davidc1

Ok, I don't get this about Swift Springs. Everybody seems to think they are one of the best.

They advertise that one of the good things about their Sport Springs (also called Mach I think) is that they provide a modest drop in height so that your stock shocks are still operating in their proper stroke range and that they are the pretty much the same rate as stock as well.

Yet if you go to their web site (I'd let them pay me $500 just to fix their english!), the springs only come in one part number and one spring rate.

Yet, as well all know, Honda changed the spring rates for our cars almost every single year. And the rates changed a lot over the years.

So, what's up with their claim of almost the same rate as stock?

Here's a link to their site and to the pdf with the rates:

http://www.swiftsprings.com/products-sport_springs.html

http://www.swiftsprings.com/file/ss.pdf

Jumpman2k

The only thing that bugs me is that the rears are stiffer than the front, but I guess you could swap them, although the drop isn't the same front and back. Some might prefer more drop in the front anyway, though.

INTJ

Honda's changing the rates has nothing to do with anything. Not one company has an equivalent series of rates because..it doesn't matter. Ignore their and anyone else's marketing.

The japanese tracks are smooth and you get excellent bump control with the rear stiffer. It will also make a AP1 difficult to drive on US roads with the rear bar on. There are dozens of very specific spring and bar rate analyses here, just look. Your preference and everyone else's can easily be met by the 5-6 companies that provide spring sets for this car.

davidc1

Thanks INTJ,

Not to sound like a newbie, but what is the "bar" rate?

Also, what do you think of this idea...Because I've got some relatives at Honda, I can get the CR springs/shocks for a good price. But, I was hesitant because the CR sits slightly higher than the regular S2000.

I'm mostly concerned about performance, but looks as well somewhat. The Swift springs along with the CR shocks sounded good to me because I'll get a slightly lowered look, but with the same rate springs paired with the CR shocks. Again, thinking about the CR shocks because it's well sorted and I can get them for a good price.

caffeinefr3e

The bar rate is the amount of force the sway bar exerts, much like the spring rate. You can find all the bar rates here http://www.maxrev.net/site/index.php...sion&Itemid=58 .

A lot of aftermarket springs were made for the AP1 with controlling the dynamic toe in the rear in mind. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, the AP1's rear suspension geometry gains a lot of toe in under compression, something that was fixed in the AP2. By running stiff rear springs, you reduce the toe gain during cornering. That being said, there's no reason why the front springs on the kit can't be a little stiffer.

caffeinefr3e

The other thing about people liking Swift springs is not just their spring kits. Some people prefer to run Swift coilover springs in place of the springs that come with a set of coilovers because the springs are more accurate to their specification. Much like how taiwanese companies make cheap shocks that may not be valved for the correct spring or that may not even match in damping forces within the set, cheaper companies may have inaccurately wound springs on their coilover kits. Your 12kg/mm might not actually be 12kg/mm. Thus, some people choose to go with Swift, Hyperco, and some other higher end spring making company that I can't remember.

hypforlife32

that is why you buy the spec R . if your looking for an increase in handling why would you want sport? the spec r is different in every way the the sports. i love the Spec R's. 1.2 inch drop front and rear. dont quoate me on this but i thing the front is 419 spring rate and rear is 383. they are progressive spring rate so driving around is perfectley fine. barely noticable over oem, then take a corner TOTALLY different them oem. WAY more planted. my friend has an ap2 with same wheels and tires as mine and actually got back in his car from mine and was like wow this sucks. it really is night and day difference. the drop in my opinion is perfect as well.

* Front: 7.5 kg/mm
* Rear: 7.0 kg/mm

davidc1

Yes, the toe does change on the AP1 much more than the AP2. There are also manufactures that make kits that change the linkage a little to reduce the toe/bump steer.

davidc1

Yes, this is why I'm thinking of Swift. And they aren't much more expensive.

davidc1

Yes, that was sort of the whole point of my question. Swift more or less states that their Sport/Mach springs match the rate of the stock ones. But the OEM springs varied in rate by something like 28% (https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/818...nsion-springs/), yet Swift only sells one rate. The fronts are 258lbs, sort of midrange in the model year lineup, but the rears are 336, which is close to the CR.

My plan, thinking they had springs that matched all model years, was the CR shocks, with the Swift Pro/Mach spring (thinking it's rate matched the CR spring, but it doesn't), so I'd get the handling of the CR, but with a modest drop.

I don't know what the rate of the Spec-R version is, it doesn't seem to be listed on their website. The pdf link to them is the same file as the one for the Sport.