Looking to drop my car

[tosugrad]

But want to maintain a civilized ride. I see 3 options:

1) Stock shock plus aftermarket springs

2) Stock springs plus aftermarket shocks

3) Aftermarket springs and shocks

I see Eibach has Pro springs for like $275 at shox.com. It gives a nice 1.2" drop.

I had Eibachs with stock shocks on my last NSX and liked it.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?

THANKS!

 

[Big_D]

This topic has been discussed several times. Do a search on suspension and you'll probably find several threads worth reading.

Most popular setup on the street is Bilsteins with factory springs mounted on the lower perch. It yields a nice .875" drop and a comfortable ride.

Aftermarket springs tend to ride alot rougher depending on the spring rates. You need to do a lot of research to see what rate is best for you. Some rates will cause the car to have more oversteer, some cause understeer, etc.
Check out Dali Racing's website for more spring rate info and comparison.

You also have the choice to go with Coilovers to allow adjustment of the ride height. They also reduce some weight. There are several brands available and some manufacturers allow you to specify what spring rates you want.

When you got it all figured out, let me know cause I have been trying to decide what to do with mine.

 

[NSX-Appeal]

Mine came with H&R springs and oem shocks which gave a nice 1.5" drop with a marginally harsher ride and improved cornering/body roll vs. stock.

Replaced that setup with Tein Flex adjustable coilovers so I could fine tune the ride height and stiffness. I love them, but they are a good deal stiffer than stock or even the H&R setup, so you need to be aware of that before considering coilovers.

Actually those H&R springs are still sitting in my garage. I guess I should put 'em in the forsale section. :wink:

 

[Da Hapa]

But want to maintain a civilized ride. I see 3 options:

1) Stock shock plus aftermarket springs

2) Stock springs plus aftermarket shocks

3) Aftermarket springs and shocks

I see Eibach has Pro springs for like $275 at shox.com. It gives a nice 1.2" drop.

I had Eibachs with stock shocks on my last NSX and liked it.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?

THANKS!

What is your goal? Looks vs. performance vs. ride control.

I'd drive the car a while before you decide to lower as the 2005 ride characteristics and rigidity (esp. with the roof panel removed) are going to be different from your old NSX.

Had I kept my NSX I was leaning towards the OEM Type S suspension. A slightly lower stance with improved handling and without the brutal ride of some other options.

 

[alum04org]

Da Hapa says it -
"What is your goal? Looks vs. performance vs. ride control.

I'd drive the car a while before you decide to lower as the 2005 ride characteristics and rigidity (esp. with the roof panel removed) are going to be different from your old NSX."

I'll open to flaming but don't give a rip about "Looks". Tell me you don't like the space between the rear quarter panels and top of the rear tires?

Who am I to second guess the best engineers Honda employs? Performance and ride control are awesome for the once/twice a year tracker... that said, I also enjoy seeing a well-kept NSX at a lower, more aggressive stance.

 

[gsr-nsx]

Most popular setup on the street is Bilsteins with factory springs mounted on the lower perch. It yields a nice .875" drop and a comfortable ride.

How does this affect tire wear... or does it?

 

[tosugrad]

What is your goal? Looks vs. performance vs. ride control.

I'd drive the car a while before you decide to lower as the 2005 ride characteristics and rigidity (esp. with the roof panel removed) are going to be different from your old NSX.

Had I kept my NSX I was leaning towards the OEM Type S suspension. A slightly lower stance with improved handling and without the brutal ride of some other options.

Id like the drop for looks, maintain same ride control (or a bit stiffer) and improve handling. Can I do all that?

 

[ChopsJazz]

When I had Eibachs on OEM shocks, "civilized" was not how I described the ride.

 

[Hrant]

Id like the drop for looks, maintain same ride control (or a bit stiffer) and improve handling. Can I do all that?

Based on these parameters, Big_D said it. Go with Bilstein lower perch and stock springs. Tire wear should not be affected (the max drop is 7/8") unless you also change the camber and toe.

Almost all the aftermarket springs are progressive (not linear). The Eibachs in particular are initially softer than the OEM - yes you are reading correctly, but when loaded they become stiffer. So doing springs alone without shocks will give you a "peculiar" or "civilized" handling not necessarily improved handling. And the OEM shocks can't handle much more than Eibach's or Dali's spring rates.

 

[Big_D]

How does this affect tire wear... or does it?

Anytime you lower a car, you affect the suspension geometry and therefore you should expect some additional tire wear. The factory ride height with '93 alignment specs is probably as good as it's going to get for tire wear on the NSX.

I would guess that with the Bilsteins on the lower perch, tire wear isn't going to be drastically reduced. It would nice to hear from other owners about this.

 

[ChopsJazz]

Anytime you lower a car, you affect the suspension geometry and therefore you should expect some additional tire wear. The factory ride height with '93 alignment specs is probably as good as it's going to get for tire wear on the NSX.

I would guess that with the Bilsteins on the lower perch, tire wear isn't going to be drastically reduced. It would nice to hear from other owners about this.

Good point. My Eibach/OEM set-up left the camber at unacceptable levels. At least now there's this product available to solve that problem.

 

[KooLaid]

Bilsteins lower perch with oem springs. Maintains the stock ride and pretty much handling but also lowers it "just enough" and "should" still be able to align within specs.

If you're looking for a major improvement in handling, there are other options. I'm on my 3rd different suspension setup. Looking at #4 next year.

Also, since it seems NO ONE is as adventurous as I am with my suspension experiments, you can also swap to different spring rates cheaper than any other setup on the bilsteins for minor adjustments.

Another great option is oem springs on bilsteins with dali coilover kit.

 

[Jetpilot3]

I went Eibach Pro Springs and Bilstein absorbers and love the handling.

 

[Hothonda]

Anytime you lower a car, you affect the suspension geometry and therefore you should expect some additional tire wear. The factory ride height with '93 alignment specs is probably as good as it's going to get for tire wear on the NSX.

I would guess that with the Bilsteins on the lower perch, tire wear isn't going to be drastically reduced. It would nice to hear from other owners about this.

I got 9K out of my OEM RE040's which is record for any NSX I've owned-
Bilsteins/stock springs on lower perch...

 

[mercedesx7]

hello guys,

how can i get s stiffer handling BUT keep the stock height??

ive been suffering at basement parking (due to parking slope) and also suffering during cornering (due to soft handling)..

need help guys.. which brand and model should i go?

thanks guys..

great website!

 

[swerve2007]

oem type-s setup drops the ride height .5-.75 in yet delivers improved handling vs. good ride.

 

[jorligan]

Sway bars will help the handling without affecting ride height. Mine is lowered with Eibach on stock springs and has the SOS sways front and rear, NSX-R front chassis brace. Looks good and ride isn't that much stiffer than stock and that is here in MI (worse roads than MN). Will probably be switching over the coilovers in the future for more adjustability.
Tim

 

[Big_D]

I got 9K out of my OEM RE040's which is record for any NSX I've owned-
Bilsteins/stock springs on lower perch...

Nice! I am glad to hear that. Tire wear is the only reason my car is still at stock height. Thanks for posting.

Sway bars will help the handling without affecting ride height. Mine is lowered with Eibach on stock springs and has the SOS sways front and rear, NSX-R front chassis brace. Looks good and ride isn't that much stiffer than stock and that is here in MI (worse roads than MN). Will probably be switching over the coilovers in the future for more adjustability.
Tim

From what I read, the NSX-R swaybar in the front with OEM swaybar in the back and the NSX-R front chassis brace is a great combo.

 

[KooLaid]

hello guys,

how can i get s stiffer handling BUT keep the stock height??

ive been suffering at basement parking (due to parking slope) and also suffering during cornering (due to soft handling)..

need help guys.. which brand and model should i go?

thanks guys..

great website!

Fully adjustable coilovers
or
Type R suspension
or
Zanardi suspension

I would go with the fully adjustable coilovers. I had Tein RE and they were great for smooth roads. I haven't gotten a chance to drive it yet, but the Tein Flex seems pretty dang nice too.