Springs, shocks and lowering
Give me some time while I update this but I thought i'd post it to answer some common questions that new users seem to ask (and that come up all the time).
Some threads on various springs
Pedders springs
Some of the following i've taken out of the Knowledge Base. Feel free to correct me wherever an error is made :)
Will lowering my car make it handle better?
There is a misconception that the more your lower your car the better it handles. This is bounded by the theory that having a lower centre of gravity will allow your car to be more responsive around corners.
However once you lower your car beyond a certain point the suspension geometry of your car goes out of proportion as you are now exceeding the manufacturers specifications.
In fact Whiteline suggest that you only need to lower some cars like civics and integra's a mere 45-55mm in order to gain the best possible results.
When measuring how much your car has been lowered it is best to measure from the centre of the wheel hub to the top of the guard. This represents the most accurate measure.
Sure your car may look good nice and low, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to handle as well as a car that isn't as low. To find out how much you should lower your car it is best to speak to an authorised and
How can I lower my car?
The most common method is by changing to aftermarket springs. Aftermarked lowered springs come in different sizes (depending on how much you want to lower your car) and varying spring rates. Spring rates determine how stiff or soft a spring is (more on this later).
The other way to lower your car buy keeping the stock springs is to fit (height) adjustable shock absorbers. Manufacturers like Koni and KYB sell adjustable shockabsorbers that allow you to change the lower mounting point on the spring in order to change the ride height. This doesn't allow for large variations but can be used along with lowered springs to obtained the desired ride height. If you click on the pic below, you will see a small slit in the shock below the silver metal cup that holds the spring in place. On these Koni shocks you simply move the cup to the lower/higher slit in order to vary the perch.
More on Spring Rates
The spring rate of a spring is essentially a value used to measure how stiff or soft a spring is. It doesn't just apply to automotive discussion but is a property of all springs whether they are used in cars or out in the real world. The measure can be either LB/Inch (Pounds per inch) or Kg/mm (Kilogram/Mili-metre).
In case of the latter, it is just reffering to how much weight is required to compress the spring by 1 mili-metre. Hence the higher the weight (hence spring rate value) the stiffer the spring. As to which spring rate you choose....it really depends on the application. Here is a very good thread (see the replies by whiteline) where spring rates and sway bars our discussed.
More reading can be done here:
http://www.tuninglinx.com/html/springrate.html
Lowered cars and negative camber
One of the biggest problems with a lowered Honda is the increased negative camber that is created. Negative camber might be a good thing in terms of handling however it will also mean that the insides of your tyres will wear out quicker so it is best to get a camber kit for the front / rear. Note however that once your tyres start wearing excessively on the inside, it is quit hard to get them wearing evenly so address this problem ASAP!
For EG, EK and DC2 you can purchase adjustable upper control arms to select the desired amount of camber. The same can be doen for DC5s via adjustable upper pillowball mounts. Do a search on the forums for more information.
