Need advice with suspension

[docdan]

Ok. Here's another thread regarding lowering ( or in my case ...raising...) the height of the NSX.

Here is my current setup:

1. springs eibach
2. shocks Stock
3. sway bars Dali Street/Track sway bars
4. any others suspension mods. None


Here is my problem:

The car is too dang low! Based on another suspension thread I read, I believe my car is lowered 1.25" inches with the eibach's. Perhaps mine is even lower since I have 2 car batteries in the front.

My problem is the same that many have. I scrape on everthing. Even on some apparantly level roads. I have beaten my chin spoiler all to heck and I'm tired of abusing my car this way.

My parameters:

I have no plans on ever tracking this car. This is just mainly for looks and show. I enjoy just cruising around on country roads with my wife jamming out music and so forth.

I still want to lower the car to some degree because mainly I think it looks a little more aggressive that way. So my parameters in descending order would be:

1. looks ( lower car perhaps 7/8")
2. comfort


My proposed solution:

Based on what I have read here on Prime, I think my best bet would be to return to stock springs and purchase Bilsteins and install them on the lower perch.

I'll be honest here... I really don't know a thing about suspension. I'm just regurgitating things I have read here. That's the reason for this post. Did I get this right?

Are there other solutions (combination springs/shocks) available that I'm not mentioning that would still lower my car a little bit lower than stock while retaining maximum comfort?

Thanks for all the help.

Dan

edit: spelling

 

[docjohn]

You could go with the zanardi springs(about 1/2 inch drop) and koni shocks,I'm not sure how the Z springs would be with stock shocks,you could also consider the oem zanardi or type S shocks that go with the Z springs.

 

[KSNSX]

It is my understanding that you will get 3/4 to 7/8" drop with the bilstiens and lower spring perch. This is the setup I am going with very soon. I agree with you on the looks and my new wheels and tires will look much better in the wells.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Cairo94507]

For what it is worth I just bought a set of the Bilstein shocks for my 2001. I wanted it to come down a little, say 3/4" and that would be fine for me. They cost $509 delivered. The next best price I found was $540 plus tax and shipping....

 

[D'Ecosse]

Hi Dan - you are somewhat more "handicapped" than the typical owner because of your body mods, which already impact your ground clearance. Lowering the car overall for appearance is generally to reduce the gap in the wheel well, but of course this can't be done without bringing your skirts & front end down too!
A fixed solution like Eibachs (springs) or Bilsteins (shocks) is going to be just that and you will again be "stuck" with whatever that happens to be. You also have no ability to adjust rear vs front independently, it will be whatever that option brings.
The ultimate solution is a coilover set-up where you can adjust the height even minutely to your exact requirements. I would recommend this so you can have the ultimate flexibility to dial in your exact needs & if you feel you want to change it again later, you still have the flexibility to do so.
It only takes literally minutes to change the height but any changes should be followed up with a re-alignment for permanent driving (so not something you want to be doing continually). But say you were in a car show - you could have a couple of preset markers for the height & slam it for the show (where you wouldn't be driving it much and the alignment change not critical) then return to your driving position afterwards.

 

[docdan]

You could go with the zanardi springs(about 1/2 inch drop) and koni shocks,I'm not sure how the Z springs would be with stock shocks,you could also consider the oem zanardi or type S shocks that go with the Z springs.

Thanks for the reply, docjohn...is this the setup you have? If so, can you comment on the relative comfort of the Z springs/Koni shock versus the stock OEM setup?

 

[docdan]

[/I]

The ultimate solution is a coilover set-up where you can adjust the height even minutely to your exact requirements. I would recommend this so you can have the ultimate flexibility to dial in your exact needs & if you feel you want to change it again later, you still have the flexibility to do so.
It only takes literally minutes to change the height but any changes should be followed up with a re-alignment for permanent driving (so not something you want to be doing continually). But say you were in a car show - you could have a couple of preset markers for the height & slam it for the show (where you wouldn't be driving it much and the alignment change not critical) then return to your driving position afterwards.

Hey Ken, thanks for helping again. --- I've read somethings about coilovers, but really have no first hand knowledge regarding them. I've heard people say that the Tein's are a bit harsh. I've read some people say that the Tein RA's are still harsh, and I believe those are the ones with the adjustable dampening. Are there any other brands that are compatible with the NSX that are little more comfortable than others?

The idea of being able to adjust the height, especially "within minutes" is very appealing. Is this something that requires removing the tires or any special tools?

 

[docjohn]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23762&highlight=zanardi+springs+koni. There are others as well search under zanardi springs koni and you will get some good stuff.I liked the combo,on full soft the susp felt very comfy.Good luck

 

[nsxtasy]

I have heard from others that the ride quality with the Konis is firmer than stock, even when set on the softest setting.

Base on what I have read here on Prime, I think my best bet would be to return to stock springs and purchase Bilsteins and install them on the lower perch.

Based on your stated priorities, I agree.

 

[docdan]

For what it is worth I just bought a set of the Bilstein shocks for my 2001. I wanted it to come down a little, say 3/4" and that would be fine for me. They cost $509 delivered. The next best price I found was $540 plus tax and shipping....

Thanks for the info. If you don't mind me asking, where did you purchase the Bilstein's from? You may private me the answer if you don't wish to post it publicly.

 

[D'Ecosse]

I have the JIC FLTA2 Dan - if you do a search on here you'll find a reference.
I rode in a TEIN equipped car & swore I would never have those on mine, regardless if it gave the best handling in the world!
My JIC's are quite comfortable - stiff yet still compliant enough to make them a smooth ride - they certainly don't suffer from the pogo-stick effect of the TEIN's - I'm extremely satisfied with the choice. The track advocates may have better suggestions for pure performance, but these fit my requirements just perfectly.
Most Coilovers adjust for height the same way - they have two locking rings that you adjust with a pair of "C" wrenches. On the rear of mine, I can actually reach them with the car raised without taking off the wheels! Ideally you take the wheels off, but that only adds a few mins to the process fo rbetter access. What you can do is adjust it, drive it to test on your favourite(??!!!) low spots and re-adjust as necessary before you settle on a ride-height and get it alinged. I would mark the positons of the locking rings & measure them form a reference point, so if you adjusted it down for a show, you could simply re-set back to your reference without requiring a re-alignment.

 

[senna]

Thanks for the info. If you don't mind me asking, where did you purchase the Bilstein's from? You may private me the answer if you don't wish to post it publicly.

I just recently bought my bilstein-shocks at Dali-Racing (www.daliracing.com), low price and great service. (delivered in Europe-Belgium after 4 days). With thanks to Mark Johnson.

 

[nsxtasy]

I bought my Bilsteins from CGI Motorsports. Low price, great service. Send a PM to NSXprime username Chuck for more information.

 

[mickeylex]

You can also try eBay. I found a good price there. Do a search on "NSX Bilstein" on ebay and a seller called "techdeals1" will come up. He sells them for $509 shipped (no tax). Next closest I found was $540 + shipping + tax. If you are in CA, you should get shocks within two days from shipping. Easy transaction.

 

[jbum]

If you want an aggressive stance, I would suggest the bilsteins on the lower perch and getting hub spacers (or whatever they are called).

The spacer I have pushes out the wheels by almost an inch and it looks great. I still have stock 5 spoke wheels but it still looks pretty good.

 

[mackash]

I had the Bilstein shocks with stock springs on the lower perch and did NOT like it at all. It just did not seem like a good match (too bouncy). I now have the Comptech coilovers and love the way they perform. They can be smooth as silk or you can turn them down and dry your teeth out. :smile:

 

[rjp]

I just changed out my stock springs to Tein S Tech, who advertise a .7" front drop and 1.0" rear drop. I've found this to be just right on my car as it's just enough lowering to look "cooler" and it seems to be just little enough to keep from scraping/rubbing like heck/bigtime alignment problems. The springs can be had for under $200 shipped at various sources. Good luck.