1g GSX Suspension setup?

[Malhavok]

Ok well I bought a GSX last year and I now finally have the money to start modding. I have a few set-ups in mind but nothing finalized, and I don't even know if some of them will even work.... so here goes, drop your 2 cents it will be much appreciated!

Eibach Pro-kit/H&R and AGX
The only reason I like this settup is because its cheap. I really would like to go lower w/ sportlines but I've heard the AGX don't handle it well.

Eibach Sportline AGX/Koni hybrid
Umm, $600 for the shocks alone...

Ground Controls
Seems a bit rice as GC is sleeves. That being said the local ricer shop swears by them. He even has them on his road race honda. Performance-wise how do the GC compare to a standard spring set-up? What shocks would you reccomend?

Apexi World Sport
A bit out of my price range and I've heard they are geared more towards comfort than performance

Tein SS or JIC FLT-A2

Both too pricey. I don't even know if the Tein SS can be modified to fit 1g?

Well thats what I'm looking at. Throughts much appreciated.

 

[DaveDSM]

there is no "best" overall when talking suspension. it entirely depends on what your goals and use of the car are.

If you want to road race or autocross the car, I'd heavily suggest getting DSS coilovers to match up to the AGX's or Koni's.

If you want to look "good", then lower the crap out of the car and fight alignment issues.

If you want a middle of the two, I'll tell you now, you'll have a hard time with any of the availiable progressive rate springs and hitting the bumpstops.

I'm running AGX's and Sus. Tech. springs, and the bumpstop has become a common occurance over the bumps and holes in NE roads. The only way to correct this is for me to go with linear rate springs, which seem to only be availiable on coilover setups. Luckily, I'm a suspension Nazi and autocross the crap out of the car, so it's a logical step up for me. For you and anyone else, it may be different though depending on your wants and goals.

so what do you want the car to do?

 

[NDgsx]

I've had H&Rs on two cars and a couple of my friends have had them, no bump stop problems for me or them.

 

[Malhavok]

I would like to ultimately do some road racing, but thats no where in the near future. For now I am looking for an aggressive street suspension. At this point anything that makes the GSX behave less like an understeering pig is good (Yes, its comparative... the GSX isn't nearly as bad as my moms 99 Accord). I will probably do a bit of Autocrossing aswell this summer.

Dropwise I'm happy with either the Sportlines or GC/DSS. I still want to be able to clear speedbumps without angling 70 degrees like a Rabbit-Catcher Honda. So I guess it comes down to performance and price.

Sportline + AGX/Koni Combo $800
Ground Control + AGX $800
DSS + AGX $850
DSS + Koni $1050
Apex Worldsport $950

Ok, so the first 3 are pretty much the same price... which is the best performance? What about the DSS and Koni's? is it worth the extra $200? Finally there is the world Worldsports which are true coilovers but I haven't heard anything good about them.

 

[DaveDSM]

I would go DSS and a Koni/AGX hybrid like RRE sells.

NDgsx--are you sure about that? On a 1G you only get about 1 inch of lowering before the strut travel basically stops. You may just be riding on them without knowing...I don't believe going past that 1 inch mark is very good for alignment either. On AGX's going past 1.5" will void the warranty as well.

 

[DaveDSM]

also, if my 1-1.25" progressive lowering spring is bottoming out, then why isn't a 1.8" progressive rate H&R? Doesn't make sense to me, unless the H&R's are linear rate, but on the Tuning Guide for 1G Suspension on this site, it lists them as progressive.

 

[NDgsx]

1.8" drop? Huh?

Are you looking at 2G awd "race springs" that H&R makes? The only spring I have ever seen for 1Gs by H&R lowers the car no more than an inch.

I agree with you on the ride height issue, I would not lower a 1G more than 1.25", ever. Not for alignment though, that's easy to correct, but for geometry. Lowering a car with macphersion struts excessively actually increases body roll: http://e30m3performance.com/myths/Weight_Transfer/weight_transfer2.htm
It does increase bumpsteer as well.

As for what setup to go with, konis work well with lower spring rates, but they are not valved for the spring rates most people run with coilovers.
If you get the DSS coilovers get AGXs.

 

[DaveDSM]

wheres a link to the 1g h&rs? are they linear rate? the 1.8" lowering i got off this sites suspension guide for the h&r race.

im just trying to get rid of my bumpstop problems with my suspension technique springs, and am carrying over what i know from the Mustang camp.

sweet link, dude. it also increases camber, which leads to some funky tread wear.