Poll question: Which coilovers would you recommend?

Right now I have Eibach Pro-Kit Springs w/ KYB AGX Shocks and the ride is okay. I want my car to be pretty LOW, and want the ability to adjust the height. I don't want a bouncy ride at all. Comfort isn't an issue to me. I want a very stiff ride, so that body roll will be eliminated the most.. to go along w/ my f&r upper strut bars & lower tie-bars (from Hurricane_GS).


Thanks, Richard (97 ESi)
http://www.ourformerselves.com/richard/main.htm


BEST TRACK TIME -- 16.46 @ 86.03mph
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CURRENT MODS:
AEM Cold Air Intake || Magnacor 8.5 Ignition Wires || NKG BKR6EVX-11 Spark Plugs || Front & Rear Strut Bars || Eibach Springs Pro-Kit || KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks/Struts || AF/X Underdrive Pulley || Pacesetter - Monza Exhaust System || OBX Racing Sports - B5 Bomb Tunable Muffler || Energy Suspension - Motor Mount Inserts || Bored Throttle Body

POINTLESS MODS:
Sylvania Cool Blue Headlights || Cobra Eyes Windshield Washer Blue LED Lights || Nokya Motorsports Sport Pedal Set

I love my GC's.

I don't know if there is much of a difference on a 2g than a 1g.

The rear is the same on both generation DSMs. 1st gens use Macpherson struts on the front. 2Gs have independent multi-link on all 4 corners.

I love the ride of the GC but I hate trying to adjust it! I guess the guy before me never moved them.

>>I don't want a bouncy ride at all. Comfort isn't an issue to me. I want a very stiff ride
>>

stiff = bouncy

I have AroSpeed coilovers, not too stiff and not bouncy.

My skunk2's are for sale if your interested, the ride nicely with a good set of struts.

I'll be damned. I thought bouncy meant like how a car is when the shocks are blown.. like the car bounces up and down, but it's a smooth ride. Thanks for the info Mannyyy.

Thanks, Richard (97 ESi)
http://www.ourformerselves.com/richard/main.htm


BEST TRACK TIME -- 16.46 @ 86.03mph
----------------------------------------------------------

CURRENT MODS:
AEM Cold Air Intake || Magnacor 8.5 Ignition Wires || NKG BKR6EVX-11 Spark Plugs || Front & Rear Strut Bars || Eibach Springs Pro-Kit || KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks/Struts || AF/X Underdrive Pulley || Pacesetter - Monza Exhaust System || OBX Racing Sports - B5 Bomb Tunable Muffler || Energy Suspension - Motor Mount Inserts || Bored Throttle Body

POINTLESS MODS:
Sylvania Cool Blue Headlights || Cobra Eyes Windshield Washer Blue LED Lights || Nokya Motorsports Sport Pedal Set

well, when shocks are stock (or blown) you float a lot more. My car bounces up and down like 3 times after hitting a bump... on stiff shocks and springs.. it's "bouncy" because you feel every bump.

I personally wouldn't recommend coilovers unless they were true coilovers.. and those can cost up to 1000 bucks.

Stiff is not the same thing as bouncy. Bouncy is like you hit a bump, and your car will bounce up and down a few times. You see that on cars dropped really low with bad shocks. They just go bouncing down the road.

Stiff is more like when you hit a bump, it goes up and down once, and then stops bouncing. That is how my ride is with the skunk2. Since it doesn't bounce, the ride is more harsh because it's so stiff. Sometimes it will kinda hurt when you hit a huge bump because it goes down real hard and then stops. Luxury cars bounce a lot (floating) to give a smooth ride as it absorbs all the minor bumps.

Thanks eclipse804. That's exactly what I'm looking for in a set of coil-overs. My decision has been made.


Thanks, Richard (97 ESi)
http://www.ourformerselves.com/richard/main.htm


BEST TRACK TIME -- 16.46 @ 86.03mph
----------------------------------------------------------

CURRENT MODS:
AEM Cold Air Intake || Magnacor 8.5 Ignition Wires || NKG BKR6EVX-11 Spark Plugs || Front & Rear Strut Bars || Eibach Springs Pro-Kit || KYB AGX Adjustable Shocks/Struts || AF/X Underdrive Pulley || Pacesetter - Monza Exhaust System || OBX Racing Sports - B5 Bomb Tunable Muffler || Energy Suspension - Motor Mount Inserts || Bored Throttle Body

POINTLESS MODS:
Sylvania Cool Blue Headlights || Cobra Eyes Windshield Washer Blue LED Lights || Nokya Motorsports Sport Pedal Set

Stiff springs are bouncy. After hitting bumps on the road, they tend to harshly vibrate up and down. In order to control that, you're gonna have to set the shocks to their stiffest setting. Otherwise, the shocks can't control springs that are rapidly moving up and down only 1/16" or so.

In my case, what I have are soft springs on stiff shocks and it works well on the street. If I hit a bump and say, the spring wants to compress 1/2", the shock is easily able to dampen that. Now if I had stiff springs and it wanted to compress 1/16", the shock wouldn't be able to catch that and the car will bounce.

As for the drawbacks, say I'm taking a long curve and the outside spring wants to compress 1". At first the shocks will catch and the car would remain relatively flat, but as you get deeper into the curve, the shocks, no matter how stiff, will eventually compress after about 2 or 3 seconds and you'll get body roll... that's the only case in which I see you'll need stiff springs.

Once again.. stiff does not mean bouncy. I have the H&R race springs which are some of the stiffest on the market. My ride does not bounce.. like 804 said the car hits the bump, it drops them goes back to normal position and stays there. Maybe we are thinking of different things but I'd have to disagree with you.

"Think about this; when you hit a bump on the road using stiff springs, your entire car gets bounced up in the air not just the suspension taking the bump."

http://www.cobrakit.com/Chassis/chassis.htm

"The shocks are the most important part of how the car reacts with the ground. If the springs are too stiff the car wants to bounce and ride stiff"

http://www.yellowdogracing.com/shocks.htm

Go down to the chart where it says "Matrix of Suspension Components and their Effects" - "Springs - Too stiff won't allow the tire to comply to the road. The car will bounce off of bumps losing traction."

http://speedworx.com/cgi-local/shop.pl/page=suspension_tech.htm

Ground Controls are the best - Never riden on a 2gnt with GC's but have compared 2 Si's: 1 with skunk2s and 1 with ground control and the ground controls were much better feeling. Ground controls can also go lower than skunk2's. GC's use eibach springs. I have ONLY heard good things from 2gnt owners that have GC's.

Skunk2's are over-rated and didn't ride to well, this is my opinion.

I have personally going with maxspeed because I believe they are closely modeled after the ground controls but at 1/3 of the price. $134.98 shipped. I just ordered today.

You can't compare riding in a civic with coilovers to an eclipse. My friend's civic with VIS Vspec coilovers rides almost like stock, and so does another friend's civic with skunk2. I couldn't believe it, the ride was really comfortable and smooth. I think Ground Controls are the best because you can choose your spring rate, but they also cost a lot more. I think skunk2 is a good compromise, as they are made of high quality parts.

BTW, I agree that with stiff springs your car will probably bounce up more, but when we are all talking about bouncy, we mean cars that bounce down the road. Like cars with cut springs that hit a small bump and will bounce up and down 5 times. With skunk2's stiff springs, you won't bounce down the road like that. Also, with stiffer shocks, it would be even less. But like I said, with my skunk2's and kyb gr-2 shocks (not performance or much stiffer than stock), my ride is already really stiff, so I definitely would not want to get stiffer shocks like the illuminas personally. If you want a comfortable ride, you should get springs with a low spring rate, and for best performance, I would stick with lowering springs like the prokits or H&R's. But if you want both performance and height adjustability, I would get skunk2's or ground control's.

I meant I have ridden in a 2gnt with skunk2s but couldnt compare them to GC's because I have yet to ride in a 2gnt with GC's. But I have ridden in hondas with both types of coilovers.

I don't think my skunks could go that low either. Maxspeed has a much longer collar and so does GC.