Man...took awhile to get it done but we did it. Mad props to JLMaxR1 for helping me out, and for putting up with the fact that I can't tell right from left. MUCH thanks to Tim for the hook-up!! Man...we are driving to SoFlo this summer for a meet and I'm buying you dinner!!!! Ok...down to the details:

Ended up using the aluminum mounts that came with them. I was too ill to take off the rubber stock ones. So anyways, when we were done we took it for a test drive with the back seat still out for quick adjustment on the side of the road.

Softest setting, level 1. Smooth. VERY close to stock, although a little bouncy. With the experience I've had with my other 2 suspension setups in other cars, I'm very confident after the springs settle, it'll get softer and lose the bounciness. Either way it's still very close to stock and I'm very happy.

Hardest setting, level 6. OH MY GOD. Talk about freakin' hard. JL will back me up on this....it changed to a freakin' race car. It was like we stepped out of my TL and climbed into a Vette. No joke. NO body roll. Even on level 1 the body roll is reduced, but on level 6 it is literally NON-EXISTENT. Wow. That's all I can say. I can't wait to get some wide 19" tires on the car so I can go have some FUN.

In a few words: WORTH EVERY LAST PENNY.

I'm glad I went with what I did, it gives the best of both worlds, seriously. Ride height is a "little" lower, like almost an inch, even at the highest setting. So i look low right now, but when the 19' come in i'll be straight. I still have 5 full inches of lowering capability left too.

Tim.....thanks again man. And to Josh also....couldn't have done it without you! Thanks!

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292124105

 

Nice, now I want to get my Teins.......

 

Ken now wait till you get your new tires. You will be AMAZED at the difference!!! Great new toy.

 

Ken, glad to help you out with the install...anytime man!! Just remember, "lefty loosey, righty tighty"!!! Like Ken said, these things are amazing. I went on the first test drive with him and we started out on the Level 1 setting--as soft as it can go. Very impressive, it was EXTREMELY close to the stock ride, very comfortable. But like Ken said, it did have a slight bounce to it, but that will more than likely disappear after the springs are "broken in" and settle a bit. The car hugged the corners very well on the Level 1 setting too.

After a few passes down a nice twisty road, we pulled over and switched it over to the Level 6 setting--as firm as it will go. The difference was AMAZING!!! No lie, it really was like a totally different car. There was absolutely NO body roll at all, and the ride was EXTREMELY stiff!! My Integra is dropped on Ground Control coilovers using the stock shocks, and it is nowhere even close to this type of stiffness. I'm thinking when the 19's and the Pirelli's come in, it could definitley give my Integra a run for it's money in the handling department when it's set on this level!!

Congrats on the suspension Ken, we'll have to take the rides out and run them when your wheels and tires get here...then we'll definitely see who outhandles who!!

 

Nice Ken!!! Wow..that looks gooood!! How many adjustments do you have? is there shock rebound? oh man....i like...i want to get it those.....how much did it cost you again?? post pics of the caaar!!!!

 

congrats...i was talking to a tech today and i mentioned the zeals. he has teins. he said the zeals are really stiff and i think you found that out. he said the one thing about teins is that a lot of people think they're too soft.

i'm glad you got the ones that were best for you. anyways, stop posting and go rip some corners...

 

Which model teins do you think ride the softest??? My friend has them on his celica with 19's and he says they ride like a tank. BUT he has 30 series tires. Talk about no rubber on the road.

 

The Type HA and HR...but across the board Teins are complained about by people who expect a really harsh ride. i've heard the same thing from some of the canyon racers...but they all get teins anyways cuz they say the responsiveness is unparalleled. the tech's integra i drove and it actually felt softer than my h&R spring/tanabe sustec shock setup i had on my supra which was incrediby stiff...when my wife drove it, it used to bounce around like gt cars at daytona...

The Type SS for the Accord CG2 and TL are new so i'm not sure but i would expect the same thing since they are even softer...designed for more sport than race. but like all teins, they are the shocks are rebuildable.

 

Nearly $1500 with the shipping added in.

Jimster...come on, dude...it's 3:45 out east! Too late for corner carving. Besides...my tires have 37K on them, they're almost bald, and they sucked to begin with! I'll drive it like it should be driven when the 19's come in, trust me!

I guess after reading your post I probably would have been happier with the Teins since they are so soft, but believe me: I'm more than satisfied with the Zeals. It really is VERY close to stock, and like I said...i'm totally confident that after settling, it'll return to stock or better softness.

Level 6 is what makes me smile the most....go from TL stock ride softness to ultra-stiff-fun-mode.

Oh yeah...elegant: 6 levels of adjustment.

 

if you're happy with the zeals thats all that matters, i know theyre excellent suspension pieces...the good thing for other people who are thinking about coilovers is that since Tein now has a corporate office/warehouse, prices have dropped drastically...MSRP for the TL is $1000.00 but i don't think it includes the upper pillowball mounts.

3:45am? out here its best to go canyon racing around 1-2am...no traffic no cops...the only bad thing is its dark and once you go off a cliff that's it...but i wouldn't do it with bald tires...

 

Not a bad price!! Hmmm......6 level adjustments eh? oh man...i really wanna know how those feel!!!

Which would you guys prefer? Zeals or Teins? The Zeals seems to sound mighty good...since you can feel such a difference when you adjust the levels.....

 

these for full coilover systems are excellent brands not in order nor all available for TL's:
1. Tein
2. Zeal
3. HKS Hiper
4. Sachs/Boge
5. A'PEXi
6. mugen (almost forgot)

the hks and the sachs aren't available for the TL/Accord. Blitz uses the sachs (german) coilover setup labeled with the blitz name.

 

How's the ride quality/adjustments between Zeal, Tein, and APEXi?

and prices for the Tein's and APEXi..and which models for all three?

 

Don't forget Nex...

 

zeal's are supposed to be very stiff and ken2000ac is saying so at the stiffest setting. tein's even at the stiffest setting are supposed to be still pretty soft.

the a'pexi N1 coilover is an excellent choice but not available for the accord/TL. The World Sport coilovers are available for the TL but they're not adjustable for shock damping...

you can expect to pay high $800's to $950 for the Teins but i have to check if the pillowball upper mounts are included...expect to pay another 4 bills if they are not...the zeal's ken2000ac already addressed that. HKS are really expensive just like everything else they offer relative to other manufacturers but alas they dont have the hipers for the TL anyways.

ken2000ac...i'm not very familiar with NEX so i can't make a judgement. i've never seen them on Japanese N1 circuit racing nor have i seen them in any product guides in the Japanese magazines...i don't think theyre Japanese...i have a bias towards products that i can identify with racing experience...that's why i have this belief that Sachs/boge is God's gift to suspensions with their extensive formula1 and DTM racing...i used to have sachs gears on my integra...loved those...it's late i'm rambling.

 

Where did you test her at Ken? I live in east Raleigh and I like to run mine on Old Milburnie Rd. It has the tighest curves that I have found in Raleigh and there isn't a lot of traffic. Go hwy 64 East and take a left at the first light after the Nuese River. Be carefull though. I've got mine pretty loose in the first hard turn.

 

Scole...what's up man. I live off Glenwood right now but 6 months ago I live off of Smithfield in Knightdale...I know you know where that's at. I used to take Old Milburnie too...but Forestville has to be one of the funnest roads....all the way up to Wake Forest.

Good to see another Raleigh member on the board! JLMaxR1 lives in Garner, but works in North Raleigh so he takes me on all those roads up there that i'm not familiar with yet.

Modded any? I'm just starting.

 

PLEASE Ken...I live closer to CARY than Garner!! Please don't group me in with all the rednecks in Garner!! If it ain't a Camaro or Mustang, it ain't a real car in Garner!!! Scole, what's up man? I've seen you post on here before...I think that makes a total of four or five of us here in Raleigh.

 

Looks good


can you post some pix of the car

 

......If it ain't a Lexus or a Benz it ain't a real car in Cary.
JL, it sounds like your stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Nah, I haven't modded yet. I have indiglos from the group buy coming and I got the spoiler and shift knob when I bought it, but that is about it. The TL is the wife's daily driver so, I have to keep it to her liking as well (that's why I ain't driving a Type S). It is my weekend cruiser. I get to keep it clean and keep the Zaino thick. Guess I'll just have to get the redesigned TL when it comes out and mod it up. Man, I sound to old to be 23

 

OK....update. I just got done driving quite a bit today with it both in setting ONE and SIX. With the soft setting i'm still happy. With the hardest: goodness. Every road grime particle feels like a speed bump. However it rides on rails. My stock tires SUCK hardcore. And it still rides on rails. I'm a very happy customer.

Slammed99TL: nah man. I'll be sure to take pics in a few weeks when the car is DONE. But right now it looks like any other slightly lowered silver TL. Personally i don't like the look...but it's only a short wait until the wheels arrive.

Scole: all good man. We're both 20. While neither of us are married, we understand. Girls just don't have any clue...well, most of them.

 

Now now who could be the exception to that rule Ken?

 

Ken, you'll need to get Endless brake pads next!

 

Um...the one I'm seeing right now who i want more than any other female on the planet? Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm...don't even get me started dude. Whew.

I need to get my warped rotors resurfaced by Acura. I'm not interested in Endless brake pads....although I'm sure if i was Tim could get 'em.

 

man that is tight asss $hit...how the hell are you getting this ca$h, dont tell me you slang too...na forreal, your rims are gonna set things off for sure...Shyne

 

so the Tein's are soft, but will they be too soft to take a twists and turns significantly faster? BTW, are the B2's and the Tein Type SS's height adjustable?

 

One of the guys here at work has an IS in 5 speed...ordered a set of Tiens..he got them for $1000 ..He's got a good hookup..His goal is to juice the IS to 700 hp..
Ed

 

Shyne...knock on wood, bro....

Fahoumh...I've measured I have 5" worth of lowering adjustability left on the Zeals. As far as the Teins go...I have no clue.

 

jimster?

 

Alright sounds good

ill be looking forward for those pix

 

The Teins are both ride and height adjustable, just like the Zeals.

 

what about "rail-riding" abilities?

 

Don't know anyone with the Teins on their Accord/TL/Cl yet. I am sure it will have that capability.

 

Well, as I've already mentioned to jimster, I don't have enough $$ to afford coilovers just yet. And I'm sure someone will test them out before I get enough cash together.

 

fahoumh:

If you can get the cash avaliable I say go ahead and do it! You'll be the first to have them, and originality is always good.

 

true...but I'm a cautious buyer and the cash flow is barely positive, plus it's friggin' freezing right now so I'd be better off waiting until Spring. Besides, I'm in no particular rush.
"Wisely and slow: they stumble that run fast." - Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet

 

Ok dumb question... but with the zeals, how do you adjust them? Is it just turning a knob?

 

Yeah, actually....for the ride stiffness adjustment, you just simply turn a knob at the top of the shock tower. From 1-6. One being the softest, and 6 being the hardest. That's all that's to it.

Adjusting ride height is done like any other coilover system. You'd have to jack up that particular corner, and simply adjust the height by turning the perch under the spring...not hard at all.

 

I heard the Zeal upper mount doesn't fit...... the B6 series....
hows the B2?
Is this another CF6 coilover? made for JDM accord wagon?

and hows the noise level of the zeal upper mount?

 

yeah the zeals do fit. they are B2's, and they are on the car.

honestly the noise level hasn't gone down QUITE AS MUCH as i had hoped, but when the wheels go on I will be doing some lubrication to the area and hopefully that will troubleshoot some of that.

the ride quality has improved, as i had expected. it's definitely more sporty, and much closer to stock than when i bought them. i'm not saying the springs have broken themselves in yet, but i did do some heavy driving last week on some roads that really got them excersizing.

it's a good suspension...i would recommend them.