Nice...

 

Remember you are paying an extra $450 for the Konis. I am going to go with the Konis now for sure. In autocross it is really more about the driver. My car with stock suspension got 18th overall at the last BMW event. In SCCA I am 100/200. The suspension will help but how much I am not entirely sure depends how much it helps maintaining balance.

I have so far been to 7 autocrosses and there is another 10 I plan on going to. So I would be running the car in Autocross more then a dozen times a season easily at this point.

The ride will probably be a bit stiffer with the 350lb/in min on the konis I'd get the kit with, but someone has already said that stock is not comparable.

The Bilsteins honestly seem like a reasonably priced alternative to the Mugens at $1100 compared to $1200 and definitely better spring rates than Mugen which are 125F/115R vs Bilsteins' 145-252F/134R.

Which to go for is your call. For autocross the higher spring rates really help. I may be able to even disconnect the front sway bar! If all you are ever gonna do is just have fun on the street people with the Mugen have said it removes 75% of normal body roll. So I imagine the progressive spring Bisteins are even better. And I am pretty sure comfort springs for the Konis are right around 275F so not really much different if you went for softer on the konis. The rear is definitely softer.

Until either of us get a suspension and put it on the car not quite sure how they will behave.

Other minor reason for the Konis is the fact people always complain that manufacturers don't make parts and when they do not that many people bite. I can afford to get one fixed if they really are like $200-300 to rebuild.

This would be my first installation or removal of coilovers. The back is easy enough but do you need a spring clamp to remove the front suspension at all?
There is a shop my family has used that works on hondas mainly so the other option would be to just pay a shop to do it. Typically we always do our own maintenance so trusting another person with my car is something I am not used to lol.

 

Springs, especially soft ones like on the Fit, are easy to deal with. If they do need to come off (need to look how the top mount works) then just get yourself a cheap set of spring compressors. They are long bolts with clamps you put around the springs. Should be $20ish. Make sure you get ones that lock onto the springs though! There are ones that don't, they are nicknamed suicide sticks.

Depending on how the setup actually is, since you are just taking the stock out, you could use the car to hold them on. Undo the top nut or whatever, then jack the car up until they go slack.

 

Here,
just use this spring adapter,
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/eib-adapter60250
so you can use Eibach ERS 2.5in spring




then buy the Ground Control Kit for Honda Fit or Honda CR-Z
Ground Control - Complete Coilover Conversion Kit - 2010 Honda CRZ

Oh, when you buy this Ground Control Kit, you can specify what kind of spring rate you want for front and rear,

plus when/if you blown your Bilstein, just sent it to Bilstein for warranty replacement,
and it should not be a problem because you are not "permanently modifying the Bilstein tube outer shape".


you only use the top part of the Ground control kit for the front suspension.
The bottom/threaded part still use the Bilstein one.

The reason why I think it will fit is because Bilstein use the stock top factory parts the same way as Ground Control kit do.

I will try it soon

here is the pictures of Ground Control on Honda CRZ front suspension, notice it reuse the stock suspension top spring plate,
just like Bilstein




here is Bilstein with factory top spring plate reuse:


Another comparison,

here is the Koni's
also utilize the Ground Control kit, and notice it also reuse the factory top spring plate,
so I am pretty sure I can modify my Bilstein to use the Ground Control so I can spring rate to Eibach ERS or Swift Spring...

 

I am prob the most experienced STF Fit AutoX person on here so I figure I ought to chime in although I am campaign a GD. I have also driven and helped setup a Koni/GC GE and a GE on Bilstiens...

If your going to do AutoX, the ONLY choice is Koni/GC. The 350lb setup is still daily driveable, but you will eventually want stiffer, especially in the rear!!! If your not trying to compete at the national level and looking for all 10/10ths then double adjust/Race aren't necessary. Heck, good drivers have gotten jackets on yellows

The best investment you can make though is to research the Evolution Performance Driving School. Hands down best possible "driver mod" and worth EVERY penny!!!

I can go on and on and on.... but just feel free to ask/PM and I'll leave you with one of my last SCCA National Tour runs where I had to go to 3rd gear!!!

Crows Tour 2014 Sunday STF: http://youtu.be/6TElHqcC_rI

P.S. : I know Chris and helped with the Koni/GC setup. ANY "race" or "custom" shock setup won't have a warranty. With that being said, I've installed 4-5 sets of his coils/struts and run the rears on my GD. Zero issues in 2 seasons of HARD use. Any issues/concerns others had were handled professionally with tons of comunication and fast turn around. Were part of a community with out a lot of real race support, so PLEASE consider supporting ome of the few vendors who is supporting us!!!

 

I currently have the Koni Orange struts coupled with Swift springs which are 125F/115R. Together with the Progress RSB this provides fairly neutral steady state cornering.

Unfortunately the rear spring rate is too soft for carrying a full car load and this setup tends to bottom out. In addition, the system seems a tad over damped.

I am switching to Progress springs which also provide a 1" drop but the rates are 160F/200R. Since these are more biased to the rear I am also adding a Spoon FSB to try to balance the car like it is now. This setup should be streetable and very affordable.

 

TPColgett, I was hoping you would drop by! Thanks for that. After seeing the spring rates for the bilsteins, I agree the Koni are the only way to go for an autocross setup. Mind if I ask what spring rates you are running? Out of curiosity?

My Fit is just for DD and I may go run the occational autocross in it, just for something different (the Miata is the real toy) so I am very strongly leaning toward the bilsteins for my needs.

If I am correct in remebering, the suspenstions on the GD and GE are not that far removed from each other, how have you found sway bars effect the car? I would love to drop a big one in the front, but I already have too much understeer as it is...

 

Another Choice would be Eibach Coilover,
it also come with Eibach ERS Spring so you can change spring rate too.
and it even have helper spring too

here are the coilover used for Honda CRZ, Eibach also had the coilover specific to Honda Fit spec:

Eibach Coilovers: The Pro Street-S - Honda CRZ Forum: Honda CR-Z Hybrid Car Forums





oh, I just notice, the Eibach also had slotted upper bolt hole so this should allow for more camber... :




Notice that the Eibach no longer use factory upper spring plate:

 

I've driven both, and for full autox, Koni/GC would be the best for full customization and the sorts. I drove it briefly on the Koni/GC on supposedly full still damping on not so smooth city streets and it was quite stiff lol. Luckily you can soften the damping and the ride should be more tolerable. Also the Koni's are twin tube so I think that's why it's liveable.

I have Bilstein, I had them before Chris at Redshift made the Koni/GC available. Bilstein are great all-rounder, does everything well. I actively autox on Bilstein and they do the job. Like previously stated, it comes down to the driver, their preference, skill, and how they have the car set up.

I've also driven TPC's GD as well and his setup is "unique" to say the least. He has Koni/GC rear and Junk2 in the front. So it's the driver's decision to say what feels good to them.

 

I plan to install 325 spring rate on the front when I buy the Ground Control Kit,
This is the part number:
Eibach (0700.250.0325) 7" x 2.5" I.D. Coil-Over Spring

this way it will not be too hard for daily drive
and to control body roll when cornering,
my current Front Spoon Anti Sway Bar already do the job perfectly.

in the past, people always warn against using the large Front Spoon Sway Bar because they say it would make the car understeer more...
but since I also use the rear progress rear sway bar,
the car do NOT understeer and yet stay very very flat on the corner,
despite my current Bilstein softer spring rate...

I am sure if I put a 325 front spring on my Bilstein,
it would make the car even more flat and oversteer more.

The advantage of using Bilstein with the Ground Control for me is,
first, I already have the Bilstein hahaha
second, if I need to claim warranty, I can just take out the spring and the ground control upper plate
and the Bilstein will still look exactly like it was in it's original form, since nothing is permanently modified,
so it will still be eligible under warranty.

Bilstein also offer revalving service if you really feel that the higher rate spring overwhelm it's damping setting,
but I figure going from 252 Bilstein spring to 325 Eibach spring is not that much different,
so I am pretty sure the Bilstein will still be able to handle the 325 spring rate.

and TireRack who sell Bilstein is also SUPPORTING VENDOR at fitfreak...
so I was still supporting Fitfreak sponsor when I buy from tirerack at very good price for my Bilstein

 

^100% agree with DoYouFit? 99.99% of suspension tuning and setup is dictated by driver style and preference!!! My main reason for recommending the Koni/GC system is because it can be dialed in or spings swapped to suit the driver!

Yea.... my GD is a Frakenpodge haha. Junk2 ProC fronts with 12K Swift springs and torington thrust washers, rear is RedShift yellows with the ProC perches and 13K Swift springs. I also have the T1R front bar with PowerGrid endlinks (unhooked for AutoX, lifts inside tire off contact parch and unloads diff on corner exit) and a Progress rear bar. My setup is primarily designed for concrete, IE national event sites. On lumpy/loose asphalt lots the softer setups (IE Bilstiens) are WAY more manageable and easy to drive!

Keep in mind, my chassis is quite a bit softer than a GE which is why I need so much more spring. IMO, the GE is a MUCH better starting platform. I really want to see someone pony up and get one tuned via the AEM. After all my STF legal mods and FlashPro, I make the same Whp/tq as a GE with basic bolt ons

 

Wow those are some stiff spring rates! And ha! I dissconect the rear bar on my Miata for the same reason (put too big of one on too.... Gonna go back to stock in the rear in a bit).

The stiffness of the GE is something I am very pleased with, though mine creaks from the b-piller when transfering load from side to side. Done it since new but could never get anyone to do anything about itm oh well. Do they have a tuning solution for the GE now? I have been out of the loop, may need to look into that!

The sites I run at have elevation change and are rather lumpy. I have had the back end tossed off to the side in corners from bumps. The course designer has found some neat things to play with though. One of the storm drains is sunk in so we regularly have a nice big banked sweeper around it, kind of cool to.load up the suspention in the "bowl" then come flying out of it.

 

I heard if you say STF three times TPColgett appears, I guess it's true.

Some "old timers" in here i'm glad to see post (TPC, DYF, ALPINA)


Fastone1, you say the oranges feel a little overdamped for Swifts? That is good info. I hope they pair well with my Teins and what I use them for can get rough at times so overdamp would be bad news They are lower than the Swifts too so that may exacerbate the issue. I guess we will see.

 

Yeppers on the tuning. Contact Boomslang, they have the harness.... like anything else though you have to pay to play.... harness and EMS before tuning time will be close to $1K

 

Do you run with back seats? Up or down? Mine creaks with the seats up, I put them down to distribute weight better but the disappearance of strange noises is nice too. Do you have a rear strut bar or X bar? Does it help at all with the creak/flex? I've had some older cars that you could almost see the chassis flex without the bars but i've just assumed the Fit was pretty solid and didn't need them.

 

LMAO...... Guilty!

Actually, am I going to catch you on Sundays Touge?

 

I am talking normal driving for the Fit. It has only been out for fun once and that was my first ever track day. I was to busy not dieing to notice any creaking. Back seats up or down does not make a difference. The car does not noticably flex, just creaks there. It may even be trim panels. No cross bar or anything. I will likely never have a rear strut bar, my fit gets used to haul things to much.

If you want to talk chassis flex, you can watch the steering wheel and windsheild go opposite directions over large pot holes in my miata. :P They are known for bad cowl shake though, especially the very early ones like mine, they added a lot of regidity over the years. The Miata feels like a wet noodle compaired to the GE. Putting the hard top on (it latches very securly) closes up the box and makes it a bit stiffer though.

Edit: uppon further pondering, I feel a rear strut bar would be almost useless in a GE anyway. Not only are they rather solid there, but the rear susspention is shock and spring with the torsion beam. So there will be almost zero side load on the top of the shocks.

 

Werd....

I really like Alpina's set up with the Spoon FSB & Progress RSB on the Bilsteins... but not sure if I'll go that far. Especially since I'm not regularly tracking the car.

 

Just my initial impressions just riding around town for a couple weeks. I am going on a road trip this weekend so I will have better impressions.

Either way I already ordered the Progress springs as the Swifts are simply too soft for anything other than 1-2 passengers. I hope I don't end up underdamped after the swap. In hindsight I should have put the money into Eibach ProStreets but I was concerned about daily driving 300# springs.

 

I'm currently running the koni/gc setup on my GE. I've had no problems with it. I've had the same-ish ride height since I posted my review thread. Other than some monster body roll that I'm trying to cure with a spoon fsb, the setup seems to be perfect for autox and the way I drive.

Daily driving is not terrible. I'm running 350f/400r. I've gotten used to the ride. I give my mom a ride home from work once a week and she's never complained about the ride quality.

Car feels good at autox. Im running -3 degrees of camber up front and I crank the rear shocks up to just under full stiff.

Autox Mather 051714:
I can say they're worth every penny I paid. Not sure what else to say but if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer.