I've been reading around and I've heard both claims that after installation, people get either 1.25 inch drop on all four corners OR an inch in the front and like half inch in the back.

So which is it? If it's even on all four I'll just buy the kit and install the whole thing, if it's the latter, would installing the front springs on all four shocks severly throw off the balance?

 

I had about 1.5" drop at all four corners when I had mine. Every owners that I know that had them locally had an even drop at all four corners.

 

The Swift Sports dropped my AP2 1" in the rear and 3/4" in the front so the Spec R will be significantly more of a drop. Spec R or Sports version should see more than .5" in the rear no matter what.

 

I've found drop tends to vary on lowering springs. My theory is not all years stock shock spring perches were set at the same height.

All years weigh very close to same amount at each corner. Same basic geometry. Same Motion Ratio. So a change in perch height is the only thing that would explain why same spring on different years wouod have different drops.

We know different year shocks have different part numbers. We know the damping differs. But maybe perch varies too.

It makes sense. You are a Honda suspension designer. You want a certain spring rate. Only certain bar diameters readily exist. Its way easier to just vary the perch height than try and force the new spring rate you want to fit the same shock parameters as last year.

Varying perch height during shock manufacture is easy enough. Its just a ring welded to shock body. Just weld it at a different spot.

If spring perch heights do vary from one shock generation to the next, it would explain why the drop varies with lowering springs.