I'm looking to upgrade my suspension/wheels here pretty quick, and going for a sport-oriented ride. Should I get different wheels or new shocks and springs? At some point I will do both, so all I want to know is which will make the biggest difference on its own. (I am assuming wheels and tires, since they are whats hittin the street.)

Also, I noticed that when I go over speed bumps and such I hear a slight creaking noise. Hard to explain, but it gets me thinking; is this a sign my shocks are going?

 

Suspension comes FIRST! I say the same thing to everyone... civics with nice aftermarket rims and stock ride height look crappy, while civics with stock wheels and lower ride height look slightly more aggressive and handle 10 times better. I say definately go with suspension first, btw, the creaking could be coming from a lot of things... probably a bushing somewhere, try to pin-point where it's coming from.

 

**** wheels, suspension is where its at

 

Alright, whats the best drop? I was thinkin 2 inches at the most. Can I get this drop without coilovers? I heard that most of the time you can drop it with just shocks and springs.

PS: I'm looking at Eibach Sportline springs and Koni Yellows.

 

That would be a very good setup. Make sure you read the stickies at the top of this section, there's a lot of good info up there

 

Would that setup lower my ride at all? All I know about so far is spring rates, and I would like to save some money by avoiding coilovers, if possible. I know that they are capable of lowering it, so I guess what I want to know is by how much. At some point down the road I will be buying 16's or 17's. I'm leaning towards 16" for weight reasons.

 

ya the Sportlines will drop the car about 2" and their spring rates arnt bad. matched with the Koni Yellows, it'll be a nice ride, comfort and handling wise.

 

Haha, right after I edited. Would 17's fit without rubbing? I know 16's won't. In case you weren't aware, I'm looking for a decent autox setup without spending a ton of cash.

 

dunno about 17s, but if ur looking to autox, i woudnt even think about going above 16. 16's are cheaper, lighter, fit a nice size tire, wont rub, and look good. u want to have the least amount of unsprung weight as possible. wheel weights make a noticeable difference even to a novice.

 

Yeah, thats why I was mainly looking at 16's.

By the way, I read some review of the Tein S-Tech springs($140), which are cheaper than Eibachs ($215). How much should I pay attention to brand names? The car is also my DD, so I want the best quality possible, and I have known of Eibach for a long time.

EDIT: Just noticed Eibach special on Stillen.com for $178.