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View Full Version : Suspension or brakes?



Popeye
06-12-2011, 09:58 PM
Like a fool, I'm already looking forward to Christmas. lol
if I were to have the money for one or the other, what should I get in ya'lls opinion? New rotors, good pads, SS lines, and a good fluid swap? Or some suspension goodies? I'm not going to lower it because I wont have the money for wheels. Im not going to lower it without putting new wheels on it, so thats outta the question. Im talking strut bars, braces, poly bushings, etc.

jed_averill
06-12-2011, 10:24 PM
What's wrong with stock wheels when going lower? Anyways I'd pick Suspension first.

MBaG
06-13-2011, 04:49 AM
What's wrong with stock wheels when going lower? Anyways I'd pick Suspension first.

Upgrading brakes is always good, but assuming your car is all stock, I'd go with suspension first. Unless you're putting down some power, I think our stock brakes will suffice.

Popeye
06-13-2011, 04:50 AM
Eh, I just don't like the way it looks. Would rather have some 17's sittin' under there if I lowered it. Wish I woulda kept the ones I had on my Accord.

MBaG
06-13-2011, 04:55 AM
It'll look better than your stock wheels sitting on 4x4 height. If I were you, I would lower it before anything. I actually bought an exhaust, ctr wing, visors, and rims before I lowered it.. but if you ask me now, I should have lowered it before all that.

talonXracer
06-13-2011, 05:43 AM
It wouldnt hurt to upgrade the pads and add SS lines. There is absolutely no need for anything but the cheapest rotors money can buy, people waste big bucks on aftermarket rotors and they provide no better braking than the cheap rotors. Lowering the ride will create it's own set of issues that will require $$$ to be tossed under the car. As soon as the LCA's have any angle to them it seriously hampers the handling.

Get a 05' typeS rear sway bar and bushings

Poly bushings do provide a tight ride, but have a limited lifespan and require constant maintenance. And are a real pain to swap out in the first place.

heyvortek
06-13-2011, 06:59 AM
im glad i saw this. i was gonna get some BBK but i guess i can rock rotors and some new pads. what setup do you recommand doug? (400ish whp and DD car)

Karma
06-13-2011, 11:33 AM
Just personal preferences, if I were in your shoes.

-Waiting to buy suspension AND wheels + tires can be very costly.
I would go with a suspension first with a mild drop; not slammed.

-Brakes (rotors/pads): unless they're worn out or broken, don't touch them. Get the most life out of them. I would add the SS lines when you finally get new pads/rotors OR when it comes time to change your brake fluid (3 yrs as per the manual).

-Strut bars/braces: Last thing I would go for, if you really, really wanted these items.

Of course I didn't do mine this way, but after looking back I see that I've thrown money around carelessly.

Popeye
06-13-2011, 12:02 PM
Some DAMN good advice ya'll! THANKS!
On that Type S rear sway bar...is it cheaper than an aftermarket one, like an Eibach or something? More so, does it work just as good or better? Any idea how much they cost?
As far as lowering it, like I said, I doubt I will do that without getting new wheels. Dont get me wrong, I would LOVE some new wheels and lower it a bit. I had done that on my Accord, and I had to worry about camber, etc. I just dont have the time, but mainly the MONEY, to do that. If I can just make it handle better without making any MAJOR modifications that would require me to make MORE modifications, I would rather go that way.
I doubt the brake fluid has been changed within the time frames it is SUPPOSED to be done. I mean really, the general public doesnt pay attention to that kinda stuff, you know? What sucks is I don't have the PROPER tools to do it myself. Sure, I could do it, but it would take longer than I wanna spend. WHEN I do the brakes, it will get cheapy rotors, probably Hawk or EBC pads, SS lines, and a fluid change. I figure that should be fine.
Talon...Thanks for the heads up on the bushings. Good info, didnt know that. On THAT note...
Are there any "weak" points in our cars suspension? I would rather fix something that could become a problem before I start making mods, you know?
Thanks again ya'll, I appreciate it!

talonXracer
06-13-2011, 12:25 PM
the 05' typeS rear sway is significantly larger than the stock EP3, and for less than 80$ including bushings. All of those aftermarket sways are a huge waste unless you are planning on a significant amount of suspension upgrades.

3 years for brake fluid is when the car is being drivin by grandma to the grocery store and back home. The EP3's brakes work nice for one or two hard stops before brakefade starts, and it is at this time that the brake fluid starts heating up significantly and loosing alot of that 3 year lifespan.

My personal favorite brake setup is a set of stock typeS rotors and calipers up front, the rears are the same between the EP3 and DC5S.

Popeye
06-13-2011, 12:41 PM
Again, I'm new to all of this, so I hope this doesn't sound like a dumb ass questions....what is the difference between the stock EP3 and stock DC5 rotors? Here's the possible dumb part...aren't the DC5's a 5-lug set-up?