New Bushings before Lowering Car?

[209mc]

Hey all! I'm planning on lowering my car with the neuspeed sports sometime soon. (1.75F/ 1.5R). They are currently $125 in their website, and I really want to buy them. However my question is, should I upgrade my bushings before lowering my car, or can I just leave it the way it is right now? Thanks.

[deevergote]

Your bushings are a quarter century old at this point, so replacing them (upgrades or simple stock replacements... your choice...) wouldn't be a bad idea at all. Polyurethane bushings will increase performance somewhat, at the cost of extra harshness. Stock replacement bushings will give a better ride, at the cost of some handling.

More importantly, you need to be sure your shocks are suitable for your springs. Neuspeed Sport springs aren't terribly aggressive, which is good... but you should still have shocks that are valved to handle the lowered ride height and increased spring rate. A set of Koni Sport ("Yellows") would be a very smart thing to buy.
Be sure to get an alignment after lowering, too. You may not need a camber kit with such a mild drop, but you will definitely want to have the toe aligned properly after everything is installed.

[209mc]

Your bushings are a quarter century old at this point, so replacing them (upgrades or simple stock replacements... your choice...) wouldn't be a bad idea at all. Polyurethane bushings will increase performance somewhat, at the cost of extra harshness. Stock replacement bushings will give a better ride, at the cost of some handling.

More importantly, you need to be sure your shocks are suitable for your springs. Neuspeed Sport springs aren't terribly aggressive, which is good... but you should still have shocks that are valved to handle the lowered ride height and increased spring rate. A set of Koni Sport ("Yellows") would be a very smart thing to buy.
Be sure to get an alignment after lowering, too. You may not need a camber kit with such a mild drop, but you will definitely want to have the toe aligned properly after everything is installed.

As for the shocks, I currently have oem grade shocks that have been replaced both front and rear about 2-3 years ago.... should I go ahead and replace them too, or just wait a little while before getting new shocks?

[deevergote]

OEM shocks are not valved correctly for a lower ride height or higher spring rate. You could probably get away with them, as many have... but it wouldn't be smart. They will likely blow out in a short time, and won't react as they should even before then. Normal driving may be fine, but if you are ever in an emergency where you must stop or change direction suddenly and violently, you may lose control. In other words, with mismatched springs and shocks, your car may not handle as you expect it to when you most need it to do so.
I'd suggest upgrading the shocks at the same time as the springs. It won't be cheap, but it'll be worth it for the added safety. Plus, a properly matched set of performance shocks and springs will GREATLY improve your car's handling!

[209mc]

Well yeah that's true. My main driving is in the city. Highways are rare for me. lol I may be able to run on stocks for a while. I only drive around 30 miles a week.
But yes for the safety factor, I will definitely upgrade as soon as my shocks begin to show signs of giving out.

As for the shocks, would you recommend Koni yellows or the str t's with the NS sports?

[sonikaccord]

I'd recommend the yellows if you are going to drive spiritedly at any time.
The str t's should be fine for a daily.

It's easier to do it all at once, unless you really want to go under your car twice for the same job.

[masospaghetti]

If the bushings aren't ripped you probably could keep your originals in there. BUT, if you have access to them while you are doing other suspension work it would be smart to go ahead and change them out.

Poly bushings are nice because you can just burn out the old bushings and hand-press the new ones in. But you need a torch with a high temperature to do this. Propane doesn't get hot enough (I've tried, the rubber smolders but doesn't burn enough to fall out). They will ride firmer than stock. You may need to keep them lubricated to prevent squeaking.

You can buy control arms that have stock rubber bushings already pressed in. This may be the easier way to go.

I know Koni Yellows are the gold standard of dampers. Just want to throw this out there. I am happy so far with my KYB AGX dampers. They were significantly cheaper than the Konis and have a stiffness adjustment. On the softest setting they are a bit stiffer than stock but still comfortable. Have not tried the stiffest setting yet.

[209mc]

If the bushings aren't ripped you probably could keep your originals in there. BUT, if you have access to them while you are doing other suspension work it would be smart to go ahead and change them out.

Poly bushings are nice because you can just burn out the old bushings and hand-press the new ones in. But you need a torch with a high temperature to do this. Propane doesn't get hot enough (I've tried, the rubber smolders but doesn't burn enough to fall out). They will ride firmer than stock. You may need to keep them lubricated to prevent squeaking.

You can buy control arms that have stock rubber bushings already pressed in. This may be the easier way to go.

I know Koni Yellows are the gold standard of dampers. Just want to throw this out there. I am happy so far with my KYB AGX dampers. They were significantly cheaper than the Konis and have a stiffness adjustment. On the softest setting they are a bit stiffer than stock but still comfortable. Have not tried the stiffest setting yet.

Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely take those into suggestion for the future!

[deevergote]

AGX are not designed to go lower than 1.5" (yes, I got that info straight from KYB.) I've actually had KYB AGX on H&R Sport springs (identical specs to Neuspeed Sport), and I blew one on a relatively minor pothole. Switching to Koni Yellows made for a much more comfortable ride, and they never blew out, even after taking some pretty brutal hits on awful NJ roads.

If you're going to buy on a budget, the Koni STR.T would be a far better option. Still not great, but they should be fine for your NS springs. If you ever decide to go lower or stiffer, you'll need to upgrade, however.


As for burning bushings out... that can be risky. It's fairly common practice, but heating metal weakens it. I'm not very comfortable doing something that will potentially weaken important suspension components. Your best bet is to have any captive bushings pressed out, and the new ones pressed in. You could probably do them all yourself if you're patient enough... but having a shop do it won't cost that much if you just bring them the parts.
I did my rear lower control arm bushing a couple years ago... it was a pain in the ass. I never did do the other side, but I planned on taking it to be done professionally whenever I got around to it.

[masospaghetti]

AGX are not designed to go lower than 1.5" (yes, I got that info straight from KYB.) I've actually had KYB AGX on H&R Sport springs (identical specs to Neuspeed Sport), and I blew one on a relatively minor pothole. Switching to Koni Yellows made for a much more comfortable ride, and they never blew out, even after taking some pretty brutal hits on awful NJ roads.

Good info, I'll be sure not to lower my car more than 1.5". Thanks. Although I think the ride quality is quite good despite the stiffer springs.