aaronnn

Exactly. I don't mind shelling a little bit more because in the long run, better quality parts end up being cheaper anyways.

If you want a plug and play, direct fitment setup, the Tein's really are the best. I can't trust D2, KSport, Megans, etc anymore. there's a reason why they all started off as an Ebay brand and now became big because people are willing to cheap out on such important parts.

I had megans.. which rusted out on me, then the shocks blew not too long after. Bought them brand new and they were knocking and noisy only a few weeks in. I think I almost got 10k miles out of them, But for 800 bucks, it's still not even worth it. My friend, who owns a car shop, put D2's in his car and that went bad in 3 months!! he actually has proof.. he has the receipt of the day he bought it, and pictures from the day he pulled them off. He ended up getting Buddy Club N+'s and they're still holding up after 3 years.


I had Tein Flex in my legacy and SS-P in the TL. Never had a problem with them. Even til the day I sold it, I was able to sell them for $1000 used only because of how well they held up. I cleaned them up and the thread body were still shiny behind all that salt and road grime.

do it right the first time so you won't regret it later.

Trentimus

I am definitely a person to spend more coin to get the reliability/performance bump.. In my 2003 Cobra I had H&R Progressive Springs with Bilstein shocks & struts.. Was smooth and handled well for the type of car it is. But, I mean if Tein is the way to go.. I'll go for it.

aaronnn

yeah. I dont know exactly what I want. If Buddy club comes up with one for the SI/2.4 ILX models, I'll take that.. If not, i'll probably shoot for the Koni/Swift setup.

Trentimus

Just judging by pictures I have seen.. the Tein Basis don't have rear coil-overs.. just front. The Advances and D2's appear to be full on front and back coilover set-ups..

I also looked at the factory model parts for the shocks between the Civic and ILX.. seems you were right, Speed. The only thing different is the shock and a bushing at the top.

**nevermind on that top part.. Heal Toe's picture just confused me.. the boot I guess just goes on the bottom? I am gonna get some coilovers here soon.. maybe going Redshift.. I trust your opinion, Speed.

spdandpwr

Those pics are deceiving. The rear has a coil spring and shock separate... so the rears are not exactly "coilovers."

spdandpwr

Here's a pic of redshift's coils to give you a sense of what I'm talking about:

RENARELLO

Very nice

spdandpwr

Redshift revised the design since that picture...you'll definitely get the best quality from them and they are marginally pricier than the tien street advance. I think I've found my coils.

spdandpwr

New coils:

Trentimus

Hmm.. so there is no "coilover" set for the back then. Sad, but you make do with what you can!

I will probably be going Redshift.

opboarding

Why aren't the rear ones assembled coilovers?

aaronnn

different design. Most cars now use torsion rear beam design instead of having a lower control arm/multilink type with springs over strut and top hat design.

It's actually a really good design. keep things stiffer, less moving parts and less parts in general.

gencoupe, 370z, civic si, etc.. they all ditched the usual multilink rear end design and opted for torsion beam rears. keeps production costs lower, easier to work on.

Trentimus

Meh, I maybe not fully grasping the concept you're saying because I see where the 370z is the same way..

If it works it works.. but I'd prefer a coil over setup front and rear.

robtroxel

Torsion beam( AKA beam axle) = cheapest production costs and not a true independent rear suspension at all. That's why I gave the Verano a pass. IRS is far superior in handling if it is set up properly. I'll take the ILX set up any day. Also, my later build car is not clunking even at 0 f.

Trentimus

I guess I was just expecting the a coilover set to be in the back regardless if it's IRS or not. Is that not possible? The way I was told back when I had a Mustang is that it was inferior to have the spring off set to the shock. But, Mustangs also had it in the front back in the day.

I dunno, I guess the technicals really don't matter that much. If this is how the car is and it works, I am just gonna go with it. I really hope Redshift is a substantial improvement over the TEIN Advances. It's more than a penny difference in cost and both get really positive feedback. But, I'd rather drop the coin to get the benefit. What gives with the 2 coils on redshift's front strut? Anyone else notice that? It's a red Eibach coil ontop of another coil.

spdandpwr

I think their helper springs, which help keep the springs in place when your car goes on the lift. You can't go bad with either or...but I know that Redshift has top notch customer service.

aaronnn

your mustang (up until just the most recent generation) were all LIVE rear axles aka solid rear beam/axle. which are different altogether from torsion/independent rear axles. while the Torsion beam may be a solid beam as well, it still works independently from side to side.

a Live rear or solid axle, the two rear wheels are connected together to one big beam and work in conjunction to eachother. so if you hit a bump with one wheel, the other side of the car will hop along with it. This was mainly popular for cost effectiveness and drag racers (hence the popularity among muscle cars). Because it was a solid non moving rear part, it can take a massive beating among drag races especially with the violent, torque injected launches and still be able to drive on it daily. it'll be a very bouncey, rough ride, but thats just how it is.

that kind of setup is VERY bad for corners/road course racing. you hit a bump midway through, the entire rear end will shift or step out. you can still race with it, but it'll be a overly tense and have to be extremely careful.

its like running a boot camp obstacle with your shoe laces tied together.

Trentimus

My Cobra was a independent rear suspension.

I was referring back more as to why that can't incorporate a coil in the back. Even my cobra had it front and back how the back of the ILX is.


So, in other news.. The Mercedes CLA is nice. 208hp 254tq on their engine with AWD available.

spdandpwr

Yea, but Mercedes service costs are way too expensive.

Trentimus

Oh trust me, I wont ever buy ANY German car specifically for that reason... The car is just very attractive inside and out.. and the features are right. 7 speed dual clutch auto with a turbo 2L that makes that power is very appealing. And, I am sure it drives like a Mercedes. Obviously it's their answer to cars like the 200, ILX, Verano, 1-Series.. ect, but It's probably the best of all the options.. but also the most expensive. Can't wait to see one in person.

00TL-P3.2

I think the CLA looks great & is hopefully going to be successful for them.
Out of warranty repair costs are what have German cars off my list of replacements for my TL. ILX is still at the top.

spdandpwr

Can I just tell you guys that I enjoy my ilx that much more with the addition of the sway bar. Maybe it's a placebo thing, but it's feels so much tighter...harder to articulate. The exhaust note got more aggressive too, now that the bar is pressed up against the exhaust (but, I'll have to fix that issue.)

Trentimus

I really believe you, one of the hardest parts of this car to swallow is how the suspension doesn't mesh with the engine and tranny. If the suspension were to be stiffer.. I can imagine the car becomes a totally different beast.

I personally think the ILX should of been approached as a Sports Sedan. It would be more succesful right now for it.. my 2 cents. So, it comes to no surprise that stiffening the suspension is a huge improvement.

Considering that even the Civic Si guys see differences in their modded suspensions and that our suspension is significantly worse than the Si's is a tell-tell sign.

That's why I am going with the whole Eibach kit and the Redshift coil overs. And, TECHNICALLY I will be getting more bang for my buck than the Si guys. MUAHAHA. .(gotta look at the positive sides of things, haha)

spdandpwr

Exactly. I think you should install the bars first and go from there. You may decide that you just want shocks and springs as opposed to a whole coil-over setup.

Trentimus

I am pretty solid on the Coil over idea. I don't want to figure out what spring rates go with what shock, application.. ect. I like the professionals to put it together for me. Plus those Redshifts get such positive feedback it seems like a win. Plus, I wanna do the bars at the same time as the coil overs to avoid having to uninstall the same pieces twice.

I am thinking the "Sport" set.

Speaking of.. Outside of the Coil over set, the eibach kit and control arms for the rear are there any other things I need to consider? And, what control arms for the rear do you think? From what I understand there will be negative camber that can't be fixed without the arms once you go lower than 1.5 inches and I plan to go 2 in the front 1.75 in the back

spdandpwr

Good thinking! FYI, I'm going to go with the hfp kit on my car. I prefer OEM since my car is meant to be a type s build and not an all out race car. At half the price of the red shift kit, I think it'll be worth it.

Trentimus

Yeah, this car is gonna be my long term DD so I am probably gonna stop at the CT-E supercharger. I figure on a solid suspension, some nice wheels, and power somewhere near 240whp.. I'll be complete. I supposed that's not mild but if it's gonna be my car for a while, I want to enjoy it lol

That's good thinking too, I was gonna suggest that some might be able to keep up with the 9th generation Si guys and buy their suspensions off of them when they swap them out. I would see it as a cheap alternative to a whole aftermarket set... guys with Stangs used to do it all the time. Cobra parts down to GTs, GTs down to V6s ect..

I WANT THEIR LSD!

spdandpwr

Stage 1 s/c with just intake and stock exhaust will definitely yield ~240...

Trentimus

that's what I figure.. I am also considering the K20 head and RBC swap though..

Trentimus

Meh, let's go back to general chit chat lol|

How about that embarassing Super Bowl?

spdandpwr

I didn't even get to see the super bowl! you believe that? Went to visit a friend whom I hadn't seen in a loonnnngggg while. Seeing the superbowl wasn't her priority. Fortunately, Facebook provided a nice recap, lol.

Trentimus

It was extremely sad for San Fran the first half then it just got depressing for Baltimore at the end. Both teams played pathetically in their own respective halves of the game
You didn't miss much.

Gotta love Facebook! I found myself posting "SF go home.. you're drunk." early on.. then later "Baltimore go home.. you're drunk.".. Congrats to the Ravens though, too bad you missed out on the testosterone that is watching the game!

spdandpwr

The half-time show seemed to be the highlight. I also am curious about the power outtage...and what's this Illuminati conspiracy theory with beyonce?

Trentimus

There is so much of the illuminati stuff behind Jay-Z and them.. She just threw up his brand's symbol "The Roc"

The power went out mid-game.. It was the only memorable part.

opboarding

The power going out made me laugh. Its the only reason I kept watching.

aaronnn

its just lame controversies turned conspiracies from opposing fans.

I enjoyed the game for the most part, but I just watched it like I normally watch all football games, not as a blown up media and bandwagon fans. I thought it was a good game from both sides. Great defensive gameplay and some nifty calls from both offensive coordinators.

ddantzler

The Mercedes CLA does look awesome. I am eager to see it's price when equipped comparably to the ILX Auto w/ Tech. The 1 Series BMW seemed awesome to me at introduction, but then it turned out that cars on dealers lots were ridiculously priced, and made it seem more economical to just go with a 3 Series. IE: A survey of the Columbia, SC current inventory of new 1 Series reveals only 2 in stock: a 135i @ $51,430 and a convertible 135is at $55,445. The equipment in the base model is unimpressive to say the least.

ddantzler

The Super Bowl was fun to watch. I was hoping San Francisco would pull it out, and unfortunately it didn't happen. I don't think the ref no-calls are too much to blame at the end of the game. I would like to have seen them simply run the ball in from 5 yards out on second down instead of trying to loft the ball to Crabtree 3 consecutive times.

Trentimus

Kapernick probably could of ran it in.. easily.

opboarding

This thread is way too far down. Trent ready for Sunday???