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Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

I want to eventually drop my car, I'm thinking 1.5", and I don't know which would be best. I watched the Andy's Auto sport video on it and he makes it sound like you can't drop the ride height with just lowered springs. I'm pretty sure that's not right though so which would be better? He also stated that the stock struts would be out of their ideal op range and, my brother said, it could bust the seal...WHY ARE THINGS SO DIFFICULT!

This is the video:
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

I have Tein S Tech springs on stock struts, drop about 1.3"
Rides fine.

Certainly not ideal, but it's the slightly cheaper route to take for a small but noticeable drop.
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Originally Posted by Kennykid2002
I have Tein S Tech springs on stock struts, drop about 1.3"
Rides fine.

Certainly not ideal, but it's the slightly cheaper route to take for a small but noticeable drop.
Does it feel like your driving down a dirt road all the time in a truck?
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

I didn't hear him say that you cant drop the ride height with lowered springs. He said you can't adjust the ride height with lowering springs. That was actually a very informative video. After he was talking about each type he said what it would be good for. So which one sounded the best for you?

Yes the stock struts were not meant to be lowered beyond the stock ride height so you will not get optimal performance out of them and the stiffer spring rates may cause them to blow prematurely.

I had Eibach springs with stock front struts for a year and it worked fine. I had to replace the rear immediately because the back end of the car was hopping around like a rabbit. The struts had over 100K miles on them at that point.

By truck do you mean bouncy?
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Originally Posted by GolNat
I didn't hear him say that you cant drop the ride height with lowered springs. He said you can't adjust the ride height with lowering springs. That was actually a very informative video. After he was talking about each type he said what it would be good for. So which one sounded the best for you?

Yes the stock struts were not meant to be lowered beyond the stock ride height so you will not get optimal performance out of them and the stiffer spring rates may cause them to blow prematurely.

I had Eibach springs with stock front struts for a year and it worked fine. I had to replace the rear immediately because the back end of the car was hopping around like a rabbit. The struts had over 100K miles on them at that point.

By truck do you mean bouncy?
Thanks GolNat, I feel like I'm back in school "now Seth, what do you think the answer is" lol, I liked these http://www.andysautosport.com/honda/...c00008849.html
But they start at like $730, a little rich for my blood, although I did see some for a grand so maybe not as bad. Yes, bouncy and just rough in general. I mostly do highway and city driving, but I don't want them to be miserable just for the sake of "a better look". Stock it's already pretty bouncy when you hit a off ramp with pot holes. If only there was an anti-drift kit too...I tend to drift when unintended...
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Usually lowering the car results in a harsher ride. Bumps are more abrupt, not as much with springs because the rates are generally lower then coilover systems. Your going to have to start somewhere to get an idea of what is comfy for you.

I don't have any experience with Blackworks products but have heard mixed things about them. See if you can find any online reviews for our gen civic. For not much more you could go Tein. Anything under $1000 is relatively cheap for full springs and struts. A cheaper option would be to get Ground Control sleeves and Tokico's or Koni's.
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Originally Posted by GolNat
Usually lowering the car results in a harsher ride. Bumps are more abrupt, not as much with springs because the rates are generally lower then coilover systems. Your going to have to start somewhere to get an idea of what is comfy for you.

I don't have any experience with Blackworks products but have heard mixed things about them. See if you can find any online reviews for our gen civic. For not much more you could go Tein. Anything under $1000 is relatively cheap for full springs and struts. A cheaper option would be to get Ground Control sleeves and Tokico's or Koni's.
Do you think I should upgrade struts too since I'm under there? Or at least new stock to possibly make them last longer?
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Old Oct 12, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

The Tein Basis coils are pretty much the entry level kit you want to start yourself with.
They ride great, and usually great value (Similar price to your blackworks)

As for the ride comfort of the S Tech's,
Certainly doesn't ride like an elephant for sure. (If you've ever been on an elephant)
When I dropped my car, I also changed the wheels and tires, which is a very dynamic part of the setup. Thicker wheels and tires plus a spiffy new sway bar certainly tightened everything up in the suspension.
It does ride slightly stiffer, maybe 20-25% with my setup, but it also feels more..."grounded", or planted to the ground I should say.

If you would like to go with the springs and shocks setup, probably good idea to run Tein/Eibach on Tokiko blues, but then again they will set you back a good amount relatively close to a coilover system.
I didn't replace my shocks because I have relatively low mileage on my car overall, so the shocks are in great shape. I took that into consideration before making my decision.
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Old Oct 13, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Originally Posted by Kennykid2002
The Tein Basis coils are pretty much the entry level kit you want to start yourself with.
They ride great, and usually great value (Similar price to your blackworks)

As for the ride comfort of the S Tech's,
Certainly doesn't ride like an elephant for sure. (If you've ever been on an elephant)
When I dropped my car, I also changed the wheels and tires, which is a very dynamic part of the setup. Thicker wheels and tires plus a spiffy new sway bar certainly tightened everything up in the suspension.
It does ride slightly stiffer, maybe 20-25% with my setup, but it also feels more..."grounded", or planted to the ground I should say.

If you would like to go with the springs and shocks setup, probably good idea to run Tein/Eibach on Tokiko blues, but then again they will set you back a good amount relatively close to a coilover system.
I didn't replace my shocks because I have relatively low mileage on my car overall, so the shocks are in great shape. I took that into consideration before making my decision.


So ultimately, this really is not going to be a cheap upgrade...
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Old Oct 13, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

You could take the risk of just lowering springs.
But you risk blowing out your struts.
I really don't advise this if you have crappy streets, or very worn out struts.

But that's definitely the cheapest way to go.
And I do run this setup.
Remember, you always get what you pay for.

If you don't want to go too low, but a small drop, Tein H techs will give you a decent drop and they ride really good, even better than stock, and best of all, it won't cause a lot of strain on the stock setup.
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Old Oct 13, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

Originally Posted by Kennykid2002
You could take the risk of just lowering springs.
But you risk blowing out your struts.
I really don't advise this if you have crappy streets, or very worn out struts.

But that's definitely the cheapest way to go.
And I do run this setup.
Remember, you always get what you pay for.

If you don't want to go too low, but a small drop, Tein H techs will give you a decent drop and they ride really good, even better than stock, and best of all, it won't cause a lot of strain on the stock setup.
Those seem nice and I like the price, but just for good measure should I replace the struts? Like just with new stock ones? Or let me ask this, how do you tell the condition of them if I bought the car used? With 116k on it.
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Old Oct 13, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

If your going to buy new struts you should get ones that can handle a drop, not an OE replacement. There is no telling if the ones you have now will be ok, chances are no since they have some miles on them. I only had to get new rear struts the fronts were ok after I put my Sportlines on. You can get springs, and put them on and see what's happens. You will just have to undo everything again to replace the struts if they are not good with the springs.
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Old Oct 13, 2013
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Re: Typical question...coilovers, struts, or coilover sleeves?

^
That.

100K+, a shock is probably on its final leg of its journey.
You could try to drop it on the struts you have now, up until your stock struts blow out.
But remember to factor in alignment costs when you tear everything apart twice.
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