This thread includes experience/ knowledge of items such as springs, shocks, strut bars, weight reduction and everything that improves handling for the fit.

-"My names Barack Obama and I approve this message".

 

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OK leeme start by endorsing my Eibach Sportline springs i just got today... 2 inch drop....and first thing i notice the road noise decreased about 70% i dunno bout u guys but the fit is noisy..2nd ride is about 70% smoother, b4 i could feel even if there was a crack in the asphalt!!! ...however hitting bumps probably increased to 30% which sucks...4th handling is A LOT BETTER, roll seems to have decreased by 80%...overall i'd say they are awesome...i still have a 1 inch gap incase u were thinking that 2'' is really low..lol, actually it is but it looks good though...

 

I'll contribute:

Adjusting the camber results in bigger handling improvements than one would think.

Toe and camber are greatly effected by lowering springs. Many people don't bother adjusting them, but it's highly recommended.

The GD Fit has MacPherson strut suspension up front with an anti-sway bar and torsion beam suspension in the rear.

A sway bar DOES change handling for the better, even on a torsion beam suspension.

Adding lowering springs without upgrades to appropriate shocks will most likely cause the stock shocks to fail prematurely. Also, lowering the suspension travel (via lowering springs) increases the risk for bottoming out, or blowing, the stock shocks.

There's more to lowering springs than how much of a drop they give. Knowing the spring rates can help one decide one set over another.

Tires are as much a part of the suspension system as the springs, or the sway bars, or the shocks, etc.

[An aside: Be wary of people's review of mods. The placebo effect abounds.]

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. If anyone has any questions, I'd be glad to answer or help. I'm no know-it-all, but I seem to know a bit more than most about how suspension works and which does what and how to do it properly. =)

 

1). Does SIZE of the tire matter when it comes to handling? i.e. 205 as opposed to 195?

2).Placing strut bars everywhere or in certain strategic places will improve handling??

3). Basically, get the entire suspension system done? Or will having 2 things and not another be bad?

 

1) Size of the tire does matter. A tire with a taller sidewall will feel softer; a tire with a shorter sidewall will feel stiffer. Tire width is also important. The wider the tire, the more grip the tire has and the better it can stick to the road. Notice that fuel efficient vehicles tend to have somewhat thin tires in order to reduce rolling resistance.

2 $ 3) It all depends on how stiff the vehicle's chassis is to begin with. On the GD Fit, a front strut bar probably isn't going to do much; not much structural flex up front. However, in the rear, a rear strut bar would help the flexing of the body, since there's such a large cavity out back. However, too many structural reinforcements (strut bars, tie rods, anything you can reinforce) will make the car jittery and probably too responsive for normal everyday driving. It all depends on whether you want a good handling car for the back roads or a time-attack track monster.
Having one part but not the others won't hurt a thing, but some people go in a certain order of suspension modifications, usually:
a. alignment then
b. tires then
c. sway bars then
d - ?.[no order] chassis braces, springs, shocks, and so on.

 

the tire size would depend on how wide your wheels are, like 15x7 or 15x6.5. you wouldnt want a wide tire on a small rim
you would also want less sidewall to reduce sidewall flex too.

if you want better handling i would get the strut bars and sway bar. unless you feel like going all out

i have noticed better handling in my fit with front strut bar, rear strut bar and C-pillar bar. im also running coilovers which helps better than springs

 

[quote=cojaro;469596]1On the GD Fit, a front strut bar probably isn't going to do much; not much structural flex up front. quote]

there actually is flex up front. not as much as the rear though

 

i have the rear sway bar also but im waiting on the panducky bolts and i will let you guys know how that feels.

 

Relatively, there's not as much flex up front as there is in the rear. I never said there was no flex up front, though.

 

why do a lot of lowering springs have a stiffer spring rate in the rear then the front?

 

There's less unsprung weight in the rear than in the front. Also depends on the difference in length of the front and rear springs.

 

^ true. it also helps from the weight from shifting from the front to the rear upon acceleration to increase traction from a standing start.

 

as far as spring rates go, deciding whether to put stiffer springs in front or rear is a debate. ESPECIALLY on a front drive car. many ppl will put stiffer spring up front, and stiff yet not-as-stiff-as-the-rear springs in back, it has something to do with getting your front tires to the ground and reducing body roll. but then others will tell you they do the opposite. best answer:
1) go to your local race track and watch FF drivers race. then abduct a driver and interrogate him/her in your basement. (watch old episodes of 24 to see how jack bauer does it)

2) thank the hostage...er...uh, "interviewee". use that advice and select some springs. test them. clock lap times. repeat. buy a different set using the opposite tuning method. test them. clock lap times. repeat.

3)finally, use your data to select the best spring rates for YOUR style of driving, and run from the police.
i hope this helps.

 

a stiffer rear gets a little loose easier too. good for autocross and quick turns.

 

here's the short version: 1: best tires you can afford. 2: get camber up front. 3: buy performance suspension components, not lowering springs.



longer version-

1. get the best tire you can afford, but don't go only on price. read reviews and visit the forums of cars that have a strong motorsports presence (not drag) and see what the hot tire is. if on a budget, go with last year's hot tire or go with a slightly different sizing that is less popular. wider is not automatically better, especially without adequate spring, for fuel mileage, or for road noise.

2. proper alignment. get camber up front and at least get toe to OEM to save wear on tires.

3. intelligently picking your springs and knowing the limitations of your setup. i have swift springs that turn in much more crisply, transition better, and ultimately have a balance that i prefer to OEM. however, i know that the stock dampers don't keep up w these springs as well as a more tightly valved damper, so i don't try to overcook the turns with heavy mid-turn bumps. i make line and speed adjustments in the fit that i don't have to in my other cars, but that is OK. i also considered what i felt was an appropriate drop in static ride height, with the primary consideration being what would let me cook my favorite roads in the real world as quickly as is practicable. i set my coilovers on my other cars in the same manner and don't regret it. i could go with lower especially for smooth tracks, but real roads are hardly like maintained tracks.

4. don't buy lowering springs intended primarily for appearance purposes if you want improved driving dynamics.

5. my recommendation: stiffer spring rates in the rear.

 

okay so check it out,

my suspension setup is as follows
-tein basic damper kit
-t1r control arm brace
-spoon front strut tower bar
-tanabe rear strut bar
-j's roll center adjusters
-progress rear sway bar
-T1R carbon c-pillar bar
-volk ce28n wheels

and the latest mod that i did that improved handling was my innovative engine mounts. now, my car handled good before i did them but once i got them in, my car handles on RAILS! my mounts gave me the most drastic difference in feel out of any of my suspension mods. i highly recommend them.

 

I agree with some of these posts & others not. I have the following:

1. T1R Front Sway Bar
2. Tanabe Front Strut Tower Bar
3. Tanabe Rear Strut Bar
4. J's Racing C-Pillar Bar

There were some arguments in this forum about understeer. I don't really feel that with my configuration. Before these mods., I felt the body was all over the place when making sharp angled turns. I just didn't feel confident in the vehicle.

After these mods., my Fit felt more like a DC2. I think these parts alone won't make a difference, but a combination of them will.

Future mods. -

• Progress Rear Sway Bar
• J's Racing Front Lower Arm Bar
• J's Racing RCAs
• Coilovers (Brand? HKS/Buddy Club) or Tokico Struts w/Swift Springs

 

my suspension mods r as follows:

js racing shocks and springs
spoon front strut bar

drastic improvement in cornering when i installed the shocks and springs, not much difference tho in the front strut bar.. but having recently got an all round alignment done on the car, it felt much much better as i did not adjust the alignment before..

future mods:

possibly js/cusco rear strut bar
js/spoon/cusco front lower arm

 

My suspension set up is as follow


Skunk 2 springs up front and Tanabe DF210s in the back
Stock shocks
Progress RSB
16x7 wheels on 205-45-16 tires(Falken Ziex 912s )


I've taken it to a few autocross sessions and what I've noticed is that the stock shocks are absolutely garbage. Even with the springs, body roll is a huge issue. HUGE!!

Understeer isn't AS bad as i'd thought but yes the Progress RSB did help,but one observation I made was that; The Fit is kinda like a truck, heavy and rigid in the front, light and flexible in the rear. One negative that I can say the RSB gave is SNAP OVERSTEER, OMG...it will surprise the shit out of you. Dont try to do the Scandinavian flick in public roads,or it might happen to you lol