Here is the scenario...

-'98 Civic Si
-Koni Red shocks (used approx 1 year, low k's, off an auto Sedan)
-H&R Sport springs (used approx 2+years)
-15" wheels

I just had the above installed on my car, and I have noticed that the ride is quite a bit bouncy compared to stock. It handles great, and takes pot holes and train tracks no problem, without bottoming out, or banging around, but on uneven roads, the car seems to bounce pretty good.

The bump stops have been cut almost 1", and all the bolts torqued accordingly. I haven't had it aligned yet, and I checked the tire pressure today.

However, I don't know what the Koni's are set at, and I'm wondering if the H&R's are too stiff for the shocks, or the shocks are set too stiff or too soft. The shocks don't leak or clunk, and look almost new. I had the same type of springs last year on my stock shocks, and the ride was fine.

So...
Springs too low?
Springs too stiff or worn out?
Shocks too soft?
Shocks too firm?
Bumpstops not cut enough?

Yeah, I know that the car would ride alot different, and maybe I'm not used to it yet, but I'm just considering other problems. Any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas would be great.

Thanks.Mike

 

i'd say its the shocks not being at the right setting kinda thing personally... cause i can put mine at 1 (softest) and mine bounce around a bit, not as bad as stock shocks but enough that i dont run it on 1 ever...

but i have zero experiance with those koni reds as to how they are adjusted i just know they have to come out of the car....

 

I believe that the Koni Reds are non-adjustable (Correct me if im wrong). My friend is running on reds with some Neuspeed race springs and his ride is pretty firm (Nothing compared to my tokico illumina's).

My guess is the shocks are startnig to go/

 

The shocks are adjustable, but you have to take them out to do it. As I mention above, I highly doubt they are blown. I've ridden on blown shocks before, and they make all kinds of noise, and handle like crap. They ride and handle big bumps, corners, etc too well. I'm thinking that a combination of the stiff H&R's, and the Red's being on the highest setting is causing the bounce.

 

if it's on the last setting then it probobly is over dampened...or maybe you think it's on the stiffest but might be on the softest...either way you ahve issues that need to be sorted....I have heard mixed opinions on the reds.....

 

if you have your illumina's on 5 and tell me they aren't stiff then either they are very blown or something else is drastically wrong

but i would think its gotta be shock related... or maybe its just something to get used to?? when i put my shocks on the drive was so different cause it wasn't so soft anymore

 

i'm going to guess its the road making you bounce, uh huh. Prolly bumps on the road....



On a serious note....what do blown shocks feel like ?

 

Every little bump you go over you can feel and hear the shock banging and rattling around. The wheels hop over bumps because there is no damping. Ever drive behind a really old ****ty car, and see the suspension hopping up and down? That's blown shocks.

 

like they aren't doing anything... or like your driving a cadilac or something domestic... i'll sell you my old shocks for $10 and you can test blown shocks out if you want

 

if the shocks are mis matched to the springs there will be bounceyness.....

I have tokico illumina's on the car 5 setings

I 've had them on 5 (full firm)all round and I bounce like crazy because the suspension doesn't compress to absorb bumps ... and I've had them on 1 (full soft) all round and the suspension aborbs the energy but the shocks don't slow the springs down and you get a at sea wavey motion happening..l.

 

Well I just spoke to the previous owner of the shocks, and he said when he had the shocks installed at Gilman, the fronts were on the highest, and the backs on medium.

 

The car will FOLLOW the road a lot more, so it will feel more like a go-cart. So yeah, you'll bounce around more, but that's cuz your car is sticking to the road instead of floating over it. Oh, and if I were you I'd put all the shocks to medium setting.

Ride in another lowered car and compare.

 

Sounds like the shocks are too hard for your taste. I've got H&R sports on KYB GR2's and the ride is very nice. Feels very solid but doesn't rattle, shake, and bounce like my friends hatch which is on Eibach sportlines with Koni reds.

 

Theres an issue right there.

the front should be on softest to medium
the rears should be on medium to hardest.

its good advice to have the rear stiffer than the front.

also check your tire pressure 35 psi is good

 

Thanks for the input guys. Bouncy may have been the wrong word. Maybe firm would have been better. I'm going to get the shocks adjusted, and I'm sure it will ride much better. Soft front. Medium rear. Ryanhook took it for a drive the other day, and said it rode like his car with his AGX's on the stiffest setting.

 

So what settings do you guys have your shocks at (more so people with Illumina's) 1-5?

 

2 in the front and 3 in the rear... for street use

4 in the front and 5 in the rear for autocross use ......

 

usually i run 3 all around... 4 if i'm feeling like pushing it

 

So just to get this straight... if I don't want to feel as many bumps I should set my shocks to the lowest softest setting? Also I lost the turning little pieces to adjust my Illuminas with, of course I can still adjust them with a pair of pliars or something, but is there any way to tell what setting it is on without those inserts that tell you what number you are on?

 

Well funny how you mentioned that....

cause I have the identical setup on my EL...

but juss different springs, at the time period the car was set to medium all around and the perch for the front was flipped and the rear one was set to the lowest, basically the car was dumped...

the setup was SRR lowering springs and Koni Reds....I had the exact same ride as you...

at first I thought it was because the car was too low too the ground, but then I had a feeling it was the shock settings, well my mechanic raised up everything and set ONLY the rear shocks too a softer setting meaning one turn instead of two...the front was left at the medium setting

well after that the bounce, bump and firmness of the ride has dissappared....

what pissed me off the most was that I didnt really need to adjust the ride height....

oh well back to the crapy 1.5 inch drop....booooo erns