My 98 Accord
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Suspension 101



 

 



 

So, if you’ve clicked here I assume you want your car lowered. It may be only slightly or slammed to the ground. There are many ways to do this. Some right some wrong. I will only discuss the right ways and will mention the wrong ones briefly. Among the wrong ways is cutting your stock springs to make them shorter and heating the springs to bend them shorter. Both of these are stupid and unsafe. Suspension is a vital to your car’s safety so do it right and pay attention. Don’t let these short sentences fool you because they are very important.

Now onto the good stuff. The easiest way to get your car lower is to buy shorter springs. They are usually stiffer and come in a variety of spring rates and lengths. Some feel nearly stock and will only drop your car 1.5”. This is the first step and can require upgraded shocks to handle the harsher spring rates. As you would imagine the harsher the spring the better shock you are going to need to buy. Shock/Spring combos range anywhere from $300-$1000. These setups are very good, the only downside to this is that you can’t adjust the height. If you want adjustability you will need coilovers.
Example of lowering springs.

Coilovers are simply shocks and springs built together with an adjustable spring perch(threaded shock body) that allows you to dial in the ride height you desire by spinning locking rings. This is what is on my car and I like them because you can buy them at first, then lower the car as you get more experience and more suspension parts(i.e. camber kits). Also on some coilovers you can adjust spring tension independently of height which means you can adjust weight transfer and get more grip by the car transitioning smoother when you turn. Coilover setups range from $600-$1500.
Example of coilovers.

Also your car’s suspension is setup so that the wheels will be flat on the road at all times. When you lower the car you modify the angle of the suspension causing negative camber. The top of the wheel will tuck in and the wheel will sit at a slight angle. This can wear out your tires quick if you daily drive your car. This is why people run camber kits. These kits adjust your suspensions connecting rods to offset the camber you have from being lowered.
Example of a camber kit.

Anyways I hope this helps answer some of your questions about suspension and how to get that killer stance you want the right way.
 
 

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