DIYaccord

Just a few questions...

my buddy elwood is selling some extended top hats (for civics) and when i was cutting the pipe for him i thought about making some for me as well because they dont look that hard to make.

what benifits would you have with the extended top hats?

how would you benifit from having these?


Thanks,

Nick

DIYaccord

anyone?

travis

Are you talking about something like this?



The benefit would be additional shock travel.

DIYaccord

yeah, that's it

what would you benifit with having more travel?

RangerDan

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DIYaccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah, that's it

what would you benifit with having more travel?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nutshelled...you get full shock travel. On a car thats been lowered say 1.75 inches you lose that in shock travel. Put 1.75 inch extensions in and bam shock travel restored.

travis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RangerDan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Nutshelled...you get full shock travel. On a car thats been lowered say 1.75 inches you lose that in shock travel. Put 1.75 inch extensions in and bam shock travel restored.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said. At close to stock ride height there's no point, but it saves you from having to shorten your dampers if you're close to bottoming them out at a lower ride height. With Konis that work well throughout their range it is less crucial unless you actually run OUT of travel, but some other dampers are designed to work within a range of travel and moving them out of that range effects how they perform.

DIYaccord

so...lets say i lowered my car 2" and i rased my top hats 2"

what would be different on my car? smoother ride? better performance? longer strut life?

and how can you tell if you're bottoming out?

noob

travis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DIYaccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so...lets say i lowered my car 2" and i rased my top hats 2"

what would be different on my car? smoother ride? better performance? longer strut life?

and how can you tell if you're bottoming out?

noob</TD></TR></TABLE>

It depends on what dampers you have, what spring rates you're using, and the weight of your car. If you lower a heavy car with 200# springs by 2", it may be an issue. If you lower a light car with 1000# springs by 2", it's not an issue. Bottoming out has the feel of being on the bumpstops, where your spring essentially becomes solid. More than just hurting performance, you can damage your dampers that way.

In theory, lowering your car 2" and raising your mount by 2" wouldn't hurt you other than being a hassle and a new point for failure (regardless of your fabrication skills). However, I doubt it's good for much of a gain. Honestly, you'll run out of room under the hood at some point by raising your mount too high.

RangerDan

In addition....Don't most shock manufacturers void their warranty if you drop more than 1.75 inches?

And wouldn't extending the top hats keep your warr. from getting voided.

EDIT BTW theres some folks on this board that will swear it makes all the difference in the world. I haven't done this yet but it is on "to do" list.

Tad

as previously stated,
you really only "NEED" it if you're close to bottoming out, or already doing so.

and if you use a normal dimensioned strut on a honda.. and have you're car at a rideheight that(visually) is up to todays standards.. then chances are you are pretty close to bottoming out.

I dont know much about accords but on a civic, a 2" drop you wont need to worry much about , thats fairly mild.

but yes, if you are in fact bottoming out,
and eleviate the problem with extended mounts,
then the benifit would be longer strut life, more comfortable ride, and chances are, improved handling.

Tad

oh and there are other tricks to gain travel without resorting to rebuilding your shocks or buying expensive coilover systems.

just look at how you're suspension is put together, that bottom shock fork is a nice item, as there are numerous ways to modify it to let the shock rest lower in it.
which would lower you're car without affecting travel

Chris Sawatsky

Here's a few pics...

installed:




explained:

Crack Monkey

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The benefit would be additional shock travel.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Aren't you just moving the part of the shock that is "travelling"? And not really "adding travel" (unless you're bottoming out)?

krshultz

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DIYaccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and how can you tell if you're bottoming out?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wrap a zip tie around the shock shaft at the base of the shock body. Go out for a session. If the zip tie has gotten wedged up into the bump stop, you're bottoming.

In my experience every lowered Honda track car that doesn't have short body shocks or raised upper hat thingies on it is probably bottoming, even in steady state cornering and even with fairly aggressive front spring rates. I'm not real familiar with the Accord/Prelude platforms though.

Crosser

One thing, to add to what Karl said. When you are testing to see if the shock bottoms using a zip tie, make sure you are doing your testing on a smooth surface. If you are hitting huge bumps you are of course going to be bottoming them, or being close if you have lowered the car. You want to check it for suspension loading in normal cornering loads.

ViZ

i am loving that drawing

APEX CRX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris Sawatsky &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here's a few pics...

installed:




explained:

</TD></TR></TABLE>

ha ha did you use an etch a sketch?

Greyout

booo, how can I be the first one

ryan12321

Just another idea too instead of altering the top hats. On some shocks you can cut the brake brackets off and lower the shock farther down into the lower fork giving you more travel.

Here is a picture of what the shock looks like installed normally. This is not my car but general picture of how the shock would be.


Here is a picture of how I have cut off the brake brackets and lowered it down into the fork more.

travis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crack Monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Aren't you just moving the part of the shock that is "travelling"? And not really "adding travel" (unless you're bottoming out)?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, yes, technically the deflection is the same either way, but don't pretend you didn't know what I ment

However, if you hit the bottom, you're not travelin' anymore so you might actually get more shock travel from raising the upper mount.

Crack Monkey

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well, yes, technically the deflection is the same either way, but don't pretend you didn't know what I ment </TD></TR></TABLE>

I knew exactly what you meant. I just wanted to clarify so some poor noob doesn't get all confused.

GBRacing

Ground Control sells upper strut mounts that serves the same purpose. Also, quality of of them are top grade and at $75 dollars a set, it pretty hard to pass up.

Tyson

oh yeah, guess i could have shared my drawing a long time ago...

.RJ

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITACRX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ground Control sells upper strut mounts that serves the same purpose. Also, quality of of them are top grade and at $75 dollars a set, it pretty hard to pass up.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said.

I used them, they're quality product.

HondaJon

I've been thinking about buying those ground control upper mounts for this season. If I were gonna get a set, would it be worth getting the rears as well as the fronts?

Jon