Suspension Upgrade on 1991 - Needed or Not?

pgilliam1

pgilliam1

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My 1991 rides and handles good. I have had BMW's that I replaced suspensions on and noticed quite a difference. My NSX has 117,000 miles and I was considering replacing (what I assume are the originals - anyone know how to tell?) the stocks and springs with OEM's from later models on sale here. Good Idea or Bad Idea?? Is there a better idea for under $400.00? Your experience is all I have to go on and it would be appreciated!
Thanks
 
Look into Bilsteins. They made a noticeable difference on my 91 and it only had 38K on it or so. They also have two perch settings...one for stock right height and one that is 7/8" lower. Which is a good height that lowers the car, but won't have you scraping your front chin on everything. The ride seems a little firmer than stock to me, but not harsh.
They are about $480 shipped from Nopi I believe. At least that is what I paid this spring.
 
On a high performance car like the nsx I think new dampers would be a significant improvement over your 17:eek: y/o ones:wink:Use the search function with key words like: replace suspension worn out dampers ect.
 
+1

Cheapest to most expensive:

OEM suspension from later models (spring and shock)
Replace shocks with Bilstein (or Koni Yellows) and H&R Sport or Eibach springs
Aftermarket coilovers.

Either way as others have said, your dampers will more than likely lost a little bit of damping over the years.
 
stuntman said:
+1

Cheapest to most expensive:

OEM suspension from later models (spring and shock)
Replace shocks with Bilstein (or Koni Yellows) and H&R Sport or Eibach springs
Aftermarket coilovers.

Either way as others have said, your dampers will more than likely lost a little bit of damping over the years.
Click to expand...

++1. Since your going to have to remove your OEM springs, you may as well invest in a set of H&R or Eibach springs. Labor will cost the same regardless. I have Koni's adjustable with H&R springs, and it is like day and night in terms of handling and body roll. The koni's can adjust ride from firm to soft. I have no scraping at all.
 
Last edited:
remember though the hr springs lower at least 1.5 inches, not acceptable for some.
 
Thanks to all for the info. I will probably go with Bilsteins with stock springs. I'm a do-it-yourselfer like many here and enjoy working on my car. I hit an elevation in the road a little too fast the other day and was launched airborne. The car landed beautifully with only minor scraping of the tires on the front wheelwells ( I had a clear view ahead and noone but me on the road and no access points - very safe). That led me to the suspension idea. So far this car is a dream to work on and a dream to drive. THIS CAR ROCKS!
 
Just to underscore the Bilsteins I should say, my stock shocks were probably a little aged even though the low mileage on them. The front felt a little bouncy to me and felt a little light in high speed cornering.
With the bilsteins the front end feels tight and I have a lot more confidence in high speed corners. Great investment. Not to mention the car looks great lowered a bit.
 
blodi said:
Just to underscore the Bilsteins I should say, my stock shocks were probably a little aged even though the low mileage on them. The front felt a little bouncy to me and felt a little light in high speed cornering.
With the bilsteins the front end feels tight and I have a lot more confidence in high speed corners. Great investment. Not to mention the car looks great lowered a bit.
Click to expand...

+1

The Type-R chassis bars and upgraded sway bars made a big difference too.
 
This car is an enigma. There have been 3 owners. The second owner took it to R M RACING (now defunct) and had $12,000.00 worth of work done to it, all of which can't be confirmed becuase there are no records (I contacted the owner and he told me what he had done but he was kind of reserved with info. so I question it). It has urethane bushings on the sway bars which are 3/4 inches in diameter (I assume they're stock bars). The shocks have Acura OEM part numbers on them so I assume they're stock as well. This car will out-handle anything I've ever driven and that's why I bought it and I'm thrilled everytime I drive it. I just know from experience that 17 years is too long to expect shocks to perform as they should - so out they go. Happy Motoring to all and Thanks for your inputs!
 
pgilliam1 said:
Thanks to all for the info. I will probably go with Bilsteins with stock springs.
Click to expand...

This is a great way to go. Use he lower spring perches.

There are plenty of DIY threads on this install, so you won't have a shortage of info. My first spring/shock change took me 2 days with one helper. We dismantled the springs and shocks, which took most of the time. The second time I did it alone and it took me less than one hour to do all four corners.
 
Noob question here, sort of. Ok my NSX (92) still has its OEM struts. Miles are 54K. Handling still seems fine. But my question is how long before I should think about replacing them just because of age? Any thoughts? :confused:
 
NSXrunner said:
Noob question here, sort of. Ok my NSX (92) still has its OEM struts. Miles are 54K. Handling still seems fine. But my question is how long before I should think about replacing them just because of age? Any thoughts? :confused:
Click to expand...

You have about approx. another 10-15K miles left. You'll know when your car starts to float on the freeway.
 
+2 on the bilsteins. 78k, one stock rear shock was blown, the other on the way out. made a huge difference. front end is better, but I want to try the type r bars too. definently do something if you got 117k.
 
OK - So I bought a used set of OEM shocks and springs (from a member here) that were off of a 2000 year model with 18K miles on them (this recession has not been friendly) for $200. They made a big improvement in the ride but raised the car 1/4". The red rubber stops on my original shocks were reduced to red powder inside the boots :eek:. I hope I'm good for another 5 years when the current economic downturn should be over and the goodtimes are here again - and the new shocks :biggrin:.
Happy Holidays!
 
pgilliam1 said:
OK - So I bought a used set of OEM shocks and springs (from a member here) that were off of a 2000 year model with 18K miles on them (this recession has not been friendly) for $200. They made a big improvement in the ride but raised the car 1/4". The red rubber stops on my original shocks were reduced to red powder inside the boots :eek:. I hope I'm good for another 5 years when the current economic downturn should be over and the goodtimes are here again - and the new shocks :biggrin:.
Happy Holidays!
Click to expand...

Very nice.

Other than float on the freeway like one poster mentioned what other way can you determine the condition of the dampers? Is there a test that can be done?
 
I'm not sure how well this works for the NSX - your mileage may vary. I've worked with old muscle cars and the Camaro/Firebird groups. Get to a corner, and press down over the wheel - get it to compress as much as you can (maybe have someone sit on it). Then jump off/release quickly, and watch how the car moves. If there is any oscillation or "slowness" to the car returning to it's full height, definitely needs replaced.

On my NSX with the Teins installed, I can't get any compression, so, again, ymmv. Another option, what I used to prove to my Mom that she needed to redo her suspension - go for a ride in another NSX - if it feels tighter, that tightness is a sign that your suspension is overdue. My NSX handled fine earlier, I thought, and hers was a bit more "floaty". Then I test-drove for another prospective NSX buyer a 3rd party NSX (like my 7th to drive), and, wow, it handled great. That has now set the bar, and I realized that the other 6 were in need of work.

Not sure if this helps, but should give you something to think about. Suspension (replacing the shocks, the springs I am not so knowledgeable about) is something that I like to see done every 5-6 years on a domestic "sports car".
 
Dhalsim said:
Very nice.

Other than float on the freeway like one poster mentioned what other way can you determine the condition of the dampers? Is there a test that can be done?
Click to expand...

The springs on these cars are fairly firm, so the old push down on the fender (gently) and see if there is any bounciness is almost useless. Check for any leaks by pulling up your boots and exsposing the damper shafts (they should be clean and shiny with no buildup where they go into their housing - mine had no leakage at all). When you have the boots up you can also check the red rubber bumpers that surround the shaft (they are about 2 inches long and usually sit high on the shaft) - as I said mine were completely gone (these help keep the bumpers from bottoming out). It's really about "feel". The best way would be to drive, or ride, in a newer car with stock suspension and "feel" the difference over familiar roads. You can figure you will "feel" an improvement if yours are over 10 years old. But if you drive like "an old lady" you might not :wink:.
 
Thanks. I will definately check out the dampers and see if I can get a ride next time in a news NSX with upgarded suspension to see if there is much difference.
 
pgilliam1 said:
The springs on these cars are fairly firm, so the old push down on the fender (gently) and see if there is any bounciness is almost useless.
Click to expand...
Not very 'scientific' but not useless. A worn or blown out damper will allow the suspension to compress quicker and will feel more like a caddy. Stiff dampers wont allow you to compress the suspension that much.

Springs control the amount of roll
Dampers control the rate of roll

The stock NSX spring aren't that stiff and can be compressed quite a bit by pressing down on the car. Stiff dampers won't let you compress the shock by your body weight that much (it's resisting), a blown/worn damper (or if you took the damper out) would allow you to easily compress the spring a decent amount.



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