tein s-'s are inevitable, do i really need new struts? new shocks too?

[Accordbeliever]

im sure this has been asked a million times but its 230am and ive searched all that I can and I have to ask.
I has a 98 sedan 4cylEX that I want to throw some tein s tech's on.

the car rides perfect as is and has never had the suspension touched save for a couple alignmentsd over the years. it just hit 139k.

now if the stock shocks and struts are doing their job well. WHY would I need to replace them with some aftermarket non Honda struts that aren't broken in and I have no idea of what they would ride like by adding a 1.7 inch drop lowering spring.


a lot of people are saying I should buy some kyb GR2 excel struts and but I could prolly leave the rear shocks alone.

I don't want it stiff as hell but I don't want it bouncy either.. your thoughts???

 

[LeAccord]

Your stock shocks are not designed to work with different springs of different height/spring rates. They will blow in a short matter of time. Aftermarket shocks are designed to work with stiffer spring rates which will handle most (if not all) lowering springs available on the market.

My stock shocks clocked about 210,000km/130,000 miles, and they were fine before I decided to put eibach pro kit springs on them. I had those springs on for about 5 months before I bought ff type 1 coils, and by that time they were getting quite bouncy (especially the rear) and when I took them out to install the new coilovers those rubber things on the shock tube were all broken .. It would've only been a matter of time before they completely blew.

Shock/spring/coilovers all tend to take about 1-2 weeks to settle to their final height.

You may enjoy the mere 1.7" drop for a couple weeks but you'll want to go lower very quickly. There are plenty of options of coilovers / shock/spring set up that offer rather soft spring rates that also have dampening adjustability compared to most coilover set ups.. And people's desire (slammed guys want stiffer spring rates).

Just continue researching . Many of us have different suspension set ups. Good luck. Have fun

 

[RedRyder]

Guy above basically summed it up. You don’t want to pair stock shocks with lowering springs. And if you are getting springs that give the same drop front and rear, you will want shocks with adjustable perches to avoid “the boat look”. Or, you can get lowering springs that give a larger drop in front than rear (i.e. H&R), and pair them with shocks that don’t have adjustable perches.

Depending on your budget, you may want to look at pairing coilover sleeves with aftermarket shocks, or go with full coilovers. I was a guy who said I would be content with a 1.5” drop…but once I realized how much better the car looks when lowered, I wanted to go lower but didn’t have that flexibility with my first setup. You can save yourself time and money by thinking ahead in this regard. Anyway just something to think about.

 

[Accordbeliever]

i dont want coilovers because i would never be changing my cars stance, im a set it and forget it kinda guy, ill try to throw up a pic of my old ford fairmont wagon that was dumped and got put in the lowrider class at car shows lol.


do you guys like the kyb gr2 shocks/struts? they are about my price range. Or are their better choices for the money out there? im so used to drag racing rwd fords that all i have experience with is lakewood drag shocks.

 

[LeBirdNest]

Regardless, get coilovers even if you're not looking to change heights often. Keep your stock shocks for when you're ready to put them back on as well. Adjustability is a good thing to have and they can let you go lower. Since you daily this car right? You might not want to go as low as some people do but it would be nice to have a better suspension. Check out function forms. They are super easy to install and dramatically change the cars appearance.

 

[fastflyinaccord]

Tein basic coilovers would be perfect for you. They are soft and offer adjustability. Plus, they cost just about as much as S.Techs and a decent shock package.

 

[RedRyder]

^Sound advice considering.


KYB GR2’s are essentially OEM replacement shocks, personally I wouldn’t pair them with lowering springs either. I think some people have though, but you’d have to search that up to see how it worked out for them. KYB also makes AGX, which have height adjustability (and dampening?), not sure how much they go for though. I recommend Koni “Yellow” Sports, great quality and lifetime warranty should you need a replacement. They’re also height/dampening adjustable. Koni has a sale every spring usually 15% - 20% off, so that’s the time to buy if you go that route.

I know you think you are a set it and forget it kind of person, but if you own this car for any length of time I can promise you that at some point you are going to wish your suspension setup had a little more flexibility. You don’t know what wheels/tires you will end up with at this point, and suspension should be tuned for that, among other things. Not telling you what to do, just trying to help you avoid the same mistakes I made since I bought this car 6 years ago. But ultimately your choice.

 

[Accordbeliever]

Tein basic coilovers would be perfect for you. They are soft and offer adjustability. Plus, they cost just about as much as S.Techs and a decent shock package.

are they priced about the same as the FF1's? never seen the tein coilovers before for our cars.... got a part #?

 

[fastflyinaccord]

Any online parts retailer sells them. There are plenty of reviews of them in our suspension review thread.

IIRC, Tein basics run about a hundred dollars more than F&F but the build quality is much better and you'll have much more comfortable ride. Only downside is that you won't be able to slam your car if you ever wanted to.

 

[Accordbeliever]

I honestly don't even know where to look. when I raced fords I would use summit racing or jegs or the local part monkey but none of those guys have any import parts worth buying