BuDDaHz TL

Wassup peepz, I was thinking about dropping my car soon. I have a NBP 2002 Acura TL Type S and i want to go with one of these three: COMPTECH, H&R, or EIBACH. I just wanted the simple 1-2 inch drop and i wanted to know which one offers the best ride???
THANKs....

Bareback

Comptech are ideal for the TL - but pricey
H&R - great price - good deal

WHITE3.2TL-S

i just put H&R spring last month..the ride is fine not bumpy at all

99TLKID

First off.....the search tool is very helpful.

I have H&R's on mine....The part number for the Accord 51858....I am very happy with them. I am on stock struts and my car rides good.

Rims--- Exel E-2's 18x7.5 +45 offset
Springs--- H&R 51858

onebadtls2002

I just installed the EIBACH ProKit springs - GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! My girlfriend bought them for me from EBAY and I got a great deal on them and the drop was perfect. The ride is smooth until you bank or corner then they stiffen up. I really like them. Easy as all get out to install too - less than 2 hours and did it in the drive way

fsttyms1

H&R's. they are the best spring made.

MikeekiM

If you go Comptech, just remember that they are no longer made by Comptech...

giovanni

I have H&R ....No complaints

BuDDaHz TL

I found some H&R springs on ebay for about 150 shipped for the accord v6. They are the H&R 51858. Will they go good on a TL too?

TypeSDriver

I just had the H&R Sport springs installed on Tuesday. I really haven't noticed any deterioration in ride quality at all. Any bumps that I hit feel almost exactly the same as they did before, just a little bit stiffer (which I love). My fiance drives an 04 GTO and the ride is now much closer to that in comparison to what it used to be. I love them and I'm sure you would too. Just make sure that you get part #50103. They are designed specifically for the 02-03 TL (they're perfect for the 99-01's as well.) I found mine on ebay for $150 shipped to me...and yes, they were brand new. Here's my car the day after installation...happy times!

MikeekiM

Personally, I would go with the part # for the TL... You can probably get them for the same price if you are patient and search around... And even if you can't find the same price, I think Tire Rack has them for 180...

It's a ~$30K car... I wouldn't let $30.00 stand in the way of ensuring I have a part that was designed for my car...

derrick

I liked my Comptechs ... until they rusted (still on my car). But I'm going Tein H-tech springs. H&R are good quality springs, as you can see. Eibach (aka the new 'Comptech' springs) are a bit too low for our cars, IMHO -- you might need a camber kit with these guys. Just food for thought.

TypeSDriver

Good call derrick, with the H&R's you shouldn't need a camber kit either. I had my alignment checked yesterday (2 days after install) and it was still perfect. I'm going to have it checked again in 2 weeks, but from what I've read on all the forums I should still be fine.

MikeekiM

The guys at my shop HIGHLY recommended a camber kit for the rear... Said that the fronts are usually not a problem... But he was pretty adamant that the H&R's would require a rear camber kit...

And I don't think he was simply trying to upsell me... I actually called and asked him for a bunch of other work and he actually down-sold me into H&R springs...

BuDDaHz TL

The H&R 51858 are for the 99-01 TL. Will it go right on the 02-03 TL?

MikeekiM

I've heard that the 50103s are a better fit for the 99-03 TLs...

99-01ers have complained of rear end sagging with the 51858s...

DAVERUBINO

I've had the HR sports on for awhile now. I bought the 51858's on Ebay and have no sagging. I usually don't have passengers in the rear or a sub system. The ride is great, the price is right and the drop is perfect.

ndawood

you will need a camber kit with the comptech/eibach set up. I currently have the H&R springs on and the ride is great. Its not as smooth as stock but you wont really notice much of a difference.

moahdriven

the 50103's were the ones designed for TL. ordered mine of autocarparts and they came as 50103

TL260power

so which ones are the 50103s? are they the H&R sport springs? same drop 1.75f and 1.5rear? I went to autocarparts.com and see no model numbers..

TypeSDriver

The 50103's are the H&R Sport springs. Yes, they drop the car 1.75" in front and 1.5" in the rear.

MikeekiM

My 50103's get installed tomorrow!

TypeSDriver

Are you having the camber kit installed as well?

MikeekiM

Yes...camber kit in the rear...

The guys are pretty reputable, and they said that they recommend it in the rear... After the install, they will do a four wheel alignment and check to see if there is any need for camber adjustment in the fronts...they predict that it will not be necessary...

Can't wait! Got the kit installed last week...now with the drop, I should be good... at least until I get the itch to do something else!

TL260power

how much is a camber kit and would does it do?

MikeekiM

Here's a good site on camber definition...

http://www.ozebiz.com.au/racetech/theory/align.html

The kit allows to adjust for out of spec camber impact cuased by lowering the car... Will help with even tire wear in the long run...

I forget what the cost is precisely... Parts and labor will run around ~250-300 on the rears and ~400 on the fronts...

Bread-A Spec

get Tein springs.....

DAVERUBINO

Mine aligned perfectly with no camber kit front or rear with my H&R Sports.

MikeekiM

Thanks for the feedback Dave...

Here's what I decided to do... Just dropped my car off this morning and asked them to do the install w/o the camber kit, and do a four-wheel alignment...

If it is out of spec, the camber kit installation will basically cost me $40 in rework (incremental cost over and above what they were going to charge me to put in the camber kit with the springs)...

I figure it is a worthwhile risk... I can save some big money if it all aligns well... and if it doesn't, the incremental cost only increases by 40 bucks...

I will report back this afternoon... Wish me luck!

MikeekiM

Report Back

Just got the call on the alignment...

Fronts are within spec...

Rears are out of spec... One in "yellow" and one in "red"...

Will be getting the rear camber kit installed...

chewi

get the TIEN's .... its worth it...

MikeekiM

As with a lot of people on this forum, I give thumbs up to the H&R Sports spring drop...

I have been driving with them for about a week now and it is a very livable drop in the real world... I know that I probably have a greater risk of scraping, but so far I have not scraped anything yet... (crossing my fingers)...

I know that it is probably a matter of "when", not "whether" I scrape... Oh well... Such is life...

masik24

hey, tirerack has H&R OE Springs for a 2002 accord sedan V6, but when i try to search for mine, a 2002 TLS it only comes up with teh "SPORT" H&R springs,, whould the Accord ones fit? They really cheap there just $156 plus $15 for 2nd day fedex. Please comment

HustleLikeM0FO

You shouldnt really get an alignment right after lowering the car..... the best thing to do would be ride on it for a week or 2 and let the springs/coilovers settle a little bit and then get the alignment. This way when you get an alignment the springs had a chance to settle in there.

Also, I cant imagine how much the camber must be off with a 1.5 inch drop in the rear...... it must very small. Remember, camber does not kill rubber, toe does. Camber just makes your tires wear unevenly. A lot of people think that camber is deadly to tires when its not..... toe is.

When I had 17s on my Civic with a 2 inch drop I got an alignment so the toe will be set to specs but since I didnt have a camber kit my rear wheels had like a little neg camber. I rode on this set up for about 7k-10k miles and when I checked the tires they just wore down a little bit more on the inside but had a ton of tread left.

So to anyone getting suspension work done, its better to get an alignment a week or so after the suspension install.

PDX3.2TL

Definatly letting the springs settle in is a very good idea. The springs take a little time to "break in." It gives them the ability to sag just a shade... Go with the H&R 50103's they are designed to have slightly stiffer springs that help prevent sag in the rear that the accord/first gen springs did...