Best Aftermarket Suspension??: NSX-R? Tein RA? Comptech?

Hi guys,

I want to improve the handling of my 04’ NSX but not at the price of considerably deteriorated ride quality and accelerated tire wear. My goal is to reduce understeer considerably, achieve sharper and more responsive steering, and moderate reduction in ride height. My budget is $2000 and under for the suspension package.

I primarily use the car on the street, but participate in the occasional driving event. It is my goal to attend at least 6 track events a year and some autocrossing. On the street I will run 18”/19” wheels with 225 fronts and 275 rears and the factory 17” wheels for track events.

The suspensions I have been considering are the following:

· NSX-R suspension
· Tein RA coilovers
· Comptech Sport suspension
· Performance lowering springs Tanabe, Tein S and etc)

I am biased towards the NSX-R suspension, since Honda has done lots of R&D tuning with this package and they are much more skilled than myself in tuning a suspension. However, I have been told that the NSX-R setup was designed for a much lighter car with different weight biases and 17” wheels and is not suitable for the heavier NSX-T with aftermarket wheels.

In regards to Tein RA’s, I have heard they are not very sophisticated and are excessively stiff and the spring biases is opposite of what they should be, in that the fronts should be stiffer than the rears for optimum handling. Also, I don’t think I have the time and ability to fine tune the suspension settings to exceed the NSX-R setup. However, I have also heard they are much better than the NSX-R kit as well.

I was told the Comptech kits is more suitable for the NSX, since the front springs are firmer than the rears to compensate for the additional range of motion in the front versus the rear.

I have not heard much feedback on installing lowering springs only, but the cost is much more attractive. However, I want to get the best handling possible and I am willing to compromise some ride comfort as a trade off.

I am totally confused by all the options available. I am hoping to get rides in fellow members cars with various modified suspensions at the JGTC. What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sandy

Why don't you have the Konis in your list?

Sandy,
with your criteria and budget I would consider Comptech Sport Kit, or simply a Koni and H&R kit. The downside with the H&R is it lower the car quite a bit, and more than most people like.

The type-R suspension is great on the track. And the fact that it doesn't need any adjustment makes it easy choice for weekend warrior. But it is also a very stiff suspension.

IMHO, the best suspension, with least ride comfort sacrifice is Comptech Pro suspension. But the price is $3500. But I really believe you get what you pay for in this instance.

Let me know if I can help you. Feel free to email me, and I can tailor the suspension choice for your liking.

I can comfortably say, that in an NSX, I tried most combination available than anyone. On and off the track. From Off-the-shelf Koni/bilstein to Moton tripple adjustable.

i have heard alot of good things about the tein suspension as well as the comptech here as a link to the tein ra if you havent seen it yet http://www.tein.com/radamp.html

I had a Stock 91 for more than a year, and recently I bit the silver bullet and decided to get the RA instead of the Type R, only reason is that while I don't like the car to be too low, I still want some sort of adjustability to my liking. I have a premium of one of my freind having RA on his nsx, and obviously I drove and rode it couple times. I can tell you that the RA is very stiff suspension, at cetrain bumpy portion of road, it gives you an unsettle feel, however, if your local road condtion is good, it's not that difficult to live with. Washington had a lot of concrete highway, and most of it is not properly maintained, (not as bad as I experienced in MO and mid west area.)

In a stock 91, when I go over those concrete, it's kind of noisy that you not only hear the road noise and also since the road surface is kind of separating at the weather joints, I can hear a little "train" noise.... Now with Tein RA, this is not an distrurbing road noise but a real loud Vibration, with not train noise but you feel like you are riding a shopping cart (If you ever "ride" on a shopping cart over the parking lot, yes this is exactly how I felt with the RA, of course there's still a little damping that my hands are not numb)

To me, I don't think the RA is unacceptable as someone else put it over Prime. However, I do want to avoid some sort of roads if I really don't have to drive on.

Seems like your main use of the car is on street and you would like to spent some time on track. No RA or R suspension definately, I would recommend you as least have a track day before deciding which suspension you want to be on. Hopefully you can ask someone who's capable to drive your car, or sit in theirs to give you an idea.

Some people had good experience with just the thicker sway bar. Seems like you are willing to spend $2000 on the suspension, but if you factor out the labor cost, alignment and possibly other adjustment fee ( I knew some shop out there charged their customers for any suspension adjustments), you don't have a lot of choice out there, if you make a bad decision and have to end up getting another one, it will be costly!!

Tein RA. Love it and don't feel it is harsh at all. Very easy to adjust the shock dampening as you see fit.

CerberusM5 said:

Hi guys,

I want to improve the handling of my 04’ NSX but not at the price of considerably deteriorated ride quality and accelerated tire wear. My goal is to reduce understeer considerably, achieve sharper and more responsive steering, and moderate reduction in ride height. My budget is $2000 and under for the suspension package.

I am totally confused by all the options available. I am hoping to get rides in fellow members cars with various modified suspensions at the JGTC. What do you guys think?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Sandy

Click to expand...

Look here: http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Performance/suspension.htm

Very good information.

There are many informative threads on this topic currently (they should be quite helpful):

Tein RA:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44234

Type-R:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42748

Hi guys,

Thanks very much for the feedback and links to other threads and FAQ related to my suspension topic. I read these threads and found them very helpful. However, it can be very confusing, since there are so many different opinions out there on the best suspension for the NSX. Of course this was to be expected.

As mentioned previously, I am not looking for absolute maximum handling performance, unless the trade off is not bone jarring ride compliance and 3000 mile tire wear. The car is primarily an aggressively driven street car, that will be driven on the track occassionaly. I am looking for the best compromise in a performance suspension package.

Thanks again for all the input. Keep it coming.

Sandy

CerberusM5 said:

Hi guys,
........3000 mile tire wear. .........Thanks again for all the input. Keep it coming.

Sandy

Click to expand...

Suspension will not affect tire wear, only the alignment.

Listen to Andrie. I think you are either describing the Comptech Koni Yellow setup (or Ground Control if they are still selling it), or actually the Bilsteins with stock springs on the lower or Eibachs with the higher perch.

I finally got to ride with the Type R suspension on track. It is great on track, but I would not like it for everyday. The Konis are a better track setup than the Teins IMHO.

But the Comptech Pro is the best of both worlds, plus they are very easy to install and remove.

With your stated goals I would also consider the koni yellow/zanardi combo.

A Koni setup will work fine for you. And within the price you're calculating with, you can buy a set of stiffer swaybars also :wink:

Just testing you baby!

Thanks for posting that FAQ Gerrard, it makes very informative reading.

-Rob

robfenn said:

Just testing you baby!

Thanks for posting that FAQ Gerrard, it makes very informative reading.

-Rob

Click to expand...

At your service :smile:

so which set up are you leaning more to???

I debated the same issues 3 months ago. I was in the same boat and planning on doing 6+ HPDE's a year. In the end, after all the research, speaking to track guys, talking to Chris at SOS, this is now I ranked them:

1. Comptech Pro- out of your/my price range.
2. Type R- Best for track, too harsh for an evening out.
3. Koni/zanardi setup- ideal mix for track/street use.
4. Tein's- look good, adjustable, but a little too "bouncy" with some lack of feed back at the track.

I ended up getting the Type R. Its too stiff for street use, but I am hoping they are awesome at the track. It rained at the last track event. So, jury is still out until feb/march.