Un-Pimp My Ride!
February 8, 2010 4:02 PM Subscribe
Is it possibly to raise a Honda Civic that was lowered by the previous owner?
A few years ago I bought a 1996 Honda Civic EX from a guy who had clearly tried and failed to "pimp" the car (mostly by replacing trim and such, so the mechanical part of the car was pretty much untouched). I got a fantastic deal because of this and have replaced most of the aftermarket stuff with OEM parts from the junkyard.
The main part I haven't "fixed" is the suspension. The guy lowered the suspension and, from the looks of it, did it in a rather--shall we say--unorthodox manner. I don't think he purchased an aftermarket suspension to do it the right way (though that could be possible). Rather, he somehow modified the stock suspension to lower the car. As a result, the wheels on the car have a slight negative camber, which wears down the inside of the tires. I have also realized that this creates a lot of road noise (which I asked about in a previous question).
Is there any way to raise the car back up to stock levels at a reasonable cost?
A few years ago I bought a 1996 Honda Civic EX from a guy who had clearly tried and failed to "pimp" the car (mostly by replacing trim and such, so the mechanical part of the car was pretty much untouched). I got a fantastic deal because of this and have replaced most of the aftermarket stuff with OEM parts from the junkyard.
The main part I haven't "fixed" is the suspension. The guy lowered the suspension and, from the looks of it, did it in a rather--shall we say--unorthodox manner. I don't think he purchased an aftermarket suspension to do it the right way (though that could be possible). Rather, he somehow modified the stock suspension to lower the car. As a result, the wheels on the car have a slight negative camber, which wears down the inside of the tires. I have also realized that this creates a lot of road noise (which I asked about in a previous question).
Is there any way to raise the car back up to stock levels at a reasonable cost?
Best answer: Erm... if he lowered your car, he likely did it by replacing the springs with sports springs (which was the case with my car) or... literally cut the stock springs, which is somewhat stupid and irreversible and will require you to purchase a set of stock springs to put in place.
It's difficult to tell which option happened, but almost no matter what, if you don't have the stock springs in the trunk (my previous owner included them for me, which was nice), you're going to need to pick up a set.
posted by disillusioned at 4:07 PM on February 8, 2010
It's difficult to tell which option happened, but almost no matter what, if you don't have the stock springs in the trunk (my previous owner included them for me, which was nice), you're going to need to pick up a set.
posted by disillusioned at 4:07 PM on February 8, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for the quick response, disillusioned. Is that likely to be the only thing I need to replace, or would re-raising the car require other parts (e.g. struts)? I'm trying to figure out ballpark what this would cost me.
posted by sciencemandan at 4:24 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by sciencemandan at 4:24 PM on February 8, 2010
You'll probably have to replace the springs (and possibly shocks). I'm sure theres a lot of used but still good sets, I'd check a Honda forum. Labor is going to be the expensive part though.
posted by wongcorgi at 4:25 PM on February 8, 2010
posted by wongcorgi at 4:25 PM on February 8, 2010
If he hasn't done the job properly, which it sounds like he hasn't, then putting a set of standard springs on may fix your issues in terms of ride height and camber. Check the make of the struts/shocks when you have a look at it - that will tell you whether he has modified them or not (so non standard ones may not take your longer springs).
However, if he didn't change out the struts, nor stiffen the springs, there is a high chance that that a couple of years banging off the bumpstops will have screwed the shocks anyway.
When you lower a car, you need to stiffen it, as it has less travel than designed to stop the car slamming into the floor (or whatever suspension component hits another first). This is so often not done that it is very amusing to anyone that listens to people who claim that just lowering the car will somehow make it 'faster'. It usually makes it worse.
posted by Brockles at 4:26 PM on February 8, 2010
However, if he didn't change out the struts, nor stiffen the springs, there is a high chance that that a couple of years banging off the bumpstops will have screwed the shocks anyway.
When you lower a car, you need to stiffen it, as it has less travel than designed to stop the car slamming into the floor (or whatever suspension component hits another first). This is so often not done that it is very amusing to anyone that listens to people who claim that just lowering the car will somehow make it 'faster'. It usually makes it worse.
posted by Brockles at 4:26 PM on February 8, 2010
It's also possible, given the apparent half-assery of the work you've described, that all that he used to lower the springs were lowering blocks. These used to be pretty popular back in the 70s and 80s, and they're still depressingly common today (illegal in a lot of places, but that doesn't deter a lot of folks). They're a kind of clamp used to compress two coils of a spring together, reducing the overall suspension travel. Really easy to fit - much simpler than cutting a spring), but kind of dangerous. If you jack up a corner of the car and take a wheel off, a lowering block would be easy to spot.
If that's all that has been done to lower the car, a return to stock ride height is as easy as removing the blocks (unthreading each side alternately, bit by bit, super-carefully).
But as Brockles has mentioned upthread, a mod like that has the effect of reducing the useful life of the shocks and springs as they're working with an atypical compression load.
Plus, it's a 14 year old car. Even if they *hadn't* been futzed with by the previous owner, if these were indeed the original springs the Honda shipped with, it's high time to replace them; the car will likely corner and handle a lot beter as a result.
posted by MarchHare at 5:06 PM on February 8, 2010
If that's all that has been done to lower the car, a return to stock ride height is as easy as removing the blocks (unthreading each side alternately, bit by bit, super-carefully).
But as Brockles has mentioned upthread, a mod like that has the effect of reducing the useful life of the shocks and springs as they're working with an atypical compression load.
Plus, it's a 14 year old car. Even if they *hadn't* been futzed with by the previous owner, if these were indeed the original springs the Honda shipped with, it's high time to replace them; the car will likely corner and handle a lot beter as a result.
posted by MarchHare at 5:06 PM on February 8, 2010
Best answer: You're probably going to need something like this to cover all of your bases. Since you can't really count on the condition of the springs or the dampers, the fastest, easiest most cost effective solution, and the one that I'd recommend if you came to my shop with this problem, is the Quick-Strut route. Monroe is just one company that sells a complete assembly like this.
However, they're not going to come with an awesome high-performance sticker that you can slap on your fender, so take that into consideration.
posted by Jon-o at 4:29 AM on February 9, 2010
However, they're not going to come with an awesome high-performance sticker that you can slap on your fender, so take that into consideration.
posted by Jon-o at 4:29 AM on February 9, 2010
Best answer: In response to Marchhare above- Honda Civics of this model year won't be able to be lowered with lowering blocks.
Original poster- I think your best bet would be
1)Going to a junkyard and getting an assembled set of stock springs and shocks from a similar vehicle (96-00 Civic Hatch, Sedan, Coupe)
2)Using the internet and buying a set of stock springs and shocks from someone who has modified a similar car and is selling his unused stock parts for cheap.
Either of these you will need an alignment afterwards.
Buying assembled new shocks with springs is an option, as is taking it to a shop and explaining the situation, but both of these will be expensive (500-1000 realistically).
I hope you are somewhat mechanically inclined because realistically you could do 1 or 2 above for very cheap (<>
Another option is just to buy a camber kit (aftermarket bolts which are eccentric and will dial out the improper suspension geometry) and have it installed / aligned. The car will still be low, but your tire wear problems will no longer be an issue since everything is dialed in for the ride height.
posted by gatsby died at 9:13 AM on February 9, 2010
Original poster- I think your best bet would be
1)Going to a junkyard and getting an assembled set of stock springs and shocks from a similar vehicle (96-00 Civic Hatch, Sedan, Coupe)
2)Using the internet and buying a set of stock springs and shocks from someone who has modified a similar car and is selling his unused stock parts for cheap.
Either of these you will need an alignment afterwards.
Buying assembled new shocks with springs is an option, as is taking it to a shop and explaining the situation, but both of these will be expensive (500-1000 realistically).
I hope you are somewhat mechanically inclined because realistically you could do 1 or 2 above for very cheap (<>
Another option is just to buy a camber kit (aftermarket bolts which are eccentric and will dial out the improper suspension geometry) and have it installed / aligned. The car will still be low, but your tire wear problems will no longer be an issue since everything is dialed in for the ride height.
posted by gatsby died at 9:13 AM on February 9, 2010
Response by poster: gatsby, thanks for the advice! Would you recommend getting the springs and shocks from a junkyard and installing them myself or just getting the parts and having a mechanic install them? It doesn't look like they'd be too hard to replace, but I don't know that I'd have access to a lift for the car.
Also, would I need a strut compressor for either the junkyard or the installation steps? I've looked up some of the info on replacing struts and some use one while others don't seem to require one.
Thanks again for all of the help!
posted by sciencemandan at 2:52 PM on February 10, 2010
Also, would I need a strut compressor for either the junkyard or the installation steps? I've looked up some of the info on replacing struts and some use one while others don't seem to require one.
Thanks again for all of the help!
posted by sciencemandan at 2:52 PM on February 10, 2010
If you remove the spring and shock as one assembly you won't need a spring compressor.
There is a big bolt centered on the top which holds the 'top hat' onto the shock with the spring compressed beneath.
Its really just 4 or 5 bolts at each corner, and you won't have a problem doing the job using jackstands versus a lift. I would at least attempt and install yourself, if you feel that its over your head its something you could easily put back together and take to a mechanic.
posted by gatsby died at 7:55 AM on February 17, 2010
There is a big bolt centered on the top which holds the 'top hat' onto the shock with the spring compressed beneath.
Its really just 4 or 5 bolts at each corner, and you won't have a problem doing the job using jackstands versus a lift. I would at least attempt and install yourself, if you feel that its over your head its something you could easily put back together and take to a mechanic.
posted by gatsby died at 7:55 AM on February 17, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sciencemandan at 4:06 PM on February 8, 2010