hey jim

[NOAHS88accord]

are the suspension techniques sway bars a good investment for a guy with a 88 lx? I plan on getting ground control coilovers, koni specials all around, camber kit, and maybe the sway bars if they are worth getting? also is there any strut tower braces available for a carbed accord? also where can i get these on the internet at? thanks in advance

Noah

[dXsquared]

i thot that i would stick a hey jim in here too!

Hey JIMBO!!! Why are some spring setups stiffer in the rear and some are stiffer in the front???

Thanks

Travis

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by NOAHS88accord
are the suspension techniques sway bars a good investment for a guy with a 88 lx? I plan on getting ground control coilovers, koni specials all around, camber kit, and maybe the sway bars if they are worth getting? also is there any strut tower braces available for a carbed accord? also where can i get these on the internet at? thanks in advance

Noah

Well their's a catch to the S//T sway bar's. Their front bar isn't much thicker than the stock bar. You can go one of two things. Either use S/T's front and rear bar or find a way to install urathane bushings and end links to the stock bar and only install the S/T rear bar. From a tuning viewpoint I am not happy that S/T decided to not make their rear bar thicker. S/T bar's are 15/16" front and 5/8" rear. One could have a custom copy of the stock rear bar made in say 7/8" for $180. In any event I recommend that you first install the Ground-Controls and Koni's, along with at least 15" low profile performance tires and a rear sway bar out of a lxi (cheap mod). Run with it for at least 2 weeks or more and then decide if you want less lean in the corners. If you don't think it lean's much in the corner's, find a way to add urathane bushings to both sway bars so you get the better response and sharper reflexes of such bushings.

Curious, just how low do you plan to lower the car with the GC's?

Best place to get the Koni's would be www.shox.com $424 with free shipping ask them to price match nopi's price on GC's at $329. I do not know what shox charges for a camber kit, I would price compair it to what www.optauto.com sell's the progress camber kit for.

You can't get a front strut tower bar for the carbed car. Best thing I could think of is to find a shop that does fabrication and see about having them make some braces that tie the strut tower's into the firewall. For a rear strut tower bar, Justin aka 88turboaccord, does make them from time to time. When may want to drop him a pm and find out if he will every make more. If you have the money, I do recommend strut tower bracing at any point in modding your car.

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by DXHATCHBACK
i thot that i would stick a hey jim in here too!

Hey JIMBO!!! Why are some spring setups stiffer in the rear and some are stiffer in the front???

Thanks

Travis

None of them are stiffer in the rear. All the aftermarket springs and coilovers do increase the rear spring rates more than they increase the front rates,.....except for eibach, they go the other way and have really WEAK rear spring rates, avoid that at all costs. Weaker rear spring rates will increase a FWD car's understeer, go even weaker than stock and you will make MORE understeer, why would you want that?

The idea behind increasing the rear spring rates more than the front's get increased, is to tune out some of the car's natural FWD understeer. I've seen lot's of people involved in SCCA and autocrossing that will actually have the rear spring rates higher than the front. I wouldn't want to go that extream with my own car, I'd prefer to run a thicker rear sway bar

[dXsquared]

so when installing a coil over setup, you should put the softer springs in the rear?

Travis

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by DXHATCHBACK
so when installing a coil over setup, you should put the softer springs in the rear?

Travis

Yes, I would. In theory going stiffer in the rear should reduce understeer. But I'd worry about drop throttle oversteer and trail braking oversteer. I'd worry about either one suddenly happening without warning. Which may or may not happen, but it certainly increase's the risk. I'd rather reduce the gap between front to rear spring rates, rather than go beyond that. If I had access to a shelf full of different rear spring rates, I would try it out, but otherwise, no thanks. BTW drag springs are way high stiff in the rear, 500lbs front 900lbs! rear.

[NOAHS88accord]

i want to go with about a 2.5-3 inch drop, and I want to put 16" rims on it also

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Originally posted by NOAHS88accord
i want to go with about a 2.5-3 inch drop, and I want to put 16" rims on it also

To be frank and brutaly honest, going that low really isn't part of sound high performance suspension tuning outside of the smooth tame world of a race track. Spending the money for the sway bars wouldn't really pay off since a ride height that low will really reduce your ability to get to high g's without a really smooth bump free surface. And keep in mind that you really should shorten the front struts when you go past 2.25" drop. Koni does shorten the bodies of thier strut for a fee. I do not recommend going lower than 2" drop for those that want their car to do the hussle, if ya know what I mean. Of course you can go lower than that, but it'll take away from the performance aspect, which is fine if it doesn't mess with your priorities. Some people are for show, some people are for go, and that's ok.

[NOAHS88accord]

I have decided to sell the 3g and buy a 1996 ford bronco and go the lifted route, its been fun having the 3g. My priorities are different now, and I need something that I can drive in Alaska winters without worrying about hitting a moose and getting crushed, I will still visit site to read Nates posts (funny shit)

Peace
Noah

[Jims 86LXI HB]

Yeah I've heard stories about the moose, lol:lol I hope everything works out for you. You've got a few months before you come back, plenty of time to change you mind if ya wanted to. I could definately believe that their are allot less cars than trucks in alaska, would make sense to me.

[goldyaccord]

Originally posted by Jims 86LXI HB
To be frank and brutaly honest, going that low really isn't part of sound high performance suspension tuning outside of the smooth tame world of a race track. Spending the money for the sway bars wouldn't really pay off since a ride height that low will really reduce your ability to get to high g's without a really smooth bump free surface. And keep in mind that you really should shorten the front struts when you go past 2.25" drop. Koni does shorten the bodies of thier strut for a fee. I do not recommend going lower than 2" drop for those that want their car to do the hussle, if ya know what I mean. Of course you can go lower than that, but it'll take away from the performance aspect, which is fine if it doesn't mess with your priorities. Some people are for show, some people are for go, and that's ok.

I plan to prove you WRONG However, I understand about keeping the tire on the firmly on the ground. I'd want to use a softer suspension in the city, but I love to spend my time on the highways/freeways and out on the backroads. They tend to be smoother.

[iamvandemon]

thanks for the info jim! i also found it very helpfull. your the man!!