07 Si in Jax, FL.

[DurdySi]

Wattup, folk. I'm Brandon. I stumbled across the stance movement by accident, now I'm hooked!
You can find me on the streets of Jacksonville, FL.
This is my 07 Si FA5 right now:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0258.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0264.jpg
My stance is under construction, but I won't stop until it's perfected. New rims, tires and coilovers are already under way.

Low and slow, baby. Holler.

[EMU]

welcome to S:N bro! looks like u got things in the works already...cant wait to see it progress!

[OSSHWA]

Welcome! What wheels are coming?

[Elvis]

Welcome to stance nation. Looks like you're on the right path to making a sick civic!

[DurdySi]

Welcome! What wheels are coming?

XXR 962 Gold 17x9 +35 are already here, just waiting on tires.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0226.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0110.jpg

[DurdySi]

Wow, thanks for all the welcome comments, guys!

[EMU]

should be pretty flush with those sizes!

[DurdySi]

should be pretty flush with those sizes!
Hell yeah! I'm almost there, need cash for coilovers, slam that beast and then... just lean back, like Fat Joe.

[EMU]

hehe a lean back! ive seen a homies FA5 on stance coils..pretty damn low!

[gallhue]

cheap wheel crew, i got sportmax 002 16x8+0

[DurdySi]

EMU: Stance will slam the shit out of your ride! I think I'ma get Skunk2 Pro-C's or Buddy Club N+, tho. Over on 8thCivic.com, all the homies are running those and they fit and ride real good. There's an issue with 9" wide rims rubbing on OEM struts and other shit, so I gotta do my homewerkz, heard?


gallhue: Those 002's are tight as fawk! I wanted some old school style rims like those, but the sizes and offsets weren't right for my car. What color did you get?

[OSSHWA]

Welcome! What wheels are coming?

XXR 962 Gold 17x9 +35 are already here, just waiting on tires.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0226.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0110.jpg

Those will look good. eclipsevietboi has those same wheels in gunmetal on his red FA5 :handgestures-thumbup:

His car is much lower now & is rocking more camber in the rear, but here is a pic to give you an idea.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v322/eclipsevietboi/30c6jqd.jpg

[PRTizzle]

Your next wheels are going ot be great. Welcome to S:N

[DurdySi]

Mounting tires now! So excite!
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/borat-thumbs.jpg

[JDM_OBP]

new wheels will look sick

[DurdySi]

Done! Check it out:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0282.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0293.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0322.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0304.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0309.jpg
coilovers next... moar lows, moar cambers, moar sexy time!

oh, better photo shoot OTW too!

[DurdySi]

whoring. sue me.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0377.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0341.jpg

[DurdySi]

Trying to find someone in Jacksonville to roll my fenders. Then... moar low!

[Cadiluva]

definitely alot of potential! less tire FTMFW!!

[DurdySi]

Rolling fenders tomorrow! Only $25 per corner! :character-beavisbutthead:

[Elvis]

sick, that's pretty cheap!

[evilchargerfan]

nice ride, teh goldies really does your car justice!

[DurdySi]

Thanks guys!

So... I went to get my fenders rolled and the guy said they can't roll the back at all because of the way they're made. He wants to cut and weld instead at all 4 corners. :?

I think I'm gonna get my coil-overs installed and drop it an inch, adjust the camber and alignment and then go see him again. Maybe I won't need to roll them?

[gallhue]

looks good brandon. cant wait to see it lowered more. i should have new pics of my stance soon as well

[BlameBigM]

Sick bro looks nice.

[DurdySi]

looks good brandon. cant wait to see it lowered more. i should have new pics of my stance soon as well

Word! Ordering coilovers... right now!

I'm stoked about your DC5, it's gonna be so tight!

[DurdySi]

Sick bro looks nice.

Thanks, BigM. I mean... it's no bimmer... but we do what we can LOL!

[BlameBigM]

LOL i like those civic my friend had a couple of them and they sound sick man keep up the sick work on the car bro.

[DurdySi]

Ok, so my coilovers were back ordered for 2+ weeks... or maybe it was "they don't order them from Thailand until I order from them"??? Whatever. Online stores should tell you whether or not they have stuff in stock. Regardless, I canceled the order. So, monster-trucking continues... but not for long!

[skwirtle]

JVILLE IN THE HOUSE!!!

[iLLest_Z]

wheels look hot...i love gold wheels...but you need to go low asap.. :mrgreen:

[evil_panda]

Mounting tires now! So excite!
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/borat-thumbs.jpg
LOL,

[DurdySi]

That's wassup!
Skwirtle, classy honda. The Optimus Prime valve cover on your B18 swap (gankstah) is my new favorite mod of all time! Vinyl or custom painted?

[DurdySi]

wheels look hot...i love gold wheels...but you need to go low asap.. :mrgreen:

Word. Buying coils in FL is a PITA. Nobody keeps them in stock for a reasonable price. Thanks god we has dem interwebs. Ordering BC Racing Type BR tomorrow.

[DurdySi]

Ordered my coilovers this morning. $1,038.38 shipped, camber plates included.

And... here's a pic.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0401.jpg
Monster truck stance, your days are numbered!

[Elvis]

Haha nice gap. Im glad you ordered the coils man! You'll need some serious spacing though after you drop it I think. Maybe Im just trippin, either way Im looking forward to pics of the it dropped!

[DurdySi]

I just realized why it looks that way: I'm running -0.4 degrees camber all around (that's also why it rubs in the rear). I think the stock specs are like -1.3 degrees, or something. I have plenty of room in the rear to run more camber. Once I get the coils installed and dial everything in, it will be the dankness. Fo sho, y'all, fo sho.

Stay tuned...

[DurdySi]

Coilovers arrived today! So excited!
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/Excited-Croc.jpg
Can somebody suggest a good DIY thread? I've done alot of work on cars before, but never swapped out suspension parts!

[Elvis]

Shoot, wish I could help you. Just google it up! :

[costeloch]

looks savage lad love the civic cant wait to see coilovers in should look sweet !!

[samsneez]

It's actually real easy. If you google it you should find it for your car. Should be 3 bolts up top. 2 down below. pull out the whole spring assembly. If your coilovers have a top mount then just swap the whole set up out and bolt it up. If not, compress springs on old assembly and remove top mount. Place top mount on new coilovers and replace. Then just bolt it back in. I fyou want to drive down to Tampa I'll do it for free. I like working on cars. And I always ended up doing friends suspension. 350Z Club of Florida use me a lot at tech days.

[nyte_ryder]

What coilovers did you go with? Id say slam it and make it look flush. I've always liked the SI's. I saw the new Mugen Honda and those look good too.

[DurdySi]

It's actually real easy. If you google it you should find it for your car. Should be 3 bolts up top. 2 down below. pull out the whole spring assembly. If your coilovers have a top mount then just swap the whole set up out and bolt it up. If not, compress springs on old assembly and remove top mount. Place top mount on new coilovers and replace. Then just bolt it back in. I fyou want to drive down to Tampa I'll do it for free. I like working on cars. And I always ended up doing friends suspension. 350Z Club of Florida use me a lot at tech days.

That's really cool of you to offer, thanks! I can't make it to Tampa any time soon, tho. My coilovers came with camber plates on pillowball mounts, so I don't have to worry about swapping out tophats (thank god). I'm a little confused about the top mount on the rears, but I found a Skunk2 Pro-C install DIY on 8thCivic.com that should help.

So, since you have some experience, what's the process you usually go thru? Do you uninstall the current set-up, then match the ride height of the new ones and adjust it lower after installing? Or, is it better to simply set the new ride height to the highest possible setting and then adjust it lower after installing?

Thanks for your help!

nyte_ryder, I got BC Racing BR Type coilovers. PM me for a link, if you're interested in buying some.

[DurdySi]

Ok, so I'm about to start this install. Wish me luck, y'all!

[skwirtle]

google ftw and good luck cap'm.. better post up some pics!

[DurdySi]

Ok, rear passenger side done! This is gonna take forever.

Question: are these dampers adjustable in the rear? The roughly translated directions don't mention anything about that. I tried turning the allen key left and right, but after tightening the mounting nut, the allen key doesn't move.

[DurdySi]

AND NOW, 12 hours later...
old pic:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0324.jpg
new pic:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0482.jpg
More pix once it's dialed in where I want it, and my pro photographer friend can make some time in her schedule.

I got 3.5" from rim to fender in the rear and 3" in the front. Front tucks a little tread, and rubs now, despite setting the dampers to the firmest setting.

I'm gonna let these settle for a week or 2 and then go get an alignment, more negative camber and lower it some more.

You like???

[DurdySi]

Update: Car creaks like an old screen door whenever I turn the steering wheel. Sounds like it's coming from the driver front coilover. I took the wheels off and torqued the camber bolts on both sides, tightened the tophat mounting nuts, made sure the bottom of the shock wasn't rubbing on the CV boot, checked for rubbing of the tire on the strut... the only other thing I can think of is the pillowball/camber plate, which is where it sounds like it's coming from. Could it be the shock rotating inside the rubber grommets? Any ideas you guys have will be helpful!

Wow, you really do have to pay to play!

[Elvis]

Shoot man, sorry to hear that. I don't have a clue what it could be though. Your car is making good progress...I would love to see it go down a lot more though, and maybe some more stretch on the tires.

[DurdySi]

True. I want 215/40's and more lows now!

I took the car to a local mechanic and he thinks the noise is coming from the ball joints. He said cuz of the change in camber, it's creating a new wear pattern inside the joints and should go away in a few days.

I also called BC Racing and they said it could be the urethane bushings breaking in. They offered to replace my pillowball mounts if it doesn't improve soon.

After a week or so, I'm taking it in for alignment and my guy should have some good input too.

I'm just gonna have to give it some time and see what happens.

[DurdySi]

So, I'm now convinced that I have defective pillowball mounts. The more I drive this car, the more it sounds like it's coming from there.
I emailed BC Racing and they should get the replacement parts in the snail mail soon. Sucks that it went down like this.
Also, I received a bill from UPS for "customs duties and brokerage charges" in the amount of $9.75. WTF, I thought the seller paid all those fees when they imported the stock? It would have been nice to know about that in advance.

Anyways...

[DurdySi]

New pillowballs should be here by the end of the week, provided that they are in stock.

I gotta say, these guys at BC Racing North America are doing a pretty good job. I'm in the hospitality industry and customer service is a make-or-break aspect for me... I'm impressed.

Customs fee issue is still pending.


Thanks to all of you who are keeping up with my intro/build thread.

[DurdySi]

Wow, long time since I've updated this!

So, pillow balls arrived shortly after my last post, but the noises stopped the day before they got here. Weird. I figure it must have been the urethane bushings wearing in, or either the lower ball joints, like my local mechanic said. Anyway, no noises since then :-)

The customs fee was legit, supposedly. The email I got said that the coilovers were drop shipped to my house, directly from Taiwan. Considering the length of time it took to arrive at my front door, I find that hard to believe, but I suppose it is possible. Either way, it was like $10, so no big deal.

Since my last post, I have not lowered the car any more. It is too damn hot in Florida right now to mess with that sh*t, so I'm waiting for cooler weather. I'll probably slam the sh*t out of it, get a photo shoot, and then raise it back up to where it is now for daily driving purposes.

I find that, when going over 75mph, or over a high bridge, these stretched tires are somewhat unstable. It feels as though they are moving side to side on the wheels. Is that possible? Has anyone else felt this happening? It is worrisome, but I guess I should expect some trouble with my "economically priced" tires. Time to upgrade to Falken 512's!


Thanks for reading.

[OSSHWA]

Wow, long time since I've updated this!

So, pillow balls arrived shortly after my last post, but the noises stopped the day before they got here. Weird. I figure it must have been the urethane bushings wearing in, or either the lower ball joints, like my local mechanic said. Anyway, no noises since then :-)

The customs fee was legit, supposedly. The email I got said that the coilovers were drop shipped to my house, directly from Taiwan. Considering the length of time it took to arrive at my front door, I find that hard to believe, but I suppose it is possible. Either way, it was like $10, so no big deal.

Since my last post, I have not lowered the car any more. It is too damn hot in Florida right now to mess with that sh*t, so I'm waiting for cooler weather. I'll probably slam the sh*t out of it, get a photo shoot, and then raise it back up to where it is now for daily driving purposes.

I find that, when going over 75mph, or over a high bridge, these stretched tires are somewhat unstable. It feels as though they are moving side to side on the wheels. Is that possible? Has anyone else felt this happening? It is worrisome, but I guess I should expect some trouble with my "economically priced" tires. Time to upgrade to Falken 512's!

Thanks for reading.

Good choice! I just got the same tires for my new wheels.

[DurdySi]

Word. Gotz to get doze monayz. Won't be long.

BTW, for anyone who was wondering, I found out from the manager at my local Discount Tire that Falken 512's are NOT discontinued. Rather, they are a Discount Tire specific brand now. These are the absolute BEST tires for stretching, according to the experienced guys over on 8thCivic.com.

OSSHWA, you got XXR wheels too, right? When do we get pix?

Raise your hand if you're a Cheap Wheel Crew member! (my hand is raised) We should have our own Stance:Nation stickers with Cheap Wheel Crew underneath in Batik Regular Font!

[OSSHWA]

Word. Gotz to get doze monayz. Won't be long.

BTW, for anyone who was wondering, I found out from the manager at my local Discount Tire that Falken 512's are NOT discontinued. Rather, they are a Discount Tire specific brand now. These are the absolute BEST tires for stretching, according to the experienced guys over on 8thCivic.com.

OSSHWA, you got XXR wheels too, right? When do we get pix?

Raise your hand if you're a Cheap Wheel Crew member! (my hand is raised) We should have our own Stance:Nation stickers with Cheap Wheel Crew underneath in Batik Regular Font!

Yep, that's true about the 512's. I found that out through a member over on ClubRoadster.net. I ordered mine through Discount Tire Direct (www.tires.com (http://www.tires.com)) They look great stretched for sure. I have a 205/40 on my 8". Not really a wild stretch but it looks great. I posted pictures up on my build thread if you want to check it out.

Oh, and the XXR wheels I bought were 16"x8" +20 XXR 521's in matte black, and I have 20mm Ichiba spacers i'm running with them.

As for the cheap wheels crew.......... ::raises hand:: .....I also bought a "fake wheels saved me money" sticker from coolstickersbro.com :lol:

[DurdySi]

Okay, so I'm pretty much over the stretched tire thing (for daily driving at least). So. I picked these up for $700 (wheels and tires)

O.Z. Palladio 18x8 +45 on 225/40/18 tires
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0624.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0621.jpg
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0610.jpg
The pix don't do the finish any justice. These wheels are gorgeous!

Here's a pic for comparison with the previous wheels
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/100_0617.jpg

I'm also setting up an appointment to get my stance dialed in by a professional, after the suspension settles again.

[OSSHWA]

New wheels look great. I know you said you were over the stretch thing, but I say run a 215/40 and throw on some small spacers and it'll look even hotter!

[DurdySi]

small spacers and 215/40...hmmmmm... Yep, most likely.

Alignment tomorrow afternoon! Maybe a little lower??? I gotta at least tuck some tire, right? I mean, this is STANCE:Nation, after all.

[951evo8]

Wow great thread! i just read 4 pages and found it really interesting and got a lil excited myself lol...But i say stick with the XXr's bro...and then give it like -3 camber in the back and -2 in the front and dump that thing and you should be good.

[OSSHWA]

small spacers and 215/40...hmmmmm... Yep, most likely.

Alignment tomorrow afternoon! Maybe a little lower??? I gotta at least tuck some tire, right? I mean, this is STANCE:Nation, after all.

Looking forward to it bro! We're always tweaking our setups.....I don't think any of us will ever be "done".

[DurdySi]

Wow great thread! i just read 4 pages and found it really interesting and got a lil excited myself lol...But i say stick with the XXr's bro...and then give it like -3 camber in the back and -2 in the front and dump that thing and you should be good.

Thanks for your input, dude. I'm keeping the XXR's in storage, just in case I decide I wanna go back to them (still gotta buy Falken 512's before I would go back to them though).


For any other Civic owners reading this: my camber on the front passenger wheel was -2.5 degrees! With the 17x9's and stretched tires, I had enough clearance to run them 4,000 miles as a daily driver. So, if you have any doubts about stancing these cars, it can be done pretty easily. I am running 2 camber bolts on each strut, so make sure to take that into consideration.


I wanted to lower the car some more, but my suspension set-up was rather confusing to the mechanic and we were pressed for time. In the rear, you can adjust the length of the shock body by raising or lowering the end link that attaches it at the bottom. I circled the lock nut in red in this pic:
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/smbdyshero/rrsuspedit.jpg
The mechanic and my friend were both sure that this lock nut was designated to adjust the stiffness of the shock absorber. However, I consulted the manual that came with the coilovers, and it says that to adjust ride height, you must adjust shock length via this lock nut and adjust the height of the spring perch together. I am convinced that there is no adjustability of stiffness on these rear shocks (please correct me if I am wrong). I am still pleased with these coilovers overall, though.

So, more lows another day. I am at least going to max out the spring perch in the rear and adjust the front accordingly.

Thanks for tuning in.

[KamilAMG]

New wheels look great, Im trying to setup my Gfs car right now she has a 2007 Coupe

[DurdySi]

Cool, man. If you ever need help with anything, let me know.