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Tightening up suspension

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    Tightening up suspension

    So just like the title says I was curious what all things I can do to my car to tighten it up (aside from coilovers and the like, I’d love to get a set when I have the money). Now I’m very new to the driving a manual trans car and a car in general. I noticed when practicing some spirited driving, it feels like the rear of the car almost wants to slide out under aggressive turning at a higher rate of speed. I was just curious if anyone had any advice to tighten it up. Thanks!

    #2
    Things to tighten up the suspension are.

    - Rear Sway Bar (Stock from an EX accord 14mm, slight upgrade is a Vigor/CL 16mm, Progressive 22mm, or an ST ~21mm)
    - Bushings (Energy Suspension or Prothane)
    - Ball joints (front upper/lower, rear upper)
    - Tie rods (inner/outer)
    - Front Strut Tower Bar (Ultra Racing, ExplicitSpeedPerformance.net)
    - Rear Upper Strut Tower Bar (Ultra Racing, ExplicitSpeedPerformance.net)
    - Fender Braces (Ultra Racing for a CD5)
    - Middle Floor Bar (Ultra Racing)
    - Springs (Stock)
    - Shocks (Stock)
    - Lowering car (Coilovers or a set of lowering springs and decent shocks to compensate, extended front and rear top hats are offered to help accommodate this)
    - Air Ride (Air Lift, Ksport)
    - Rigid Collars (Ties the subrame to the frame and eliminates the subframes moving under high stress loads. IE high speed cornering, quick transitions back and forth)
    - Traction Bar (Innovative, ExplicitSpeedPerformance.net)
    - Axles (This sounds weird but getting a good set of axles for the cars these days is pretty hard. So getting some good ones that have no play in them, removing all vibrations from the drive train goes a long way to improving handling and drive-ability.)

    Sadly I feel like I'm missing something still. The list is long and all of it costs a small fortune in and of itself. But the car will no longer handle anything like a stock Accord did.

    The biggest one to prevent the ass end of the car sliding around you is the rear sway bar. It will keep the rear more planted and the car more neutral in the turns. Granted I still advocate getting all of the maintenance done on the car first. (Ball joints, tie rods, bushings, brakes, then looking at doing something with the shocks.)
    Last edited by Rilas; 04-16-2020, 09:28 AM.
    MRT: 1993 Honda Accord SE Coupe (Lola)

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      #3
      Your profile says you have an EX, so it should already have the rear sway bar.

      Rilas's list is pretty comprehensive. Just from my experience, a set of Bilstein shocks all around goes a long way to stiffening the ride on stock springs. A note on springs, if you're still running the original front springs, they have a tendency to break the bottom coil where is comes off the spring seat (on the side facing inward).

      Another thing to consider is tires; traction and stiffness of the tires will have a big impact on how the car handles.
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        #4
        I'm going to say tires as well. That is 75&#37; of your handling right there. Make sure you're on a good set of 200TW.

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          #5
          I agree that tires are a HUGE help in keeping the car planted.

          Shocks and springs help as well. Personally, I don't care to be too low. My ideal shock/spring setup is H&R Sport springs with Koni Yellow (Sport) shocks. Combine that with some quality tires and polyurethane bushings, and the car will really come to life. It'll still be comfortable as a daily driver, and clear speed bumps without issue. The adjustable shocks can easily be tuned to your liking.






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            #6
            Thanks for the reply’s guys! That’s one of the first things I’m doing is getting some quality tires. I got a set of XXR’s with the car with terrible tires on them, gonna get some good rubber on those and have some spiffy new rims as well. I have no desire to be super low, I want the car to drive and handle well not be a stance mobile. Definitely gonna look into solid shock/spring combos. What are some good poly bushings I should get, been heavily looking into it but don’t know where I could get any? Thanks again guys!
            Last edited by OGD3vTaR; 04-16-2020, 04:49 PM. Reason: Spelling

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              #7
              Prothane and Energy Suspension are the bushing brands to look for. I know Prothane used to have one bushing that ES didn’t.
              Best to buy an entire kit. You’ll probably need some of them pressed in at a shop, though.






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                #8
                He can get by with a rubber mallet and some love. Some of the bushings fit really tight, so you might want to freeze them before installing.

                Rockauto sells Energy. They have the best pricing too.

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                  #9
                  What they all said is correct. Especially what Deeve said. If you get new springs, don't go too low. I race with the Neuspeed race springs and koni yellows. Those springs essentially the same as the HR springs.

                  Just a few details to add. If your car is currently a little loose in the rear, do not stiffen the rear with more rear bar, that will make it worse. I'd get it up to baseline first before changing the anti-roll bar. That is likely to mean new shocks and bushings for a car this age.

                  Bushings
                  Bushings are like the cartilage in your joints. With bad ones there will be lots of slop and your alignment settings will constantly fluctuate leading to clunking, tricky handling, and tire wear. Replacing all of them can make your car ride like new, assuming the shocks work and the springs aren't broken.

                  If it sounds clunky especially during weight shifting (like when you brake or start a turn), the bushings are shot and should be a priority. Unless it has been done before, any car of this vintage will need new ones. Jack it up and visually inspect each corner. If the rubber bushings look deteriorated, you need new ones. Unfortunately this is a lot of work.

                  Shocks
                  Shocks prevent the car from just bouncing on the springs forever after hitting a bump. The damp the oscillation.
                  Bounce each corner by pushing down with all your weight then letting go.
                  If it bounces more than once your shocks are shot. Visually inspect them, if there is any sign of greasiness or leaks, they are shot. If you are on a budget, any new shocks will be miles better than worn out shocks, the koni orange are a good cheap shock but are not super durable. Bilstein or Koni Yellow are the gold standards.

                  Springs
                  check if the car looks level. visually inspect each spring. sagging or broken springs should be replaced. I would only replace with stock or the HR springs Deevergote mentioned. Most lowering springs available for this car are problematic and often are as soft or softer than stock. If you take out two inches and keep the same spring rate, you'll be bottoming out all the time.

                  Tires
                  This is most of your handling as far as ultimate grip is concerned. But stiff springs and tight shocks give you that quick response feel.

                  You bought a car that is capable of handling with the best out there (with some work). It has fully independent dual wishbone suspension front and back.
                  ==========================
                  1991 Accord Lemons Race Car, "The Minnow" RIP
                  1993 Accord Lemons Race Car, "SpaceEx Starship"
                  Neuspeed Race Springs, Koni Sports, Acura CL Rear Sway Bar,
                  Adj Upper Control Arms -3.0deg front, -2.0 deg rear
                  M2A4 Trans, Cusco 1-way Limited Slip Differential, Stage 2 Clutch and 11lb flywheel. A4 Header, 2" exhaust all the way back, catalyst delete, delta 262 grind, glasspack muffler, PT6 ECU.
                  Acura CL3.0 Brakes Front and Rear, Raybestos St43 Pads, Redline 600 Brake Fluid

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                    #10
                    a poly bushing kit is THE #1 thing you can do to change the feel of your car's suspension, followed by tires. Unless they've been changed (relatively unlikely) your bushings are 27-30 years old, and poly bushings are a marked improvement even on fresh rubber bushings. Make sure you grease them well, or they'll squeak, though.

                    Tires make a massive difference, too, especially if paired with a lighter weight wheel, possibly an inch or 2 bigger. A smaller sidewall, less rotational and unsprung mass, and stickier rubber will make your car feel like it's on rails by comparison to stock.

                    After that, a good lowering suspension (ideally Koni Yellows and Ground Control coilovers, stay away from any full body coilovers less than $1000 unless they're Function and Form or Tein), a camber kit, and a beefier rear sway bar will tighten it up even more.

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