Originally posted by 1999civicEX
Heres the scoop on suspensions:
Coilovers will never produce the advantages of a lowered vehicle as normal springs and struts will. Coilovers are designed to raise and lower the vehicle, mainly 1" - 4" drop. By changing the springs compression, you'll get various results. But none will provide better results then a normal spring.
The whole purpose of lowering the vehicle is to provide better handling obviously, and for many people, the look. The car handles better lowering the center of gravity, which aids in cornering. Now the stock Civic chassis is designed to withstand up to a 1.75" drop. This means you can lower the vehicle 1.75" and more than likely you will not need camber correction. The rear wheels will receive more camber than the fronts will. If you notice the rear wheels bending in, then you'll know you need a camber correction kit. Many people will say that this slight angle of the tire improves cornering.. this is a false statement. Yes the tires are bending INTO the turn, kinda like a hockey skate on ice, but its less tire surface touching the road, which tears the tires to shreds and really messes with the chassis.
Now the ideal choice for most people are suspension KITS. Kits are brand name springs and struts sold together. These are highly recommended because the company obviously tests their springs with their struts. And example brand would be TOKICO. Using onle of these kits not only drastically reduces the chances of needing a camber kit......but it provides a FUNCTIONAL SUSPENSION. A suspension that produces very noticable handling improvements. Coilovers will not produce the functions that a selected suspension kit will.
So in choosing a suspension, you basically need to decide one thing.... Why am I getting a new suspension? If its for the simple look and "luxury" of changing your ride height, then coilovers are the way to go. If you want performance, less problems down the road, and an overall more fun car to drive, get a brand name suspension kit.
wow, my fingers hurt..
I have to strongly disagree.
The main benefit to coilovers is being able to corner weight and set up the car. You can also choose spring rates to alter handling characteristics. I agree that a manufacturer's spring/shock combo is a good, inexpensive solution but there are compromises built in. Also, negative camber is not detrimental to handling depending on the situation. It can help in autocrossing and track racing (which sman789 seems to be interested in) but it will probably hurt traction in drag racing. You're right though that he does need to decide on exactly what he's looking for with his new setup.
sman789, you're saying you don't care about ride quality so much and you don't care about slamming your car? One of the good things about adjustable coilover kits is that you can choose some relatively stiff rates and keep the car higher than some lowering springs will allow. The "onepiece" racing kits are definitely cool but you have to find out what kind of support they offer. Choice of spring rates? Damping adjustability? Rebuilding services? Will the threads rust?
Oh, and just to say, you'll also be perfectly fine with a spring/shock combo because autox is something like 90% driver, 10% car...or something to that effect. Just ask CivicracerSi.
