Trying to find out about my suspension....

[IcyDeath]

I bought an 04 EP a few days ago and I am trying to find out about it's suspension setup. The dealer said it had a DC Exhaust, when in fact it's an Apex'i so I'm not trusting 100% what they told me, although that coulda been just an honest mistake. Most of the stuff they are not sure of the brands just what it supposedly has.

Here is what I know:

*Tires = 205/45/16 Falken ZIEX ZE512 (Front is real worn).

*Springs = Unsure, drop is leaving 1 1/2 - 2 fingers between fender and tire. (The springs are yellow in color, Neuspeed maybe)?

*Struts/Shocks = Unsure, might be stock any way to tell?

*Camber Kit = Dealer says there is one and the tires are straight with the drop, so it leads me to believe this is true, anyway to know for certain?

*Sway/Strut bar = Dealer says there is a front and rear. I think I see the front very close to the firewall in the engine bay on top. Not sure where the rear one would be.

Anyways, I am asking mostly because I am scared of speed bumps and taking this one I HAVE to go over at my apartments, even at an angle it hits something under the car each time, and skips my radio! It's not scraping the body, except under the front bumper where it's not visible. Some curbs kill me also even when angling and slow.

I was curious if moving to 17's or 18's (I'd have to get new rims then though), would raise it a little more? I like the look and I like the way it's handling though. Any info helps, I'm a newb to lowered vehicles.

[FoReVaPmP]

pics???:mredface:

[Karma]

i would also think the yellow springs are neuspeed. i cant think of any other company that makes springs in that color, except maybe ebay.

if you're scraping something after the speed bump, you might still be on blown stock struts.

for the rear camber kit, an adjustable one would be threaded and have a locking nut versus the solid one piece stock ones. the front is a skinny bolt.

a strut bar goes across/on top the strut towers. the sway bars are underneath the car. the front one is kinda hard to see. it goes over the cat/header. the rear is easily seen if you squat down from behind the car.

someone feel free to correct me if i'm wrong anywhere.

i'm no expert, but i'm in the area and can take a look at your car if you want.

[SinisterCivicSi]

sounds on point to me. but yet, pics would really help also. :mbiggrin:

[blackhatchsi]

You're braver than I am. I could see buying one that already had exhaust but suspension?? I dunno if I could have done that.
I'm 90% sure that the scraping sound is your midpipe. Do you know which apexi exhaust it is? I have the WorldSport2 and it scrapes. If you have 1-1 1/2 fingers between the wheels and the body, then it sounds like it is a two inch drop. Like forevapmp said, get some pics up.

[IcyDeath]

i'm no expert, but i'm in the area and can take a look at your car if you want.

Don't see why not if you wanna grab a beer sometime. I'm gonna get pics loaded up after my weekend trip to help determine this.

[lazeebeast35]

I know my friend has some h&r that were yellow for his em2 so it might be that cus im pretty sure parts are somewhat interchangeable between the 2. i mean im getting a progress rear sway bar from him and he got it off an rsx. but yeah, shouldn't it say what they are on the spring itself?

[Drew1d]

If you get new wheels to raise it up, you'll change the size and it will make the speedo off. It's one way to stay under warrenty but I think since it's used it's probably out anyway.

Jack up the car, take a wheel off so the suspension can fully extend, then pull the dustboot/bumpstop up to look at the damper. Most have a sticker or lettering on it to tell you the brand. If not, maybe it's stock.

Are the front springs twice as wide as the rear, or the same diameter as the rear? Are they on a perch? ( Coilovers) you may be able to adjust them if that's the case. (Raising the car.) If you can, remember to get an alignment after.

[mustclime]

Tires are the wrong dia....stock would be 205/55-16....you are about 3/4-1.0 of a inch to short....you speedo is reading fast and you are adding about 4-5 miles per 100 miles on you odometer.....It will look like you are making better gas milage though:bowl:

[shanewdude]

http://www.carmodifier.com/default.asp?Action=tireTechCentreCalculator

Check out your tire sizes here... you can compare the stock 205/55/16 to yours. I tried, and you are almost an inch smaller on your sidewall than stock.

[IcyDeath]

http://www.carmodifier.com/default.asp?Action=tireTechCentreCalculator

Check out your tire sizes here... you can compare the stock 205/55/16 to yours. I tried, and you are almost an inch smaller on your sidewall than stock.

Haha, this is exactly right. I found this out on my trip. I knew the mileage from exit to exit from my old car. I'm like roughly 4mph off. And when an exit woulda been 43 miles away it was like 47 according to my trip meter. Sucks about the odometer.

The front tires are bad anyways. If I put the stock size back on them, do you think it would rub? They are Neuspeed springs btw, I saw the writing on em. Would the stock tire size make the drop look non-existant?

Here are some pics...
http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/113/dsc00424pu4.th.jpg (http://img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00424pu4.jpg)
http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/9018/dsc00430mh4.th.jpg (http://img247.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00430mh4.jpg)
http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/630/dsc00426zl9.th.jpg (http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00426zl9.jpg)

[shanewdude]

Did you play with the calculator? Here's the difference:

Stock Tire: 205/55/16
Sidewall: 4.4 inches
Radius: 12.4 inches
Circumfrence: 78.2 inches
Revolutions/mile: 811

Your Current Tire: 205/45/16
Sidewall: 3.6 inches
Radius: 11.6 inches
Circumfrence: 73.1 inches
Revolutions/mile: 867

So the stock tires would be 0.8 inches closer to your wheel well. I think this would make the drop look lower.

[IcyDeath]

So the stock tires would be 0.8 inches closer to your wheel well. I think this would make the drop look lower.

Yea, I tried it out and bookmarked it for the future :smile: good tool to have thnx.

Yea, it would look lower I thought... It would be higher though so my exhuats piping might not need to fear speed bumps as much. However, I'd be concerned it may slightly rub during turns.

Oh and you compared 50 to 45 series... Stock is 55, right?

[ep3man]

i would also think the yellow springs are neuspeed. i cant think of any other company that makes springs in that color, except maybe ebay.

if you're scraping something after the speed bump, you might still be on blown stock struts.

for the rear camber kit, an adjustable one would be threaded and have a locking nut versus the solid one piece stock ones. the front is a skinny bolt.

a strut bar goes across/on top the strut towers. the sway bars are underneath the car. the front one is kinda hard to see. it goes over the cat/header. the rear is easily seen if you squat down from behind the car.

someone feel free to correct me if i'm wrong anywhere.

i'm no expert, but i'm in the area and can take a look at your car if you want.


they could be goldline springs i have yellow neuspeeds and i have 1 finger gap all around

[shanewdude]

Yea, I tried it out and bookmarked it for the future :smile: good tool to have thnx.


Oh and you compared 50 to 45 series... Stock is 55, right?

Oops. The numbers are for a 55 series tire, I just typed it wrong! I'll fix it...

[IcyDeath]

they could be goldline springs i have yellow neuspeeds and i have 1 finger gap all around

I found out they are Neuspeed, I could read the words on them in the sunlight today.