so my question is pretty simple, on a 97 civic ex... how low can you go and not adversly effect the wheel alignment? ie having to get adjusters and the sort?????

next question, how low can you go with the stock shocks/struts? can i just replace my springs?
will i need to take out the rubber bump stops, or maby just trim them?

 

im thinkin you needa get a wheel allignment reagrdless of how low you do decide to go....i think thats the rule of thumb. As for the shocks, you canlower about 1.7 inches on stockers....however it will greatly decrease their lifespan, and most ppl on here would just recommend a shock/spring combo done right, installed the first time, to prevent problems down the road. Also this amount of drop usually requires a camber kit, any amount over 1.5 inches usually doesneed one. Yes, you can just get new springs, eibach, tein and H&R are good reliable brands (so i hear), and im not sure about the bumpstops, but i kno that trimming is never a good idea for anything lol

 

ok, sounds like i might be in the somewhat ok safe range, cause to me this car only really needs to go down about an inch.. that should level out the control arms and what not, not have them at a down outward angle...i really dont wanna go so low that i have problems with driveways and speed bumps.. i've had cars like that in the past, and its just too much of a hasstle for me to keep this a daily driver....(i live out in the country, and some of the roads out here inhale perfusely...

oh, and just to be a jerk.... i have to disagree with your trimming comment, i used to race boats, and it was all about the trimming, i could easily make a 100HP boat go as fast as a 150 or 200 just by getting it all trimmed out.. the other guy thinking that just cause he has more HP he can go faster.... i used to make so much $$ on that one....

ok, yea i know its a different kinda trimming... but i just had to throw that one in there....

 

my apologies, i read that wrong, i thought you were talking about trimming the springs....def not a good idea lol but im sure youre right about ur trimming, i dont kno shiit about boats so im not gonna even try to argue lol

 

no no i was talkn about trimming the rubber bump stops that are on the shock/strut shaft... oh hell no, i know cutting springs is bad mo-jo...

 

Cutting springs isn't all that bad...Just don't cut over 2" like I did on my old jetta...shocks and struts don't last as long(more you cut the rougher the ride and less shock life),but its cost effective for the time being and looks great for the cost of a cutting disk,I cut 3 inchs off with the springs on the car and it was great...until I wanted to cut off 2 more inch's for a total of 5" of drop and the car ran rough(big time).Good luck witch ever way you go!!!

 

yea right now my car is to low. i hate it and now i have to buy new tires and get a camber kit (the guy i got it from was not very wise on lowering the car).

 

yea, where i'm just running this as a daily street driver, i'm wanting to improve the handeling some, but i dont need to run slolems at 100+ lowering the car some will help with this and with the looks... i playd around with some sandbags i had laying around, loading the back end of the car and decided that about an inch was just about right for the look i wanted... what i was thinking was maby i could order some of the $50 ish springs and adjustment tube things that go under them off ebay.. here again, im looking to improve my handeling some, but i dont need to go extreme...

what do ya'll think about thoes cheap spring sets.. i know that the old saying is you get what you pay for.. but unless something happens and they fail catastrophically they should be ok for street use, shouldnt they??

 

Don't buy cheap, no-name, no-warranty, unknown-springrate, ebay coilover trash. That's as bad as cutting your springs and may not improve your handling at all.

 

yea, thats kinda what i was thinking ya'll might say... so who/where do you suggest i go look... my budjet is starting to get limited... at least for the next few months....
and can you elaborate a bit on spring rates? is that the # of pounds of force per amount of compression? whats a stock # for this car? what should i be looking for? what should i avoid?