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My car set-up is stock.

I have thought of doing different types of mods but I always get confused.

Today I went to a parking lot and tried to throw my car into a few turns.

Now, to my surprise the steering didn't respond as much I wished and my tires slipped so I couldn't put the car where I wanted. But I still felt the car was balanced. (Mind you I did it only a few times because there were cops around)

Will sticky tires make a big difference?

Am I in danger of tipping the car over if I throw it in a turn, or it will just spin out?

 
Rep Power: 380

Glad your interested in making your civic handle better...

Couple of things... Stock the car is set up to understeer in almost all situations. This is done with just about all cars. Its what keeps Grandmas and Idiots safe. Stock the car is pretty responsive, but it still does what it was tuned to do.....

Tires will easily be the single part that inproves your handling the most. Simply because the tires do all the work in making the car turn. the rest of the suspension is there to simply try and get the most out of what ever tire you are using. Pick the right tire and reap the benifits...

As far as rolling..... Well on a stock suspension and Street tires (However sticky they are) the only real way you'r going to roll the car is if you slide sidways intosomthing soft, like sand or dirt... Even if you slide in to a curb, your more likely to schear off the suspension before the car rolls. If your running R compounds however.... You can get enough traction out of them to roll the car... But only when they are REALLY sticky.

Other wise, you'r probably not even going to spin the car, youll most likely just understeer all over the place.... (Though with the right cercomstances you can spin a stock car..)

 
Rep Power: 304

I guess my first mod is going to be my tires. I want to keep my stock rims for now. Is that going to be a problem?
What tires do you recommend I need tires that will fit my stock rims.

So as long as no one is around I'm safe enough practicing in a big parking lot.

 
Rep Power: 338

If you have the stock Firestones, according the TireRack survey, it's LAST PLACE! I just replaced mine and at only 23000 miles. Front tires are almost bald. Friend in a 99 Corolla has Frirestone FR680's, just as bad. No, there is not problem keeping the stock wheels. Do some research and find a tire you like. Several online stores have customer surveys so that helps. Tirerack, discounttire, 1010wheels (or 1010tires, forgot which 1).... those will help. But I think even switching tires will still cause understeer.... so aftermarket sway bar would help greatly.

 
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For me tires made a HUGE difference. I coulding believe it. I was pleased with the stock handing (the bushings seem a little soft) and the understeer as Zzyzzx commented, is to be expected. When I wore the stock tires out I went to Toyo Proxes and wow....worth every penny

 
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Some people have changed the bushings in there suspension. What handling characteristic does that provide?

 
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reading the faq told me poly bushings are stiffer than stock rubber. thus more response, but rougher, and possibly noisy.

every mod have a tradeoff, honda made the car as they did for a reason (cushy, quiet, pleasant). you must decide if you like it that way or want it the other way.

 
Rep Power: 304

I went a drove my car some more and I pushed it a little harder and tried to take some hard turns, yo guys were right the car stays balanced, but major understeering. Well I guess I am going to research some tires.

I'm gonna read the FAQ on on the POLY bushings

 
Rep Power: 302

I changed tires, put in a Neuspeed upper front strut bar, an X-brace underneath, and an RSX-S rear sway bar. That's it. I am very pleased with the car's handling.
Kind of fun to rip around a clover freeway onramp at speeds that firmly plant you in the edge of the seat. The other benefit I noticed is that I have virtually NO bump-steer, and the car drives absolutely straight.

my .02 cents.

 
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Tinman I'm always afraid of bumps in my stock car, I get a lot unpredictable handling when I encounter bumps.

Are you able to oversteer, like those rear wheel drive cars?

 
Rep Power: 380

^^ upredictable handling after hitting bumps is ushually a Shock problem. It could also be BUmp steer but I doubt it, due to how our suspension is designed.... When our suspension compresses we get toe in, making the car want to go in a straight line.

As far as sliding the rear end around, well when I had my 19mm rear bar and the 25.4 mm front, it still understeered, but much less. when I went to the 15.9mm front bar then I could bring the tail around some times. I'm now running an adjustible 25.4mm rear bar, and the handling is OUTSTANDING! I steer the car with the rear end.

 
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I think I exagerated when I said I get unpreditable handling. Its not like if I hit a bump I'm gonna go in a completely different direction, but where I am I just encounter too many bumps. In the city of Montreal Canada we have terrible roads. Most terrible roads in North America.

I guess Honda is an exception when they say Front Wheel drive cars cant compete with rear-wheel drive cars in handling. I saw a clip of an Integra Type R competing in a mountain race with tight tight turns againsnt a modded nissan sylvia.

I think I need to mod the suspension slowly I don't I'm quite ready like you are Zzyzx to be throwing rear end around like that.

I wonder if they have autocross near my place.

I heard many people say that Hondas have good balance.

Will changing the bushings in my suspension components give my car more balance?

 
Rep Power: 338

I think changing the bushings will offer less bounciness but the ride will be a bit more rough. Front drive Hondas always have bump steer... dont know how to solve that 1 but I got used to it and it keeps me awake at night sometimes. Most ppl dont know or havent experienced what happens when the tail end of the car starts coming around. Front drives can handle and Integra R is one of the best if not the best. But there is a limit to front drive handling.... I feel about 220 WHP would be about the limit of good handling front drives in terms of autoX and track (road course).

 
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if you want better balance, you can relocate your battery to the trunk. But start with sway bars and see how you like those. But to truelly get it 50/50... I remember doing the math a while back... I think you need several hundred pounds in the back.....
I had put a 50 lb rice bag and some other groceries in the trunk before.... felt a little different I guess.... haha

 
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Thats a lot of rice lol.

First thing I think Isould do is join some auto x club

 
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Ya, Definitly learn to drive the car at its limits before you start buying parts....

 
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Also, if your car came with the stock Firestones, the limit of those tires are easily reached.

 
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When I turn quickly and my car understeers, is a good thing in the sense that there is not to much pressure being put on my suspension compenents and chassis. Or is that false, and It is never good to turn sharply without reinforcing the chassis, which braces and tie bars and what not? Is it bad to make the car understeer, should I not be putting so much pressure on the car?

 
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bump

 
Rep Power: 380

Your not going to do any thing but wear out your front tires more.

as far as chassis reinforcement, It is good to brace the car, but it isnt going to harm the car if you dont.

 
Rep Power: 304

Thanks Zzyzx.

I'm having a lot of fun on turns, I'm happy with the civic handling I wonder If a GTI could keep up with me on a turn.

 
Rep Power: 304

I just readthe suspension faq 101, and it was very informational.

We should all read it, Zzyzx and some other guys have given a lot of technical input.

Zzyzx I had one question;
will using Polyurethane bushings instead of stock bushings induce more wear and tear on the car? Or is it actually better for the car?