Need advice on budget setup

2830 Views 16 Replies 8 Participants Last post by 96BlkSE-R, Jun 12, 2002

By Nature

Discussion Starter · May 25, 2002

I want nice tight daily driver street ride, with little body roll.
I am very much on budget since I gotta start saving for next school year tuition. This is what I can afford:

1. AGX / Prokits
2. 15" rims with nice tires / sway bar set

I don't care about wheel gaps, agressive looks or auto-x events. I care about least maintenance, stiff/tight ride, but not tiring on long trips, nice highway curve hugging, less body roll and tight handling on shitty city roads.

What choise would you guys recommend?

(if anyone has experienced acura rsx handling, this is something that I would like, no flames please)

Thank you

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

SHigSpeed

· #2 · May 25, 2002

By Nature said:
I want nice tight daily driver street ride, with little body roll.
I am very much on budget since I gotta start saving for next school year tuition. This is what I can afford:

1. AGX / Prokits
2. 15" rims with nice tires / sway bar set

I don't care about wheel gaps, agressive looks or auto-x events. I care about least maintenance, stiff/tight ride, but not tiring on long trips, nice highway curve hugging, less body roll and tight handling on shitty city roads.

What choise would you guys recommend?

(if anyone has experienced acura rsx handling, this is something that I would like, no flames please)

Thank you

It's gonna be hard to get RSX handling with $900. I'm assuming $900 from $400 15" wheels and $300 for tires plus $200 bars. You should be able to get Prokits and AGXs for about $600.

What I'd recommend is GCs and AGXs for about $800 and then only lowering the car about an inch at most. Otherwise, if your budget is actually only $600, then get the AGXs and swaybars. Prokits really suck for shitty roads, and you'll be happier with the better damping plus reduced body roll. This way, you could always upgrade to GCs later for $400 and not have wasted $$ on crappy springs.

-Scott

By Nature

Discussion Starter · #3 · May 25, 2002

Thanks Scott. What about that problem that people have if they keep their GC settings to high the coils will bind, so I would actually have to drop the car atleast 1.5" or pay for custom setup. In any case I don't think I will be going to go with GC, if I will get some money I will look into motivational setup or other coilovers. But for now school first.

So AGX and Sway bars, hmm. Damn, at the Nissan meets I always feel ashamed of my hubcaps. Oh well keeping it stealth.

Should I get stock sway bar and ST or Stillen rear bar? I have read alot of people have switched back to stock front bar, to decrease understeer on track. How does that translate on the street driving. Better to go with complete ST set or is stock bar a good idea on the street too?

SHigSpeed

· #4 · May 25, 2002

By Nature said:
Thanks Scott. What about that problem that people have if they keep their GC settings to high the coils will bind, so I would actually have to drop the car atleast 1.5" or pay for custom setup. In any case I don't think I will be going to go with GC, if I will get some money I will look into motivational setup or other coilovers. But for now school first.

So AGX and Sway bars, hmm. Damn, at the Nissan meets I always feel ashamed of my hubcaps. Oh well keeping it stealth.

Should I get stock sway bar and ST or Stillen rear bar? I have read alot of people have switched back to stock front bar, to decrease understeer on track. How does that translate on the street driving. Better to go with complete ST set or is stock bar a good idea on the street too?

If you get 8" springs for the GCs, you won't coilbind. Spring length change is no charge extra for the coilovers.

If you're not going to lower the car, GCs and AGXs are better for handling than the Motivationals. They don't damp as well as the AGXs. Their main advantage is the shortened struts which allows you to lower the car a lot more than with stock length springs.

As for your swaybar issue, I suppose if you aren't going to race it, both bars would feel better because of the reduced body roll and better turn in feel, but you may tend to understeer more at the limit. If limit handling is a priority (which it shouldn't be on the street) then maybe get the rear bar first then see where your balance is.

later,

-Scott

By Nature

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 25, 2002

interrigatioin continues

ok while you're willing to answer some Q, I got whole bunch more...

1. As I understand sway bar lifts the inner wheel at very sharp turns, while at reg. turns it keeps both tires planet to the ground. My question is: on the highway speeds wouldn't that help car roll over on sharp turn even more since the acceleration of the body pushes the car to the outside of the circle and the center of the mass will shift towards the outside of the car. I'm not very strong in physics, so I probably misunderstood something, but I would think it would be better if sway bar would push onto outside wheel to counter balance the acceleration (force??) to the outside...

2. When people cut the stock bumpstops, as I understand the cut off the boot section as well (same with Koni bumpstops)... Do you throw it away? Does it's absence affect the life of a strut/shock since it probably is there to prevent dirt.

3. What are spring packers? I've read that term but don't understand it's meaning. Are they those rubber rings that sit on top and bottom of spring?

I thinks thats it for now. Thanks

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PatScottAKA99XE

· #6 · May 26, 2002

Some answers for ya Serge,

swaybars, Think of your wheels attached with a "U" shaped bar ie..

Top veiw

[] []
(_)
Wheels are the [] and the swaybar is the (_)
When you turn(lets say right) the body roll in your car forces down on the left wheel, the swaybar tries to pick-up on the right wheel, this action counters the body roll and flatens the car out. The harder you turn the harder the bar picks-up on the inside wheel. It really wouldnt induce a roll, because it trys to split the cornering traction between the two wheels instead of the outside(left) working its butt off to get all of the grip. The only way a roll would occur is if you had SUPER sticky tires, becasue with out the bar your outside tire would not have enough grip and it would slip.

Bumpstops, on a B14(dont know about others) the bumpstop is tottaly seperate from the boot, Its a foam clylinder the rides on the strut shaft, it keep the strut body from hitting the top strut mount as well as keeping the piston (on the other end of the shaft, inside the strut body) ffrom hitting the bottom of the strut body) when you cut them(30mm for a B14? cant remember) It gives you that much more travel before you bottom out on it. I dont belive it is enogh trave to bottom the piston though(?). The boot just covers the whole thing, to keep dirt out.

Spring packers(snubbers?), Rubber pucks that go inbetween spring coils to 1.increase rate and sometimes 2. give more ride height(hey im a ******* boy, ever do a cheap lift on a coil spring truck? i have)

Scott,

I have been informed by M.E. that they have damper inserts that are good for 400lbs springs available now, I think these new inserts would damp well enough(whats your opinion?) on a side note M.E. can convert their front struts to external adjust for extra $. what do you think of this idea for Serge, Stock springs with packers and AGX's? Would this even work, there would be some reduced travel, but not becasue of strut bottoming. Possibly bind the "un-packed" coils? Wow I just though of that set-up, give me some feed-back guys, for once I am interested in one of my ideas for more than a second...lol

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By Nature

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 27, 2002

Thanks for explanation Pat, I understand it better now

SHigSpeed

· #8 · May 27, 2002

PatScottAKA99XE said:
.....

Scott,

I have been informed by M.E. that they have damper inserts that are good for 400lbs springs available now, I think these new inserts would damp well enough(whats your opinion?) on a side note M.E. can convert their front struts to external adjust for extra $. what do you think of this idea for Serge, Stock springs with packers and AGX's? Would this even work, there would be some reduced travel, but not becasue of strut bottoming. Possibly bind the "un-packed" coils? Wow I just though of that set-up, give me some feed-back guys, for once I am interested in one of my ideas for more than a second...lol

That's cool. Did you get the specs on the damping rates? I'd be interested to know what they are. Without the numbers, there's no way of knowing how well they will perform.

I really have no experience with spring packers so I can't comment with much authority. If it were me, I'd sooner cut the stock springs before going with packers, however both methods are pretty ghetto in my book and I'd suggest saving up for coilovers.

-Scott

PatScottAKA99XE

· #9 · May 27, 2002

Scott,

No I havent got the numbers, the biggest reason it that I am no longer going to purchace that set-up, so I have lost a little bit of intrest in it. I would like to see the nubers though, out of curiosity.

I tottaly agree that both methods are "ghetto" and I to would rather cut springs instead of using packers. I was just throwing that idea out there. Yes I belive that shortened strut coilovers are the ONLY way to lower a B14 alot. I think stock springs, AGX's, and sways would do wonders for a B14 on a budget.

XtremE

· #10 · May 29, 2002

there are also the H&R springs i heard good stuff about them
and they have a 1.3" front and 1.2" rear drop, are also cheaper than the prokits

rememeber our cars look bad if u drop the same height all around bcause our wheel wheels in the back are lower,
but the choice is yours

Skinny G

· #11 · May 30, 2002 (Edited)

XtremE said:
rememeber our cars look bad if u drop the same height all around bcause our wheel wheels in the back are lower,
but the choice is yours

What is your preference? I have even fender gaps front and rear on a B13, but I have a hunch the front is too low.

What does yours measure from hub centre to top fender edge? 13" on mine.

G

dookie

· #12 · May 30, 2002

on B14s isn't there much less travel on the rear suspension than the front? So wouldn't it be better to lower the front a little bit more than the rear? How much cheaper are the H&Rs compared to the Eibachs?

LIUSPEED

· #13 · Jun 8, 2002

there is the difference in price but how much im not sure . but i can check for you if you PM me. I can get u Goldlines for like 190 includes tax n shipping.

LexKyB13

· #14 · Jun 11, 2002

anything over 2 inches is detrimental to performance, as you will hit the bumpstops. prokits are the way to go for handling, if you want to slam your car, get coilovers.

G

· #15 · Jun 11, 2002

dookie said:
on B14s isn't there much less travel on the rear suspension than the front? So wouldn't it be better to lower the front a little bit more than the rear? How much cheaper are the H&Rs compared to the Eibachs?

Absolutely right. There is only about 3/4" or so of travel on a stock setup B14. When you lower it, you'll be sitting on the bumpstops and having a rough ride.

I advise getting the Motivational rear strut mounts, as I did. They give you about 1" of extra travel, and let your shock dampen better.

Also, Eibach Pro-Kits do NOT suck on rough roads - they are stiff, but not bouncy. H&R's are much rougher - trust me, drove a friend's SE-R with them on it. Plus, the 2 guys I know with H&R springs have had sagging problems with them. They start out fine, then drop about another 1/2"-3/4" over the first year or so. My buddy's Honda started bottoming out and rubbing everything in sight, until he replaced the H&R's.

The Eibach Pro-Kit/AGX setup will run you $589 for the whole enchilada from coximport.com. Best $600 I ever spent on a car...

dookie

· #16 · Jun 11, 2002

looks like i'll be saving up for some AGX's with pro-kits and some motivational rear mounts, don't forget the koni bumpstops.

G

· #17 · Jun 12, 2002

dookie said:
don't forget the koni bumpstops.

I didn't use the Koni bumpstops. I chose to get new original bumpstop/boot combos from Mother Nissan, then cut them per the directions included with the Pro-Kit springs. They say to cut 20mm out of the bumpstop, which is exactly 1 section off both the front & rear Nissan B14 stops. The only thing is that you end up with 2 separate pieces - a bumpstop & a boot - after it is cut. But, the system is working flawlessly on my almost stock-looking car - no rubbing, bottoming - nothing. And I'm running 205/50's on my stock SE-R rims.

Good luck...

And, the Motivational mounts are awesome on the rear, since they add 1" of much-need travel...

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