Ok, so here's the deal... I have the budget of a college student mixed with a dsm owner so I'm trying to find a good suspension setup for every day driving. I rarely go to the track, but I do driving some twisty roads on occasions and I enjoy a good handling car.

I'm looking for about a 1" drop or so to get rid of some wheel gap. I'd like to not bottom out on things and also be able to raise my car back to stock heights when it snows out as well.

I was looking at some koni yellows with some eibach springs, but I dunno if that's the way I should go. Everyone seems to be going with like tein coilovers and whatnot and it's hard to figure out what to get. I am a engine guy, and I know jack about suspensions.

I've been reading through threads but that's only lead to more confusion about what I should get. Can I get some good solid reccomendations on what you would want on a daily driven car that has to deal with snow during the winter, drives the highway every day of its life, and makes frequent visits to twisty / mountain roads? I'd also like a little bit of a drop to... just to get rid of some gap. Thanks.

It sounds like you're in the same situation I am... on a budget, you want a little bit of a drop, and you want overall increased handling.

I plan on using the Eibach Pro-Kits with Tokico HP (Blues) shocks. The Pro-Kits will give you a nice 1"-1.5" drop to eliminate your fender gap while the HPs stiffen the ride and increase handling.

Many people go with the Illuminas, but I don't think I need that much adjustability in a suspension system. That's the same reason why I wouldn't go for coilovers. I'd rather have one permanent setting that can be used in a variety of situations.

Good luck.

Illuminas and ProKits or Koni Sports and H&R OE Sports. But you both knew I would say that, right?

- Jtoby

ps. there's a difference between one setting that can be used in a variety of situations and one setting that must be used in all situations

jtmcinder said:

ps. there's a difference between one setting that can be used in a variety of situations and one setting that must be used in all situations

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Quite true; in clarification, that one setting seems like it will work in all situations that my car will ever encounter. This may not hold true for everyone.

It's more a question of whether the one setting happens to be appropriate for the springrates. HPs, for example, don't have enough rebound for much more than stock springs, while Koni Sports can be taken as high as 650/425 and still work pretty well.

As I wrote before when suggesting a way to approach all this -- Wret: can you find that old thread and sticky it again? -- you first choose your springrates (and amount of lowering) and then match the shocks to them. So, if you are staying on stock springs, go ahead and get HPs or a new set of GR2s. If you are going to something like ProKits, then get Illuminas. If you going any stiffer than this, you'll want shocks with a higher ratio of rebound to compression damping and that pretty much requires Konis.

- Jtoby

Are you sure about the HPs? Tokico themselves, sell shock/spring combos, that include the HPs and springs that lower the car by about 1.5".

I'm not challenging what you know... I'm just curious.

Whoa... so many options. I don't want to be an ass... but can someone just give me a set of shocks/springs or coilovers that will work with a tiny bit of a drop with a good overall increase in handling, but not break the bank and then tell me why it would be good? I like can't grasp all of the variables in a good suspension setup and I don't mind learning, but every time I look around I just get more confused.

I think a 1.5" inch drop might be too much for a daily driver that has some interesting roads to deal with. 1" might even be pushing it, but I'd manage.

edit... I'm going to look at jtmcinder's suggestions...

HPs do not have enough rebound to handle springs with decent rates. Any kit based on HPs is probably not much stiffer than stock. I would cut one coil off stock springs before paying for such.

IMO, the lowest-quality set-up for a 2G worth paying money for is Prokits and Illuminas. Next up is Koni Sports and H&R OE Sports. After that it gets complicated, which is not what the thread-starter asked for.

- Jtoby

jtmcinder said:

HPs do not have enough rebound to handle springs with decent rates. Any kit based on HPs is probably not much stiffer than stock. I would cut one coil off stock springs before paying for such.

IMO, the lowest-quality set-up for a 2G worth paying money for is Prokits and Illuminas. Next up is Koni Sports and H&R OE Sports. After that it gets complicated, which is not what the thread-starter asked for.

- Jtoby

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I was thinking about the koni yellows and the h&r oe springs but I was also considering a tein SS coilover setup. Would I be better off with the teins if i need to adjust my ride height?

Edit...
The Tein setup is like a little less than $100 more, shipped, than the koni/h&r setup. Is it worth the extra $100 though?

I personally prefer the HR over the pro kit. The HR springs felt great and they are cheap too.

right now, I'm using GC coil overs and AGX's but.....

how about the Tein H-tech
* Spring Rate: 207 lbs/in Front - 129 lbs/in Rear
* 0.9 Inch Drop (FR) & 0.9 Inch Drop (RR)

i was planning on getting these and Tokico HPs

DSMSpyder99 said:

how about the Tein H-tech
* Spring Rate: 207 lbs/in Front - 129 lbs/in Rear
* 0.9 Inch Drop (FR) & 0.9 Inch Drop (RR)

i was planning on getting these and Tokico HPs

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what about the tien SS coilovers?

JiveMasterT said:

what about the tien SS coilovers?

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well the springs are 180 and the shocks are 280 (i think) both on Extremepsi...thats about $500 cheaper than the Tien SS. im on a tighter budget than a college budget (and im in college)...i drive 60miles a day 91oct is 2.83, i have to pay $575 for rent, bills (utilities,cable, gas, cell, and car), have a gf i have to take out.... all this on $10/hr

This is just my opinion but I have KYB GR2's with Sprint Performance Springs and I love the ride height as well as the comfort of the ride. Its not that expensive of a setup either. Now if you want to spend the money I would step one grade higher than the GR2's I got those at the time cause thats what I could afford. Just my 2¢.