suspension upgrade for ek1

[simonnowis]

hi, before anyone says anything i have searched around the forum but couldnt find the answer i was looking for, if anyone knows of a post that ansewrs my ques feel free to inform me.

anyway, i own an 99 ek civic hatch gli stock sussy and i want to upgrade my suspension. someone told me getting coilovers on its own will make the body bend overtime without struts is this true?

i dont want to lower my car, i just want some aftermarket reliable suspension as my stock has problems atm. i was thinking coilovers but from what i hear they make it difficult as a daily drive due to it picking up on every little bump.


are there any coilovers that are more comfortable?
what other sussy options can i go?
the ek1 has front swaybar right?
i intend to get rear swaybars, front and rear struts.
is getting shocks, springs a better option?

my budget is probably around 1000-1500 on the sussy not including swaybar, struts.
thanks

[[ricer]]

ur gli has a front sway bar already

cusco zero 2 seems to be very comfortable for street from previous experience

its hard to mount a rear strut on the ek hatch unless u cut ur plastics or take it out all together

for that budget u can get 2nd hand coil overs

or u can get brand new KONI yellows and some quality springs like eibachs
and that should lower the car to a few different settings
also can adjust the damper on them

[scyt7e]

i got tein flex for sale or if you want cheaper alternative koni + eibach for sale too just pm me if you're interested :thumbsup: coilies are not that bad honestly i use both of these and really depending on damping settings its not bad AT ALL, dont listen too much about what lots of people say on the net etc i mean it really does depend on the driver, i like the damping fairly high but then again it may vary to another person, koni, and the other major coilover brands are definately 100% better than a stock shock and spring, the difference is huge :thumbsup: and im pretty sure ek1 dont have a single sway or strut.

coilovers you'ld be looking around 1500-very high price range whereas koni's or a shock and spring which do a equally good job depeneing on application will cost you a fair bit less

[simonnowis]

thanks for the reply rep+1.
so with the koni's it'll lower the car? but how much?, i would prefer the car to be stock height if possible as i live in sydney and sydney roads are crap. too many pot holes, bumps.

[scyt7e]

stock height? hmm, you'll survive with 2 finger space from the guard im pretty sure the only thing you cant go over is those curb driveways, i've got koni + sportsline and with it on the middle perch i got around 2 finger space from the guard to the tyre, can be lowered to around 1/2 finger space if you drop it to the lowest perch but i guess if you get koni + ground control then its like a coilover as well which lets you set the height you want to, at the end of the day you have to decide whether

1) will you ever race on the track regularly - in which case coilovers would be a better option because of the higher spring rates etc

2) do you see yourself adjusting the height as much as you want every now and then or will you be satisfied once its at the height you want and leave it like that for a LONG time - most people buy coilies and then, it doesnt even get adjusted just sits in the car for the entire life of the coilover so think about that

imo a shock and spring will do the job yes its less bling and wank factor but unless ur going to be seeing the track a lot i dont see it being worth spending that 500-600 extra. having said that there's many threads on this but at the end of the day you have to consider those questions and decide either way you wont really regret switching from a stock sussy to an upgrade, and all the myth about d2 and other taiwanese stuff comes from a lot of people with no first hand experience, i know lots of people on "crappy sussy" but it does the job for them everyday and yes no doubt it may not be as pleasant a ride or bouncy or what have you but unless ur picky many people who drive their car daily will never notice these little differences :thumbsup:

damn i just realised i wrote an entire essay

[bennjamin]

IMO get some EK9 STOCK suspension ( its great) and a rear swaybar off a EK9 + ASR reinforcement kit . Dont forget decent tyres and a full wheel alignment.Your car will handle and feel great

[simonnowis]

yeh i was thinking of going down to jdmyard one day to get the asr subframe, are ek9 rear swaybars hard to source?

[angel]

scyt7e has got GOOD POINTERS for you. Also, ask yourself how much is your actual budget, decide whether the car will be a daily commuter/ weekend tracks, or just a daily commuter w/looks and street performance, My car after upgrading my shocks/spring, ride height is a finger above the guards, i'ved noticed the difference, quicker accelaration and less body roll. My set up is just a reputable aftermarket shocks and spring, and ive noticed the difference (not those ones made from asia). And a daily driven car, it has survived the sydney roads, and of course, im just making sure i dont hit deep pot holes. Im sure with your budget, you should be able to buy a good set. Take your time searchin the site for more advice from our members. At the end of the day, you're the one to make that exciting decision. Good luck

[simonnowis]

thanks angel, how much did it lower your car by?, dont u have problems with driveways?
my driveway is really steep, and it just misses scraping the front by like 1inch at stock height atm. so i prefer stock height as im goner put a lip on it, so any lower and it will scrap the front.

[tonie004]

to answer your question.. coilovers are comfy depending on spring rates and damper settings.. the higher the spring rate, the more uncomfy/stiff it will be


if yo u dont wanna buy coilovers, you can get a shock/spring combo. koni shocks with eibach springs are very popular in the US and username Blitz is selling that setup.


EK1 doesnt have a sway bar..

get the entire lot.. coilovers/shock+spring combo, front and rear sway, front and rear struts if neccessary. how big the sways are depends on your liking, same thing goes with coilover spring rates..



you pay for what you get

[scyt7e]

you pay for what you get


this is what i should advocate, and its really true :thumbsup: