How Do I Know When I Have To Change The Shock Absorber?

[sunny747]

Hi,

i'm very bad at car so need your suggestions. while driving, i have noticed , even in small cracks or speed brake on road i really feel the bump inside my car. My car is pretty old . do i need to change the four shock absorbers to make it more comfortable on the road? how much does it cost for old lancer 95?

what is AIR FILTER , MUFFLER and HEADER? somebody has suggested me to change all these in order to increase the speed of car by little margin...

waiting ....

regards,

Sunny

[egg]

Hi Sunny,

l am no expert on this ,,,to check the shockers ,, get on each corner of the car and bounce it up and down , release the pressure and the car should stop bouncing almost immeadiately ,, if the shockers are no good it will keep bouncing similar to a ball ,,, as for the aircleaner ,,, if you get the car serviced regularly they SHOULD blow out the cleaner ,, but if you have never had a new one it probably wouldn't hurt to get one ,,, the muffler reduces the noise through the exhaust pipe ,, it shouldn't be a problem unless the noise is deafening ,, and the header l am not sure about ,,,,, the aircleaner,muffler and header all help with the economy and performance of the car not a lot with top end speed ,,,,, hope this helps

cheers

egg

[philipm]

hey, to answer your questions, generally shocks do get worn out, an according to the fact that your car is about 13 years old, then yes i think your shocks should be replaced. btw how many km do u have on the clock. btw, it might not only be the shock, try checking the suspension bushings and mounts, the ware on these mounts and bushings causes the same problems you have suggested.

for the rest of your inquiry,

the airfilter, cleans (takes dirt and other impurities from the air going inside engine, and also to the ac)

the muffler is the exhaust, which is attached to the catback system (the pipe), most people change mufflers for three reasons, which are, Looks, Noise (each muffler has a different sound, if you want a loud raw one, or a more of a little rumbel or just more silent) make sure you test the noise first, alot of them might not be what you want. the third reason is to grab a bit more horsepower and torque, but you are looking at nearly 1-3hp gains for your lancer, but hey it would sound a hel_l of alot better.

The header, is also known as the exhaust manifold they generally have two designs, TRY-Y( 4-2-1)(gives more torque on the bottom end), and (4-1)( gives more torque and power in the top end..of the rpm band), the header is connected to the engine and allows the exhaust smoke created by the conbustion of the engine, down to the catback system, and out the muffler. (make sure you go for a heat treated and made from stainless steal)

btw, i think your friend was talking about the cold air inductionkit (pod filter as it is also known), this filter and pipe replaces the oe Orginal equipment, generally making the pipe bigger including the replacement pod filter allows more air inside the engine, thus giving you more power, ( you can expect anywhere between 2-7hp from this unit) plus when you floor the peddle, you get a nice extra muffled sound.

My suggestion, is to also go for an ecu, this is the brains of the car (the computer in the car), ugrading this unit will actually be by far the best value for money, for under 5,000 u can get the ecu chipped, creating much better respones, power, torque, fuel economy, timing etc. ( if you get cam's gears (you need 2of them) you can adjust the timing of the engine itself, to become suited to your driving style).

[culicine]

As for the cold air intake. The tube is long, and the filter is generally placed somewhere near the wheel well and exposed to fresh air (these give the best performance gains out of all filters). However, these CAI's could be a problem with the floods we get in Bangkok. The short ram intake is an open pod filter that sits under the bonnet near the engine. The problem with this is that it will suck in hot air from the engine bay, and possibly rob performance, especially in the hot season here. Why not try a K&N drop in filter? They flow better and no worries about heat or water. Generally you won't gain too much from this kind of filter (though I feel my top end improved a little bit), but you wash and reoil it and can last a very long time. I have one in my civic.

The header should give a decent improvement in performance (maybe 5-10 hp). Try www.mengheader.com for them. They also have air filters. I guess they are 5000-10000 baht.

What you get our of your car will depend on how much you want to spend ( you can do a lot with 100K baht here...). Just check the engine is in good working order before you start doing anything. If it's blowing a lot of smoke you might need an overhaull. Getting the head overhaulled works wonders (if needed). Headers and intakes will just make the engine work harder too.

What engine do you have? 1.5/1.6/1.8/2.0?

[Thaiboxer]

Some mechanics will use compressed air to blow out the air filter rather than replace it. Not a good idea....compressed air can easily tear holes in the filter elements which will allow even more dirt to enter the engine.

[initiala4]

Hi,

i'm very bad at car so need your suggestions. while driving, i have noticed , even in small cracks or speed brake on road i really feel the bump inside my car. My car is pretty old . do i need to change the four shock absorbers to make it more comfortable on the road? how much does it cost for old lancer 95?

what is AIR FILTER , MUFFLER and HEADER? somebody has suggested me to change all these in order to increase the speed of car by little margin...

waiting ....

regards,

Sunny

You need to change your shock absorbers when you feel that the car is bouncing like a basketball. This means that the shock isnt taking any impact, therefore the springs are working instead. You might also want to change the shock mounts if you are going to change the shocks.

As for air filters, it is almost over rated for usage in heavy traffic areas and areas where you can really get cold air rather than erm...hot air. Sometimes when a certain end user installs an intake system the unit performs worse than stock due to heat soak or inefficient design.

I would recommend a well proven catback exhaust systems rather than some local brand that hasnt done any flow testing.

Edited March 20, 2008 by initiala4

[0Mix1up]

Buy a faster car

[hakku]

I wouldn't bother about the performance. Safety first, have your shocks checked AND your suspension and sterring parts. All this won't be too expensive. for prices, check here

Hak

Edited March 21, 2008 by hakku

[goldfish]

As I mentioned before, just leave it standard but find a competant/honest mechanic and give it a service. After that, if he is honest, do as he says

[culicine]

I wouldn't bother about the performance. Safety first, have your shocks checked AND your suspension and sterring parts. All this won't be too expensive. for prices, check here

Hak

Despite what I posted before, this is a good idea. The shocks will affect braking performance as well. Have the brake pads checks and get the rotors shaved if necessary. I just had the front rotors done on my car and it's much better. To get a 1.5/1.6 to really go would require a turbo. This might cause reliability problems in the furute and you would have to upgrade brakes/suspension also. Moderate gains (10-15%) would be gotten with basic boltons like the header.

[goldfish]

Poor guy doesn't know what an air filter is and here's you talking 'bout shaving rotors. I can see him outside now with his bic in hand hunting for a rotor

[sunny747]

hey, to answer your questions, generally shocks do get worn out, an according to the fact that your car is about 13 years old, then yes i think your shocks should be replaced. btw how many km do u have on the clock. btw, it might not only be the shock, try checking the suspension bushings and mounts, the ware on these mounts and bushings causes the same problems you have suggested.

for the rest of your inquiry,

the airfilter, cleans (takes dirt and other impurities from the air going inside engine, and also to the ac)

the muffler is the exhaust, which is attached to the catback system (the pipe), most people change mufflers for three reasons, which are, Looks, Noise (each muffler has a different sound, if you want a loud raw one, or a more of a little rumbel or just more silent) make sure you test the noise first, alot of them might not be what you want. the third reason is to grab a bit more horsepower and torque, but you are looking at nearly 1-3hp gains for your lancer, but hey it would sound a hel_l of alot better.

The header, is also known as the exhaust manifold they generally have two designs, TRY-Y( 4-2-1)(gives more torque on the bottom end), and (4-1)( gives more torque and power in the top end..of the rpm band), the header is connected to the engine and allows the exhaust smoke created by the conbustion of the engine, down to the catback system, and out the muffler. (make sure you go for a heat treated and made from stainless steal)

btw, i think your friend was talking about the cold air inductionkit (pod filter as it is also known), this filter and pipe replaces the oe Orginal equipment, generally making the pipe bigger including the replacement pod filter allows more air inside the engine, thus giving you more power, ( you can expect anywhere between 2-7hp from this unit) plus when you floor the peddle, you get a nice extra muffled sound.

My suggestion, is to also go for an ecu, this is the brains of the car (the computer in the car), ugrading this unit will actually be by far the best value for money, for under 5,000 u can get the ecu chipped, creating much better respones, power, torque, fuel economy, timing etc. ( if you get cam's gears (you need 2of them) you can adjust the timing of the engine itself, to become suited to your driving style).

thank you so much for your detailed information. I really appreciate it. and also thanks a lot to others who took their time to reply my naive questions.

However, i'll probably go for stainless steel header and racing air filter to improve the speed and torque of my lancer 93. I heard stainless steel header would cost around 8000 baht + . Can i get second hand in ching kong bagna trat ? it's not a device so i guess i can easily figure out the quality. or does it has anything to do with the design?

ECU sounds great idea. I heard about this device for the first time. However, like i said before, do you think i can fit it to a car which is from 1993? what exactly does it do ?

thanks so much.

[initiala4]

just becareful a well constructed header with good R&D will yield powers, but a poor design header will result in poorer performance than the stock unit.

[sunny747]

just becareful a well constructed header with good R&D will yield powers, but a poor design header will result in poorer performance than the stock unit.

thanks for it. I'll probably get lancer evolution header and before that, i'll consult with the mitsubishi expert from the service center.

[Plus]

ECU sounds great idea... what exactly does it do ?

Like many other things, it helps mechanics rip you off. For your own good, don't even venture in buying any extra parts if you have no clue what they are for. Don't take your clues from salesmen either.

ECU is a little computer that controls your engine and monitors your car. You can replace/reprogram the original that came with your vehicle to produce more power, for example. Most often they sell "chips" - add ons that you can remove before taking your car for inspection or to an authorised garage. Messing with ECU voids manufacturer's warranty, they can't be responsible for any side effects of your "upgrades".

[BigSnake]

Time for a change for sure, DO IT NOW!!

[sunny747]

ECU sounds great idea... what exactly does it do ?

Like many other things, it helps mechanics rip you off. For your own good, don't even venture in buying any extra parts if you have no clue what they are for. Don't take your clues from salesmen either.

ECU is a little computer that controls your engine and monitors your car. You can replace/reprogram the original that came with your vehicle to produce more power, for example. Most often they sell "chips" - add ons that you can remove before taking your car for inspection or to an authorised garage. Messing with ECU voids manufacturer's warranty, they can't be responsible for any side effects of your "upgrades".

thanks.

My car is very old. Lancer 1993. I don't think there is any computer chip built in it. Since somebody suggested me to install ECU which will increase the performance of my engine so wondering in just 5000 baht if i can get it, then it would be great.

Manufacturer warranty is gone long ago for sure.

[culicine]

thanks for it. I'll probably get lancer evolution header and before that, i'll consult with the mitsubishi expert from the service center.

I assume you have a 2.0 engine (this means your car has already been modified). The header on an evo turbo 2.0 quite different from a regular header on a naturally aspirated engine (do you have a 1.5/1.6??). As I mentioned, go to www.mengheader.com. They have headers for all kinds of cars. Try a stainless 4-2-1 design.

[stingray]

95' Lancer should have a ECU, they are all injected. The problem of shocks is not only bouncing. sometime they don't bounce anymore at all, like locked and the car feels very hard in the suspension. There is a possibility to repair shocks, wich is a lot cheaper than replace them. But i myself not recommend this option.

[Lickey]

Engine "breathing" is very important, not only should the air intake be clean but the exhaust too, even if it it not rusted or has holes in it, it can get clogged with carbon waste restricting the breathing, specially considering the age of your car and it has never been replaced, if it has within the last 3 years or so, dont worry, Cheers, Lickey..

[philipm]

hey mate,

ok first of you can not put a mitsubishi evo header on you engine, so matter what bullshit garage tells you u can, the reason is, that the headers are specially made for turbo's, and is completely designed around the turbo and the exhaust flow.

You can go for second hand headers, but they are not recommended, because if they have a crack, even a hairline crack it could screw with the flow and create alot of extra unwanted ugly noise. so unless you know its top condition i wouldnt recommend it otherwise.

Second about the ECU, every direct injection car has one, any car made in the last what 30 years has had one, so dont worry mate. all you need to do is go to a TUNNER or a mitusbishi modification garage and tell them you want to chip your ecu. they will know what your talking about. BUT first you must understand that the ecu is the brains of the car, it contains all the readings, sensors, trottle info, fuel consumption, speed etcc etccc ( you should read a short artical about ecu's) so modifing this, will generally give u significant gains in power and torque, drivablility should improve not to menation the respones.

btw just hope you know, if you want a full rejob, you can get the evo transmissions, brakes, engine, 4wd system, lsd etc from the evo to swap into your car, this is actually commonly done in thailand, making them cheap evo's. but honestly i wouldnt recommend it.

[philipm]

but oHHHHHHH b4 that get your suspensions changed! it seriously screws up brakings, cornering performance, not to menation it feels like your in a spring box.

[culicine]

hey mate,

ok first of you can not put a mitsubishi evo header on you engine, so matter what bullshit garage tells you u can, the reason is, that the headers are specially made for turbo's, and is completely designed around the turbo and the exhaust flow.

You can go for second hand headers, but they are not recommended, because if they have a crack, even a hairline crack it could screw with the flow and create alot of extra unwanted ugly noise. so unless you know its top condition i wouldnt recommend it otherwise.

Second about the ECU, every direct injection car has one, any car made in the last what 30 years has had one, so dont worry mate. all you need to do is go to a TUNNER or a mitusbishi modification garage and tell them you want to chip your ecu. they will know what your talking about. BUT first you must understand that the ecu is the brains of the car, it contains all the readings, sensors, trottle info, fuel consumption, speed etcc etccc ( you should read a short artical about ecu's) so modifing this, will generally give u significant gains in power and torque, drivablility should improve not to menation the respones.

btw just hope you know, if you want a full rejob, you can get the evo transmissions, brakes, engine, 4wd system, lsd etc from the evo to swap into your car, this is actually commonly done in thailand, making them cheap evo's. but honestly i wouldnt recommend it.

Philipm, would gwetting apiggyback do much on a standard engine though? Are standard ecu's really that retarded? I would havde thought you would get some modifications done before mods to the ecu are made. I think I read that a new honda civic 2.0 will gain 10 whp with a unichip and no other mods (I was quoted much higher gains by the supplier in Thailand though). I was going to go this route and try greddy emanage, but wanted to do mods first (its a civic 2.0 2004 model).

[philipm]

culicine, the ecu hold all the capabilities, but to see all these improvements you will also have to help it, or atleast understand it. for example it will give u about 10-15hp and about 9-15tq, but after knowing that, you go out and purchase 20inch rims, that weigh a ton, well then you arent gona feel the difference.

so their is a smart way of modifying and a bad way, it all just depends on what you are looking for.

Btw the ecu settings that are factory operated in these more economy cars are detuned. one of many reasons (tax) if they rated the 2L civic at 180 hp or more then thats only gona cost u more to buy it

for best results just get a full piggie back unit, or a proper ecu from greddy or apexi or even hondata or motec, get adjustable cams (cost about 5000each for HKS, after that you can take it to a tunner and actually retime it for u to suit your driveing style).

with a simple chip you will get slightly more power, tq, and betterish respones. but not much more,

with the cams and the full ecu your capabilities are only dependent on your internals.

as for you civic, i had a 94 eg hatch 900kg, b16a sir 2, modified about 230hp (so power to weight it was quick, cefiro, benz, bmw's with 2j 1j were smoked by me , but then again they were stock supra engines with just big intercoolers, slightly more boost. i also had gotten the ecu chipped early on. vtec kicked in from 4,000-9,000rpm. but i shift at max of 8200. i got it chipped in CHULA BEHIND MBK (Driver motorsport) they specialize in hondas! the ecu cost me like 4,000. it increased the power, torque, respones, allowed the fuel to be conbusted even better in higher rpm's.

if you get their no. just ask for "Shy" he speaks english to, he is the mechanic their, beside the japanese owner. Driver Motor Sports. they will have all the info, recommendations and upgrades their. For you car, you can even drop a K20A integra dc5 engine (220hp at 9000rpm) will cost you like 150,000.

[Plus]

Btw the ecu settings that are factory operated in these more economy cars are detuned. one of many reasons (tax) if they rated the 2L civic at 180 hp or more then thats only gona cost u more to buy it

The tax threshold for power is 220 hps, long way to go from 2004 150hp enigne. Every year Honda tweaks their engines to squeeze extra 5hps, both with 2l and 2.4l engines. Now they are rated with 160 and 180 hps, if I remember correctly.

They must have other considerations to limit the output, they don't just restrict the ECU for nothing. Probably for fuel consumption and emission levels, but it would be nice to hear an educated opinion on this. So far no one ever mentioned side effects of ECU chipping.

Edited March 25, 2008 by Plus

[culicine]

PhilipM, thanks for your detailed reply (it's a bit off topic but I'm sure its of interest to many). I haven't found many places that do the k series engine though (most emphasis seems to be on the b, h and d series engines). Does the tuner you mentioned work on the k series? I was thinking of doing the header / exhaust first (I have a mugen style muffler and k&N drop in filter now. That's all). I'm hesitant to change the filter to an open pod type due to heat soak (have you had any issues with that here?) Next would be an ECU mod or piggyback, then possibly cams (I note I can get skunk2 or crower cams here - again finding a good garage might be a problem) - then it would need retuning on the dyno. I figure if I can go from 120WHP (about standard for my car) to 150WHP, I'd be happy!

Thanks for your time.

[philipm]

A place that works with DC5 thus K20A is called Speed R the no is, 029486586, im sure they can help you with your civic.

Im sure that with an ecu(piggeback), headers, exhaust-catback, cam gears, lightweight flywheel, throttle body, intake manifold, your car should breach 150-160whp with a tunners help. if you get can get some Spoon pistons and perhaps egeal conrods, and spoon camshaft, and valve springs you will be laughing to over 200whp...

[philipm]

Plus, am i mistaken about the tax, i thought they had a barrier for 175hp plus. if not, then my mistake.

Honda engines inparticular are so well enginered that modifing a honda engine to get better performance is actually difficult, you have to choose your parts wisely. Honda engine timing has been perfected ever since the first Bseries, and has always been japans best NA car manufactuer. From the civics type r, integra type r, s2000 and the NSX hummmm u just gotta love them.

They do restrict the ecu for several reasons, easy drivability (if you want to squeeze more power from it, it has to retuned, thus effecting fuel consumption, exhaust flow, not to menation only top end power will be given, and im sure honda doesnt want every person driving a H revving the shit outta the engine just to move, other issues is to not stress the engine, keeping the engine in its best reliability state.

people who modify their cars already should be aware that the added stress causes slight reliability issues, or rather higher stress promoting more reliability issues. but if it is modifed well, it can and will still remain reliable.

Ecu chipping is one of the most commonly done modifications, it is safe is done properly!!!! that means someone with experince!!!! dont just run into any shop and start throwing things in!

[culicine]

PhilipM, thanks again. Being an auto I'm wary of not just having top end power (it already hits its sweetspot at 5000-6000rpm. It seems not to have much below 4000rpm, when jazzes and altises can mix it with me! Anyway, it looks like I have to replace the airbag sensors. Might have to get a second hand one, as new they are almost 16K! I guess I better do that first:)

[sunny747]

thanks for your reply guys. YES..it feels rock hard inside the car.....i guess it's the suspension problem............i better take my old car to authorized mitsubishi service center and have it checked properly. since i don't know anything about engine, i better spend few couple of thousand baht and have it checked from the trusted source.

any idea mitsubishi service center near Ramkhamheang?

really..you guys have been very supportive...i appreciate it.