Suspension Gurus please advise!

[graphixdezign6]

For the last few months i have been trying to combine a suspension for my 4 door 97 lx. These are the factors im working with. I live in the northeast, so due to snow i need the capabilities of a coilover. And i have been staying within the $600-700 price range. There are so many choices, i dont want to buy a spring that may not work with a certain shock. What i came up with is:

#1 Ground Control Coilovers on Tokico Illuminas or Koni Reds
#2 Skunk2 Coilovers on Tokico Illuminas or Koni Reds
#3 Tein Basic set up

I think i would like to go with choice #1, but if you guys can give me any input that would be great.

[Carreragt2e]

Tein Basic. Search on ebay and Im sure you can find them for about 650. Then theyll charge you about 50$ for shipping or so.

Ive got the tein Super Street. Love em. You have your spring/ coil over matched right for you. You cant go wrong with Teins , but I didnt like the S Techs so much, thats why I got the SS. Basics are basiclly the S techs, but no dampening force adjustments. If you want to up grade in the future, save your money, wait till tein redesigns the Superstreets and then when they are done with that you can add upper pillow mounts which will give you camber adjustments, and have the abbility to add the EDFC with out having to mess with cutting up your hood to make room for them.

You cant go wrong with any of your choices though. If anything make sure you dont just get coil overs and add them to your stock shocks. Youll hate the ride. It will be low, but it will suck

eric

[matts]

call me a hater, but i really don't think that coilovers are worth it. you get a rougher ride, whether your high, or low. and you have to factor in either destroying your tires, or getting your camber adjusted each time you adjust it. i think that a much better choice would be something like neuspeed sofsport (drops .75"), and you would be able to use your stock shocks. you also might not need camber kits.
i have the neuspeed sport springs (- 1.75") on stock shocks, and i can get through most of the weather down in PA, but i know its a lot worse up there.

[AccordTunr333]

HEHE...I've got the 'ol H&R Race springs (2.2" front, 2.0" rear) and i have to say, this is the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE that i am glad that i live in Oregon. Cause we get a shit load of rain every year, but nothing like the worries you all on the east coast seem to encounter with winter weather. I just had to plug that in there...lol

-Garrett

[Carreragt2e]

hate you, Im sick of snow. Speaking of the snow, I always wondered what Id do with the coilovers on over winter, only thing I could think of is get a winter beater, walk places, or put the stock suspension back on.
eric

[graphixdezign6]

Cool. thanks for the input guys.
I guess im going with either
#1, or #2. Now i just have to figure out
if i want Illuminas, or reds.
Carreragt2e did you mean you dont know what you would do
without coilovers in the winter because you would be to low with springs alone? Or you wouldnt want your coilovers to be exposed to winter weather?

Also do you guys know what the difference in quality is between
the skunk2's and the groundcontrol's
Like spring rate, durability, etc. I'm probably
going to buy one of them
in the next week or so with my tax check.
Just want to be 100% sure
i will be happy with my setup. $600 bucks
is alot of money, you know.

[Carreragt2e]

I was saying that if I had the tools readily available, I would take the coilovers off inwinter then replace them with the stock suspension because even though tein made them so that they can withstand the elements, Id still rather not deal with that. Id probally end up being to lazy and say screw it. I could always just raise them up alittle, but that requires screwin up all the alignment settings (as would changing the suspension from modified to stock)

eric

[graphixdezign6]

Gotcha.

Yea im a little stressed having my after
market parts exposed to the elements too.
The other day i opened my hood and there
was salt all over my engine. One of these days
when its not like -2 outside i really have to clean my car.

[AccordTunr333]

I'd take the Skunk2's with Koni Shocks, but instead of the red's you might want to consider just saving a bit more to get the yellows, you'll be soooooo much happier especially given that coilovers are stiffer i think you'll sppreciate the adjustability.

-Garrett