I just got new rims for my 99 Civic EX...they are 16x7 Kazera KZ-U wheels...(pics are coming)...and since this is the first car i've ever modified in any way, I noticed a nice difference in handling. I want to lower it, but i dont want to drop it much, just enough to eliminate a good amount of the body roll.

I want to get some adjustable springs/shocks...and i was looking for advice. I want to spend the least money possible (as most do)...and i'm not looking to drop the car much at all.

Maybe i'd drop it 1/2 inch...but the important thing is that I want the springs to be stiffer.

Side question: how much can i lower the civic before i worry about camber? The stock fender gap in there now is probably around 1.5 inches roughly in the front and slightly lower in the back.


thanks

 

If you just want to get rid of a little body roll, maybe you should get better swaybars instead. they don't really make lowering springs that only lower the car 0.5" Koni shocks have adjustable spring perches, so you could lower the car a little using stock springs, but Koni's are far from cheap.

If you don't mind going a little lower eibach pro-kit lowers the car about 1.5" and improves handling a bit. With any springs you'd definitely want some decent shocks. KYB AGX is a decent budget shock. If you regularly rotated your tires, you could get away with this drop without a camber kit.

 

also upper strut bars will help a little bit. Not an extreme amount, but they only cost usually around $60 and they are easy to put on.

 

I'd go with the eibach pro-kit. It isn't very low at all. You will still have some fender gap with them. Other than those you should consider the H&R OE sport. These are not quite as low as the regular H&R sports (that I have). You could also get ground control coilover sleeves.

For the adjustable dampers, I would go with one of the following: KYB AGX's (cheapest), Tokico Illuminas (better, slightly more expensive), or Koni Yellows (best, but most expensive)

 

pro-kit (1.3" drop) paired with Kyb Agx shocks are a good deal.

if you don't want to go that low ( ) H&R OE's i think are supposed to be less then an inch drop.

 

This is what I've tried on my 99 HB:

1. Eibach Pro-Kit with stock shocks
2. Eibach Pro-Kit with Koni Reds
3. Skunk 2 CO with Koni Reds
And now,
4. Eibach Pro-Kit with Koni Yellow.

So with all that money and time I've spend on all those stuff, here's my conclusion:

1. Nice ride and improved handling, but dampers not aggressive enough; nicer drop & fender gap, better than stock

2. I have some problem with set up. The ride's fine and the dampers are a bit firmer, but fender gap is HORRIBLE! The rear gap's okay (tight 3 fingers) but fronts are terrible. It's so large that I could fit my whole fist in loosely. The ride high is way more in the front than rear and looked aweful. Unfortunately Koni Reds aren't adjustable both frimness & ride heights.

3. I then got a set of Skunk 2 CO with Koni Reds and the handling is awesome! Quick steering response and almost no body roll when cornering. Since the hight was adjustable, I got it where exactly I wanted it with nice, even fender gap all around whithin 1/16"! The ride's not harsh at all but it's kinda bouncy, especially over large humps. I thinks it's due to Koni Reds' low damping rates which were no match to Skunk 2's higher spring rates. Again unfortunately, Koni Reds cannot be adjusted - at least without disassembly the whole suspension.

4. Finally fed up with my head hitting the roof at times on freeway with Skunk 2 & Reds, I bit the bullet and got a set of Koni Yellows. Instead of continuing with Skunk 2, I went back to Pro-Kit. And the result? TOTALLY AWESOME!!! The handling's not as great as Skunk, but still very, very good. The ride's not harsh and most importantly, the bounciness' gone. There's infinite adjustment with damping firmness with the Yellow and I found the setting I like the best both performancewise and comfort. Since hight also can be adjusted with the Yellow, I got nice even tight 2-finger fender gap all around and the ride hight and stance looks aggressive and great.

Final word? Save your money and just get Pro-Kit & Yellow. Even though the Yellow are kinda expensive (~$600) but it worths every penny.