whats the best coilovers????

trying to find out whats the best coilovers to get for a 1995 honda accord ex, that will bring me to stock hieght?

What type of driving are you wanting to do. Just everyday driving or autocross, and is there a price limit? Please give us alittle more info so we dont steer you in the wrong direction.

iam just looking for coilover to get me to stock height.
just incase i put a body kit i would want to raise my car
so i wont touch the ground!
lookin to spend anywhere around 250.00

Dont do sleeves if you are looking to reach stock height, it is not possible, you'll get close, with the ground controls.

You need to budget more money to do it right.

For street use only, Ground controls are your best bet. They have a comfortable spring rate and they match up to the "blue" Tokico shocks perfectly. The feel is like stock, but you'll still get better handling than stock. I knew someone with a 1996 Integra GSR with the Skunk 2 setup. They said it was really harsh. He got a ride in my car with the Ground Controls w/ "blue" tokicos and my car was also 1" lower than his. He said my ride was 100 times better and it felt like stock. I took a couple of hard corners and he was impressed. He ended up getting them the next week but got the "white" tokico 5 way adjustable shocks. That way he can turn up the stiffness during track use. If you're into hard cornering, don't just rely on your springs and shocks setup. Swaybars will do wonders to your handling and they won't significantly affect your ride quality.

Toadboys right... If you do decide to go with a sleeve, dont get Skunk2s for everyday driving, they have ridiculous spring rates. I had a set and it wasnt comfortable at all. I took them out and put my Eibach prokits back in.

Sup...I have ground control coil overs on my '99 civic ex w/ stock shocks and the ride is still great. It rides smoother and better than any coil over (sleeves)setup i've ever been in. I'm hoping to enhance the ride with a nice set of shocks...anyone got any input? I hears koni yellows and GC are a great combi....:D let me know what you guys think

thank goodness someone asked this question i was gonna get skunk 2 but since i have been hearing so much about the ground controls i have kinda changed my mind :D

Well Ground Control with Koni Yellow Sport is a good combination but at that price true Apexi WS coilovers is the same price so go Apexi WS. :)

Originally posted by EliteAccord
Well Ground Control with Koni Yellow Sport is a good combination but at that price true Apexi WS coilovers is the same price so go Apexi WS. :)

I agree.. Save another hundred dollars and get the WS coilovers, or even the New koni coilovers, At least you know that you wont have a problem since the spring and the shocks are made to work with eachother.

That is the best thing about coilover kits, true kits. The shocks and springs are designed to work with each other, and you actually get a warranty :)

If you could get threaded coilovers for a few hundred more I'd go for it. The real advantage to that are the shorter dampners; made for cars lower than 1.5 inch. No more worries about voiding your warranty with shocks that got damage when you bottom out. Also they are valved to suit the spring rates.

Since they are more true to a race setup, the spring rates may not be to your liking. I would research the spring rates of all of the kits before purchasing. To my knowledge the "Limited Edition" ground control for the Civics have a spring rate of 200 to 300lbs. It varies from front to rear. You can also get other spring rates, but not at the "LE" price. Sorry I can't remember because it was so long ago that I bought my "LE" Ground Controls.

I believe the WS are more of a street setup and the N1's are more of a race setup. I dont know how stiff the WS are but I couldnt imagine the being that bad.

Originally posted by Racing Rice


I agree.. Save another hundred dollars and get the WS coilovers, or even the New koni coilovers, At least you know that you wont have a problem since the spring and the shocks are made to work with eachother.

Actually its the same price if you think about it.

Ground Control $300
Koni Yellow Sport Shocks $500-550 = Total $ 850

Apexi WS true coilovers. $850 at www.groupbuycenter.com

I got my "blue" tokicos for only $100 for all four brand new. Unless you can get a deal on the shocks, I'd go for the WS.

Check out this post
www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?postid=135316#post135316

Originally posted by EliteAccord


Actually its the same price if you think about it.

Ground Control $300
Koni Yellow Sport Shocks $500-550 = Total $ 850

Apexi WS true coilovers. $850 at www.groupbuycenter.com

And Ground Control could be alittle more then that too..

Thats even better..:D

I wouldn't get sleeves...I've been there, with ground controls and it fuckin blew....I bought some full coilovers and they ride better and handle better:D

I wouldn't get sleeves...I've been there, with ground controls and it fuckin blew....I bought some full coilovers and they ride better and handle better

What car did you have the GC's on?
Were you running on stock shocks or ????
How much did you lower your car?
Spring rates?

I have a 96 Accord that I'm putting 18's on. I also want to lower my car but be able to adjust when needed. I also want a stock ride. I care more about the ride being smooth then the actual lowering of the car. So would ground control coilovers and the blue Koni Sport Springs still be my best bet. Or could I get something else to achieve what I want.

I have a 96 Accord that I'm putting 18's on. I also want to lower my car but be able to adjust when needed. I also want a stock ride. I care more about the ride being smooth then the actual lowering of the car. So would ground control coilovers and the blue Koni Sport Springs still be my best bet. Or could I get something else to achieve what I want.

I'm looking to get some Ground control coilovers for my car soon, here. So the Tokico "Blues" are the way to go with with the G/C's??? It seems that's the verdict from most. I want a pretty decent suspension setup shock/spring wise, but don't really have the funds to spend the money on a full true coilover setup. If I was able to go that route, I'd go H&R's all the way. ;) Just from personal experience. They are as good as, if not better than stock, ride quality wise. So how much do a set of the Tokico "Blues" run cost wise? And are they adjustable in any way, or are they just straight up aftermarket struts? Also what's the difference between the "normal" G/Cs, and the limited edition G/C's?

The proper name for the "Blue" Tokico is "Premium Performance". Blue is much easier to remember. They are non-adjustable. They usually go for anywhere between $70-$90. It all depends on where you shop, and who you know. I work at a speed shop so I could get it at nearly cost, which is around $40-$50. The time I bought it for $25 each brand new was from a guy that just wanted to gt rid of them. He sold it much lower than his cost.

Originally posted by ToadBoy
The proper name for the "Blue" Tokico is "Premium Performance". Blue is much easier to remember. They are non-adjustable. They usually go for anywhere between $70-$90. It all depends on where you shop, and who you know. I work at a speed shop so I could get it at nearly cost, which is around $40-$50. The time I bought it for $25 each brand new was from a guy that just wanted to gt rid of them. He sold it much lower than his cost.

What shop in So. Cali do you work at?

Originally posted by SilverY2KCivic
I'm looking to get some Ground control coilovers for my car soon, here. So the Tokico "Blues" are the way to go with with the G/C's??? It seems that's the verdict from most. I want a pretty decent suspension setup shock/spring wise, but don't really have the funds to spend the money on a full true coilover setup.

#1- Tokico shocks do not adjust stiff enough to control most serious springs, and Ground Controls come with pretty damn stiff springs. As someone who has experience with Tokico shocks on 3 different cars, cross them off your list now if this is your chosen spring setup.

#2- Running 18" rims on a lowered car and retaining stock ride quality are mutually exclusive things. You can do one or the other, but not both.

#3- If you decide to run springs dialed in for light competition (Ground Control setups are best used on Solo 2 courses), get shocks dialed in for light competition. Specifically, the best off-the-shelf springs for this use are Koni Yellows (aka Koni Sports).

#4- If you don't have a ton of money, make absolutely SURE you do it right the first time. Skimping in the beginning only leads to more money spent in the end, buy the right parts for your setup and you will be much happier in the end.

#5- Anyone who thinks Tokico Blues work great with stiff springs is smoking crack, period.

Thanks for the advice, Texan. Ok, so what would be good struts, that aren't as expensive as Koni yellows? I want to do it right the first time, but my current budget just won't allow me to get say like true coilovers, or even a G/C Koni Yellow, setup. :( Would the Tokico performance "blues" still be not advised, even if I only plan on lowering the car by "1.5 at the most? For rims, I assume you were addressing members on here in general, but for me personally, I'm going to get a set of Si rims, which as you kow are "15's. Ride quality is on the more important side for me, so if I got the "Blues" than what springs would you suggest I get for them? Or vice verca with the G/C coils? I want my ride a little bit lower, not too much, in the means of slamming, but just something that's astetically pleasing to the eye, to look good with the Si rims. Plus I want to eliminate the Cadillac'esque bobbing my car tends to get when more than just a front seat passenger is in the car. I want something that feels near stock with only me in the car, yet rides tighter than stock with a full load of passengers.

Originally posted by texan


#1- Tokico shocks do not adjust stiff enough to control most serious springs, and Ground Controls come with pretty damn stiff springs. As someone who has experience with Tokico shocks on 3 different cars, cross them off your list now if this is your chosen spring setup.

#2- Running 18" rims on a lowered car and retaining stock ride quality are mutually exclusive things. You can do one or the other, but not both.

#3- If you decide to run springs dialed in for light competition (Ground Control setups are best used on Solo 2 courses), get shocks dialed in for light competition. Specifically, the best off-the-shelf springs for this use are Koni Yellows (aka Koni Sports).

#4- If you don't have a ton of money, make absolutely SURE you do it right the first time. Skimping in the beginning only leads to more money spent in the end, buy the right parts for your setup and you will be much happier in the end.

#5- Anyone who thinks Tokico Blues work great with stiff springs is smoking crack, period.
I agree with the Tockico, statment.
I really don't think they up to damping agressive springs either.
Although many people swear by them, and it is hard to argue opinion, these are the people who have never had experience with anything else.

I also believe strongly that you, must plan out your suspension before throwing it on. Down to every detail. This like Texan said will save you a lot of money and much headache.

I had the blue's on my first car...but there is simply no way I would ever pair them with coilovers....I had H&R sports...they did what I wanted them to do and they were cheap...I got them with the springs for $250...they were used but as good as new and I had no problems with the setup for the 7 months I had it on my car.....I would suggest this if you only want to lower 1.5-2"...just get sport springs.... if your going with coilovers though you should always do it right the first time...I personally don't see spending $700 on a set of springs/sleeves and yellows, you can get real coilovers for a bit more...I got my coilovers for $760 new...you can get used ones for cheaper than that too

That's why I'm trying to find out what would be a good match up strut wise for Ground Controls, I'm settled on those, because I really want the height adjustability of them. What would be some good/decent, yet inexpensive struts to match the G/C's to? I'm going to go the Koni yellow route, because I can't afford that.

Texan advises not to use Tokico, but he didn't tell us what car he had them on. Each car is different and it my not be applicable to Silver2KYCivic's car.

I have a 1995 Integra lowered until there was no wheel to fender gap. My ground controls (limited edition) with my tokicos work just fine to get a stock ride feel; I drove a stock integra and my car on the same day to compare the difference. The springs that came with my g/c's are not stiff at all. If you want stiff, the Skunk's are stiff as hell. I've only had experience with ground controls and skunk's adj. c/o sleeves with the 94-2001 Integras, so I can't say the tokico & g/c setup is for every application. As for Silver2KYcivic's setup, correct me if I'm wrong, the 92-2000 Civics' suspension are virtually the same as the 90-2001 Integras, so my advice is go with the G/C & Tokico for a cheap adjustable setup that will give you a stock quality ride. Of course running big wheels with low profile tires will lessen the soft ride, but it is not the g/c's to be blamed.

If you're really low on money, listen to other peoples advice on getting a non height adjustable setup. I got my g/c just so I can offset the added weight in the rear of my car (lots of stereo stuff). All of that weight made my car 3/4" lower. It looked stupid with the rear lower than the front.

Did you have the blue Tokicos, Toadboy? Well if so, then it looks like my best option for what I want, is the G/C Tokico "blues" set up. Thanks for the helpful info on that. :)

"Blue" Tokicos with G/C "Limited Edition" That's what I have.

wow....so many peoples are givin u advises.......

u r lucky~~~

so.....I'm gonna give u some too...

I used to have skunk2 with tokico blue and 15' wheels on my old 98

civic...

the ride was fr$$king sucks.....(I got headache everytime after drivin it)

Now I have pro kit with tokico blue and 17' wheel on my integra...

and the ride is just "ok"....(worse than stock, I think its cuz of 17' wheel)

that's it, and I hope I'm not makin u more confuse........:D

Originally posted by ToadBoy
For street use only, Ground controls are your best bet. They have a comfortable spring rate and they match up to the "blue" Tokico shocks perfectly. The feel is like stock, but you'll still get better handling than stock. I knew someone with a 1996 Integra GSR with the Skunk 2 setup. They said it was really harsh. He got a ride in my car with the Ground Controls w/ "blue" tokicos and my car was also 1" lower than his. He said my ride was 100 times better and it felt like stock. I took a couple of hard corners and he was impressed. He ended up getting them the next week but got the "white" tokico 5 way adjustable shocks. That way he can turn up the stiffness during track use. If you're into hard cornering, don't just rely on your springs and shocks setup. Swaybars will do wonders to your handling and they won't significantly affect your ride quality.

I am interested in the same setup. Do you get any bouncing or rubbing?

I get no more bouncing than stock. The only thing that rubs is the stock mud flaps to the ground during hard cornering. The front flaps sit less than two inches above the ground when the car is still. I lowered the point where the wheel well meets to the top of the tire. I get no rubbing on the inside fender. I did get rubbing however when I had the car an inch lower than how I have it now. The ride was still good but it rubbed during corners. That's what happens when your car is too low. I'm currently running my stock 14" wheels that came with my Integra LS. I also have stock swaybars. I've had this set up for almost a year now with no problems. You'll get a stiffer ride with 16" or 17" wheels.

Toadboy, I've got a ? for you about your set, which I'm planning to get, myself. I'm sure you noticed how the ride (since our stock suspensions were similar) that with a full car load of people, or weight, the car would have a Town Car or Cadillac type feel when on a bumpy highway, or going over moderate dips at a good enough speed, where the car would just keep bouncing as if on a boat. Does you ride still react this way with the G/C's and Tokicos, or is that part eliminated? I'm really trying to make the ride a lot stiffer when like 4 people are in the car, I'm not as much worried about having it stiff when I'm the only one in there, but I'd like it a near stock feel with only me in the car, and a lot stiffer than stock with a full load.

I have two to three passengers in my car all of the time. It has the same effect as if with the stock suspension. It does however has a less floaty affect then stock, so that's good. That's probably due to the Tokico shocks. The car does however lower a bit in the rear with three other people weighing about 170lbs each (i have big friends). It drops the car no more than 1/2 of an inch. It's the same effect as if the suspension was stock. I also have a 100lb subwoofer box in the back of the hatch so that adds more weight in the rear. The spring rate on the g/c is much higher than stock so it's able to handle the additional weight pretty nicely. I don't recommend driving like a race car driver with the additional weight because you may not be used to the handling with the extra wieght. I weight 150 and with three other people at 170lbs and a subwoofer box, that's 760lbs over the weight of the vehicle. I remember somewhere on the owner's manual that said to not have over 500lbs added to the car's weight. That averages to 4 passengers weighting 125lbs each. I guess they made the car to hold small people from Japan.

LOL, not accounting for Sumos I guess. :D

Thanks for the info about that. The minimal floaty feeling I get with a full load, and the lesser of it with your set up is just what I'm looking for. I have a sub box in the trunk of my coupe, but I doubt it weighs in anymore than 35lbs. at most. So that isn't an issue. And the most passenger weight I have is an occasional passenger riding shotgun, but maybe people in the back seats once every couple of months, if even that. This is for sure the set up I'm going to go with, and a local shop even told me that G/C recommends using the "blue" Tokicos with G/C for a comfortable non adjustable ride. :) Can't argue with that if the manufacture recommends it. :cool:

GC and Tockio blues here on my car. Its lowered about 3" on GSR wheels. Ride is alright, but as Texan said, I've never compared it to any other shocks on my car compared to stock. I'm fine with the setup, and I guess I'd have to ride in the same car with Koni Yellows or something to see what its like before I lay down the money for them.

My friend in a 95 Integra has Skunk2 with stock shocks and the ride is bouncier than mine. Another friend has maxspeed coilovers with stock shocks on his 96 Accord. Bouncy as hell.

So what company would on go with if he occassionally used his car for the strip? H&R, Apexi, TEIN, HP racing? Any help is appreciated.

Wow, old archived thread. How times have changed. Read up to my last 2 posts on this page. It's crazyness, I wised up a month or two after that, did some serious research, saved some hard earned pennies, and settled on a set of Tein SS coilovers and haven't looked back since! :cool: I've been rolling on them for almost 2 years now, and I couldn't be any more satisfied. I even went as much as to upgrade the springs about 6 months ago to 2kg STIFFER at all 4 corners, and it still rides comfortable and smooth.

Anyways, if you use your car for the strip, and NO performance handling type driving, then ANY kind of coilover (weather it be a true full one like Tein, JIC, A'PEXi, etc... or a sleeve type like Skunk2 or Ground Control), it's wasted money IMO since you won't be using them to their fullest potential for the most part. In a drag setup, you want something that's super stiff up front so that the drive wheels keep planted to the pavement, especially under hard launches that can induce wheelhop.

I'd highly recommend either some Neuspeed Race springs paired to Koni Yellow or Koni Red shocks, or if you want the height adjustability, then go Skunk2 (since they have a WAY higher spring rate than Ground Control, which is what you want for drag applications) and pair them to the same Koni shocks, Yellows or Reds.

If youd rather have the latest, greatest, trendyest and something that WILL for sure keep the fronts planted on the ground at ALL times and money is no object, you could always opt for a set of Tein HT coilovers. 20kg (1230lbs/ft) front spring rates, and 7kg (391lbs/ft) rear spring rates, as well as 16-way compression adjustment as well as seperate 16-way rebound dampening force adjustment, and an externally mounted oil resevoir for added performance. All for the low retail price of $1800 In comparison, most street application coilover setups don't exceed 10kg for spring rates. The Tein HT has a rate of twice that amount. These almost certainly wouldn't be streetable at that high of a spring stiffness though, but for drag that might be the ticket. ;)