Good questions. For what you are describing I would recommend a conservative drop (~1 inch) to preserve drivability. I went with Swift Spec R's for their near OEM like spring rates for the 11th Gen Si. If you drop the car too low on the stock shocks, they will wear out prematurely. Something like a coil over setup is the way to go if you want flexibility with suspension settings. I have the Swift springs and a Whiteline 22mm bar and the car handles very well while retaining the OEM-like spring rates. I'll upload a picture of my setup later.
Lowering springs...help a momma out!
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Only about 1.1 inches but I like the conservative drop while retaining the OEM spring rates which are excellent on the 11th gen Si. The springs are about $250 and it took me 2-3 hours to install them. You do NOT have to remove the three bolts for the lower control arm to get the strut out of the front suspension. Remove the sway bar endlink from the strut, the bolt on strut/knuckle and the three nuts on the shock tower. It takes a little pushing downward on the knuckle to free the strut but it works. The first time I installed springs were the Tein H spec which looked great, but handled much worse than the OEM springs IMO. Too soft.
I also have two boys which I shuttle around on occasion and the dumped, stanced look is not what I was looking for when looking at a spring upgrade. The Silvers coilovers have gotten good reviews and feedback but are ~$1200.
![Wheel Cloud Sky Tire Vehicle registration plate]()
![Cloud Wheel Tire Sky Vehicle]()
I also have two boys which I shuttle around on occasion and the dumped, stanced look is not what I was looking for when looking at a spring upgrade. The Silvers coilovers have gotten good reviews and feedback but are ~$1200.
Thank you!
I really liked the way the Tein H-tech springs looked on the car but did not like the driving dynamics. The Swifts are a great alternative and provide a nice drop eliminating some wheel gap while retaining the OEM-like spring rates. There are a few Youtube videos showing how to install springs with some removing the lower control arm. I recommend NOT doing that as you run the risk of cutting the outboard axle boots. Ask me how I know.
I put a little anti-seize in the knuckle where the strut sits so it slides in/out a little easier. Not a bad job to DIY but a 17 mm open-through socket is nice to have to loosen the shock from the top hat. You will need a spring compressor as well-I have a cheap amazon one I use which has worked well.-Jamie
I’ll share my setup with D2.
![Wheel Land vehicle Tire Car Vehicle]()
This is with tenth gen d2 springs and matching Truhart shocks and struts. $170 for springs and $255 for shocks and struts. This keeps the oem shocks clean for resale. It’s stiffer but not uncomfortable relative to the already rocky suspension of a civic. Especially the SI. Although I have aftermarket wheels, even with stock wheels it didn’t squat for me.
I have scraped like those little plastic things that hang down below the bumper when I go through really bad roads, but I’ve never scraped the bumper. The underside of my HPD kit is still clean.
It totally removed wheel gap for a fraction of the price as things like eibach and H&R, with the longevity of aftermarket shocks with the leftover funds.
Also there is no tire rubbing or scrubbing with both my aftermarket and stock wheel setups.
This is with tenth gen d2 springs and matching Truhart shocks and struts. $170 for springs and $255 for shocks and struts. This keeps the oem shocks clean for resale. It’s stiffer but not uncomfortable relative to the already rocky suspension of a civic. Especially the SI. Although I have aftermarket wheels, even with stock wheels it didn’t squat for me.
I have scraped like those little plastic things that hang down below the bumper when I go through really bad roads, but I’ve never scraped the bumper. The underside of my HPD kit is still clean.
It totally removed wheel gap for a fraction of the price as things like eibach and H&R, with the longevity of aftermarket shocks with the leftover funds.
Also there is no tire rubbing or scrubbing with both my aftermarket and stock wheel setups.
D2 with stock wheels
For install we did it in the garage, for us it took much longer than expected because we didn’t loosen some of the bolts of the lower control arm. Once we had one side done we moved more rapidly. The rears were much quicker. With the use of aftermarket shocks it made it a bit longer but it was worth it for peace of mind.
I gave it about a week then brought it to a shop to ensure all the work was done well and everything was tightened. Cost $60.
3 weeks after install I got an alignment.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. My toe was way out of wack and would have led to premature wear.
Downsides: My front right strut makes a bit of noise on occasions. I believe this is due to user error in install, as the left and rears are perfectly silent.
-2 to -3 degrees of camber in the rear. Only ever rubbed on a road trip fully loaded down with 4 dudes and stacked trunk. Then it only ever rubbed on inclines at a steep angle. Left no visible damage on the tire or rear fenders.
It does gravitate towards one side of the road, but this will be fixed when I get camber arms.
Overall I still really enjoy the setup. I think it looks great, it’s reliable, no squatting, and while it has its vices I feel like I achieved more with less.
if you have any questions I’d be happy to share what I can
I gave it about a week then brought it to a shop to ensure all the work was done well and everything was tightened. Cost $60.
3 weeks after install I got an alignment.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. My toe was way out of wack and would have led to premature wear.
Downsides: My front right strut makes a bit of noise on occasions. I believe this is due to user error in install, as the left and rears are perfectly silent.
-2 to -3 degrees of camber in the rear. Only ever rubbed on a road trip fully loaded down with 4 dudes and stacked trunk. Then it only ever rubbed on inclines at a steep angle. Left no visible damage on the tire or rear fenders.
It does gravitate towards one side of the road, but this will be fixed when I get camber arms.
Overall I still really enjoy the setup. I think it looks great, it’s reliable, no squatting, and while it has its vices I feel like I achieved more with less.
if you have any questions I’d be happy to share what I can
Cost layout:
$170 D2 springs
$255 Truhart shocks and struts
$60 mechanic double check
$100 alignment
~$555 total (minus tax and shipping)
eventually camber arms $~250
you know that sounds almost exactly like what is happening to me! I’ll have to look into those silencers! Thank you
These are Anovia titans in raven black. 18x8.5 +35 offset. The wheels fit perfectly flush to the fenders. The tires are the stock goodyear eagle sport 235/40/18, which tuck slightly. The wheels are inspired by what HPD attempted to achieve, but I think these have a few benefits. They only weigh 20lbs, true directional, satin black, rotary forged, and a fraction of the price. Anovia wheels certainly have an unseen but good thing going.
Ahh now I remember your car from a different thread. Looks great and when I finally swap out my stock wheels/tires I'm going to look into the Anovias. I'm not a huge fan of the 18x9.5 38 offset which is popular with this car. 20lbs per wheel is a nice weight as well!you know that sounds almost exactly like what is happening to me! I’ll have to look into those silencers! Thank you
These are Anovia titans in raven black. 18x8.5 +35 offset. The wheels fit perfectly flush to the fenders. The tires are the stock goodyear eagle sport 235/40/18, which tuck slightly. The wheels are inspired by what HPD attempted to achieve, but I think these have a few benefits. They only weigh 20lbs, true directional, satin black, rotary forged, and a fraction of the price. Anovia wheels certainly have an unseen but good thing going.
Yeah I’m not a fan of the 9.5 either, a bit too much poke for me. That’s why I kept it pretty conservative. Best of luck
apparently its a hatchback thing to look a little lower in the back but it isnt bad at all in person
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