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- 2002 Honda S2000
installed a set of H&R coilovers on my MS3 a few weeks ago and wanted to put up a comprehensive post. if you have experience, questions, or input feel free to chime in! (more install photos and torque specs added in post #34)
the package is very basic. bilstein struts, H&R springs, spanner wrenches, adjustable perches for the rear springs, and some fancy thread lubricant from boeing. yes, boeing! all the upper perches and hardware for the struts are reused from the OEM setup...
no camber plates or adjustable dampers. the ride height adjustment is similar to a sleeve type coilover, wherein the lower you go the more compressed the strut becomes and the higher you go the more extended the strut becomes. don't know if most coilover setups for the MS3 are this way, but it's not ideal. my only other experience is with the BCs i had on my MSP. in that case the spring/strut relationship remained the same and the entire assembly moved up and down in the lower mount.
the build quality seems quite solid. just noticed two little glitches.
1. the brake line brackets up front seem to be in the wrong position. brake line doesn't fit properly unless i really pull/stretch it... which doesn't seem like a good idea!
2. the passenger front ABS bracket does not fit when the locking rings are in the lowest position. fits fine if you raise it about a half inch, otherwise it's all about the zip-tie.
i installed them myself, which was not easy but doable. i have torque specs for all the bolts involved if anyone wants them. there are no instructions included, but if you've worked on suspension stuff before you can probably figure it out. and if you haven't, i wish you luck! if you need specific tips on the install feel free to PM me... otherwise pray to your most mechanically inclined god.
here are some photos of the drop after install. the rears could go just a hair lower, and the fronts could go almost 1/2" lower. i was shooting for an even drop. this is what it looks like on 17" wheels with 215/45s. 18" wheels with comparable tires will have slightly less wheel gap and provide slightly more ground clearance.
rears:
fronts:
got an alignment after the install and the best they could do was -1.5 up front and -2.5 in the rear. the lower you go the more neg you will get. you'll have to get camber links/plates if you want more flexibility with your camber settings. these numbers are fine for me. love me some handling! speaking of which, it is excellent. feels solid and controlled in the corners. the progressive rate springs stiffen nicely under load. compression feels firm but not ridged. the general ride is definitely stiffer than the stock setup, but not uncomfortable. i can feel the bumps a bit more and vibrations/road noise is slightly greater... however, not uncomfortable. it's fine for a DD, but feels more confident and controlled than stock. my main gripe with the stock suspension was the bouncy/floaty feeling... especially at high speeds and on uneven roads. the H&Rs remedy this and have a much more planted feeling. the springs and struts seem well mated. thus far i give them two big thumbs up!
the package is very basic. bilstein struts, H&R springs, spanner wrenches, adjustable perches for the rear springs, and some fancy thread lubricant from boeing. yes, boeing! all the upper perches and hardware for the struts are reused from the OEM setup...
no camber plates or adjustable dampers. the ride height adjustment is similar to a sleeve type coilover, wherein the lower you go the more compressed the strut becomes and the higher you go the more extended the strut becomes. don't know if most coilover setups for the MS3 are this way, but it's not ideal. my only other experience is with the BCs i had on my MSP. in that case the spring/strut relationship remained the same and the entire assembly moved up and down in the lower mount.
the build quality seems quite solid. just noticed two little glitches.
1. the brake line brackets up front seem to be in the wrong position. brake line doesn't fit properly unless i really pull/stretch it... which doesn't seem like a good idea!
2. the passenger front ABS bracket does not fit when the locking rings are in the lowest position. fits fine if you raise it about a half inch, otherwise it's all about the zip-tie.
i installed them myself, which was not easy but doable. i have torque specs for all the bolts involved if anyone wants them. there are no instructions included, but if you've worked on suspension stuff before you can probably figure it out. and if you haven't, i wish you luck! if you need specific tips on the install feel free to PM me... otherwise pray to your most mechanically inclined god.
here are some photos of the drop after install. the rears could go just a hair lower, and the fronts could go almost 1/2" lower. i was shooting for an even drop. this is what it looks like on 17" wheels with 215/45s. 18" wheels with comparable tires will have slightly less wheel gap and provide slightly more ground clearance.
rears:
fronts:
got an alignment after the install and the best they could do was -1.5 up front and -2.5 in the rear. the lower you go the more neg you will get. you'll have to get camber links/plates if you want more flexibility with your camber settings. these numbers are fine for me. love me some handling! speaking of which, it is excellent. feels solid and controlled in the corners. the progressive rate springs stiffen nicely under load. compression feels firm but not ridged. the general ride is definitely stiffer than the stock setup, but not uncomfortable. i can feel the bumps a bit more and vibrations/road noise is slightly greater... however, not uncomfortable. it's fine for a DD, but feels more confident and controlled than stock. my main gripe with the stock suspension was the bouncy/floaty feeling... especially at high speeds and on uneven roads. the H&Rs remedy this and have a much more planted feeling. the springs and struts seem well mated. thus far i give them two big thumbs up!
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