My harsh suspension is kickin my butt

[MasterODisaster]

I have an 02 with stock suspension and stock wheels and tires (low tire pressure too), but the ride feels like I'm SLAMMED TO THE GROUND with NO give at ALL. I need to wear a kidney belt when I'm driving this thing. How anyone deals with a lowered vehicle for a daily driver is beyond me. Ideally I want this car to ride like a CL, or TL (was going to buy one, but too scared about tranny issues). If I get some regular Civic LX/EX/DX springs/shocks/swaybars would they work, or would I just be wasting my time? I love everything about this car except the harsh ride quality. I'm not concerned about cornering ability (although it is nice sometimes) - I just want it to ride like a Cadillac... I've already put 2" of foam padding on the seat, but still I can't take it. I get beat up driving this thing... I think I'm getting old... :)

Please no - "Buy a different car" replies.

Be nice!

[johnkimble]

are your struts in bad shape or something? i really can't imagine an ep with such a harsh ride in stock form unless the struts are blown or seized or something.

i've been lowered for more than 7 years and the ride still isn't harsh.

[MasterODisaster]

Guess the front struts and rear shocks COULD be bad, but there is just such small amounts of movement, and it doesn't really "hop" that bad. I'm going to get it looked at by a suspension shop my next day off.

[02_epdriver]

just curious how many miles are on the struts and how are the roads you drive on day to day?

[MasterODisaster]

90K I just bought the car, and the roads are quite rough.

[02_epdriver]

With that may miles and rough roads your struts and shocks are probably dead. Get those replaced and you should be good. I'm only lowered an inch rear and front and just replaced struts and shocks and my springs because one of springs "pass front" cracked. I picked up and four new springs and sturts and shocks for 578.00. That took money out of my full coilover funds but it was needed. Not sure if you want to continue to stay stock or what

[johnkimble]

or if you don't feel like spending ~600 bucks on new struts, see if you can pick up a used set from the classifieds

[2k3hatchie]

Definitely sounds like your struts are dead, even with my car lowered (albeit only 1'') it still rides pretty nice. Just remember if you really want the ride of a TL your best bet is to get a car of that style, even with brand new suspension your car won't ride THAT good.

I've got a used set of struts/springs available, in an effort to avoid spam PM me if you're interested.

[Zzyzx]

Easy fix, add weight.

so... go buy a few 50 lbs cement bags and toss them in the back seats, and pow! instant smoother ride.


or... cover the inside with thick sound deadening pads. anything to add weight.

[Drew1d]

I'm in the same boat man. trying to make the Civic take the bumps on my dirt road a little easier. For me, I chose to make the wheels more independent. So I disconnected the front sway. It took the edge off all the bumps. I've been told, typically the sway bar wouldn't really affect ride comfort, and in normal even pavement driving, i'd probably agree. But with potholes, where only one wheel is affected, the sway actually makes the ride a lot rougher.

Of course changing the sway affects grip of the tires and steering balance, but I also run larger all-season tires. So removing the sway puts more grip on the tire (or more weight transfer... if you prefer) , and having a larger surface area and less sticky compound reduces the "Man on the top of a sailing mast" effect in the cabin.

My driving is off road maybe 10% of the time and the rest is highway. So highway is real comfortable, and off road is more tolerable. The car doesn't perform like stock. It rolls like a fat kid tumbling down a hill. In rain it actually feel better(stable), and over 85 it's significantly less stable.

I would recommend Poly bushings. Because I run "gumball" tires, and a softer than stock suspension, it gives the car a feeling of loose, but controlled.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

(My next project is to reduce the rear sway back to stock, add Poly bushings on the sway and trailing arm, if this makes it roll too much, I could add my EM2 front sway.)

[jenuyin]

Just listening to whats being said and Im not trying to insult anyones intellegence, but It sounds like this might be one of the first SMALL cars that you have owned. By nature the ride is going to be stiff. For one it was built to be that way. That's what a "sport tuned suspension" is, stiff and rigid. Z had a good Idea, add weight. that would be about the only thing that could help you. If it is stock now and its too stiff, almost any other alteration will make it rougher. As far as your shocks being "dead", in my personal opinion is that it is highly unlikely because Struts are not known to seize or lock up, which means that if they were "blown out", they would have WAY too much play and it would become a bouncey ride bottoming out over little things in the road. Your looking for the ride of a CL or TL and I can understand Y. The problem is both those cars are bigger and therefore have more weight which overall makes for a smoother ride. and you will not be able to get the type of "smooth ride" without sacrificing serious perfomance.

[Drew1d]

... and you will not be able to get the type of "smooth ride" without sacrificing serious perfomance.
That's the key. I don't think there is a "both" without changing the car. Gear the suspension towards what you do with the car, not what you "could" do with the car. The dude's in CO, I don't know the roads, but they're probably rough. (I mean, it is the Rockies) I've been to FL, the roads are pretty smooth from what I remember, then again, that was Orlando, not Jacksonville.

I believe you can make an EP3 smooth. I'm trying to do that myself. And the car is so little, it will turn. But like I said, it's going to get real loose at it's limits. But a fun daily driver with a smooth ride is very possible with this car.

[talonXracer]

Drew, your best bet would be to add the EX sway bar, from the 03' civic EM2. It will allow a more independent action, but help with the body roll. The guys running the back dirt roads with the RSX's love that for the front sway.


For the TS, With a harsh ride, more than not it is the springs having lost their spring temper. A bounce then harshness is the struts. Springs can degrade with age alone.

You could try new stock springs with either the stock struts, or a set of replacements from Koni(my choice).

You could also go with a 14" rim and get even more sidewall.

I also like a more quality feel ride, my plans this summer will be to remove the carpet and original insulation/sound deadening, then apply Chassis-Saver sealer. Next I will spray in a sound deadener from LizardSkin and then a layer of their ceramic thermal barrier on the floor. I dont know if at this point that I would install new carpet or add MonstaLiner rubber bedliner. I also plan to spray the backside of ALL the interior panels with the sound deadener as well. We did a RSX like that last summer and the overall weight gain was only 9 lbs, but it went from sounding and feeling like a typical civic to a feel and sound that no high end Acura could dream of, shut the doors and the car feels and sounds very solid, the road noise was also greatly reduced.

This is what seperates the civic line from others, the minimalist approach.

[Drew1d]

Drew, your best bet would be to add the EX sway bar, from the 03' civic EM2. It will allow a more independent action, but help with the body roll. The guys running the back dirt roads with the RSX's love that for the front sway.
I actually bought a new one with bushings. I have new front endlinks too. After my front LCA swap, it rode so much better... Although I haven't exactly fished the stock front sway off the car. The only way I can see to do it is disconnect the exhaust. I'm just afraid that doing that, I'd wreck it, or it would disintegrate in my hands from rust.




I also like a more quality feel ride, my plans this summer will be to remove the carpet and original insulation/sound deadening, then apply Chassis-Saver sealer. Next I will spray in a sound deadener from LizardSkin and then a layer of their ceramic thermal barrier on the floor. I dont know if at this point that I would install new carpet or add MonstaLiner rubber bedliner. I also plan to spray the backside of ALL the interior panels with the sound deadener as well. We did a RSX like that last summer and the overall weight gain was only 9 lbs, but it went from sounding and feeling like a typical civic to a feel and sound that no high end Acura could dream of, shut the doors and the car feels and sounds very solid, the road noise was also greatly reduced.

This is what seperates the civic line from others, the minimalist approach.
I really like that idea. It doesn't seem like a lot of money for supplies. But a hell of a lot of time. Not to thread jack, (too late) but if you go that route let us know how it comes out.