freshin

I recently replaced my stock suspension and installed the Aspec kit on my 2004 Acura TL with 153K on it.

My ride has much better handling, a bit stiffer then my stock suspension, which is great, but it feels a bit bouncy on bumps. Should I be feeling this? Should I be replacing any other parts to get the full Aspec experience? like maybe the bushings? mounts? etc..don't know what to look for to minimize the bouncing...

need advice here....thanks

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

brand new aspec springs and shock combo?

freshin

brand new combo

ExonAlbz

That could be the damping . Adjust it if you could.. I could be wrong tho.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

oem shocks are not adjustable

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

non adjustable.

however, you might be partially correct.
the valving on the shocks just might not be aggressive enough

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Are you stating it actually bounces more than the standard suspension or you just feel the bumps more? If the later, yes, a stiffer suspension will not absorb the bump, it will just push the body upward more, more so if the tire air pressure is raised, or tires have stiff sidewalls.

tomlinsonj

iTrader: (2)

^ +1 The ASPEC suspension certainly should not float around after driving over a bump. So when you say "bouncy" what does that mean? At what speeds are you noticing it?

As for the "full ASPEC experience", if you have an AT then you may consider upgrading your rear sway bar. This will tighten up lateral movements, however it certainly won't add to any ride compliance. I love the ASPEC + Progress RSB. But make sure you do some trouble shooting before going further. If you have a suspension shop that is trust-worthy take someone for a test drive.

But as Turbonut implied, "bouncy" needs some clarification.

freshin

Thanks for the great advice guys....much appreciated.

I feel one mini bounce or a hop from the rear when I hit a bump at approx. 60km/h.

I would think it would be more stiffer then this with the aspec set up...It's difficult to describe, would need somebody to test drive it to actually know what im talking about..

I guess im feeling the bumps more then my old stock suspension and my expectations were really high on the aspec, but I will definitely look into what everyone is saying...

thanks again guys.

Vlad_Type_S

iTrader: (3)

You're feeling the bumps more because it's stiffer, thus the shock/damper absorbs less of the bump making you feel it more. Bouncy usually describes that it bounces up and down and up and down after a bump, but it doesn't sound like that's what is happening. It should be stiffer.

freshin

so is there a part that needs to be replaced that would work with the aspec suspension?

ultimatum127

Does it continue to bounce after a bump or only during the bump, if its continues after then your shock might be defective. Since it is a stiffer ride though you can expect alot of bumps during a bump is that makes sense haha.

freshin

just during the bump...I don't think it defective...

jchcmax

I just recently re-installed my A-Spec kit and noticed a little bounciness also. I think it's normal for being new. It eventually smooths out over time and you won't notice it. I don't think there's anything else you can ad to make it smoother , except having tires with bigger sidewalls and less air in tires? I've learned to live with the kit.

94eg!

Stiffer suspension with critical (proper) damping makes everything feel more harsh, but allows the suspension to react quicker to driver input. Hence the "high performance" moniker. It is also meant to give the driver greater information about what's happening between the tire and road.

Over-damped sport suspension (think Subaru STi) feels crashy, like the suspension doesn't want to move or react to any imperfections in the road.

Under-damped suspension (blown shocks or shocks set too soft for the springs) feels continuously bouncy. Imagine you hit a bump, but the suspension continues to bounce up and down several times afterward.

zoostation

iTrader: (1)

Yikes! I'm one click away from buying the Aspec suspension for my Type S and now I'm having second thoughts.

94eg!

The 3G TL already comes with mild sport suspension. The Type-S turned that up 1 notch. Adding A-spec would probably be even harsher. If I had it do, I would just buy Koni Sports.

zoostation

iTrader: (1)

Would I get a drop with koni Sports?

94eg!

Koni's do have a spring perch option that will give around a 1" drop (probably same as a-spec). You re-use your stock springs, bump-stops and top-hats and set the spring perch cir-clip in the lowered position. You do need to drill out the top-hat bushings to 12mm (from 10mm). You will probably need to cut your bump stops the same amount too. You will definitely need an alignment afterward as your toe will change at new ride height. This can eat tires quickly depending how big a toe-change you get. The camber will increase ever so slightly but that's okay if you enjoy hard cornering.

The biggest benifit of Koni's is you can adjust the damper rebound setting to your ride comfort liking. You can also adjust the balance between front & rear grip when you feel like getting more advanced.

94eg!

You move this circlip to the lower position and the spring perch gets moved down as well. The adjustment doesn't look like much, but it gets amplified by the motion ratio of the suspension (wheel moves up & down more than the shock). That means the ride height difference is probably around 50% more at the wheels vs the springs.

zoostation

iTrader: (1)

I always wondered how you adjusted the Yellows. The Circlip.

Thanks for the detailed information.

94eg!

no problem. I've had them about 10 years on my Civic Hotrod. I think they are definitely a great choice in damper. Lifetime warranty (keep receipts) to original purchaser is nice too.

zoostation

iTrader: (1)

The only part I don't like is drilling through the top hats. hmmm decisions

94eg!

drilling through the top hat bushing is simple. Get a 12mm drill bit and do it. very simple. The Type-S bushings are 100x better than the A-spec ones anyways. $16 vs $1. They are like a rubber covered bearing. You just pop all 8 of them out of the 4 top hats, and drill them out.

Stock bushing left, drilled bushing right. Very simple:


BTW: Here is my writeup on using this nice inexpensive safe spring compressor from OReillyAuto parts so you can do the job yourself:

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=3074041

lil12002

Where is everyone getting their Aspec suspension from? and do i need to buy separate shocks to go with it too? or is the aspec suspension kit similar to coilovers minus the adjustability?

H23Accord

iTrader: (8)

Is the drilling of the top hat bushings only needed if using type s bushings? Or is it needed for non type s bushings as well when using konis?

jchcmax

The non S requires drilling also.

jchcmax

I got mine from an online Acura dealer. Kit has springs and shocks, assembled ready to bolt onto car

94eg!

Regular bushings are probably squishy enough they don't require drilling. They will stretch right over the slightly larger diameter sleeve. The Type-S bushing has a built-in metal washer so there is no give....They must be drilled out.

lil12002

THANKS!