Old81

Don't be fooled by the name -- I do own an FC -- but I first had my 81.

Anyway. I know this has been asked 10 zillion times, but after searching for it for hours and hours, I can't find a real satisfying answer. What shocks would suit me best if I wanted to have a nice hard (read: stiff) ride that is best for AutoX? My GF has KYB AGXs on her Civic w/ some Eibach Pro-kits. The ride in her car is nice, but bouncy, and I can assume thats attributed to the springs as well, but I want just a nice solid suspension set-up mainly for AutoX -- I will compromise street-comfort for ultimate race set-up.

...There's a high probability that this FC will become a full-time, race-dedicated, trailored vehicle in the future, and I would like to have a base for this started now.

Thanks for your opinion!

poor college student

you just named a combo that a lot of people use... agx's with eibach pro's... i guess you could go for more of a linear rate spring and get maybe the racing beat springs to go w/ the agx's....

drago86

the tien "ra" kit is suppost to be pretty damn hard, it's $$$ tho

Old81

Well -- I want to know of other springs and shocks available that are good quality. But not ones that I have to donate an organ to buy -- eg TEIN.

Hmmm...what about some non-adjustable shocks? Any that people find are really good for road racing? What kind of shocks do those GT cars use? When I say "GT cars", I am referring to the SCCA style racing with the BMW 325s, proteges, Integras...etc. I would have to assume that, if they don't happen use coilovers, that the shocks are pretty high quality.

...Maybe I'm just pushing a dead idea...I dunno. Just want to hear people's creative alternatives to the AGXs.

thanks

bingoboy

AGX's are pretty stiff if they're turned up all the way.. i have heard that their hardest and softest settings are firmer and softer than tokico illuminas (though i have no experience with the tokicos). with my AGX shocks turned all the way up the car is pretty damn annoying to drive on bumpy city streets due to how stiff they are.

maybe your GF's cars shocks are all set to their softest settings. i know most girls despise bumpy rides.

Freaky Monkey007

Well if u want this to become a trailored vehicle you are gona have to pay an arm and a leg anyways cause racing aint cheap!

Ryde _Or_Die

Fingers

Well when you have genital warts, whatchu gonna do?



As for old 81, check ebay from time to time. They have some japanese guys selling coilover/shock setups from actual racing cars in japan. So you can get the teins and the racingbeat systems for pretty cheap.

tweaked

iTrader: (4)

Suspension Techniques have a spring rate of 120 front and rear, which is the highest I have found. they are not progressive rate, which is what causes the bouncy. They lower the car .8" and www.mazdatrix.com has the set for something like $200. I think that may be what you are looking for.

Old81

...my GF actually leaves them all on the hardest setting, because after she gets done Autox'ing, its too much of a pain to get around the rear lower sway bar to set them back to a softer setting. I guess that with her, you can throw out any 'girl' stereotypes -- she's pretty hardcore...more than me atleast.

Well -- I suppose since I've got this going here, so...

The ProKit's are progressive rate, which does...what?

..and not progressive ones do what?

AND -- what kind of measurement numbers are on shocks? Is there rates on rebound and stuff?

Ryde _Or_Die

I don't know **** about the rates and everything. Can someone tell me how these will handle/ride?

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/hopup1/hkslosprx786.html

poor college student

progressive rates mean that the springs are a different stiffness as they progress... like it takes x lbs of pressure to move the first inch, x+y lbs the second, etc, etc... linear has the same stiffness all the way through

tweaked

iTrader: (4)

I think you are talking about the struts... You can't adjust the spring rate on a spring. 120 Lbs is the hardest thing I have seen. with these you are definitly going to want ssway bars and real performance struts. You may want to install a cage too. If your suspension is this stiff, the body will act as an undamped spring. you will flex constantly. which will cause unpredictable handleing.

Old81

...yeah...I did mean the struts. I'm not totally clueless.

also...when you said that they were stiff and you need sway bars, were you referring to the hks springs?

poor college student

tweak, he is talking about the struts... he's talking about the kyb agx that his gf has on her car, and the adjusting **** is on the side of the strut. for fc's this is cool b/c otherwise, we'd have to open up the shock tower, take out the rear speakers, etc. be4 adjusting the shocks.

tweaked

iTrader: (4)

Yeah. I don't know how I got on a tyrant about springs. I have brain farts some times. I remember meaning to mention struts.

poor college student

lol....

so what's the word, old r1? decided on anything yet?

Old81

Yeah. Actually, I guess I'll probably end up going with the AGX's for now and see how they work out for me. My budget doesn't allow for many high-end parts, so this will do me well. I still haven't decided on springs though. Does H&R make springs for the FC? I like how VWs and BMWs and such sit over their rims with the H&Rs -- just kind of tucked-in a little bit.

Anyone have a good 3/4s picture of their car with a spring set-up like this? What springs are like this?

sakiburner

i got racing beat suspension, strut bar, and sway bars and it stiffened the chassis alot, its a real stiff sporty ride

poor college student

in that case old81.... check my sig, i've got a new set of kyb agx's for sale

Cwaters

Get some Koni struts and have them revalved for autocross by a Koni rebuilder (like Tripoint or Koni themselves). They'll be worlds apart from your GFs civic.

Cory

projekt

struts don't always make the ride harsh. put some 600lb springs on it, then it will be nice and stiff. struts just control the bouncing, but if they're not paired with the correct spring rate you get the average bouncy ride crap.