LOWERING: coils vs. springs

ok ive got bout $600 saved up, which was intended for rims, but along with advice from some people, i've decided to go ahead and lower the car first. im not sure if i want to get springs or coils though. i would love to get coil overs so i can adjust them but ive heard they ride horrible. however, ive ridden in a prelude and an accord with coil overs and i didn't think it was that bad. of course, they are different cars. so im just curious if any of you ride lowered, let me in on some info bout these things and how they ride. my car is a 97 2dr ex... thanks for any help ;]

just get springs. think about it, how many times do you actually think that you're gonna raise/lower your ride? you'll set it and leave it. plus if you're gonna get coil overs, don't buy the cheap ones as they sometimes will fall apart.

whatever you decide to get...I would strongly recommend getting aftermarket struts along with your purchase. With out some good struts the ride quality on your car is going to be horrible with springs or coilovers. I've got Neuspeed Race springs and my struts were blown in 3 months...and I drive very carefully, always looking for bumps and potholes. I've got a 2000 Civic EX with only 34K miles on it....and it's got the smoothness of a garden tractor. It won't bother you at first, but when you get used to the looks of your car being lowered, the quality of your ride will really start to bother you. If you decide to get coilovers, do not buy cheap ones. I've heard ground controls and skunk2 are both pretty respectable for civics. Also, once you get your car lowered , get A CAMBER KIT! You're tires won't even last as long as your struts unless you get the camber fixed and get an alignment. Lowering your car is alot more of an investment than most people think if you want to do it right. The list should consist of 1) springs or coilovers 2) aftermarket struts 3) camber kit (rear can be done with washers and bolts) 4) alignment to fix the toe-in/toe-out) If you leave any of these out you will not be satisfied in the end...and it could cost you more eventually.

Originally posted by jimmyfunk
Lowering your car is alot more of an investment than most people think if you want to do it right. The list should consist of 1) springs or coilovers 2) aftermarket struts 3) camber kit (rear can be done with washers and bolts) 4) alignment to fix the toe-in/toe-out) If you leave any of these out you will not be satisfied in the end...and it could cost you more eventually.

Which is exactly why I havent attempted to lower mine

i have ground control coil overs on my civic with aftermarket struts.....although i never adjust the height of the car its nice to know i can and the ride quality is excellent

I have tokico Blues and Eibach Sport line springs and it lowers the car like 1.7 with the springs, but it settled to like 2.25 or so, and the ride is excellent and the handling is great, and i love it over all! I recommend this setup for anyone who wants a good ride and good drop and NOT SLAMMED! because it snows here and i dont want to turn my car into a snow plow!

getting the struts, alignment and camber kit should go without saying. getting past that, i say get the coilovers. in my opinion its about impossible to decide how low you want your car without having the ability to try out different heights. with coilovers you decide how much ride height you want to sacrifice while still being able to accomodate some bumps you know you will run into everyday. when i got the coilovers for my old accord, the first thing i did was go to my school and set them to height it took to get my car over the speed bumps without ravaging my car. springs are alright, but i cant get past the versatility of coilovers.

oh...hahaha, i didn't even post my suspension set up yet...well just to let'ca know, it rides just as nice as everyone else's, if not better:

Neuspeed sport springs
ITR struts
Neuspeed strut bar
DC upper rear strut & lower rear tie bar
no name front tie bar
stock front sway bar
Progressive Rear Sway bar
progressive front camber kit (set at -1 degree)
custom rear camber kit(washers also set at -1 degree)

i love it and wouldn't change it unless something went wrong. oh yeah, another good investment would be to get aftermarket bushings! they really do help! i'm thinking of doing this after my bushings get worn out. good luck with your set up:licker: