Lowering my 05 Civic, Springs vs. Coilovers?
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Lowering my 05 Civic, Springs vs. Coilovers? Hey everyone,
I am from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and I am new here.
How do I go regarding lowering my 05 ES1 Civic 5MT?
I've done a lot of research and I found out that most people recommended aftermarket springs if the car doesn't see the track much or if I don't care that much about performance.
I rarely ever track my car, may be something like once a year or so, but I always go for some spirited drives every now and then on my way back from work. I usually finish work around 11pm and the streets are clear at this time and I gun it around roundabouts and bends on my way home... etc.
At the moment the car only has 117,000km (72,700 miles) and the stock suspension are in perfect working order, both factory shocks and struts seem to have at least another 70,000km (~44,000 miles) to go before they give up. Only problem is, car sits way too high on them and the handling is nothing to be proud of
car leans way too much in corners and steering lacks good control and direction. (I used to drive my brother's R34 Skyline GTR a lot before it got stolen, crashed and written off, so I can easily distinguish a good handling car from garbage)
My concerns are:
1) I heard that coilovers have shorter life span, I heard my build will last less than just going with springs and aftermarket shocks, is that true? And if that's true, how short are we talking?
2) Everyone is talking about how painfully uncomfortable coilovers are, specially on long highway trips. I'll be at least driving up to Sydney once a year or so, it's a 750 miles of bumpy highways.
3) Cost, for my needs is it worth it to spend that kind of money on coilovers? Or should I just go with Tein or Eibach springs and may be KYB/Koni shocks?
4) I am afraid to go with aftermarket springs and not get the low I am after, I heard that aftermarket springs would give you a max of 1.5-2 inches drop and it seems that my car will be needing more than that (check photos below).
Here are some photos of the car
These are some massive wheel gaps
Can easily fit 5 fingers between the fender and wheels
About an 85mm (3.35 Inches) wheel gap
I am from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and I am new here.
How do I go regarding lowering my 05 ES1 Civic 5MT?
I've done a lot of research and I found out that most people recommended aftermarket springs if the car doesn't see the track much or if I don't care that much about performance.
I rarely ever track my car, may be something like once a year or so, but I always go for some spirited drives every now and then on my way back from work. I usually finish work around 11pm and the streets are clear at this time and I gun it around roundabouts and bends on my way home... etc.
At the moment the car only has 117,000km (72,700 miles) and the stock suspension are in perfect working order, both factory shocks and struts seem to have at least another 70,000km (~44,000 miles) to go before they give up. Only problem is, car sits way too high on them and the handling is nothing to be proud of
car leans way too much in corners and steering lacks good control and direction. (I used to drive my brother's R34 Skyline GTR a lot before it got stolen, crashed and written off, so I can easily distinguish a good handling car from garbage) My concerns are:
1) I heard that coilovers have shorter life span, I heard my build will last less than just going with springs and aftermarket shocks, is that true? And if that's true, how short are we talking?
2) Everyone is talking about how painfully uncomfortable coilovers are, specially on long highway trips. I'll be at least driving up to Sydney once a year or so, it's a 750 miles of bumpy highways.
3) Cost, for my needs is it worth it to spend that kind of money on coilovers? Or should I just go with Tein or Eibach springs and may be KYB/Koni shocks?
4) I am afraid to go with aftermarket springs and not get the low I am after, I heard that aftermarket springs would give you a max of 1.5-2 inches drop and it seems that my car will be needing more than that (check photos below).
Here are some photos of the car
These are some massive wheel gaps
Can easily fit 5 fingers between the fender and wheels
About an 85mm (3.35 Inches) wheel gap
Re: Lowering my 05 Civic, Springs vs. Coilovers?
Welcome to the site. Car looks well taken care of!
1.) The idea that they don't last as long stems from the fact that most people using coilovers are lowering their car greater amount then with springs. These people may also drive more spirited. A well made shock that is properly valved can last long.
2.) depends what kind you get. Generally the spring rates on coilovers are higher then that of springs so the ride will be stiffer. I would suggest a rate under 600lb for daily. Ride comfort is a matter of opinion though an you do get used to the ride. My wife thinks my coilovers are more comfortable then my springs I had even though the rates are higher and I'm an inch lower.
3.) up to you, but an option to consider would be Ground Control sleeves with some Koni's! After paying for springs and shocks/struts it's not much more to get coilovers. I bought mine used and rebuilt them, also another option.
4.) I was unhappy with my drop (after about a year) after installing springs and should have gone straight to coilovers for the adjustability factor.
1.) The idea that they don't last as long stems from the fact that most people using coilovers are lowering their car greater amount then with springs. These people may also drive more spirited. A well made shock that is properly valved can last long.
2.) depends what kind you get. Generally the spring rates on coilovers are higher then that of springs so the ride will be stiffer. I would suggest a rate under 600lb for daily. Ride comfort is a matter of opinion though an you do get used to the ride. My wife thinks my coilovers are more comfortable then my springs I had even though the rates are higher and I'm an inch lower.
3.) up to you, but an option to consider would be Ground Control sleeves with some Koni's! After paying for springs and shocks/struts it's not much more to get coilovers. I bought mine used and rebuilt them, also another option.
4.) I was unhappy with my drop (after about a year) after installing springs and should have gone straight to coilovers for the adjustability factor.
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Re: Lowering my 05 Civic, Springs vs. Coilovers?
Also, a lot depends on what you have available in Australia.
shipping could be a killer, so if you plan on having stuff from here, best to get coilovers, so shipping is one package.
shipping could be a killer, so if you plan on having stuff from here, best to get coilovers, so shipping is one package.
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doesn't australia have very strict no tolerance laws regarding vehicle modification ???. as far as lifespan of a coilover strongly depends on the manufacturer and abiding by said manufacturers ride height recommendation. buying cheap chinatown coilovers then bottoming out the spring perch to get hella slammed is going to cut the lifespan in half. even slamming high end coilovers will reduce lifespan.
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Go straight for coilovers. So much cheaper in the long run....because a lot of people who start out with spring/shocks end up going to coilovers. No use spending the money twice. Plus, you can lower the car to exactly where you want, but with springs, you only get a fixed drop.
My concerns are:
1) I heard that coilovers have shorter life span, I heard my build will last less than just going with springs and aftermarket shocks, is that true? And if that's true, how short are we talking? Not true (assuming you go with a name brand). I would even say the opposite is true. Because most shocks that people tend to lower their cars on (KYB GR2s, Tokico Blues, aren't really designed for lowered cars....they are stock replacement shocks. So when you lower the car with stiffer springs, the shocks are not valved correctly, resulting in a shorter life span. Now, if you use KYB AGX, Tokico Illuminas, or Koni Yellows, then you won't have that problem.
If you are getting shocks, go with Koni Yellows. Yes, they cost a good amount of money, but they are really the best out there. Lifetime warranty, damping adjustability, and adjustable spring perches to fine tune your ride height. Another unique feature they have are that they are not position sensitive, meaning they behave the same at any ride height, while traditional shocks will perform worse the lower you go.
2) Everyone is talking about how painfully uncomfortable coilovers are, specially on long highway trips. I'll be at least driving up to Sydney once a year or so, it's a 750 miles of bumpy highways. As long as you get a good quality setup, and you know your spring rates, you can keep a good amount of comfort. Yes, it will be stiffer than stock, but it will not be bumpy and uncomfortable.
3) Cost, for my needs is it worth it to spend that kind of money on coilovers? Or should I just go with Tein or Eibach springs and may be KYB/Koni shocks? Really, a quality coilover setup is maybe $100 more than a quality spring/shock combo. What is your budget though?
4) I am afraid to go with aftermarket springs and not get the low I am after, I heard that aftermarket springs would give you a max of 1.5-2 inches drop and it seems that my car will be needing more than that (check photos below). That's pretty much the biggest reason to go with coilovers. 2in is a great drop to start with, but pretty soon you will want to go lower, and then well, if you have spring, you are pretty much stuck there.
1) I heard that coilovers have shorter life span, I heard my build will last less than just going with springs and aftermarket shocks, is that true? And if that's true, how short are we talking? Not true (assuming you go with a name brand). I would even say the opposite is true. Because most shocks that people tend to lower their cars on (KYB GR2s, Tokico Blues, aren't really designed for lowered cars....they are stock replacement shocks. So when you lower the car with stiffer springs, the shocks are not valved correctly, resulting in a shorter life span. Now, if you use KYB AGX, Tokico Illuminas, or Koni Yellows, then you won't have that problem.
If you are getting shocks, go with Koni Yellows. Yes, they cost a good amount of money, but they are really the best out there. Lifetime warranty, damping adjustability, and adjustable spring perches to fine tune your ride height. Another unique feature they have are that they are not position sensitive, meaning they behave the same at any ride height, while traditional shocks will perform worse the lower you go.
2) Everyone is talking about how painfully uncomfortable coilovers are, specially on long highway trips. I'll be at least driving up to Sydney once a year or so, it's a 750 miles of bumpy highways. As long as you get a good quality setup, and you know your spring rates, you can keep a good amount of comfort. Yes, it will be stiffer than stock, but it will not be bumpy and uncomfortable.
3) Cost, for my needs is it worth it to spend that kind of money on coilovers? Or should I just go with Tein or Eibach springs and may be KYB/Koni shocks? Really, a quality coilover setup is maybe $100 more than a quality spring/shock combo. What is your budget though?
4) I am afraid to go with aftermarket springs and not get the low I am after, I heard that aftermarket springs would give you a max of 1.5-2 inches drop and it seems that my car will be needing more than that (check photos below). That's pretty much the biggest reason to go with coilovers. 2in is a great drop to start with, but pretty soon you will want to go lower, and then well, if you have spring, you are pretty much stuck there.
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