A-spec and 18 or 17 NR's mirror

BlueTSX05 · 07-10-2006, 07:34 PM

I think I have finally decided on where to go with my suspension and wheels.
since my car is a daily driver and I now have a family of four, I want the lowered look without sacraficing the quality of the ride.

so this is what I was thinking, those of you who are suspension and wheel guru's your replies are very much needed.

Suspension A-spec,

wheels, 18' mugen NR's mirror faced (hopefully will fill that little extra space)

if not go with the 17' NR's mirror faced.

What do you guys think.

vidgamer · 07-10-2006, 08:12 PM

If you're going to have a modest drop, it'll look better with 17s than 18s, IMHO. There was someone who had photos of his car with Aspec & 18s, and it didn't look lowered! That's because the lower profile tire is smaller, but even though there is a smaller wheel gap, they kinda counteract each other, at least in the look.

LannyMCS · 07-10-2006, 09:01 PM

^I agree, A-Spec does not significantly lower the front, and running 18s will visually create more gap, especially if you run the smaller-than-stock 225/40/18, which would be the best fit for the 7.5" NRs. You could go 235/40/18 which would be closer to stock tire diameter, but are a little wide for 7.5" rims.

I'd consider Tanabe Sustec coilovers, and just don't drop them much.......

BlueTSX05 · 07-10-2006, 09:18 PM

thanks guys, hey and the 17's are cheaper too. I somewhat afraid of going with aftermarket coilovers because we do see some snow (although very little usually) and my car is driven everyday.

stupid question, is the a-spec a coilover system too, and is our original suspension coilover as well.

si2tsx · 07-10-2006, 10:17 PM

I got the 18's with tein super street. just get coilovers and just raise your car when you need to. check it out...

code85 · 07-10-2006, 10:33 PM

^ but with snow and salt it might seize the coilovers making it unable to adjust after. Some of the toronto members have teins SS/basic and they were lucky that it didnt happen to them =)

BlueTSX05 · 07-10-2006, 11:09 PM

damn I love those rims, yeah the snow thing is what worries me the most and I am not a mechanic to be able to change them out each season.

LannyMCS · 07-10-2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueTSX05

thanks guys, hey and the 17's are cheaper too. I somewhat afraid of going with aftermarket coilovers because we do see some snow (although very little usually) and my car is driven everyday.

stupid question, is the a-spec a coilover system too, and is our original suspension coilover as well.

Generally, the term coilover refers to a strut/spring combination in which the strut body has threads on it, allowing the lower spring perch to be adjusted up or down to raise or lower the car.

On higher end coilovers, the lower mount is also threaded, so that you could raise or lower the car without using the spring perch.

The factory setup, and the A-Spec setup, have a fixed lower mount and perch, so no, they're not coilovers. They do use a design in which the spring mounts over the strut, which differs from some other cars in which the spring is not mounted over the strut.

One thing that the A-Spec does give you is a complete, pre-assembled unit. Most aftermarket setups will require that you disassemble your factory strut so that you can reuse the top mount and hardware. The only units that this is not true of other than the A-Spec are the Buddy Club coilovers, Tein FLEX, Zeal/Endless and maybe a couple other $2K+ setups. Tein SS and Basic, Tanabe Sustecs, H&Rs, and Koni Yellow/Neuspeed Koni will all require the extra factory parts. This isn't a knock on those products, it's part of the reason they're less $$. Also, pillowball upper mounts are really not necessary for street use....

BlueTSX05 · 07-11-2006, 08:37 AM

Ok so for some one like me the A-spec kit and rear sway should do exactly what I need then. I just need to get the money for the Mugen rims good lord there expensive rims but I love them.

about how much should I expect to pay for installation of the A-spec kit?

LannyMCS · 07-11-2006, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueTSX05

Ok so for some one like me the A-spec kit and rear sway should do exactly what I need then. I just need to get the money for the Mugen rims good lord there expensive rims but I love them.

about how much should I expect to pay for installation of the A-spec kit?

Depends on how you feel about the warranty for the A-Spec suspension. Acura will warranty it for 12 months/12k miles if a dealer installs it. Most dealers quote it by the book, which seems to come out to $400-$500 depending on labor rates. Local shops that do aftermarket installs can be found for under $200, but you'd have no warranty. The likelihood of something going wrong is slim though......

I'd try to find a dealer that would be willing to do it for less; it won't take them more than a couple of hours to do it....

BlueTSX05 · 07-11-2006, 02:26 PM

yeah thats what I'm thinking dealer install just for added piece of mind but maybe I can find someone to do it for $200 and then it might be worth it. Curry acura is still selling them for $599 on ebay, so that would be pretty sweet getting it all done for under a $800 - $900.