A couple of days ago I had my Koni/Ground Control suspension installed with Billy's 6061-T6 aluminum spring isolators. At the same time I had both front lower control arms replaced since the bushings were completely shot. I opted to have a shop do it for me since I currently have few tools, little garage space and zero experience installing a suspension or using a spring compressor. I bit the bullet and actually learned a thing or two from the mechanic that I can use next time when I will try it myself. I had wanted to do an actual writeup with a full set of start-to-finish install pictures too :/
Impressions:
First, I'm very happy with the aluminum isolators. If anyone mentioned increased noise from these things (maybe I'm thinking of something else that I read) there is none. They just do their job and don't wobble around. The entire setup is very confidence inspiring (THANK YOU BILLY!!)
Where the worn (130k) OEM Type SH suspension used to have too much body roll and slow rebound that would absorb your accelerator and steering inputs and wobble over road imperfections, the Koni/GC suspension literally glides over these road details confidently, keeping you pointed exactly where you want to go.
The Konis are currently set at around 50% stiffness and the 400FR/325RR rates are exactly what this car should have come with from the factory. I also didn't lower the car very much-- it sits around 0.80" lower than stock in the front and only 1" lower in the rear and I'm very happy with this. It's near stock looking but MUCH better now that the 4x4 look is gone.
It is not at all harsh to drive. My first thought upon leaving the auto shop was that I actually went too safe with my front and rear rates and that I could stand an even stiffer 450FR/400RR ride on the street-- but this setup is very, very good. The Prelude feels like a real sportscar again and it loves to take turns with confidence. As the suspension settles and I get used to it I'll start experimenting with incrementally stiffer shock settings and later on I may do a stiffer set of springs.
Issues (very few):
I do slow down a bit more than usual for road bumps and dips and I'm even more careful than before about avoiding potholes but it's really not bad at all. The only thing that scared me was forgetting where I was for a moment and NOT slowing down for a notorious road dip near home and experiencing a loud metallic "POP" sound when the suspension rebounded. I was freaked out that I had blown one of my Konis but there was nothing wrong with the suspension afterward. I read that this is caused by a part of the suspension grabbing onto the hard plastic inner fender liner upon extreme compression and yanking free upon rebound. I'll see if an alignment cures this. If not I'll look into a camber kit or cutting part of the plastic fender liner.
Pictures:
Please forgive the quality. They're all from my iphone. I don't own a good digital camera.
I forgot to take a set of exterior pictures before the install, sorry! It was just the same as any stock Prelude.
And some detail pictures of the shocks with the aluminum isolators installed in the front shocks/springs and the rears. The mechanic had a Koni/GC setup on his Integra in the past and suggested I keep this tough looking rubber piece between the spring and the aluminum isolators to make the ride a little easier.
I thought about this and we compromised: I let him try it on just the front shocks but on the rears the springs directly contact the aluminum isolators. This way, if it really makes a difference or doesn't do anything at all, I will only need to get one end of the car changed to match the other. I'm not sure I notice any difference either way at the moment so I will probably have the rubber pieces removed later on.
Also, the bumpstops used are hard progressive Koni pieces rather than the OEM Honda parts.
I'd be willing to bet that you wouldn't have noticed much, if any, additional NVH if you didn't use the rubber pieces on the front. Now that you've driven on it for a bit, any other impressions?
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