Koni Struts, Tein Springs

[Honda4VW]

I am currently looking at buying a set of Koni Struts to replace my OE tired struts in my civic. Anyone have anything good or bad to say about Koni Struts?
I am also looking into a set of Tein S-Tech lowering springs. The price is nice, but am worried that they may not meet the quality I expect. Anyone have any experience with this type of spring?

I am still a suspension n00b, all comments are welcome, good and bad of course.

[Calesta]

Koni struts are good, so are Tein S-Tech springs. What kind of ride do you want? The S-Techs aren't really close to a performance spring- they mostly just lower your car without taking your spring rates up too high. I don't have a set, but one of my friends does, and he really likes them. I think the drop is about 1.5 inches.

As for Konis, you could go all out and get the yellows, but you probably wouldn't use all the adjustability with your S-Tech springs. The reds are cheaper, and still have 2-3 damper settings that you can pick from.

What's your budget, and what kind of ride are you looking for? Stiff and aggressive for significantly improved handing, or more just a mild drop and a smooth ride?

[Honda4VW]

My Budget is as cheap as possible. I am looking at a set of Koni Red's right now. Don't really have the need for a lot of adjustment, so those may be the route I go. AS far as the springs, I would like a firmer ride, and definately a drop. a couple inches would be a sufficient drop for me. Looking for a better than OEM ride quality, and of course firmer for those corners.

[Calesta]

If you're looking to go as cheap as possible, you might want to look into the KYB GR-2 struts. They're cheaper than the Konis, non-adjustable, but they're still excellent units. I have a set on my CRX, and they handle really nicely, even under a 2.5 inch drop.

The S-Techs should give you a nice ride, but I think they're softer compared to the competition when it comes to a 1.5 inch drop. You might try sniffing out a good set of used Eibach Pro-Kits or something. If not, the S-Techs should suit you just fine.

[Honda4VW]

Calesta Thanks for your comments, I think I know the direction im heading with this...

[kommon_sense]

One thing to keep in mind here is that you must disassemble the koni reds in order to adjust them. So basically, you adjust, install, and leave them that way. Considering how much shocks/struts cost and the fact that they don't have very good resell value used, I would recommend that you just save your money and go ahead and get a set of koni yellows if you are interested in fine tuning your suspension. Or maybe just get some kyb agxs.

[civicdriver91]

If you want a low drop you can get H&R race springs that should be a little over $150 they drop you about 2.25 depending on what car you have but the ride is very stiff so it would be a very bumpy ride.

[Calesta]

One thing to keep in mind here is that you must disassemble the koni reds in order to adjust them. So basically, you adjust, install, and leave them that way.

I just found that out a few days ago... I've never had a set of Koni reds, but I just assumed that they would adjust the same way as the yellows. Oh well. I've got a Tein FLEX system on the Civic now, and I'm really happy with it.

Just to give you an idea of how things looked when I ran Eibach Pro-Kits and KYB AGXs together on my Civic, here's a picture:

http://www.hondaswap.com/gallery/images/s3f26f9d385ff0.jpg

The ride was smoother than stock while still being stiffer when you "got on it," mostly because of the progressive spring rate. I had the AGXs set on 2/4 stiffness for most driving, and cranked it up to 3 or 4 for playtime. It was a sweet setup, and you can do the same for under $500 if you install everything yourself.

If you want a low drop you can get H&R race springs that should be a little over $150 they drop you about 2.25 depending on what car you have but the ride is very stiff so it would be a very bumpy ride.

I think the "better than OEM ride" he specified would preclude any bouncy H&R springs...

The Tein S-Techs and Eibach Pro-Kits will definitely ride much nicer than the H&R springs, and they'll still drop the car enough to look great without having to worry about speed bumps in parking lots.

[kommon_sense]

If you want a low drop you can get H&R race springs that should be a little over $150 they drop you about 2.25 depending on what car you have but the ride is very stiff so it would be a very bumpy ride.

I think the "better than OEM ride" he specified would preclude any bouncy H&R springs...

The Tein S-Techs and Eibach Pro-Kits will definitely ride much nicer than the H&R springs, and they'll still drop the car enough to look great without having to worry about speed bumps in parking lots.

I'm riding on Eibach Pro-Kits w/Koni Yellows right now and I'm pretty happy with the setup. I haven't heard anything bad about h&r springs either. The "bounciness" that some people experience is typically a result of having a bad spring and strut combo. For example, having a stiff spring (like a h&r race, eibach sportline, etc.) paired with a weak shock (like stock or stock replacement such as kyb gr2, tokico blues, etc.)

[Calesta]

The "bounciness" that some people experience is typically a result of having a bad spring and strut combo. For example, having a stiff spring (like a h&r race, eibach sportline, etc.) paired with a weak shock (like stock or stock replacement such as kyb gr2, tokico blues, etc.)

Very true... but I've never heard a positive review of H&R springs from anyone that I know.