ride like a caddy

Hello everyone i have a 97 civic dx, the stock suspension is junk. i want the car to ride like a caddy. what do i need to buy that is not to expensive to makle it feel like a caddy.

sell the civic and buy a caddy if you want a caddy ride quality.

If my Integra rode like a Caddy, i'd sell it and go buy something that was fun to drive.....i like to have a stiff suspension so i can take the corners.... a smooth ride is for old people

I didn't ask a question to get smart ass remarks from everybody.if you must know why i don't want the car to have sporty suspension is because i have a muscle disease and the car is very uncomfortable to ride because of the crappy suspension that is why i dont want the sporty suspension. so if you are not going to give me some information to help me then don't say anything at all.

I don't think anyone was trying to be a smartass - they're just pointing out that one of the benefits of driving a Honda is the excellent handling, which means a stiff bumpy ride. You can't really make a Honda ride like a Caddy - the sheer weight of the Cadillac combined with its suspension is what makes it smooth.

I've never heard anyone call a stock Honda suspension "junk" and "crappy", so I assume your suspension is old and probably needs new shocks. If you find the stock shocks are too stiff I'd suggest you try some adjustables (Koni and Tokico among others) and set them to the softest setting. If you need springs I'd suggest replacing them with stock springs, because any aftermarket springs will give you a stiffer ride. I don't know of any companies that make springs that are softer than stock. You might be able to use springs from a lighter car (maybe an earlier model Civic?) - I don't know...I've never heard of anyone doing that.

But IMO if you have a medical condition that requires a smooth ride maybe a tiny little Civic isn't the best car for you to own.

I didn't give a smart ass remark there chief. Your civic is not going to ride like a caddy, ever, especially for cheap. The suspension and dynamics of the car are way different. The car is made to be small and nimble, and aftermarket suspension products are going to further these traits. Hence, if you want a luxury car ride, go by a luxury car, an economy car is never going to ride as smoothly as a caddy.

But IMO if you have a medical condition that requires a smooth ride maybe a tiny little Civic isn't the best car for you to own.

:iagree:

any way your wrong about a civic not being able to ride like a caddy i just talked to someone else and they said if i do air suspension then i can get the soft ride like i want cheif

any way your wrong about a civic not being able to ride like a caddy i just talked to someone else and they said if i do air suspension then i can get the soft ride like i want cheif

Nope, it'll never ride like a Caddy. You can make it ride softer than a stock Civic, but it'll never ride like a Caddy. You just can't make a 2500lb car feel like a 4500lb car. Laws of physics and all that... An air suspension will do the same thing as adjustable shocks, it will make bumps softer, but you'll be bouncing over them like a pogo stick not floating like a Caddy.

^^^^ exactly, I think you need to do research how suspensions work. As everyone is saying, the weight of the car is a HUGE factor. A smaller, lighter car is going to be tossed around more by potholes, bumps, etc. than a heavier one would.

Precisely Watson....

By yourself a suspension seat, same seats used in off road racing and other types of rough racing. The seat is basically suspended inside a frame.

Adjutable struts on the sofest setting don't make a car bounce it usually high springs rates on soft struts that make a car bounce. Setting them on the highest will make a car bounce, Gohan.

Adjutable struts on the sofest setting don't make a car bounce it usually high springs rates on soft struts that make a car bounce. Setting them on the highest will make a car bounce, Gohan.

I've got Tokico adjustables set to the firmest setting and the ride is stiff and hard. When I first got them I had them on the softest setting (to break them in) and the ride was very bouncy.

I had heard a high end air suspension might give a better ride. I have experience with it myself other than trucks--- which brings back the whole sheer weight of a caddy issue.
Cadillac and Lincoln have spent a lot of R&D time getting that marshmallow ride that some peolple love. It'd be tough just to bolt on such a light car.

Hey- that suspension seat is a creative idea. I had a set of those in a dune buggy. - There's a HUGE difference in those comapred to a standard seat.

I had heard a high end air suspension might give a better ride. I have experience with it myself other than trucks--- which brings back the whole sheer weight of a caddy issue.
Cadillac and Lincoln have spent a lot of R&D time getting that marshmallow ride that some peolple love. It'd be tough just to bolt on such a light car.
Like a I said soft struts on high spring rates make a car bounce.

Like a I said soft struts on high spring rates make a car bounce.

No, high spring rates mean stiffer springs, which means less bounce.
Low spring rates = softer springs = more bounce.

Same goes for the adjustable struts/shocks.
Stiffer setting = less bounce
Softer setting = more bounce

eeeemmkay, stiffer springs bounce more than softer springs. Does a stock spring bounce with stock struts? NO. Does a stiff spring bounce with stock struts? YES. But anyway I don't need to argue with people on AF, not worth it.

Does a stiff spring bounce with stock struts? YES.

...uh...NO, a stiff spring on stock struts will bounce less than a stock spring on stock struts. At least until the stock struts blow out from being compressed all the time.


Not arguing...just trying to correct your error. Stiff springs have a higher compression rating, meaning it takes more effort to compress them. Stiff springs also have a higher rebound rating, meaning they immediately expand once compressed. Hard to compress and immediate rebound means no bouncing - just a hard, jolting ride.

I don't think so. Whats your suspension back round?

Unless its a progressive rate spring - Listen to BullShifter. I know enough about off-road suspension to see his advice makes sense. A spring "rebounds" with whatever force the spring rate is. The shock/strut controls the compression and rebound.

To be honest I don't have any formal automotive training - all my knowledge comes from what I have picked up over my years of being an automotive enthusiast - so some of my "theories" are probably flawed...

But this is my explanation of a "bouncy" suspension (copied from another webpage, but it describes my thoughts):
"Loosely sprung cars, such as luxury cars (think Lincoln Town Car), can swallow bumps and provide a super-smooth ride;however, such a car is prone to dive and squat during braking and acceleration and tends to experience body sway or roll during cornering."

And my definition of a "harsh ride":
"Tightly sprung cars, such as sports cars (think Mazda Miata), are less forgiving on bumpy roads, but they minimize body motion well, which means they can be driven aggressively, even around corners."

Think you've got the right idea there. In my off-road experience with trucks buggies and bikes, suspension set-up and tuning is really important. Its also complicated and frustrating, and ultimately some goals just aren't gonna happen no matter how much time and money you spend.
Will a civic ever ride like caddy? - Very unlikely.