I've got a '99 Integra LS w/ 47,000 miles on it that I recently inherited from my parental units (ie its totally stock). On smooth pavement and asphalt, or even pavement with small bumps and tar strips, it glides nicely along the road.

But anything with potholes and bumps, the ride gets harsh, and the bumps come crashing through the suspension into the interior. When the car was new, I remember the ride being on the firm side, but there was never this much road noise, and the car never shuddered this badly over bumps.

Are there any specific wear items (ie, bushings) that I should check into? I'm sure its a combination worn shocks, bushings, and overly poor IL roads. My former '98 Neon with similar miles never road as smoothly on nice pavement and the highway, but it handled bumps, potholes, and broken pavement with significantly less harshness.

Jonathan

 

Yes, all of the parts you've mentioned, in concert with over-inflated tires, can lead to an abrupt, harsh ride. I'd check tire pressure first, as rediculous as it may sound.

IMO, I doubt the LCA and subframe bushings have gone to pot in the span of only 5 years, but then again, if they salt the roads in winter... perhaps they have crapped out..

What are your plans for the car in the long-term? I ask this because it affects the solutions I'd suggest.

I will however share my intital experience with my DC4... maybe it can be of help.

I bought my DC4 with about 95K miles on it in the fall of 01, and the bushings on the front subframe and rear LCA were in fine shape, but I did notice a fair amount of body roll and a general lack of firm damping. This ultimately was due to largely shot shocks...:chuckles: The bumpstops were doing a large amount of the work of suspending the car. h:

I wound up going ahead with my TEIN Super Street Coilover Dampers and my 16" 5Zigen wheels, which have helped the body control immensely. On their least-firm setting, they are pretty civil in terms of ride quality... but otherwise, they are designed for maximum performance, specifically in fast cornering and overall grip. They may not be the best solution for you.

So there ya go. These are brillant handling cars, with the potential for obscene amounts of power as well. h: Enjoy.

 

Maybe your tires are worn.

 

The tires are brand new. That's the first thing I did... the stock XGT's were horrible.

Jonathan

 

Honestly, I'm not sure what I want to do with the car: whether I'm going to get rid of it when I graduate college, or keep it long term and modify it. I enjoy the Integra a lot, but its a slushbox and its an LS. Of course I dream about doing an LS-VTEC and a manual tranny swap, but its not the most sensible thing to do. Trading for a GS-R would probably be a better idea.

For now, I'll look into replacing the shocks, then if I decide to keep the car, I can always go more extreme.