1998 Civic CX Practical Suspension Overhaul

[iamanthony]

Hi All, I have a 1998 Honda Civic CX hatchback that needs a new suspension, but I'm not interested in a high performance sport suspension, just a regular, comfortable ride suspension. I'm willing to upgrade from stock, or spend a little more to get a smoother more comfortable ride, but like I said, no stiff sport tuned stuff.

I was thinking about the Monroe Quick Strut Complete Assembly. Does anyone here have any expeience with these, or another recommendation that would suit my needs?

I'm also thinking about doing all the suspension bushings while I am in there. Energy suspension has a kit available, but I heard they can wear quickly if you don't keep them greased. On the other hand, I heard that the black ones (as opposed to the red ones) are graphite impregnated and much less susceptible to wear. What do you think of the Energy Suspension kits? Is there a different manufacturer I should check out?

Thanks for the tips!

 

[tirivn18]

You said that you were not interested in the performance so im guessing that you do not want to lower it. so coilovers are out of the picture. im guessing no lowering springs cause most of the time the ride is bouncy and that would lower it. So i would say OEM Struts and springs. And as far as the bushing, i dont know that much about the energy suspension kit. but pretty much what ever you buy is going to last a while. but its up to you

 

[mymmeryloss]

What are your overall plans for the car?

 

[Hecz]

Hi All, I have a 1998 Honda Civic CX hatchback that needs a new suspension, but I'm not interested in a high performance sport suspension, just a regular, comfortable ride suspension. I'm willing to upgrade from stock, or spend a little more to get a smoother more comfortable ride, but like I said, no stiff sport tuned stuff.

I was thinking about the Monroe Quick Strut Complete Assembly. Does anyone here have any expeience with these, or another recommendation that would suit my needs?

I'm also thinking about doing all the suspension bushings while I am in there. Energy suspension has a kit available, but I heard they can wear quickly if you don't keep them greased. On the other hand, I heard that the black ones (as opposed to the red ones) are graphite impregnated and much less susceptible to wear. What do you think of the Energy Suspension kits? Is there a different manufacturer I should check out?

Thanks for the tips!

are you planning on replacing your front upper ball joints? if you replace the whole upper control arm with a new one; it will include new ball joints and new bushings.

 

[Wreckless Hype]

So putting a comfortable set of coilovers on the car means you have to go low? So they won't adjust up to a more "stock" height?

If you're looking to just have a comfortable daily, replace normal wear and tear items: Ball Joints, Tie Rod Ends, all the little bushings littered through the suspension connections, etc. If the stock struts are not blown, there's really no point in replacing them. I really doubt that for the money, a "Quick-Strut" replacement like that mentioned, will give you any crazy improvement.

When you replace bushings, the harder compounds will last longer but will be a bumpier ride; conversely, softer will be a smoother ride and will need to be replaced sooner. There's a trade off with everything.

Also, spend a few bucks on nice tires and keep them at the appropriate psi.

 

[iamanthony]

[MENTION=134168]tirivn18[/MENTION] - that makes sense and is probably what I am looking for, but the "OEM" Honda shocks are expensive. Any recommendations on a solid aftermarket replacement?

[MENTION=14143]mymmeryloss[/MENTION] - Overall plan for the car is to make it the words most comfortable, reliable, and fuel efficient daily driver. Currently at 170,000 mi, hoping to go 1 million miles! I definitely do not want to lower the car at all.

[MENTION=3593]Hecz[/MENTION] - I wasn't planning on it. The service manual says the upper ball joints are not replaceable (I'll be there is a way if you really wanted to) and that if need be, the whole arm should be replaces. I did a little research and it looks like most people agree that the upper control arm, bushings, and ball joints are lifetime parts, only to be replaced if something fails. That being said, if you think I can improve the ride by replacing the upper arms, and they arent too expensive, I'm open to ideas...

[MENTION=111824]Wreckless Hype[/MENTION] - Great response, and yeah, everything is a trade off. The shocks on there now (170,000 mi) leave a real bumpy ride, and the coils are rusty. Do you really think I should leave the stock struts in place? Also, AMEN on the tires. Those are next. Might even jam a full size spare in the trunk.

So it looks like I will be doing all the little suspension bushings and at least coils, if not whole assemblies. Any recommendations on specific parts?

 

[Hecz]

Anothony, the ride could improve if you replace upper arms. You'll be replacing old parts with new; you'll be back in spec.

How many miles are on your CX - is it a five speed - A/C ?

 

[iamanthony]

Thanks [MENTION=3593]Hecz[/MENTION], It has 170,000 mi, 5 speed manual, and ice cold AC. When it comes to replacing the upper control arms, it becomes a question of value. Brand spanking new ones will be better than the old ones, but how much better, and at what price? From what I understand, there is very little wear on the upper ball joint and it should only be replaced in the event of failure. I'll try to find some tollerances and take some measurements tonight, but the original question still stands.

My suspension is bouncy and needs replacing/updating. I'd like the new suspension to be smooth, comfortable, reliable, and fairly low maintenance. I am not interested in lowering, raising, or making sport performance improvements. That being said, what shocks, struts, and bushings should I be looking at?