Failure

Actually, NB HDs have the most reasonable valving of any of the Bilsteins. Hard S is just the best of the OE billies, which all have massive rebound damping.

Note that NA HDs have very different valving from NB HDs (it looks like that's what you have in your comparison), and Sports have the same valving as HDs except with a 1" shorter shock body.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

Are you guys locking the collar to the shock body, or letting it float on the ring?
The locking Allen screws that came with the cheap eBay kit are to long and will interfere with the spring. No big deal to find smaller hex screws, just wondering.
Btw, same as Jake, the bearings won't fit over the perch. Since it's cheap, I'll have my machinist lathe the perches down a little to get them on.

jacob300zx

Let the collars float, no biggie, ran 10 sets that way

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Damn, that's cheap for them! Reasonable? I'd say so!
+Juan Valdez.

Set screws can dent and damage the shock tube if overtightereneded.

Scrambles

iTrader: (7)

Boom - Install was easy. No more Grave-Digger wheel gap:



For reference I'm on 10AE Hard S w/ 450 7" F & 300 7" R w/ NB tophats.

Have it set at roughly 12.5" F and 13.0" R. I figure that's just under 5" at the pinchwelds, but that's not a great place to measure on my car. Anyway, that's about as low as I'm comfortable going on these sleeves as I don't want to completely bottom out the threads. It doesn't rub anywhere and it's enough drop to get me to the recommended heights for the "dual duty" 949 alignment. I'm pretty sure 6" springs would be fine, especially with higher rates. Here's where they're set (about this many threads left on all four corners):



As far as driving impressions go, I haven't pushed it too hard because of rain and still needing an alignment, but it's a huge improvement over 150k mi Showas . The car feels so much more planted (grounded to the ground anyone?) and just eats up small bumps. Big bumps are another story; gets really bouncy and it's not pleasant - not kidney destroying harshness - more like seasickness inducing bounciness. Not a big deal unless you drive in Iowa or do a lot of off-roading. I can tell I definitely need more front bar, this is a loose set-up with OEM sways. Also planning on another set of 949 endlinks for the rear, you can see in the pic that there is some pretty bad pre-load going on.

Summary: if you're not happy with your suspension, and are looking for a budget solution, do this. It's affordable and easy. Don't over-think it.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

FWIW

I ordered collars/springs from this seller; Acura Honda coilover lowering Springs 96 00 Civic 94 Integra EK Em DC2 EF9 JDM | eBay which was posted earlier.

The springs, based on the measurements should be 370 - 380 lbs (all the same sizes so all the same rate). Color is silver so based on previous I wouldn't assume color = rates with all the ebay sellers. I'm using Summit springs anyway.

Quality is OK (for the price).

The Torrington bearings fit fine.



I'll try and get them together over the weekend

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

^^ seems to be the way to go. $42 and bearings fit. Win

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Is having torringtons awesome enough to ditch the sleeves i already have to buy those?

Scrambles

iTrader: (7)

I don't have any basis for comparison, and it could be contributed to changes in alignment from lowering the car, but it's noticeably easier to turn my de-powered rack at low speeds with my new set-up.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

If what you have is already on the car I wouldn't. IMHO the only reason for using is ease of adjustment.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Not on the car yet, but i already bought the same sleeves as OP.


If there's no difference while driving, then i don't care.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

Not sure what the perch diameter is on the OP sleeves so measured the ones I got (and the bearing ID) for you. Pics below;





Hope that helps.

I don't think you'd notice it driving but I think having something like an isolator (or the bearings) would help keep the aluminum perch from getting chewed up from dirt and other crap but I don't know.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

What's the fascination with torrington bearings suddenly?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

Near as i can tell, it's because Xidas have them? I guess?

Failure

They keep the springs from binding against the perches. The concern from a performance standpoint is that depending on which way you turn the perch, if the spring is bound it will twist the coil and make it wider or narrower, changing the spring rate. As long as you use spring compressors to take the load off the perches while changing the ride height, there's no need for them. Even just cranking on the perches with the springs bound is probably not going the deform the spring enough to cause problems.

There's no torsional load on the damper in a double wishbone setup. Alignment is a likely cause of a change in steering effort, spring binding is not.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Actually the springs do rotate a little as they compress. Or so they taught us in that there engineering school.

Failure

The problem as I understand it is the other way around. I'm not saying they don't rotate as they compress, just that preventing them from twisting shouldn't be a problem. It's causing them to twist that's the issue.

kenzo42

iTrader: (6)

Where are you homeslices getting these Torrington bearings? Do they come w/ your kit? Link?

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

^Your answer is below.

jt@namiata.com

The cost hasn't even changed I'll have mine tomorrow, gotta work on something while waiting for that 949 PP. Oi.