[gdm224]

I'm still on the fence about just lowering springs vs coilovers, I want to drop the car a little bit (no more than an inch) and I would like it to feel stiffer but not so much that it kills my butt... A lot of coilovers I see seem to have a minimum drop of ~1.5 inches which is too much for me - are there decent coilovers out there that are fully adjustable, and allow for a smaller minimum drop that will work with the sedan?

On the other hand, paying that much for "just" a ~1 inch drop is... not very smart, but I'm still considering it.

There's some other variables to consider. So when I bought my car about four years ago, I just went with the H&R lowering springs. They gave me the drop I wanted and served me well. I recently bought new rims and now find myself wanting to kill wheel gap since I went with lower profile tires. I will likely transition to coilovers, either Tein or AMR. The H&R springs served me well though.

I think the Eibach Kit or H&R will fit what you're looking for, but if you want to make changes down the line, coils will give you more versatility and options.

 

[cj6385]

Has anyone here installed the Tein FlexZ coilovers? I was particularly interested in the set with the EDFC Active Pro system


--> Anyone has Tein Flex Z Coilovers w/ EDFC Active Pro?

--> Tein flex z coil over noise

 

[spdrcr2]

Hi All,

First post...longtime reader. I have done my very best to find a solution and am happy to pursue any links to previous posts. Here's my story...

I have a '15 EXL-V6. I have already replaced the rear sway bar (TSX 19in), and am currently sitting on the Eibach Pro-Kit. I want to be very clear, "lower center of gravity" physics aside, I have no interest in stances, or appearances. I care about one thing only, sticky wheels on the road. All the springs have done is led to more scraping (even on very slow approaches) than I care for, relative to the "increased" handling ability. The back feels like it's bouncing on uneven pavement.

I'm a former owner of an '03 3 series coupe, and my sibling drives a '07 G35. When I drive the G35 on the same roads, the steering wheel and the tires feel very heavy, but seem to adapt better to road imperfections. Both of these cars are what I would like to replicate from a suspension perspective with the accord, but it appears there are no/few options...I'm not interested in Air Suspensions, nor coil overs, as I don't see any evidence that they will solve my issue.

I'm considering upgrading to 19-20" rims, with Michelin or Continental High Performance tires, if I don't decide to pull the trigger on a Q50/60 sometime soon. Would prefer to do the mods, because the car is low mileage and in great condition (I can forgive the gear hunting, and aggressive downshifting in Sport mode...for now, because it's such a practical/trouble-free car).

Any help is most appreciated...I'm 90 days into researching this and would like to come to a decision no later than year's end...

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[WhiteOrchid]

Hi All,

First post...longtime reader. I have done my very best to find a solution and am happy to pursue any links to previous posts. Here's my story...

I have a '15 EXL-V6. I have already replaced the rear sway bar (TSX 19in), and am currently sitting on the Eibach Pro-Kit. I want to be very clear, "lower center of gravity" physics aside, I have no interest in stances, or appearances. I care about one thing only, sticky wheels on the road. All the springs have done is led to more scraping (even on very slow approaches) than I care for, relative to the "increased" handling ability. The back feels like it's bouncing on uneven pavement.

I'm a former owner of an '03 3 series coupe, and my sibling drives a '07 G35. When I drive the G35 on the same roads, the steering wheel and the tires feel very heavy, but seem to adapt better to road imperfections. Both of these cars are what I would like to replicate from a suspension perspective with the accord, but it appears there are no/few options...I'm not interested in Air Suspensions, nor coil overs, as I don't see any evidence that they will solve my issue.

I'm considering upgrading to 19-20" rims, with Michelin or Continental High Performance tires, if I don't decide to pull the trigger on a Q50/60 sometime soon. Would prefer to do the mods, because the car is low mileage and in great condition (I can forgive the gear hunting, and aggressive downshifting in Sport mode...for now, because it's such a practical/trouble-free car).

Any help is most appreciated...I'm 90 days into researching this and would like to come to a decision no later than year's end...

Thanks in advance!!!

The biggest problem you have there are the Eibach springs, they are stupid stiff and not really useful or pleasant on the street. Did you upgrade the dampers at the same time? If not, that compounds the issues. Did you install a camber kit (as they recommend) to help compensate for the lowering those springs create? If not, that also will make the handling less effective.

Going to even larger wheels will make the ride even more harsh if you choose heavier wheels. You would have been far better off with the rear sway bar upgrade alone along with better wheels and tires. Lighter wheels are a real advantage. AND, if you really want to improve handling without increasing harshness, upgrade to the Progress 22mm rear bar.

 

[spdrcr2]

The biggest problem you have there are the Eibach springs, they are stupid stiff and not really useful or pleasant on the street. Did you upgrade the dampers at the same time? If not, that compounds the issues. Did you install a camber kit (as they recommend) to help compensate for the lowering those springs create? If not, that also will make the handling less effective.

Going to even larger wheels will make the ride even more harsh if you choose heavier wheels. You would have been far better off with the rear sway bar upgrade alone along with better wheels and tires. Lighter wheels are a real advantage. AND, if you really want to improve handling without increasing harshness, upgrade to the Progress 22mm rear bar.

This is all super helpful, especially considering that the mechanic who recommended the spring upgrade did not mention the dampers or camber kit.

If you dont mind I would like some additional clarification. Do you have any recommendation on dampers, camber kits, wheels and tires? I dont really want to get new wheels but I've been told my stock 215/55R17s are narrow and built for comfort. A good blend (narrower side wall?), would be ideal.

If I do upgrade wheels, I dont want aftermarket, not sure if that will create too much of a constraint such that a lighter wheel cannot be achieved. If so, I'll just upgrade tires.

Again, thank you for your help!

 

[WhiteOrchid]

Stock wheels are heeeeaaavvvyyyy. My car is an HFP which would typically include OEM HFP wheels, but I went with aftermarket wheels instead and saved a whopping 8 pounds per wheel. I still run the OEMs in the winter and I can really feel the difference. 215s are tiny from a performance standpoint. Problem is, you can improve the tires, but if you want to get lower profile and wider tires you have to change the wheels too if you want them to fit right and match the proper overall diameter the car wants. My car has 245/40R19s which puts about 9.5 inches of tread width on the ground. They fit fine with no rubbing and I'm lowered a modest 20mm. Getting the right offset it key.

Search Eibach's site, they clearly recommend a rear camber kit with the Pro kit. Proper camber is terrifically important to handling. They say their springs are compatible with stock dampers but I'm not sure I buy that, their spring rates are way too stiff, especially after about the first inch of compression (they are progressive rate springs). Koni and KYB are good brands of shocks but you'd have to match the right model to the spring rate you have. I honestly believe you'd be happier with stock springs and the 22mm Progress rear sway bar, even with stockish tires.

Sorry to say, but the guy who sold you the springs sold you a bill of goods for a quick sale. I sure hope the at least did an alignment after the install.

 

[spdrcr2]

Luckily I haven't sold the original springs, but I dont have space for switching wheels given the "plentiful" space living in NYC affords (kidding). So the springs I can store, but adding wheels isnt really an option.

Found the EIBACH camber kit, but dont see damper, and given the road feel, I second your "works with OEM damper" suspicions.

Was hoping to find a TLX performance suspension option, given that my call to Koni yielded a "we dont make anything for your car". But as it appears theres none, maybe ill have them put the stocks back on, get the 22 bar and get new tires.

Thanks for all the advice!

 

[WhiteOrchid]

Luckily I haven't sold the original springs, but I dont have space for switching wheels given the "plentiful" space living in NYC affords (kidding). So the springs I can store, but adding wheels isnt really an option.

Found the EIBACH camber kit, but dont see damper, and given the road feel, I second your "works with OEM damper" suspicions.

Was hoping to find a TLX performance suspension option, given that my call to Koni yielded a "we dont make anything for your car". But as it appears theres none, maybe ill have them put the stocks back on, get the 22 bar and get new tires.

Thanks for all the advice!

Where are you located? If you happen to be local to me you are welcome to come drive my car to see what you think, if such a setup would be close to what you are after. I'm near Lincoln, Nebraska.