Suspension Civic 2.2 CTDi Handling

*SubZero* · 13th August 2012, 23:02

For a car with fairly wide tyres, the Civic has terrible handling! Maybe its due to my last 2 cars being a MK4 Golf GTi and MK1 Leon Cupra R, especially the Leon which had amazing handling, but I find the Honda really disappointing.

The braking is also terrible despite having new tyres all round. I've ordered some HEL brake lines, RBF600 fluid and Ferodo Premier discs and pads to improve that.

What do you guys recommend in terms of improving the handling? Spacers? Suspension mods? The car is mainly used for commuting and not even fast road use as it doesn't inspire confidence in that department at the moment!

The remaps seem to cause problems with clutch wear and with no decent aftermarket clutches out there; this probably won't be getting a remap just yet.

cb550 · 13th August 2012, 23:54

Perhaps not the most constructive reply, however, I found the ES I bought very similar. 9 months later replaced it with a Type S. The difference in handling and roadholding was like day and night. Best 3 1/2 years motoring I had !

Syx · 14th August 2012, 00:39

If you're concerned on your commute... first thing would be your rubber. What have you got at the moment?

After that you're looking at a fast road setup and Eibachs to improve things further.

*SubZero* · 19th August 2012, 18:06

Yeah think tyres are the main culprit. They are really poor in the wet, but they're only budget ones so that explains it. The Continentals that were on her before weren't too great either... Any recommendations? Especially for grip in the wet?

C.B · 20th August 2012, 15:24

Do you really expect your civic EX to handle like a LCR with all its uprated shocks, spings, ARB, bigger wheels etc?

You need some springs, a fast road setup and some decent rubber for it to be comparible imho

J. Derek Riddell · 20th August 2012, 16:20

As others said - Eibach lowering springs, Eibach wheel spacers, full F.R.S. ...

And decent rubber - Continental CS5s or Goodyear Eagke F1s ...

Also, the brake upgrades mentioned are a definite 'must' ...

*SubZero* · 20th August 2012, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by C.B

Do you really expect your civic EX to handle like a LCR with all its uprated shocks, spings, ARB, bigger wheels etc?

Nah wasn't expecting it to be comparable, it's just that it felt much worse than other standard family hatches like Astra's and 307's! But yeah I think I underestimated the importance of tyres so will be splashing out on them in addition to the brake upgrades and it should then be how I expect it. If not then the springs will be uprated...

Don't want to go overkill on the upgrades, as primarily it is just for commuting but would like the additional grip in the wet and sharper brake response for 'spirited' driving

Thanks for the info guys; fantastic forum

adsbeau · 20th August 2012, 17:51

Eibachs 25mm, KONI FSD, FRS.

It will about 1K with labour.

The ride will be hard but its an unbelievable transformation.

Got have good rubber also, i can recommend Hankooks v12 evo for a excellent mid range, should be able to pick them up for less than £100 per corner fitted.

I also have ferodo premier not the normal set up an they are fine for every day use

*SubZero* · 31st August 2012, 22:04

So the HEL Brake Lines are on... Can't say a huge difference at the moment although slightly better feel... A little disappointed to be honest. Only 2l of RBF600 fluid was used, even though I had bought 3. It's flowing over the Max mark in the reservoir...

Any explanation for the minimal difference? Incorrect bleeding procedure followed? What I really want is to be able tap the brakes and feel the brakes biting... Like all Ze German cars out there!

MTEC Grooved and Dimpled discs and Mintex pads to go on next, didn't do them at the same time as I wanted to see for myself the difference the braided hoses made.

CiViC_dIeSeL · 31st August 2012, 22:09

My HKS Lines just made my pedal a little bit more trustful. The really big difference in brake feel will be with your new pads

The lines does not expand when you get the brakes REALLY hot, as on a Trackday for example.

*SubZero* · 31st August 2012, 23:22

That's made me feel better. Thought I had wasted the money on brake lines even though they were £116 and fitted for free

The brake pedal still feels pretty long, is this normal? Would you expect braided lines to make a difference to the length of travel of the brake pedal?

coste1l · 31st August 2012, 23:24

No mate it wont

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

*SubZero* · 2nd September 2012, 00:23

Supplier was out of stock for the Ferodo Premier discs and pads, so I've opted for MTEC's grooved and dimpled discs and Minted pads. Much difference between this set up and the Ferodo one?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

*SubZero* · 2nd September 2012, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by coste1l

No mate it wont

What would? New discs and pads? Or something else?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

coste1l · 2nd September 2012, 19:08

I meant new hoses wont adjust pedal travel bleeding might though

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

*SubZero* · 4th September 2012, 00:23

The discs and pads are on, just went round bedding them in... Already seems like a big improvement from the OEM set up... Think they will need bleeding though, the pedal is not as responsive as I would expect with braided lines....

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Mr B · 5th September 2012, 17:58

I'd be very interested to find out how that improves the braking as I'm about to do the same in a couple of weeks

Peteo48 · 6th September 2012, 08:00

I must admit my very unreliable Golf did handle extremely well - in tests it always comes out as a class leader so I didn't expect the Civic to match it.

I've been pleasantly surprised though - I find it very stable in corners although it is, I have to admit, jittery on uneven surfaces which the Golf dealt with easily.

13th August 2012, 23:02	#1 (permalink)
SubZero Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	Civic 2.2 CTDi Handling For a car with fairly wide tyres, the Civic has terrible handling! Maybe its due to my last 2 cars being a MK4 Golf GTi and MK1 Leon Cupra R, especially the Leon which had amazing handling, but I find the Honda really disappointing. The braking is also terrible despite having new tyres all round. I've ordered some HEL brake lines, RBF600 fluid and Ferodo Premier discs and pads to improve that. What do you guys recommend in terms of improving the handling? Spacers? Suspension mods? The car is mainly used for commuting and not even fast road use as it doesn't inspire confidence in that department at the moment! The remaps seem to cause problems with clutch wear and with no decent aftermarket clutches out there; this probably won't be getting a remap just yet.

Similar Threads for: Civic 2.2 CTDi Handling
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
My Civic 2,2 i-CTDi	CiViC_dIeSeL	Modification Projects	80	12th April 2013 11:33
Civic CTDI	EdwinC	Modification Projects	21	19th June 2012 20:05
'06 Civic 2.2 I-CTDi	Dermotb13	Styling	4	19th May 2009 22:24
Questions civic 2.2 ctdi es help	RickHondaR	Buying, Dealers and Servicing	10	30th December 2008 00:24
Price Civic 1.7 CTDI SE	peter_martin	Buying, Dealers and Servicing	3	5th November 2006 19:43

13th August 2012, 23:54	#2 (permalink)
cb550 Supporter Join Date: 26th May 2007 Location: Nottingham Posts: 901 Thanks given: 61 Thanked 28 Times in 27 Posts iTrader: (1)	Perhaps not the most constructive reply, however, I found the ES I bought very similar. 9 months later replaced it with a Type S. The difference in handling and roadholding was like day and night. Best 3 1/2 years motoring I had !

14th August 2012, 00:39	#3 (permalink)
Syx Clingfilmed Car: 2008 2.2 CTS GT Join Date: 22nd December 2009 Location: Luton, UK Posts: 9,060 Thanks given: 833 Thanked 1,636 Times in 1,433 Posts iTrader: (37)	If you're concerned on your commute... first thing would be your rubber. What have you got at the moment? After that you're looking at a fast road setup and Eibachs to improve things further.

19th August 2012, 18:06	#4 (permalink)
SubZero Thread starter Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	Yeah think tyres are the main culprit. They are really poor in the wet, but they're only budget ones so that explains it. The Continentals that were on her before weren't too great either... Any recommendations? Especially for grip in the wet?

20th August 2012, 15:24	#5 (permalink)
C.B UKDM Car: 2007 CTR NHB GT Join Date: 13th April 2011 Location: North West (petrol station) Posts: 573 Thanks given: 25 Thanked 31 Times in 29 Posts iTrader: (2)	Do you really expect your civic EX to handle like a LCR with all its uprated shocks, spings, ARB, bigger wheels etc? You need some springs, a fast road setup and some decent rubber for it to be comparible imho

20th August 2012, 16:20	#6 (permalink)
J. Derek Riddell [ Laird Mac Nac Feegle ] Car: 2007 1.8 'Executive' (EX) Join Date: 8th November 2007 Location: Isle of Hundvåg, Stavanger, Norway Posts: 9,232 Thanks given: 297 Thanked 1,093 Times in 823 Posts iTrader: (5)	As others said - Eibach lowering springs, Eibach wheel spacers, full F.R.S. ... And decent rubber - Continental CS5s or Goodyear Eagke F1s ... Also, the brake upgrades mentioned are a definite 'must' ...

20th August 2012, 17:51	#8 (permalink)
adsbeau Twisted by the Dark side Car: 2006 2.2 sport, silver Join Date: 18th July 2010 Location: chorley, lancs Uk Posts: 1,113 Thanks given: 59 Thanked 138 Times in 126 Posts iTrader: (2)	Eibachs 25mm, KONI FSD, FRS. It will about 1K with labour. The ride will be hard but its an unbelievable transformation. Got have good rubber also, i can recommend Hankooks v12 evo for a excellent mid range, should be able to pick them up for less than £100 per corner fitted. I also have ferodo premier not the normal set up an they are fine for every day use

31st August 2012, 22:04	#9 (permalink)
SubZero Thread starter Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	So the HEL Brake Lines are on... Can't say a huge difference at the moment although slightly better feel... A little disappointed to be honest. Only 2l of RBF600 fluid was used, even though I had bought 3. It's flowing over the Max mark in the reservoir... Any explanation for the minimal difference? Incorrect bleeding procedure followed? What I really want is to be able tap the brakes and feel the brakes biting... Like all Ze German cars out there! MTEC Grooved and Dimpled discs and Mintex pads to go on next, didn't do them at the same time as I wanted to see for myself the difference the braided hoses made.

31st August 2012, 22:09	#10 (permalink)
CiViC_dIeSeL Car: 2008 2,2 i-CTDi 5D Join Date: 24th February 2007 Location: Arendal, Norway Posts: 396 Thanks given: 24 Thanked 25 Times in 24 Posts iTrader: (0)	My HKS Lines just made my pedal a little bit more trustful. The really big difference in brake feel will be with your new pads The lines does not expand when you get the brakes REALLY hot, as on a Trackday for example.

31st August 2012, 23:22	#11 (permalink)
SubZero Thread starter Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	That's made me feel better. Thought I had wasted the money on brake lines even though they were £116 and fitted for free The brake pedal still feels pretty long, is this normal? Would you expect braided lines to make a difference to the length of travel of the brake pedal?

31st August 2012, 23:24	#12 (permalink)
coste1l Supporter Car: 09 Suzuki Swift Sport white Join Date: 16th January 2010 Location: Sunderland UK Posts: 17,873 Thanks given: 1,112 Thanked 1,986 Times in 1,875 Posts iTrader: (15)	No mate it wont Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

2nd September 2012, 00:23	#13 (permalink)
SubZero Thread starter Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	Supplier was out of stock for the Ferodo Premier discs and pads, so I've opted for MTEC's grooved and dimpled discs and Minted pads. Much difference between this set up and the Ferodo one? Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

2nd September 2012, 19:08	#15 (permalink)
coste1l Supporter Car: 09 Suzuki Swift Sport white Join Date: 16th January 2010 Location: Sunderland UK Posts: 17,873 Thanks given: 1,112 Thanked 1,986 Times in 1,875 Posts iTrader: (15)	I meant new hoses wont adjust pedal travel bleeding might though Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

4th September 2012, 00:23	#16 (permalink)
SubZero Thread starter Car: 2007 2.2 i-CTDi EX 5 Dr Join Date: 15th June 2010 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 18 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	The discs and pads are on, just went round bedding them in... Already seems like a big improvement from the OEM set up... Think they will need bleeding though, the pedal is not as responsive as I would expect with braided lines.... Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

5th September 2012, 17:58	#17 (permalink)
Mr B Car: 2008 2.2 EX, Tangerine Join Date: 25th July 2012 Location: Kettering, Northamptonshire Posts: 1 Thanks given: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	I'd be very interested to find out how that improves the braking as I'm about to do the same in a couple of weeks

6th September 2012, 08:00	#18 (permalink)
Peteo48 Supporter Car: 2007 1.8 i-vtec ES Blue Join Date: 18th August 2011 Location: Warrington, Cheshire, England. Posts: 536 Thanks given: 66 Thanked 35 Times in 35 Posts iTrader: (0)	I must admit my very unreliable Golf did handle extremely well - in tests it always comes out as a class leader so I didn't expect the Civic to match it. I've been pleasantly surprised though - I find it very stable in corners although it is, I have to admit, jittery on uneven surfaces which the Golf dealt with easily.