Rep Power: 288

Alright, so I'm stuck. Took my '01 to get alignment after installing Neuspeed Sports. Dude said gonna need new shocks (no sh*t) and new strut mounts w/ bearings for the front and rear. Taking what he says as gospel, I call Honda. $260 combined for the mounts and bearings. PLUS, the dreaded $500+ for Konis and then figure in a rear camber kit for $135. Add all that plus labor and a new alignment, and we're talking approx. $1194.40!!! And already paid $300 for the springs including install. Should I just suck it up and bend over OR ditch the Neuspeeds and go for the ever-popular Teins. If you're taking the Tein route, please provide some info. for me cuz' I don't know a thing about 'em. (Looking for around $1000.) I don't wanna slam it and I don't wanna race it. Just kickin' it with a mild drop and a smooth ride. Lemmeno watcha tink...

 
Rep Power: 417

well is everything fine now??? yes.. then WHO CARES.
-you dont NEED new shocks, if you can put up with it, who cares.. i'm on stock shocks as well...
-mounts with bearings? why? they're working perfectly fine right? they were working perfectly fine with stock springs right? then why replace it when it still does what its supposed to do... yes its better to replace it, but who actually does.. less then 5% of the people who lower their cars..
-rear camber kit. did you get an alignment yet? if so, you should have gotten an alignment sheet, from that you can tell whether or not you need one...

even if you decided to go with teins, you still need camber kit. and it doesnt include an upper mount so if you needed new mounts/bearings with neuspeed sports, you would need it with teins as well...

Don't always believe what the shop tells you. if everything is fine right now, just leave it alone..

 
Rep Power: 288

I guess I wasn't exactly clear on my initial post. My car is NOT fine. I'm experiencing what the guy called "memory steer". After I make a left turn, the car still wants to steer left. Says it's cuz the mounts and bearings should have been replaced with the springs and now it's causing this to happen. And it's worse AFTER the alignment check cuz' he corrected the rear tow and that was the only thing "fighting" against the memory steer and keeping the car from veering. Now, the tow is fixed and the car pulls. Hence, replacing strut mounts and bearings along with everything else. I mean, it's drivable, but it's not exactly safe, ya know? Anyone ever hear of this???

 
Rep Power: 0

Why wasting money on alignment when you don't have camber kit installed? The guy @ the shop should have told you that without camber kit, he can't align to the correct specification. Get a camber kit and see if the problem still persist.

"memory steer" is ok. I've experienced that rarely. Just remember to rotate your steering wheel back when turning.

 
Rep Power: 288

Call me CRAZZEEE, but I just like to keep my car from turning into a giant piece of rolling eternal blue crap, so I guess I'm trying to play it safe here. I wish I woulda known about waiting to get an alignment until after the rear camber kit. But I was hoping I didn't need one. Now, I know I do, but I'm just hoping I don't need all this other crap too. Does it sound like the mounts and bearings are damaged and are causing the problem OR is it something else?

 
Rep Power: 359

here is a link to the suspension forum:
Installed tien coilovers

PS there is pics.

And also: suspension 101

 
Rep Power: 0

When did this problem start? Was is immediately after your spring install? Or did the guy notice that the mounts and bearings were bad when you went for the alignment? Who did your spring install? Maybe you should talk to them and see about them not charging you as much to install the mounts and bearings for you.

 
Rep Power: 288

Deejai, the guy seemed to noticed it while he was doing my alignment. I took it in initially cuz' there was a slight pull to the right AND cuz' I know it's recommended after you lower the car. So I did. Now, it's got this memory steer going on and I notice more now cuz' he corrected the alignment and there's nothing to stop it from pulling. I got the springs done at SKS like you, but I have a feeling they won't recognize the problem, cuz' he said everything was fine when I took it back in to check on that popping noise we took care of. So I was just seeing if anyone on here was familiar with this or has had this problem too. Nice write in to Sport Compact by the way. I was flipping through the new issue yesterday and saw it. Way to represent. Funny what they said about your name. That sh*t had me rollin'.

 
Rep Power: 0

Sorry about your problems with the suspension... I hope it works out for you though.

Thanks for the notice on the write up. Some peeps on this site obviously didn't read the initial post about us being in SCC. They keep asking who is Demetrius? I laugh everytime I see those kind of posts.

Have you seen the post in the Midwest forum about a Central Ohio Meet? Check it out...

 
Rep Power: 0

***BRO's PLEASE READ***

Ok, I didn't want to post a new topic because this is kinda on the same situation. But I'm gonna be gettin some Ground Controls soon, and I want to install them ASAP, and I know I'm gonna need some Konis. BUT the thing is....$500 OMG...I don't have $500 for Konis. I wanna drop my ride no less than 2", really I want it at 2.5" So what should I do....I hate the 4X4 jeep look our stock Vics have, but I don't want to mess my ride up as well. What actually happens when our stock struts go out? Ahhhhhh! So help me please, any suggestions, opinions, or what not....thanks...."ONE"

 
Rep Power: 0

Blue: I had GCs, I never installed them. I didn't install them because i have heard different things about them causing stock struts to blow... and I didn't want to buy Konis at the time.

When good struts go bad... especially with GCs they get really bouncy from what I hear. Its like when you see old cars that just keep bouncing 500ft after the bump... not good.

 
Rep Power: 288

Blue Boy: thanks for jackin' my post. Just kidding. Um, well, let me tell you what I've been hearing all over this forum. With a big drop like that, you're DEFINiTELY gonna need aftermarket shocks. The factories will blow and when they do, you will hear noticeable clanking over every tiny crevice in the road and the shocks will leak damper fluid. So if ya go with that drop and stick with the stock shocks, keep listening for clanks and looking for leaks. That's basically the phase I'm in right now as you can tell. Konis are expensive but they look like the only way out. I'm hoping my stocks hold tight for a while, so I'm thankful that I only went with a 1.75" drop. But do what thou whilst...

 
Rep Power: 0

LOL...my bad bro... Anyway...yeah...I'm gonna have to go ahead and drop my Vic...I just gotta!!! Everyone of you know how it sucks to sit this high. But yeah...hopefully my stock struts last until I can get some Konis. So I guess that means I'm gonna have to drive a lil bit more....how would I say this...Slower, and not as rough huh! "That sucks!" Well thanks again bros for the help...and as always..."ONE"

 
Rep Power: 359

First post first:
if it is the bearing here is a site to repair it for cheap. Like $17.73 honda parts site:

So it is one of two things The strut is bad or the bearing is.
If you are tgoing with koni's read the dyi's if you haven't already!

Second post now:
I doesn't matter is it is a stock 1" or 2" drop the struts suck ***! My rear driver one went bad with the stocks. I lowered my car and found that the rear driver shock was bad the piston just fell.
so I drove it to honda and they wouldn't do the work under warrenty but I was able to get the part for free under warrenty because they had to order from Japan, but I had to install so I put the stocks back on. The guy was cool about it and made documentation about the lowering because I was gong to put the stocks back on.

I'm waiting for new struts and shocks to hit the market before lowering the ride again.

The sell the koni's at www.neuspeed.com there like $490 before tax and shipping if you get their master card you get a 10% discount and a gift pack for purchases over $300 even without the card.