Basic suspension guideline for Accord

I did not write this but i thought it'd be very helpful for members here on the site!


Just some general fact+some of my experience and opinion about those product.
I try to throw in some general concept about suspension for accord, I am not going to go into great in depth/detail(i can go for hours and hours). Look for hints and tricks from my past experience. remember I am not God so yeah.

CHAPTER 1-LOWERING SPRING

Springs kit by Eibach

1)Lower spring-it helps to reduce body roll,etc a.k.a.
help you goes around the corner with more grip by increasing the degree of negative camber.

there's a bunch of lowering springs in the market but only a handful of those spring are actually performs well, in the street as well as the track. I come with warranty, registtion card, spec sheet for cutting the bumpstop and a pair of decals.

1)eibach-probably one of the most popular lowering spring maker in the US market today, they offer two type/style of spring for accords, they are eibach prokit and sportline. I personally love how the eibach ride in the street.

a)PROKIT is designed and road test with use in conjunction of OEM stock shocks in mind, so it's okay to use stock shock with prokit, in fact i had the same set up before.
*note: some people experience the "boat look" with eibach prokit, boat look=the front is higher than the rear.

b)SPORTLINE sits some what lower than prokit, sporline requires an aftermarket(stiff damper) shocks. Sportline is pretty much the lowest you can go without rubbing.

2)H&R-another popular spring makers, offering three type of spring for accord.
They are the cheaper alternative to eibach, which like eibach, their springs are very good in quality.

a)O.E. SPEC spring- they are what my friends called "pussy drop", it lower the car like less than an inch or so. they are built with a higher spring rate=stiffer ride. Perfect for sleeper, i guess.

b)SPORT-another ultra popular springs for the honda crowd, they are cheap and works, need aftermarket shocks to accompany the increased rate.

c)RACE-the low-est spring h&r offer, you'll need to throw in some aftermarket shocks for this springs also. They are progressive spring, alot of people experience some "clunking" when the lower part of the coil hit each other when the spring is compressed.

3)Tein-the green suspension company from Japan, they got some amazing stuff with a reasonable price. Not the best in the world but top notch stuff right here
They only offer one type of lowering spring for accord, to my surprise, s-tech didn't live out the tein reputation.

a) S-tech-The entry level spring to the bigger coil-over brother. They are inexpensive to begin with, they are designed to used with oem stock shock but they fall short on the performance side. Some of my boy with those s-tech, claim they are way too soft even with an aftermarket shocks.

4)Tanabe, tanabe USA offer number of springs for honda, not much actual info at this point yet.

<<<<<<<<OTHER SPRING REVIEW UPDATE SOON>>>>>>>


EXTRAS
-4th gen and 5th gen accord share some suspension parts, such as shock and spring,etc. HOWEVER the spring rate and damper is said to be different, so choose accordingly.

-If you are poor just like me, look for used quality spring instead of buying cheap low quality new spring. ebay have deal like used sportline for 100buck shipped all year long, just need to be patient.

-one of the way to reduce/decrease the clunking noise on progressive spring is to wrap the lower part of the springs with silicone sleeve.

-6th gen 98-02 accord have many compatible suspension parts with bigger v6 brother and tl, cl, tl-s, cl-s


CHAPTER 2-ADJUSTABLE SPRING, SLEEVE-OVER

GroundControl "coilover/sleeveover" kit with eibach springs


They are often mistakenly called coilover, which they are not.
sleeve over or adjustable spring have NO build in damper/shock.
The only adjustable part is the ride height.

1)GROUND CONTROL-perhaps the only sleeve-over should be alive in the market today, think of GC as the ONLY good guy the world of bad sleeve-over. GC didn't suck like most of the sleeve-over because they used spring made by eibach. EVERY ground control sleeve-over uses eibach's top notch spring.
GC allow the customer to specail order a set of sleeve over with custom spring rate, which is a great advertiage for track car.

2)Ebay style sleeve-over- due to popular demands here a picture of the ebay style coilover.

ONE word to sum it up: GARBAGE
Bouncy, no controlled spring rate, no protection aganist botteming out, sagging, Just pure garbage.
They costs around 50-75 buck brand new in ebay, you'll get what you pay for.

3)Skunk2 Racing Adjustable Springs-pricey but not well built, alot of honda folk had skunk2 when the coilover things first pops out, NOT worth the money IMHO

EXTRAS
-Many sleeve-over/adj. spring experiencing some rusting on the threads, which could preventing the spring from adjusting.

-whenever you adjust the ride height, you'll changing the camber and toe angle, so you'll end up getting an alignment done everytime you change the height.



Zeal b6 coilover system
CHAPTER 3- REAL COILOVERS


Coilover-direct replacement for the oem springs and shocks(some top notce coilover even come with a camber adjustment plate), engineered and built as one unit.
Some coilover come with revalvable shock which you can reuse the blown shock.
ALL coilover kit are heigh adjustable but not all coilover have damper adjustment(ex: tein basic).

1)TEIN-The green Japanese suspension company took the import in US by storm.

a)basic-The entry level coilover set up, Adjustable height but non-adjustable damper(shock's compress and rebound rate), very affordable coilover setup, priced just around 700(you can find most of the online places shipped for $700).

b)Super Street Type SS-the higher level coilover system with adjustable damper, ideal for street and track use. They costs little bit more than "basic".
Alot of honda/acura guys raise this setup.

2)apex'i-known for quality and very well designed parts for the import crowd.
One of the big "boss" at the drift D1 event(for the socal folks )

a) World Sport Damper Coil Overs-priced almost the same as the tein SS kit, i didnt heard much good praise from WS for some odd reason.

3)B&G-unknown

a)Adjustable Coil Overs-retails around 1grand and with no adjustment for the shock,
tein or apexi ws would be a better choice, IMHO. It comes with a helper/secondary springs.

4)Tokico-another popular coilover setup, tokico is known for their affordable shocks/damper

a)Illumina Coil Overs-height and damper adjustable, illumina adjustable shock with H&R springs in a combo package, a great valve if you consider buying the same setup seperately.

5)Tanabe-another Japanese import part gaint, now offering 2 type of coilover for usdm accord.

a)Sustec Pro S-OC Type-II Coilovers-another fixed damper coilover, priced around tein basic

b)Sustec Pro S-S Type II Coilover Kit-Damper and height adjustable, magically price around 1000, just like the tein SS

c)Tanabe Sustec Pro Street Coil Overs-another step up to the S-S II, retails at $1489, not much info/experience, yet.

6)OTHER Truth coilover(availble for accord)

a)HKS- Hiper Damper Kits, built with rust resistance material, damper and height adjustable.

b)Progress Competition Coil Over Suspension Systems-aluminum body for resistant to rust, damper and height adjustable(one to three inch), REVALVABLE shocks for the track whores. Reasonable price

c)Zeal Suspension System B6 Series-aka buddyclub in Japan(?), very pricey but worth it from what i heard. Height and damper adjustable, ideal for track use.



KYB AGX Adjustable shocks


Tokico HP blue non-adjustable shocks

Chapter 4- damper/shock/strut

-shock control the springs rebound and compression, while the springs support the actual weight of the car, the damper control the spring bounce and rebounce"circle". A good damper can tell your car is going over a bump/pothole from a corner in a track.
Some shocks can be revalve to reuse after it's blew but most of the shocks in the market today are non-serviceable(mostly gas shocks).
thumbs or rules for shock= adj>non-adj(so-called self-adj)

1)KYB-very popular shock/suspension company for aftermarket imports

a)GR2-reasonable priced aftermarket shock with OEM spec shock, ideal for oem replacement. Good combo with prokit, s-tech, H&R O.E.

b)agx-bandwagon shocks for lowered honda, very very popular, known for it's high quality and very reasonable price for adjustable shock. priced around 350-400 for a new set. NOT AVAILBLE FOR 6th gen accord

2)Tokico-another popular choice for import suspension.

a)HP BLUE-non-adjustable gas shock, design to use with lowering spring for street use. perfect combo with lowering spring for mostly street driven car/once a month weekend track user. dont expect a whole lot but it's a big jump from oem shocks.
a new set is around $250.

b)illumina-damper adjustable damper, same as agx if not better, priced just above agx. Great valve if you getting the illumina+springs package.

3)Koni-maker of car suspension for over 50 years.

a)RED-non-adjustable shocks, not much info on this setup.

b)YELLOW-honda-tech's top pick for choice of shock, proven performance in the track, autox across US. Reserviceable, custom valve,etc.
many autocrosser/trackwhore in H-T praise the GC with koni yellow combo(custom rate). VERY pricey but worth the cost.

4)Bilstein Self-Adjusting Mono Tube Gas Shocks-non-adjustable, monotube.

EXTRAS
-Always use the bumpstop at all time, a lowering spring would wears a shorten(trimmed) bumpstop according to spec. The bumpstop is like a foolproof device, it would save your shock from damaging itselt from potholes,etc.
it only take one good slam to kill the shock without bumpstop.

-always use the dirtcap, it's the only thing protecting the polished piston shalf from damage, grease accordingly when install/reinstall.

-there a right way to test the status of the shocks/damper, IM me

Chapter 5- Strut bar

Neuspeed One piece with multi-mounting points(98-02 accord)


strut bar is the metal(or even better carbon fiber) supporting bars that design and place of a sepcified spot that strengthen the unibody during pressure(cornering, drag,etc).

<UPPER FRONT STRUT BAR>(located in the engine bay, top of the two front strut)
<LOWER FRONT STRUT BAR>(located so what near the tie rod/control arm under the front suspension)
<UPPER REAR STRUT BAR>(located on top of the rear shock assembly, mostly front in trunk but for 6th gen, it's right behind the rear seat, just infront of the rear speakers)
<LOWER REAR STRUT/TIE BAR>(located between the two LCA bolts)

1)comptech-possibly be the one of the most expensive suspension part maker, top notice quality.

a)comtech titanium series upper strut bar- titanium is tough and lightweigh, only part is bad is that they are hard to work with which translate to expensive parts.
For 6th gen accord/ TL/CL/TLS/CLS, it replace the two oem finger-sized bar with a meaty bar that connects the left and right shock/strut tower and it extends to the firewall. retail is around $360

2)Neuspeed-another popular tuner parts maker in US.

a)NEUSPEED Front Strut Tie Bars-similar design like the comtech one, neuspeed have a one piece design, which consider superior than multi-pieces design.
neuspeed used aluminum instead, strong yet lightweight and cost considerablely less($145)

3)OEM-6th gen accord can swap in oem strut bar from CL, TL, CLs, TLS.
acura retail them for 40 if I am not mistaken.

4)OTHER-multi-piece design

a)skunk2-3 pieces

b)Tanabe Sustec Front Strut Tower Bars-the mother of ebay style strut bar.

c)ebay style-very very cheap, around 25-40 dollar, some fits good while some need some cutting. A good buy for those in budget.

EXTRAs
-rules of thumbs tells us...

-one piece>multi-piece

-ebay style cheap-strut bar work just fine for most street driven car.

-when installing strut bar on lowered car, jack up the front end and then put on the

strut bar, that way the bar would sit "right" but please do pay attention so you dont drop your spring/shock assembly.

-adjust the but to tighten the adjusting nut to get tanabe(or tanable knockoff,ebay style) bar to fit tight(no flex)

-There's a lower frame(FRONT) braces for accord, dont know how well it perfroms tho'

CHAPTER 6-ANTI-SWAY BAR

Example of eibach's front and rear sway bar SETs with bushing and endlink.


The anti-sway bar, also called sway bar, stabilizer bar, anti-roll bar. Perhaps it's the best suspension you can do after putting on a set of sticky tires. Performs you really can feel. eibach describe it as, "Our Anti-Roll-Kits reduce body roll through increased design stiffness over stock bars. The result: increased handling and cornering grip in any performance-driving situation." Okay, so what's body roll? body roll is when you entered a corner with speed, assuming you makine a left turn 40mph, the left wheel(side) "dive" under and the right(side) wheel "pops" up.
They sell sway bar as a set of both front and rear, or something they just sell individual piece, there's some adjustable anti-sway bar in the market now.
Installition of sway bar might require some drilling on some accord model.
Read chapter 6's extra for more info on under and oversteer with conjunction with sway bar.

1)Eibach-Anti-roll kit-the so-called "stage three" suspension tuning(stage one=springs, stage two=damper/shocks). Built to use expecailly with conjunction of eibach's prokit and sportline springs in mind. Comes with all bushing, endlinks, brackets. Expect more from eibach

2)Suspension Technique(ST) sway bar-One of the best selling kits on the market today, very affordable(250 for a full set, brand new) and finish is superb, I have wonderful personal experiene with ST sway. Comes with everything including a silicone lube tube. If you're on budget and looking for maxinum performance for the money, ST is for you.

3)Comptech-Accord Sway Bar Kit- I actually known a guy with a set of comptech swaybar on his car(tl-s with comptech EVERYTHING minus the blower). It's alot of money but I am very please with comptech's piece, although i never own one myself.
Comptech is more on the high end side, they use foam pad to ship their stuff so nothing will get damage in the shipping. Everything is included in their package.

4)OEM SWAY BAR-6th gen 4cylinder can benefit from swaying their sway bar with 6th gen accord v6, TL+CL(share the same sway bar size as v6 accord), and the even bigger size for the factory tuned CL-S/TL-S. Very cost effective for racer on budget, i got my set for 40 bucks(TL-S 500miles, both front and rear with bushing and bracket, with all four tl-s oem spring)in ebay, couldnt be happier.

EXTRAS

-most the manufacturer recommends the consumer to use their swaybar as a set, so called "tuned-set".

-FWD with Big front sway bar=more understeering

-FWD with Big rear sway bar=more oversteering

-oem front and aftermarket swaybar is pretty good setup, considering if you cannot afford the whole set. Some trackwhore even disconnect the front oem sway and using a BIG aftermarket rear sway. Tried it couple of time and i almost lost control of my car , but that just me.

-make sure to grease/lude the bushing accordingly.

-adjustable sway bar(adj. by the position of the endlink) allow the owner to change the stiffiness setting according to the condition or type of the road.

-Most modern day passenger car would have at least the front sway bar if not both.


CHAPTER 5-Camber kit

we increase the degree of negative camber when we lower the car. 1.0-1.5(or even 2.0 some might argue)degree of negative camber is best for traction/cornering, but the downside of the lowering is that it will wear out your tires much faster(pre-mature wear). The camber kit or camber correction/adjusting kit allow the adjustment with camber degree.

1)INGALLS-the bandwagon of the camber kit for most honda, price is not bad at all considering a set of tires would cost much more than that.

2)Other- GSR(nothing to do with acura integra, just a name of the company), sprint, ebay style camber kit.(i would stay away from cheap camber kit, since they love to break on high stress)

3)rear washer trick- some honda(not six gen accord) can benefit from a mod called "rear washer trick", by using a longer bolt and number of spacers/washers, we can correct the rear camber issue to a extend degree. VERY cheap alternative considering all the part you can get at homedepot for less than 10 buck.
Need more info? SEARCH

EXTRAS

-Consider buying a camber kit when you lowering the car more than 2inch, that's only for honda's, some car will have much more camber issue than other car(z3 for example)

-always have the car aligned after lowering, have the dude there adjust the camber kit to oem spec(or anything you want from 1.5-3.0 degree for most camber kit).

FAQ

Q)What causes my tires to wear out so quickly after i put on lowering spring?
A)The combination of negative camber and toe contributed to the pre-mature tire wear. Toe can be corrected with a 4 wheels computerized alignment, while camber can be corrected with a "cambe kit"(read chapter 5)

Q)What is "wife swapping"?
A)The term simply refer to tire rotation, which is extremely useful for lowered car.
becareful not to put on those directional tire the wrong way. rules of thumb of wife swapping: every 5-6K or every two oil change.

Q)Should i be getting an alignment done after suspension work(lowering,etc)?
A)Yes, especially after putting on spring or shocks, the toe would be altered.
Let the new springs "settle"(about 2week of driving) and then get the alignment.

Q)Where should i go with my lowered car for alignment?
A)Almost all the alignment place can do it, unless the drop is very low.
Bring wooden boards or take off the bumper if the car is having problem getting on the rack. A four wheel computerized alignment should cost around 60 dollar, DEMAND a spec sheet(before and after).

Q)Why is my spring is getting lower and softer after a year or two?
A)"Sagging" springs happens alot especailly on low grade springs. Most of the major suspension company(eibach, h&R) offer free replacement on sagging springs.

Q)How can i tell the stiffiness of the spring?
A)Most big suspensin companies offer a spec number for spring rate(progressive or not). Choose accordingly in conjunction of damper in mind.

Q)How hard is spring/shock installation? Can i be done at home?
A)Yes, spring installation is not hard at all, just take time. You'll need some basic socket rachet, a breaker bar(optional), hex key, spring compressor(can be rent free of charge at autozone, kragen,etc), Jack and jackstand. Of course, like always, a buddy or two would be helpful. free>50-100 buck installation at most shop.

Q)What should i get for my race car on budget?
A)For street driven accord, i recommend eibach sportline, AGX adjustable and a rear ST sway bar. Very resonably priced and proven performance

Q)I just lowered my car with Brand A spring with stock shock, why is my ride so bouncy"
A)The lowering spring is too "stiff" for the stock shock, the damper is not enough for the spring which OFTEN translated to bouncy ride.
The solution-get some oem stock shock compatible springs, eibach prokit for example.

hmm...removing the front sway bar huh???

This should be stickied for all the noobs.. Pointless threads with the answers here..

Anyway you could clean it up so its easier to read. Like when you switch from part to part it's kinda hard to read...the info is good though, missing a few componies such as Neuspeed, and Omni....other then that good write up bro.

Yeah someone should update this, and fix the grammar issues it's kind of a pain to read. And it's actually pretty vague..not really any reviews or handy info..

^^^ how come that always disagree with 90% of the threads here, I believe Ray did not wrote all of that and wether you like it or not it does has handy and good info, at least it had answered all the questions that noobs have ever asked. If you don't wanna read the whole thing, well nobody is forcing you to do it, You can check the threads abt suspension posted by members who had 1,3, 5 post total and I've put the link to this page and they never complained. No hating but you just don't show support to the ppl who in one way or another try to help.

Thanks.

What on earth are you saying? How don't I show support..I'm just saying it needs to be updated and made a little easier to understand and read..which is does. If this is meant to help newbies then don't you think that keeping it updated and easy to read would be a good idea? I mean there is a lot of good useful info that could be added/improved in this write-up. And I know Ray didn't write it, never said he did lol. I also don't understand where you get off saying I don't agree with 90% of the threads here.

I could give you guys a link to a kick *** write up if I need to.