5th Gen - Tokico HP suspension set up

Alright well it’s been a month since I’ve installed my Tokico HP’s. I have driven around on them pretty much everyday, around town and on highway. I have also autoxed with them on for the first time the other day. So I figure it would be a good time to write a review and share my thoughts and hopefully help out fellow members.

Product: Tokico HP Advanced Handling Kit
Distributor: www.xshocks.com (The cheapest place online I found for these)
Vehicle: 92-95 Honda Civic (all models believe)
Cost: $375 shipped (shipping took a bit longer than expected but not bad)
Installation: not to complicated but you will want an extra hand to help you out. If you feel at all uncertain about the installation, I highly suggest buying a Haynes or Chilton manual. As far as tools, u’ll need: sockets, wrenches, some kinda breaker bar(for those stubborn bolts), PB Blaster/WD-40, hammer/mallet(maybe), set of allen keys, and spring compressors(2). Air tools will help things go smoother.
Installation Time: It took a couple buddies and myself a couple days due to weather issues and installation problems…I figure if you don’t run into any problems with seized bolts and whatnot, it can be done in a few hours with help. One thing that will most likely set u back is the rear LCA bolts. On Honda’s, they tend to seize up and are very hard to get out. Normally ppl have to torch them out or break the bolt and drill it out. EXPECT this problem and be prepared because I’ve heard of this happening with sooooo many ppl. I(well my dad) ended up breaking one of the LCA bolts and I was so pissed off with the rear install that I just took it to a shop to get it done…I hope this doesn’t happen to any of you because it is a pain.
Review: In the end, after all was said and done, I must say I’m satisfied and happy with the results. It drops the car about 1.5” all around which is great for me because I drive this car daily. It also handles waaay better. Ran with 11yr old stock suspension and man wut an improvement. Less body roll, better steering response, smooth transitions(like in slaloms), less wheel hop, and great/comfy ride for daily use. This is a great setup for someone on a budget yet still strives for the great handling.

Only thing I might see ppl having a bit of an issue with is the way it drops the car. The rear gap is about a finger lower than the front. Either way it’s not bad and hardly noticeable.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/random/IMG_0001.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/random/IMG_0013.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/random/IMG_0011.jpg

Before:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/photoshop%20pics/STOCK.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/7-10-06%20before%20drop%20pics/IMG_0005.jpg
After:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/photoshop%20pics/LOWERED.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/photoshoot%207-20-06/IMG_0019.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a158/civicexracer/photoshoot%207-20-06/IMG_0025a.jpg


any questions or concerns feel free to ask me and ill try my best to help u out!

Thanks a lot!!!
I'm waiting for the same set.:DBut don't know why rear lowering is more than front.
That what I read about Tokico HP & springs is 1.4" lower front and 1.25" lower rear.
Anyway I think too much lowering in front is not that goo, because the front is heavier than the rear.

Sorry for the stupid question, but what is LCA?
So to exprect more problems in rear suspension.[:@]

nice setup, thanks for showing the be4 and after pics it helped me on deciding on my suspension anyway good luck

ORIGINAL: Safety_Driver
Sorry for the stupid question, but what is LCA?
So to exprect more problems in rear suspension.[:@]

LCA stands for lower control arms. You have a pair in the front and the rear.Each has three holes. One hole is used to that attach to the body. A second one for the strut. A third one to attach to the wheel.

Did you change thebump stops and how they looked like?

Thank you.

Should I replace the self-locking nuts after install?
It says that in the service manual. Is it necessary?
And the self-locking bolts too?

Thanks!

This is what I was originally looking at. I looked around at tons of sites for reviews and all of them complained about the offset of the back being lower than the front. Also, a lot of reviews said the ride was not good if you live around bad roads and that it would knock your teeth right out of your mouth. One guy said he actually sits on a pillow while he drives. Then I looked at the tokico illuminas with the 5 settings, but I read that the little knob breaks off in the first two weeks.

That turned me away from this setup. Right now I'm waiting on kyb gr2s and neuspeed street springs. I'll post a review after I install them.

I'm glad you like your setup although your review has me wondering if all those people were lying about the extremely stiff ride.

Looks great. I don't know how I feel about the back being lower than the front but I'm sure nobody will notice it if you don't tell them.

I read other forums too and I read that lowering more the backis tend to help for oversteer in agresive drivinglike autox.
This is very good for any car especialy fo FWD car, which has a lot of understeer.
Actualy any stock car suspension is set for understeer, sowith lowering a little the back you dive more traction to the rear of the car and reduce the understeer, which is great!:D
It's not too much to looks ugly, but it makes a sense!

ORIGINAL: WhiteRabbit1021

This is what I was originally looking at. I looked around at tons of sites for reviews and all of them complained about the offset of the back being lower than the front. Also, a lot of reviews said the ride was not good if you live around bad roads and that it would knock your teeth right out of your mouth. One guy said he actually sits on a pillow while he drives. Then I looked at the tokico illuminas with the 5 settings, but I read that the little knob breaks off in the first two weeks.

That turned me away from this setup. Right now I'm waiting on kyb gr2s and neuspeed street springs. I'll post a review after I install them.

I'm glad you like your setup although your review has me wondering if all those people were lying about the extremely stiff ride.

Looks great. I don't know how I feel about the back being lower than the front but I'm sure nobody will notice it if you don't tell them.


this isnt a very stiff suspension set at all. its prolly one of the softest aftermarket setups out there, yes the ride is a bit rough but i cant imagine how bad it would be with a "better" setup. if u want better cornering, expect to lose a good amount of ride quality. there are setups with adjustable dampening of the shocks which will help make for a smoother ride but it still wont be as smooth as OEM. plus, those kinda shocks are a bit on the pricey side.

True that man. I need to learn to not take in everything I read. I've researched more and understand. Once I get my kyb gr2s on I'll let you all know how they are.

just curious are "Bump stops" another word for shocks?

no, the bump stops are hard foam pieces that go over the shocks and keep them from bottoming out

Hey civicxracer, the rear of my car (93 EX) sits WAY higher than my front on stock springs.

I'm looking into these cause they actually lower the back a little more.
As of now I am all stock suspension and wheels. I plan on buying new wheels, should I wait until new wheels come?
Should I consider anything else to buy? or is everything needed to get a good (and reliable) ride in the kit?

read the stickies, there is a lot of info there and marnie has done a nice job of compiling it all for us.

I have...like 3 times...

i would wait till you get your wheels and tires i have this set up too and the ride is great and ive had them almost a year with no problems, and thanks aj for helping me

ORIGINAL: lawlersauce

Hey civicxracer, the rear of my car (93 EX) sits WAY higher than my front on stock springs.

I'm looking into these cause they actually lower the back a little more.
As of now I am all stock suspension and wheels. I plan on buying new wheels, should I wait until new wheels come?
Should I consider anything else to buy? or is everything needed to get a good (and reliable) ride in the kit?



if u can wait, do it all at once. if not then i'd lower it first. 4x4 with nice wheels still dosnt look good, lowered with steelies looks better IMO. the kit comes with what u need, its pretty straight forward.

ORIGINAL: lawlersauce

Hey civicxracer, the rear of my car (93 EX) sits WAY higher than my front on stock springs.



mines the opposite my back sits way lower, too where it looks lowered
and so it makes my front which is normal sit or look like its rasied way up high