-2s come for both.



The circled part has to be drilled from a 14mm to 16mm.
Thanks to gaugeof12 for the pic

So in the end if you are racing, adjustable shocks are probably your best bet. Konis are the shock of choice though you have to modify your front struts. The D-Specs and AGXs should do fairly well too. The Blues and the Gr-2s, while better than stock, usually can't handle very low drops or tons of racing. I am not saying it can't be done, I am just saying that isn't their design.

If there is anything wrong with this information, please post and I will correct it. I currently don't know what size konis to pick so that would be a good thing to know. Also, if you want to add anything let me know.

Misc information
1) The bumpstops of the newer/larger oem front struts will not fit the older designs correctly.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...ises-read.html

All subsiquent n00b posts about this will be locked and deleted.

The simple answer is The install was messed up

Now, moving right along to the solution.
Our good buddy Mex supplied us with this fantastic DIY right here
Refer to step 19 which says:

"Before you disassemble the strut, you need to mark the top and bottom to insure you line them up correctly when putting them back together. If you're working on a 2002+ model, the top mount should already me marked with an L or R (for left and right) and an arrow pointing in the direction it should be facing when it goes back on the car. If the top and bottom are not put together correctly the bolts will not line up in the strut tower, so this is important. If the marks aren't there, just use white out or something."

This insures that the springs are properly indexed when you reinstall them and they seat properly into place against the rotation stop on the lower seat and the bearing lines up properly with the upper mount.
In addition, if you properly install the spring and continue to experience a popping sensation, you need to inspect the bearings especially if you mess up step 20 and the bearings blow all over your garage floor. I recommend that once removed from the strut, you open up the bearing and add some litium or graphite based lube into the bearing race then close the bearing back up. Before reinstalling, rotate the bearing with your hand to insure that it moves freely and the grease is worked around the *****. Then re-install the upper seat and bearing assembly properly indexed and bolt the assembly together with the proper torque of 45 lb-ft. I understand this is typically impossible with teh allen key, but its not an insane amount of torque. if its too tight, it binds and pops. If its too loose, it wabbles and the races don't seat, the ***** are free to bounce and it pops.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/4...alignment.html

Pictures will be added later.

Necessary items
A buddy
A camber gauge
Level ground (or a gauge that can correct for uneven ground
Assortment of metric wrenches and an adjustable crecent wrench
Camber kits and/or plates
Toe Plates
Floor Jack
There are lots of ways to do this, with lots of different tools to do it. If you search the internet, you'll probably find 250 ways it can be done, so I'll just write up how I did it.
First thing is to install camber adjustment devices if you haven't done so already. Then you need to decide on a desired angle you'd like to end up with. The alignment needs to be set with the car ON THE GROUND and the suspension loaded if you want good measurements. If your car is really low, you may have issues with this and it will take a lot longer since you'll be constantly jacking the car up to make your adjustments.
Start with the rear, put the camber gauge on the rim lip and take your initial measurement. You'll need to rotate the adjustment sleeve on the camber arm until you reach your desired angle. If you have a gauge that attaches to the wheel, this becomes a 1 man job. If not, you may want to have your buddy hold the gauge as you rotate the camber arm. Once you get close, you'll have to either roll the car forward (if its on level ground) or jack up the car and set it back down. The tire will slip on the ground a little but not enough to pull the wheel for its exact angle. Set it back down and remeasure. When you hit the angle you want, tighten the lock nuts on the camber arms.
The front is a little different. First set your camber. If you have camber bolts, I believe you need to rotate the offset bolt until you get the angle you want then tighten it down to XXX ft.lbs so it holds. With camber plates just slide the plate until you get the angle you want, then retighten the allen screws. Check your angle with the gauge.
To set your steering angle, first roll the car back and forth a few times and mkae sure your steering wheel is straight.
Once it is, crack the tie rod nuts loose. You'll probably have to jack the car up and pull the wheels to get a good handle on it. Use a 19mm wrench to hold the tie rod end still use an adjustable on the nut. To loosen the nut turn it clockwise (its left handed). Wheels back on, car back down, roll it again to make sure you're still straight. You can reach the tie rods from the top of the engine bay if you don't have a stock airbox. If you do, pull out the resonator or plan on getting under the car a lot. Set the toe plates on each tire, making sure they're flat against the side of the tire and touching in the front and the back. Take the tape measures (or other measuring devices, some have laser tapes), and put them in the supplied location on the plates. Take a measurment so you can get an idea of what you need to adjust. If your tape measurement is bigger in the front then you have toe out and you need to make the tie rods longer. If you have a smaller reading on the front tape, then its toe in and you need to shorten them. a 14mm wrench can be used to rotate the tie rods. Make an adjustment then roll the car again to set the new toe angle in place, make sure the wheel is still straight and measure again. Keep going until the front measurement = the rear measurment. When it does, tighten the tie rod end locknuts and take it for a drive to make sure your wheel is infact straight. if its not, you'll need to make length corrections to the left and right to make sure that it is straight or close enough to straight that you can deal with it. Plan on about 3-4 hours until you get the hang of it.

robbclark1

iTrader: (8)

Will DC5/EP3 suspension fit my EM2/ES1 and vice versa

Yes, but it will require modification.

If you can find early EP3 stuff, then it should be a direct swap. Later years, Honda switched to 16mm strut bolts and larger tie rod ends.

To make a long story short this is what you will need to make things fit.

1) If you have a full coilover system with a front upper mount/camber plate, then all you will need is DC5/EP3 tie rod ends. You may or may not have trouble with the rear strut bolt. Sometimes they are bigger, sometimes they aren't.

2) If you have a full coilover system without a front upper mount/camber plate, then you will need DC5/EP3 tie rod ends and you need your upper mount from your stock suspension. It is not suggested that you use DC5/EP3 upper mounts.

3) Progressive springs (ie NOT coilover springs) WILL NOT FIT!! Technically they will fit, but the springs are designed for specific weight distributions and will look funny on your car.

4) Shocks from DC5/EP3 will fit if you keep your upper mounts and get new tie rod ends.

5) If you have a 2001-2002 EM2/ES1, then you probably will need to drill out your strut mount holes to 16mm. This is not an easy job and not recommended. It also is not recommended that you use your 14mm bolts on the 16mm holes because you run the risk of camber sliding.

6) Other misc DC5/EP3 parts may or may not fit. SOME front strut bars fit, ALL rear sway bars fit, SOME front sway bars fit, ALL rear lower tie bars fit, ALL trunk tie bars will fit, but HATCH tie bars will NOT fit (obviously because the 7thgen doesn't have a hatch).