Sticky: Suspension FAQ
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The Standard One
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Sticky: Suspension FAQ
What lowers your car __ inches?(*note these are according to the companys' website)
Springs..........................................D rop.........................Part Number
Apex.............................................. ....~1.6-1.8...........180-4000
Arospeed.......................................??? ?????????????????????
Eibach Prokit.................................1.00 (F)/1.00 (R)..........4051.140
Eibach Sportline...........................1.40 (F)/1.40 (R)..........4.5140.....
Goldline 2 Door............................1.75 (F)/1.75 (R)..........GPS-0106
Goldline 4 Door............................1.75 (F)/1.75 (R)..........GPS-0107
H&R Sport.....................................1.30 (F)/1.30 (R)..........51866 *not for 4 door EX
H&R Cup Kit.................................2.00 (F)/1.70 (R)..........31866-1 *not for 4 door EX **includes both spring and strut as one
Intrax Sport....................................2.00 (F)/1.80 (R)..........35.1.030
Intrax Super Sport........................2.50 (F)/2.30 (R)..........35.2.030
Matrix............................................ ..2.75 (F)/2.50 (R)..........MS-101
Neuspeed 4 Door Sport.............1.75 (F)/1.50 (R)..........55.20.61.....
Neuspeed 2 Door Sport.............1.75 (F)/1.50 (R)..........55.20.62.....
Neuspeed 2/4 Door Race..........2.25 (F)/2.00 (R)..........55.20.68
Progress 2001 civic.....................1.80 (F)/2.00 (R)..........40.1006
Progress 2002 civic.....................same as 01 just havnt updated their catalog
Skunk2...........................................2 .50 (F)/2.25 (R)..........519-05-1570
Suspension Technique..............????????????????????????
Tanabe Super Down Precedo...~1.6-18.....................TPR044
Tein.............................................. ...?????????????????????????
Do i need a camber kit?
You dont NEED a camber kit even with a 5" drop. however, with any type of drop(even if its .5") you should get one in order to get a correct alignment. most people will say that with a drop lower then 2", a camber kit is HIGHLY recommended. just think of it this way would you like to save $200 by not getting a camber kit but replace your $400-500 tires twice a year? just invest in a camber kit, it'll save you in the long run.
Whats the difference between springs, adjustable springs aka sleeved coilovers, and true coilovers?
springs - fairly comfortable ride, set height ~$100-$200
sleeved coilovers - ride is usually rough/bouncy, adjustable height ~$300
true coilovers - coilover and shock in one designed to work together giving a great ride. adjustable height ~$800-$1300
Will lowering my car void my warranty?
Yes and No. by law they have to prove that lowering your car cause the problem. whether you have a easy/hard time getting something repaired under warranty is up to the dealer. most likely your suspensions warranty will be voided but all other warranties wont. however there are exceptions. some dealers will allow you to lower your car with only the struts not being covered under warranty. some dealers will even agree to give you all warranties only if they install it for you. n there are some that will say you need to pay for your badd tranny because your warranty is voided due to lowering your car. that is when you should take action. call Honda of america or get lawyers, do whatever it takes to get it fixed under warranty because chances are lowering your car didn't cause the tranny to break. if your worried about warranty issues, best bet is to call up your dealer and ask what is allowed and what is not.
How long will my stock shocks last?
it mainly depends on the springs. also the way you drive and luck. i've heard some people blowing their shocks in one week with the prokit(about 1") and others going for 2 years with the neuspeed sports(1.7"). but most likely you wont need it for awhile with anything higher then 2". so ya for a drop lower then 2" its best to get one so that you wont have to pay for installation again or for you DIY you dont have to waste that much time again. n if your drving 100mph over speed bumps then chances are your shocks are gunna blow faster. but if your going over them at 1 mph then you have a better chance of them not blowing.
Do i have to get new struts as well?
besides worrying about your shocks blowing, do you care about the ride quality? the ride on lowering springs is never going to be the same as stock. their going to be stiffer and your going to feel more bumps. it will probably be more bouncy as well. usually the lower the drop, the worse the quality. and sport springs are going to be worse then race. aftermarket shocks or even shorter shocks are going to improve the ride quality. right now the only ones available for our cars are konis(these are inserts so you'll have to modify your stock struts in order to put these on your car because these are not full struts). another one is Bec Tec. these are shorter versions of stock shocks. i dont think anyone has these on their car yet because its basically a unknown company. maybe someone with alot of money can get them and try it out. these are full strut replacements and they also come in an adjustable version. not a adjustable damper setting but adjustable height. for more info on bec tec search for the username 'strutwizard'
Springs..........................................D rop.........................Part Number
Apex.............................................. ....~1.6-1.8...........180-4000
Arospeed.......................................??? ?????????????????????
Eibach Prokit.................................1.00 (F)/1.00 (R)..........4051.140
Eibach Sportline...........................1.40 (F)/1.40 (R)..........4.5140.....
Goldline 2 Door............................1.75 (F)/1.75 (R)..........GPS-0106
Goldline 4 Door............................1.75 (F)/1.75 (R)..........GPS-0107
H&R Sport.....................................1.30 (F)/1.30 (R)..........51866 *not for 4 door EX
H&R Cup Kit.................................2.00 (F)/1.70 (R)..........31866-1 *not for 4 door EX **includes both spring and strut as one
Intrax Sport....................................2.00 (F)/1.80 (R)..........35.1.030
Intrax Super Sport........................2.50 (F)/2.30 (R)..........35.2.030
Matrix............................................ ..2.75 (F)/2.50 (R)..........MS-101
Neuspeed 4 Door Sport.............1.75 (F)/1.50 (R)..........55.20.61.....
Neuspeed 2 Door Sport.............1.75 (F)/1.50 (R)..........55.20.62.....
Neuspeed 2/4 Door Race..........2.25 (F)/2.00 (R)..........55.20.68
Progress 2001 civic.....................1.80 (F)/2.00 (R)..........40.1006
Progress 2002 civic.....................same as 01 just havnt updated their catalog
Skunk2...........................................2 .50 (F)/2.25 (R)..........519-05-1570
Suspension Technique..............????????????????????????
Tanabe Super Down Precedo...~1.6-18.....................TPR044
Tein.............................................. ...?????????????????????????
Do i need a camber kit?
You dont NEED a camber kit even with a 5" drop. however, with any type of drop(even if its .5") you should get one in order to get a correct alignment. most people will say that with a drop lower then 2", a camber kit is HIGHLY recommended. just think of it this way would you like to save $200 by not getting a camber kit but replace your $400-500 tires twice a year? just invest in a camber kit, it'll save you in the long run.
Whats the difference between springs, adjustable springs aka sleeved coilovers, and true coilovers?
springs - fairly comfortable ride, set height ~$100-$200
sleeved coilovers - ride is usually rough/bouncy, adjustable height ~$300
true coilovers - coilover and shock in one designed to work together giving a great ride. adjustable height ~$800-$1300
Will lowering my car void my warranty?
Yes and No. by law they have to prove that lowering your car cause the problem. whether you have a easy/hard time getting something repaired under warranty is up to the dealer. most likely your suspensions warranty will be voided but all other warranties wont. however there are exceptions. some dealers will allow you to lower your car with only the struts not being covered under warranty. some dealers will even agree to give you all warranties only if they install it for you. n there are some that will say you need to pay for your badd tranny because your warranty is voided due to lowering your car. that is when you should take action. call Honda of america or get lawyers, do whatever it takes to get it fixed under warranty because chances are lowering your car didn't cause the tranny to break. if your worried about warranty issues, best bet is to call up your dealer and ask what is allowed and what is not.
How long will my stock shocks last?
it mainly depends on the springs. also the way you drive and luck. i've heard some people blowing their shocks in one week with the prokit(about 1") and others going for 2 years with the neuspeed sports(1.7"). but most likely you wont need it for awhile with anything higher then 2". so ya for a drop lower then 2" its best to get one so that you wont have to pay for installation again or for you DIY you dont have to waste that much time again. n if your drving 100mph over speed bumps then chances are your shocks are gunna blow faster. but if your going over them at 1 mph then you have a better chance of them not blowing.
Do i have to get new struts as well?
besides worrying about your shocks blowing, do you care about the ride quality? the ride on lowering springs is never going to be the same as stock. their going to be stiffer and your going to feel more bumps. it will probably be more bouncy as well. usually the lower the drop, the worse the quality. and sport springs are going to be worse then race. aftermarket shocks or even shorter shocks are going to improve the ride quality. right now the only ones available for our cars are konis(these are inserts so you'll have to modify your stock struts in order to put these on your car because these are not full struts). another one is Bec Tec. these are shorter versions of stock shocks. i dont think anyone has these on their car yet because its basically a unknown company. maybe someone with alot of money can get them and try it out. these are full strut replacements and they also come in an adjustable version. not a adjustable damper setting but adjustable height. for more info on bec tec search for the username 'strutwizard'
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