I have a MY2000 AP1, one of the orginal dampers is blown recently (it's only the left front one that is busted, the rest are in pretty good condition), so I've decided to change to a set of Honda's Modulo Sport Suspension (the one with 5-damping level adjustment at the front... white tubes/red coils Showa ). I am still able to buy these brand new from Japan! Imagine that!

Honda says the Modulo Sports Suspension has a 10mm lower ride height (which is set, non-adjustable) than stock. So I measured my ride height before and after the switch, To my surprise, nothing is changed. My car remains exactly the same. I frown upon it, thinking the heck with it. But gradually as I drive with the new suspension, I started noticing the beam from my headlights pointing a bit upward. I can remember when it used to be prefectly horizontal down the side of tunnel wall. Now 1 month after the switch, it points slightly upward. Then i mesaured my ride height again, the front stays the same (as before when I was on stock suspension, but the rear has dropped 8mm). Visually, you can't tell the difference, it's only 8mm, but my light beam tells me the rear end has dropped.

Can someone share some ideas how could this happened? A friend of mind said damper unit needs run-in too. Is there such a thing as running-in a damper? That they gradually settle into their intented ride heights?

 

Dampers do settle over time, and maybe the fronts will take longer to settle than the rears. Do you have the fronts on one of the harder settings or a softer setting?

 

Did you load the suspension prior to tightening all the bolts down? You need to use your floor jack to lift the suspension from the bottom of the ball joint until it is just barely starting to lift the car off the jack stand, then you can tighten anything you have loosened.

 

I play around from 1 (softest) to 5 (hardest) all the time. It shouldn't matter, 'coz it doesn't change the ride height.

 

The switch was done by a shop; though I was there watcing. I'm not sure if the guy pre-loaded the suspension before tightening all the bolts. I remembered him using a jack stand underneath the lower wishbones when removing the old dampers, but not too sure if the stand was there when he put the whole thing back together... and he tightened all the bolts by hand (without a toqure wrench). I think I will re-torque everything, while pre-loaded, just to be sure. Thanks for the tips, man!

 

Good idea, and hopefully things are better afterwards.

 

I have procrastinated to re-torque my suspension bolts (without pre-loading them), 'coz I knew I needed to replace all my suspension bushings. I've waited to do these in one go.

I have decided on a set of Mugen hardeded rubbers, all twently of them for all wishbones and rear control arms. While for this swap, I made sure the shop tighten all the bolts only when the car is sitting on its own weight, i.e. zero load for all bushings at level ride height.

I measured front and rear ride heights right after the bush change... Viola! both ends immediately dropped down exactly 1 cm as promised by Modulo.

The shop that did my damper change obviously tighten the bolts back on when the suspension arms were hanging loose. Hence, when the car was put back on the ground, those bushings were pre-loaded and fighting to keep the car up!

And as I said earlier, the rear end did drop down 8mm (after the damper change). And now a full 1cm drop. Because the rear lower arm's damper bush was loosened when the previous shop did the damper, and it was also bolted back on pre-loaded. Even one single bushing can jack up ride height by 2mm.

 

That Modulo suspension looks really cool. I do wish it was height adjustable though..

 

ya, they are very nice - appearance and performance-wise. I was simply looking for replacement dampers, nothing drastic. Anything within Honda's perimeter, I am happy. These Modulo dampers are noticeably stiffer, reacts faster, the car rolls less, sticks to the road better, but still very supple and compliance for daily use. The 1 cm lower ride height is good enough for me too. I play around with the front damper's stiffness setting all the time, from 1 (the softest) to 4 (harder), the car changes from oversteering, neutral to understeering. I found setting 5 too hard, rarely dial up there.

 

I'm new to the forum life and basically new to owning an s2000 (had it for 4months now) and I know I'm reviving an almost 2 month old thread but how'd you find the modulo suspension James? I have been looking all over for it. I am really into better OEM parts and really want these coils.