New suspension

[Wootty]

As you might know - i've never been a real fan of the Spoon progressives and after looking at the photos of the hullavington day i can see that the teg is still rocking and rolling on them. Plus they were clunking about. So i think I need it looking at either the roll bar bushes have gone or it sounds like the small drop links.

So if I'm going to get it sorted might as well get it all done at once.

So what suspension set up would you all suggest.

My criteria is a good track set-ability and i do like em good and firm on the roads. Dont do many b-roads but i suppose i dont want it too hard so i bounce with no grip. Also - with the INGS i cant go any lower than what the spoons have dropped it by.

Suggestions please...

 

[Duncs]

coilovers it is then, for you

i have no great problems with the spoons and do not get anything but good feedback on what the car is doing under me, perhaps now with your extra power you are finding the shortcomings in the chassis.
on the other hand perhaps i am not trying hard enough
:wink:

 

[Ken A]

Hope you dont mind asking but why dont you like the spoon progressives ?? I was thinking of getting these shortly so am interested in the feedback here.

Do they make the ride harsh or do they keep the stock comfort with extra firmness on hard cornering. I reckon they could be perfect for me/street set-up.

If its for track use you're aiming then it has to be coilovers. Full control !! 8)

 

[Wootty]

The spoons seem to be - to me - softer than stock in the unloaded condition. They do load up quickly so into the bends and she stiffens up nice - but to me the soft side is too soft. I have to go over speed humps so slowly that sometimes i roll back down. If you get it a bit to fast then whump the sub frame bottoms out and its a big embarrasment all round. Drive a nice car everyones looking then - thump and everyone giggles..

Might just be my setup I dont know. But since System R fitted the camber adjusters and set it up it seems worse - softer.

The coils also knock together a lot - more now the alignment was done. I did not have my rubbers swapped from the stock springs to the spoons so perhaps that might help.

Don't get me wrong - they are much better all round than the stock springs - ask Anton (g-zone) when he was with us last year at Hullavington. So value for money they are great.

Maybe there is something wrog with my install/setup - i dont know. But I think it might be time for a change.

 

[Snee]

Suspension seems to be a tricky subject on the DC5. The head of spoon even said that the car should be left stock and does not advise lowering it, so i thought it odd that they sold the progressive springs. Spoon altogether cancelled development of a suspension package for the DC5 when they failed to meet Mr Spoons satisfaction.

Coilovers may have to be the way forward for what you require, just looking at the toda europe site, the fightex coilovers look good and they are made in house at toda so it can be expected that the correct amount of R&D has been carried out.

 

[andyd]

Ohlins 8)

Andy

 

[Ken A]

The spoons seem to be - to me - softer than stock in the unloaded condition. They do load up quickly so into the bends and she stiffens up nice - but to me the soft side is too soft. I have to go over speed humps so slowly that sometimes i roll back down. If you get it a bit to fast then whump the sub frame bottoms out and its a big embarrasment all round. Drive a nice car everyones looking then - thump and everyone giggles..

Might just be my setup I dont know. But since System R fitted the camber adjusters and set it up it seems worse - softer.

The coils also knock together a lot - more now the alignment was done. I did not have my rubbers swapped from the stock springs to the spoons so perhaps that might help.

Don't get me wrong - they are much better all round than the stock springs - ask Anton (g-zone) when he was with us last year at Hullavington. So value for money they are great.

Maybe there is something wrog with my install/setup - i dont know. But I think it might be time for a change.

this doesnt sound like the springs to me mate. Sounds like you have a damper that needs replacing or a new bumpstop on the damper needs to be got.

 

[Evs]

The clonking might be the front top mounts, you could just replace these with aftermarket pillow ball ones. It might also be the front wishbone bushes, which are too soft in the first place and after 5 years are probably long past their best. Well worth looking at replacing these imho.

I personally think the OEM springs and dampers are not well matched, the springs feel too soft for the dampers. If you think the Spoon prog springs are softer than OEM on initial compression then I can see why you're not happy with them.

Some coilovers clonk anyway, so this might not be the way forward if you want a silent ride. But from my own experience and research I'd suggest look at:
Toda/Fightex
Zeal
Ohlins
Cusco

Maybe avoid:
Buddyclub
Tein
HKS

I'll probably get flamed for that 'avoid' list, but it's just my 2p. A lot of kits look nice in the pictures with all that machined / anodised alloy, but aren't always that well engineered internally and don't last long when they're on the car. If you're spending anything upwards of £1500 on the job, you don't want to be doing it twice...

 

[Wootty]

Thanks guys..

Not so worried about clonking if its normal - just that round the track it was quite disturbing :shock:

It was every time the suspension loaded up so as you were turning in it was clunk then turning out and it rolled over it was clunk the other side.

So I'm thinking drop links or anti-roll bar bushes mybe. Had a similar thing on the FTO and it was the drop links - but they found that on the MOT - but the teg just had an MOT with no problems #-o For the FTO you could get a ploy ARB bush set - not seen them for the teg.

Had a look under there yesterday when doing the brakes and nothing looks loose. But if its only under load then its not going to be that obvious

Guess i need to take it to a specialist to have a look.

Thanks for the list Evs. Seems like your list is similar to mine :lol: using the search and previous threads - though i thought the Buddy clubs seemed to come out reasonably high on the RSX sites.

Gonna have to save up some more pennies then i guess. There goes the new carpet again for this month!!!

 

[Evs]

Poly ARB bushes got discussed recently on the TRO forum:

http://type-r-owners.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=10731

Discussion is presumably for a CTR, but AFAIK the DC5 has larger diameter ARBs so not sure the ES ones discussed will fit.

I think Cusco might do them, last time I was at System-R Paul said he thought he might be able to get me some but tbh I never followed it up. Might be worth a call/e-mail to him?

As for the Buddyclub coilovers - well, I had them on my car, and I thought they were great when I first put them on...

 

[Wootty]

As for the Buddyclub coilovers - well, I had them on my car, and I thought they were great when I first put them on...

Do tell then ?? PM if you dont want to upset anyone.

 

[Evs]

I don't want to upset anyone but then I'm not one to drop hints and not back it up, so I'll just say that they weren't as durable as expected given what they cost. I bought them secondhand so it's difficult to say for definite whether they just weren't very good, had had a hard life before I bought them, or a combination of the two. Some aspects of the design point firmly to the former tbh.

I had the option to get them rebuilt or buy another set the same, but decided to get something different. I also thought they weren't fit to sell after a year on my car despite a couple of people asking me about them. Make your own mind up from that...

 

[C&S Evo7]

clonking could well be lower ball joint,
if it was a twangy clonk they the spring could well be moving in its seat, which is quite common, i have eibach coilovers which clonk a little and provide a excellent compromise between track striffness and daily use as the spring rates arn't silly stiff, they are also one of the only sets designed specifically for fast road use, stainless legs etc i would recomend them for a daily used car. They may be for sale soon as i want some more suited to track use as the car isn't used so often now.

 

[Duncs]

when i went to the Historic Race/Rally show talked to a company about poly bushes and said 'bet you don't do Integra DC5 do you?' and he went well actually we do, actually their Australian part do and showed me the list with them in so,
try SuperPro Europe Ltd
01823 690281,

or web site www.superpro.eu.com

no promises but give them a whirl

 

[C&S Evo7]

I beleive some of the bushes for the auzzy cars will be different as they have a smaller dia anti roll bar.

 

[Duncs]

the site/products list carries the 2 variants, front at 18mm or 23mm if i remember, it quotes both sizes for the rear as well.

i have no idea if they are any good though :?

 

[corbie]

Which Buddyclub's did you have Evs? was thinking about them before this.

 

[Evs]

Which Buddyclub's did you have Evs? was thinking about them before this.

They were just called 'Racing Spec Dampers' AFAIK, I think they do two types and these were the more expensive ones... :roll:

 

[corbie]

Aye the RSD's are the more expensive version the cheaper ones are the N+

Oh well will have to have another think. :|

 

[dobber]

I got the D2 coilovers from TGM Sports. Good value for money in every aspect. Handling is improved, you can certainly tell the difference.