hey guys newbie here...im lookin for info on installing springs. first- what kinds do you guys know of that are available for the 2k4 TL? i know comptech but i have seen other ones mentioned and would like to know which ones you think are the best. Also, what is "camber" (i assume it has something to do with the tires and the body of the car) and what is a "camber kit?" whats the deal with the camber when getting springs installed, is that something that you have to do or just for looks or sumthing, i really have no idea. also what do they realign when they do a realignment ? i have read in other threads that it is best to wait 2 weeks after getting new springs to realign...

anyway, thanks a lot in advance

 

I am definately no expert with this stuff, but I will take a stab at answering some of the questions since no one else has...

-Springs- I just bought comptechs for my car after doing a fair amount of research. Apparently Eibach has springs that will work, but I was unable to find H&Rs or Tiens that are ready for 04 TLs. I ordered the Comptech because they have a ride that is comparable to stock, and the drop is subtle rather than too extreme. Comptech is more or less what AMG is to Benz. Acura and Comptech are not as intertwined as AMG and Benz, but Comptech is a specialty manufacturer producing items for Honda/Acuras only. They have a lot of good experience with Acuras, and are one of the few companies whose products are often carried at dealerships.

-Camber- camber is basically how straight your tire is...in other words, ideally, a tire is perfectly perpendicular with the ground, with the center of the tire laying completly flat on the hard surface on which it rides. When camber goes either negative or positive, the tire is tilted slightly and the tires will wear more on the inside or outside depending on which way the camber is off. This effects driving because less of the tire surface has contact with the ground, and it effects the wallet because tires wear really quickly.

Alignment- a little more fuzzy on this one...alignment is how straight your tires face the front of the car. So...if a tire is perfectly aligned, then it faces perfectly forward, allowing you to be able to continue moving straight by keeping your steering wheel perfectly certered and aimed straight ahead. If the tires are not aligned properly, tire wear again becomes an issue. Do not take my word for it with the alignment thing as I am not 100% sure that I have the right idea.

Hope this rant was as helpful as it was boring to read

 

When you change the springs your changing the "geometry" of the suspension components. Doing so usually requires a front end alignment. This "re-alignment" of the "front" suspension is/may be required so the tires remain at the proper angle as if on the stock springs. When a tire or alignment guy talks to you about your car he will discuss: Toe-in and Toe-out, (tires angling inward or outward, like taking your feet and pointing your toes towards each other) - Camber and Caster (top and/or bottom of the tires angling in to or away from the wheel well). After installing lowering springs, in the rear for example, looking at the tires from the rear, they tend to be angling in at the top. The "camber kit" fixes that.

The "camber kit" is/may be required for the "rear" suspension. Many cars have adjustable or align-able rears, but when lowered, the adjustments aren't sufficient (or non existent). In this case a separate kit, specific to the car is required so the proper adjustments can be made. That way the rear tires are at the proper angles etc. after lowering.
The reason for the front and rear "alignments is to keep the tires/suspension at the proper geometry/angles. If you skipped the alignment you would most likely have excessive premature tire wear and/or poor handling characteristics.

The theory behind waiting several weeks prior to an alignment is to allow the springs to "settle". Whether or not this is 100% required is another story. My experience tells me that what little they should/could "settle", should not effect an alignment at all. I would be more concerned about ruining a good set of tires in that 2-3 week "settling" period I may jump in and drive it around for 5 miles or so prior to the alignment rack, but thats about it.

Hope I didn't misspeak or confuse you... I am a darn good mechanic but have never done/performed front/rear end alignment activities. Always left that to the experts in that field. As for the springs, the only other brand I remember hearing about was "Eibach", and I'm sure I misspelled it

Good luck

Smitty

 

VTEC and I must have been typing at the same time - but it looks like we covered the basics

Smitty

 

yea guys thanks a lot that helps me a ton...now i know what people are talking about!

 

yea for us...thanks for picking up the slack for the stuff I missed....damn we're good, huh Smitty??