Does anyone sell just the (Acura) springs and shocks? Forget the other tinsel and aftermarket stuff.

I think that these two things alone might improve the cars handling the most. 18” wheels and tires might look good and add icing on the cake but I don’t think that they contribute as much as s & s would.

 

do a search for the part numbers. someone was able to get them from a dealer and he listed the part numbers for the springs and shocks. i think he only paid 550 for them which is a great deal for acura a-spec suspension.

 

Why not just get an aftermarket suspension?? The aftermarket set-ups available are as good or better than factory, and they lower the car a bit more. The A-Spec stuff only lowers the car .5", which does not make a huge visual or performace difference.

 

aftermarket is hit or miss. the a-spec one from acura has been tested with the TL and should not adversely affect ride quality while still adding a little extra performance. i've gotten aftermarket suspensions before and the ride quality usually takes a turn for the harsh side. if you lower the car more you expect to have a stiffer suspension. the aftermarket setups usually lower it about 1.5 inch, it would just seem like the ride will become too bumpy.

 

Do you have the A-Spec?? I have a feeling that that suspension affects the ride quality just as any aftermarket set up would. I have competch springs with a 1" drop....the ride is only slightly more harsh and the look and performance is much more aggressive than .5" would be. The good aftermarket stuff is well tested and allows for a nice look and good ride

 

no i dun have the a-spec suspension, its purely assumption and experience from aftermarket setups. A 1/2" drop is not that big a deal at all and even though its probably a little stiffer, the driver will probably not notice at all.

 

That is kind of my point, it is no big deal. In fact, it is such a small change that it probably is not worth the nearly $600 it costs. If I am going to pay that kind of money, I want the appearance and performance of the car noticably altered.

 

Personally, I think the aftermarket springs lower the car too much. Most pictures I have seen are so low that there is very little wheel gap above the tire (which is nice), but the gap behind and in front of the tire are still the same. Makes it look worse IMO. It certainly doesn't have a balanced look like the A-Specs have.

 

I drove my car with A-Spec suspension and the stock EL-42's for two days while I waited for tires. The car felt better but I couldn't drive it any faster because it still had no traction. You will get the firmer ride, improved road feel, and improved spring rates and damping - less understeer, etc. You will not enjoy anywhere near the full benefit of this kit without better tires. 17" HP tires may get the job done, but keep in mind that the 235/40/18 (or 245) tire on an 8.5" wheel produces a much wider contact patch and stiffer sidewall than a 235/45/17 tire on a 8" wheel.

IMO, if you have EL42s and want to spend $700 to improve your car's handling, you'll get more bang for your buck from tires.

 

A-Spec suspension is considerably stiffer. You will notice. The performance does not come from the drop. It comes from tuning spring rates and shock damping.

One of the handling traits I sought to improve was suspension 'float' - the fact that the stock suspension is slow to settle. Example: Hit a patch of 'up and down' pavement at 70mph. The stock supension floats and is likely not settled when you hit the next 'up'. It's that light and comfortable luxury car feel. With A-Spec suspension the car settles in the 'down' and you feel it in your kidneys. This is controlled by damping and stiffer springs alone would have likely made the 'float' worse. I also wanted to reduce understeer. Most aftermarket springs are tuned to drop the car enough to close fender gap with minimal impact to ride quality. They will likely not reduce understeer or, IMO, significantly improve performance. They do make the car look and feel better, and that alone makes them worthwhile, but can you really take a turn faster?

 

[QUOTE=Aegir]A-Spec suspension is considerably stiffer. You will notice. The performance does not come from the drop. It comes from tuning spring rates and shock damping.
QUOTE]

Performance is imporoved due to a lower center fo gravity just from the drop....but I agree that there is a lot more involved in improved suspension performance

 

Do you have any pics of this setup?? I am very interested in the look of the Comptech springs on this car.

Thanks in advance!

 

Here is the ultimate question.... DO YOU GUYS LOOK FOR WINDY ROADS TO DRIVE ON ALL THE TIME?

Most people live in areas where the roads are fairly straight... IM not saying that handling isn't important... BUT... they biggest reason why one should really replace the springs is for a more aggressive look. Improved handling just so happens to be a direct benefit for me. the ASPEC suspension is advertised to lower the car 1"... but its not event that. NOT WORTH IT!!!! If you want the stock look, keep it stock... don't waste the money, cuz no one will ever know.

when you get the ASPEC package you are really paying extra for the ASPEC badge and maybe the steering wheel... everything else, wing, rims/tires, and kit are better bought separately.

2 cents

 

I have a few pics in a yahoo album, nothing too great though...hope it helps

photos.yahoo.com/ucsbchris2001/

 

Thats nice... My comptechs are on the way... as well as my underbody kit. I have the ASPEC rims, so Im pretty excited... The original 17's make the wheel gap look smaller, so i don't think mine will look as low as yours b/c of the low profile tires... but still looking forward to it.

BTW... who's skyline R34 is that in your album... are there alot down in CA?

 

Yes, I routinely and deliberately take the longer, slower, winding path home instead of the freeway.

Your 2 cents are appreciated. If all you care about is dropping your car 2", then being honest about it will save you a lot of money.

Have you actually driven an A-Spec TL? I've logged over 2000 miles in stock form and over 2000 miles in A-Spec form. It is a dramatic change and you don't have to be pushing the car to feel it and enjoy it. I was not specifically looking to lower my car. I really don't care if anyone else notices. That's not what it's about, for me at least.

 

Aegir,

They im afraid you are in the minority, my friend! to spend $600+install for suspension that doesn't improve the asthetics of the car is pointless and almost stupid. People pay money to improve their suspension for 2 reasons:

1. a lower, more aggressive stance
2. better handling.

Better handling with a stock look is pointless.. you're not a race car driver and the handling probably isn't that much better than stock. Youre car is clean! But I just think ASPEC suspension is misleading and pointless for what it costs.

I'll stick with my Comptech's. and they are only 1" drop... just enough to be noticed and enough to perform.

 

The R34 is just a car that was in my neighborhood and hot stopped. There are a few around here, you really only see them every once in a while. Two of my friends have R33s on order though. My car sighting highlight of recent times was a new Porsche Cararra GT on my block a couple of days ago...$459,000 looks nice in person

 

Wow, I feel like I'm in Planet of the Apes and just found the Statue of Liberty! The majority of people care about appearance over performance?

As far as handling improvements provided by the A-Spec suspension, I really encourage you to drive an A-Spec TL and base your conclusion on what you experience.

 

Did you miss me? and YES i have driven an ASPEC. stiffer? yes. by much? NO! Engineered for Acura? Yes. Look any better? NO

My point is that my car looks and performs better than yours for 1/2 the cost. so I guess you are NUTS!

My guess for you is that you bought into the 'ASPEC suspension drops 1" from the dealership, and debated on whether to get the comptech or not... then decided to go for the ACURA solution assuming it would be better. Only you find out it wasn't what you were expecting. NONETHELESS if you are a happy camper... kudos to you.

 

Actually, after driving the car a while I made a list of handling characteristics that I would like to improve. Crazy, huh? Most of the things I wanted to improve were related to damping and understeer. I had no interest in Comptech springs because, in my twisted mind, they would not have improved many of the characteristics I had identified and would have even made some of them worse. Believe it or not, I had no interest in lowering my car, so the small drop provided by A-Spec was actually a positive. I would have bought it even if it didn't lower the car at all. Remember - I'm a certifiable nut. I modified my car specifically to improve its performance with little regard for appearance or what others might think. It did come out looking sorta nice, though...

The only thing I got that I didn't expect was better than anticipated ride quality.

 

All I’m interested in is performance. I think the car looks great all buy itself. I also don’t want a bunch of kids singling my car out in the mall to do a dirty.

The only experience I have with modifying front drive car suspensions is my sons 95 Accord. We lowered it 2 ½” using Neuspeed racing springs first and then adding their Koni yellows. I admit the drop is severe and you have to watch the road ahead and be careful of steep drives but the corning power is unreal.

How long this setup will last is anybodies guess. Will these modifications stress the body to a premature failure? It might but probably wont if we maintain it properly.

The reason I don’t care for aftermarket products is that stock performance anything is usually much more reliable and stronger than its aftermarket equivalent. It just stands to reason that a large company has greater resources for R&D than a smaller one. That is not to say that some smaller companies don’t produce great products it's just that most don’t. :bigun2:

 

You paid 1/2 the price because you only have springs. If you would have bought aftermarket shocks like you're supposed to, you would exceed his price almost indefinitely.

 

what kind of aftermarket suspension products are available for the 3rd gen TL at the moment? any coilovers yet?

 

ALRIGHT... read my lips... when i say $600 thats just for the suspension portion... considering that if you want the ASPEC suspension you'd have to shell out $4000+install b/c they don't at most places break apart the ASPEC package yet.

And yes... I paid $250 for my comptech springs that lower it a flippin inch... ***IM NOT TALKING ABOUT SLAMMING THE THING FOR THOSE OLD PEOPLE WHO THING THAT AFTERMARKET MEANS RICING IT OUT***
If I bought shocks... i could buy much better than those that come with the ASPEC suspension for comparable cost.

BTW, lowering it 1" doesn't really require a change in the Shocks...

 

I agree with you 100%. I could care less about lowering my car in fact I don't need to scrape the bottom any more than I do now. What I do care about is getting the best performance without a huge compromise in ride quality. I have a 6MT and the "Float" of the suspension bothers me quite a bit driving in the city and local roads. I would like a slightly firmer suspension and if the shocks and springs will make a noticable difference and make a worth while difference in "float" and handling-

please tell me where to get the part numbers and I will make the switch.

I have already replaced the EL42's with 950's and there was quite a difference, particularly in traction off the line but the noise difference was noticable but tollerable. I used to have a CLK430 and did not find it to be too stiff but the ride on the TL is a bit spongy for me compared to that car.

Thanks

 

Suspension kit part #: 08W60-SEP-200A

 

This thread has some good info and a few implied inaccuracies. FWIW, when I was in the process of ordering my new TL (arrives end of May with A-spec) I did some research on A-spec vs after market suspensions. I think Comptech is a pretty respected company (Ground Control is another ... if they had a kit available it would likely be first rate) here are my thoughts.
1. Comptech springs lower the car 1.25" in front and 1" in the rear. A-spec as reported by Acura and a few magazine/web reviews is almost 1". I measured at the dealer as 0.8" (with their tech) closer to 1 inch than 1/2. But not a full inch. Side by side (a-spec to non a-spec) it is definitely noticable.
2. There is a huge difference in replacing springs and replacing suspension (springs and dampers.) Springs will lower the CG and improve handling some, may improve suspension (if the springs are well matched to the dampers), and will give a more agressive look but a complete retuned suspension will give more overall handling/ride improvement. I expect that replacement after market (AM) dampers (when they become available) will push most after market suspension upgrades to over 1000 dollars for parts (dampers and springs) with that you will likely get adjustable ride height and maybe some other adjustments for more $$$. You should see some full kits by the end of the year. Then you will be able to tune your suspension with varying spring rates and more adjustability (for more $$$ obviously.)
3. Reports on the a-spec suspension improvemnts have been mixed (see car and driver but their are a few more reviews out there). Skidpad shows very slight improvement. Damping adjustment, improved ride, chasis roll, and body lunging are the big improvements (Aegir's comments are spot on.) My guess is lowering with springs will get a similar skidpad improvement without much (any?) of the other improvements. In the end FWD will probably keep the TL from being a superstar in the twisties (but it will rock in the snow.)
4. Replacing springs to lower ride height (without changing dampers) can have some negative affects. The dampers will lose range of movement in one direction that can cause excess wear on the damper, other suspension components, wheels/tires and steering gear. This could be a warranty issue in the future for example if your stock dampers go bad early (I understand Magnusson-Moss and its impact on warranties.)
5. So ... different springs will lower your car but the $250 for springs is not the same as a new suspension. Although if you like a lowered car it will look better.

So why did I chose a-spec.
1. I wanted the improved suspension.
2. I liked the 18' wheels which are an $1800 option. I am moving up north so I will have 18's for summer and 17's shod with snows for winter (working with bridgestone to get my TU-42's shifted to snows.) FWIW it will be hard to find a quality AM 18" wheel/HP tire combination for $1800 -- at tire rack the cheapest setup I could find was ugly and $1700 without tax and shipping.
3. I like the body kit about a $1400 option.
4. In the end the suspension, wheels and body kit are around $3800 to $4000 in accessories. I am getting the whole kit installed for about that -- so I think I got a deal.
5. I like the warranty.

Two final items: If Honda/Acura treats A-spec like some of their other performance kits, it will be tought to get just the suspension. Not impossible just tough. (FWIW, If I did not want the wheels or was dying to get some specific AM wheels I would wait for a good coilover kit from Ground Control or Comptech.) BMW and a few other companies upgrade steering wheels when they put a performance package on a car -- my guess is Honda/Acura just followed suit.

ATB,
Tom

 

More power to you... but here is my mod list...

18" ASPEC wheels/tires: $1200, Yokohama ES100's from Acura of Lynnwood
underbody kit: $750 from South Coast Acura from an Ebay Deal, you can probably get them for about $900 w/ shipping from various sources.
Decklid spoiler: $299 + $10 shipping from South Coast Acura
Comptech springs: $250 from Comptech

As far as warranty... warranties on stuff like doesn't matter... everything is cosmetic and Acura won't treat your ASPEC package any better than my pieced parts. If my kit is defect they'll replace it. if my wheels are defective same deal. So many dealerships sell comptech that even the springs are endorsed by most Acura dealerships. Enough so, that i know no one will give me shit for having them on.

As far as dampers and such... sure suspension upgrade is diffferent that just simply changing springs... but honestly... if you're not looking for the aggressive look.... I really have to wonder how fast you like to take your turns to pay for the ASPEC suspension. The stock TL suspension is sportier than most and should be fine practically speaking.

Let's be real... we are only talking about 1"... everything else will hold up just fine.

Dude if you're happy with your car, Im happy for you...

So for the people wondering.... ASPEC isn't worth the premium that they're charging!

 

yea getting the A-spec whether your stick or AT makes the ride more stiff, and you feel every bump in the road. Some of my friends even reported back problems...i dont have them..but yea....getting hte 18's and stiffer suspension def made this ride more stiff....lowering the car 1/2 inch was a big difference......i've drove my friends AT non a-spec and it feels comfortable..but doesnt have the sport feeling...

 

I just bought the Aspec suspension (springs and shocks) for $600. I guarantee it's a better setup than the comptechs with stock shocks.

 

Man, what an ignorant comment. I think you are in the minority personnally. A-Spec suspension pointless and stupid??? You have got to be kidding. I, like most that have replied, don't care near as much about the asthetics as I do the handling. Any reasonable person would think the same. Only teenagers (not very reasonable people BTW) would care more about the asthetics than handling (are you a teenager? you said you want to be noticed so you probably are). Give me a fucking break.

And, the aftermarket shocks you think would be better do not exist yet, and they'll cost you about as much as the A-Spec springs and shocks combined if sold by themselves which are now available through certain dealers.

 

I second that! Do you know of any dealers that sell the springs and shocks only? I have a 6MT.

Thanks

 

There is a dealer selling the shock/spring combo on ebay ($600 buy it now). I plan to buy from them once I convince the wife.

 

I disagree with you on this one. Most Comptech spring installs are running $500 to $700. The comptech springs are a good alternative but the installation costs ALONE can run as high as $500 to get a $220 part (comptech springs) put on the car. And even then you are KNOWINGLY shortening the life of your shocks thereby ensuring additional cost down the road. IMHO, if your going to make the $500 investment in the labor to put the things in, why not do it the right way in the first place?

 

Alright... i thought just like the many other threads that gain speed and die, this one would too, but I don't understand why people are so damn stupid... actually... i do... if you are paying $500 to $700 to have springs installed then you are stupid and deserved to get screwed. Only Dealers will charge that. They charge approx 6 billable hours to install springs, when in reality it only takes them 2-3 hours at most. Again, i ask, do you really think that just b/c the TL is a kick ass car that somehow, the suspension is some complicated, state of the art thing. its the same as a flippin ACCORD... If you're smart you will go and find a shop in the area that will install for $150-$200 bucks. And give me a freakin break. a 1" drop is not going to kill your shocks.

 

Let me ask you... what makes you think that you're handling is SOOOO much better then a TL with stock suspension and ASPEC 18s. give me a practical example... not what the CAR & DRIVER road tests tell you. Secondly... how old are you. Im 29. My car is flashy and i like it that way. I put the ASPEC parts on my car to stand out and look more flashy. So I love they way people get the ASPEC and say they don't care about the asthetics of the car. Then you really are an ASS for paying another 20% for the car. Secondly, the stock ride height of the TL is not extremely high but its not low either. 1/2" is pointless, and like i've said the handling characteristics you are feeling Im sure have a good deal to do with the stiffer shocks and springs, but also have alot to do with the ASPEC 18's. So lets not compare anymore to the stock TL with 17s.

That is the most dumbass, dumbshit, stick your head up your ass comment i've ever heard. shall we take this to the masses and see how many reasonable people don't care about asthetics?. I'll do it.

 

It won't, but a 1" drop will have a spring rate that is not in tune with the stock shocks either. It will be fine for sure, but not as good as possible. I think 1 inch is too low aesthetically on the TL anyway. There is even wheel gap above/left/right of the tires in stock form. I don't want a 2 inch side gap with no gap above the wheel. I saw the Aspec suspension on a TL at the dealer with the Aspec 18s. That's the exact drop I want, except I'll be getting my own aftermarket wheels.

 

I respect that... so I hope you like it, but for me, when you get fit 4 fingers vertical into the wheel gap.. there is too much space, asthetically speaking. but what I think is funny is that the ASPEC brochures say that the ASPEC suspension drops the car 1", so common sense would say that most of you guys originally thought that you're cars would be dropped 1" with the ASPEC suspension and didn't mind it.

LOL... most the guys who have the ASPEC kits who are yapping on this thread, originally wanted the 1" drop that was advertised in the brochures. Most of them probably don't even know that its not a 1" drop and they keep yapping about how 1" is too low.

BTW, even with the 1" drop you will still have a 3 finger clearance easily. So its not like there isn't a wheel gap. if you compare that with BMW factory sport suspension, the wheel gap is very little making for a very aggressive look. The shocks will handle a 1" variance just fine. On paper and technically the ASPEC suspension is perfectly tuned, but on the pavement in the real world, there is no practical difference. All any suspension change equates to practically is a stiffer ride and tighter turns.

 

anyone ever think of using the A-spec shocks/struts with Comptech springs?!