It’s been a bit of time since my last post about my 2003 Acura RSX Type S. We last left off of the Project DC5 with a steering wheel revamp, but since then my latest update is about the further updates on the suspension. Last year, we spent our time making sure the suspension bushings, buddy club ball joints, and KTuned lower front control arms and rear LCAs & Camber Kit were replaced from the years of rubber deterioration. Now that it’s refreshed, we can now add the replacement to the shocks/struts.
While I keep changing my decisions on how I’ll use the RSX, it’ll be driven and tested on the streets. So I’ll need something performant, but still drivable for weekend use.
Which shocks/struts did I choose: Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers
I decided to go with the Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers which is FA’s entry level coilover model in comparison to their 510, 520, and Pro series.
The 500 series is still great, it’s their 8th Generation damper which means it’s gone through iteration. It uses a high flow digressive piston in the strut to be both performant, but also be comfortable to drive on those streets.
One thing I liked about Fortune Auto was the ability to upgrade and rebuilt them at a reasonable price. It does cost a bit, but you don’t have to buy them from scratch again. It’s the perfect coiler for the enthusiasts like me that wants to do occasional race / track use, but knows it’ll mostly be on the street and leisurely drives with friends on weekends.
The RSX / DC5’s Fortune Auto 500 coilovers come with a few other features which is it has a 24 step Rebound Adjustment on the dampers, you can customize the spring rates upon order, which I chose to get 9k valving in the front and 12k valving in the rear for a bit more stiffer than their default at 8k F/10k R. The aluminum green T6 6061 camber plates are great at it has an excellent look from the engine bay, but also gives that extra customization needed for alignment. Before ordering, I also elected for Swift Springs.
It arrived about 2 months after I order it, I’d say about 7-8 weeks because Fortune Auto coilovers are custom made upon order.
The DC5 / RSX suspension geometry
People always say the DC5 stock handling is not so great due to the MacPhersen Strut configuration in the front of the car. Often times when you lower the car as well, you hear some weird click noises in the steering rack. Luckily with lowering my car with Fortune Auto 500 coilovers for the RSX, I didn’t run into that. It could have been several reasons, either my car isn’t too low or the roll center ball joints that are a bit longer in length works! This might have helped fix the geometry issues with a higher steering rack that the RSX has.
The installation took a bit of time, mostly because I decided to carefully do it that way. The first day was all about setting up the pre-load and getting the suspension ready for install.
Fortune Auto 500 Coilovers Set-up: How I adjusted the ride-height and pre-load
When setting up Fortune Auto 500 Series coilovers for your Acura RSX, it’s important to note that they do not come preloaded, requiring you to set the preload yourself. The front suspension utilizes a MacPherson strut system, necessitating a different preload setup compared to the rear’s double wishbone system. To set the preload of a shock, first measure the length of the uncompressed spring. Spin the spring perch to compress the spring by the desired amount of preload. For example, to achieve 1/4″ of preload on a 7″ spring, the spring must be compressed to 6 3/4″ with the spring perch before it is locked into place. Additionally, I adjusted the height of the coilovers using the provided spanner wrench and Allen keys. To adjust your vehicle’s ride height, simply detach the bottom of the shock from its correlating control arm, then either spin the lower mount up the threaded shock body to lower the vehicle or spin the lower mount down to raise it. This setup process ensures your coilovers are correctly preloaded and height-adjusted for optimal performance and handling.
Basic Instructions for Installing Fortune Auto Coilovers on an Acura RSX Type S
Front Installation:
- Preparation:
- Jack up the car and securely place it on jack stands. If you’re unfamiliar with this process, seek assistance for safety.
- Tools needed: 19mm for tie rod strut lower bolts and rim, 7/8″ wrench to hold nuts for lower strut bolt, 10mm for ABS line, 12mm for brake line, 14mm for strut bolts, torque wrench, and air gun.
- Remove wheels and check rotors and pads.
- Removing the Old Struts:
- Remove the tie rod by hitting the strut arm with a hammer until the tie rod is loose, or use a tie rod puller.
- Unbolt the ABS and brake line.
- Remove both bottom strut bolts. Leave the knuckle and brakes at the opposite side from which you’ll pull the strut out. The left side comes out towards the front of the car, and the right side towards the rear.
- Unbolt 2 of the 3 strut bolts, leaving them on the cowl within reach if performing a one-person installation.
- Important: Before removing the third bolt, ensure someone is holding the strut to prevent damage to the CV joints.
- Installing the New Coilovers:
- Unscrew the tie rod nut for easier reattachment and alignment.
- Insert the new coilover, and align the holes using a jack under the control arm or by pushing up with your thighs. I used a jack as demo-ed in my YouTube install video.
- Bolt everything back in the reverse order of removal.
- Make sure you match the torque specs:
- Brake line: 16 ft-lbs
- ABS line: 7.2 ft-lbs
- Top 3 bolts: 33 ft-lbs each
- Front nuts and bolts that hold shock assembly to front knuckle (2 on each side):
116ft lbs
Rear Installation:
- Preparation:
- Tools needed: 17mm socket or wrench for the bottom bolt and breaker bar, 14mm wrench or socket with extension and swivel.
- Removing the Old Struts:
- Remove the single 17mm bolt on the bottom and the two 14mm nuts up top.
- The bottom bolt might be difficult to remove. Use a pry bar to pull the bolt out or push it through the other side. Alternatively, use a jack and a small deep socket to lift the strut and remove the bolt.
- If the bolt is stubborn, pry against it with a pry bar and use an air gun.
- Installing the New Coilovers:
- Insert the new coilover, aligning the top hat with the two holes for the studs.
- Insert and tighten the lower bolt first.
- Jack up the suspension until the top hat passes through the holes, then secure with the nuts.
- Torque specs:
- Top upper bolts of shock tower: 43 ft-lbs each
- Rear bottom bolt: 45 ft-lbs
Make sure. you get an alignment after installation to correct the toe, camber, and caster. Anytime you adjust or replace a suspension part, an alignment is usually needed. Mine was really off.
Closing Thoughts
These steps above are just a basic steps of what I did using the specified torque specs from the service manual. My new Fortune Auto coilovers are now properly installed on my Acura RSX Type S and I really like the handling and the look of the green coilovers on the car, even though no one will really see them. I lowered it to about two fingers for the tire to fender clearance.
All of this can be watched on my 3 part video series on the Fortune Auto 500 coilovers install for the RSX on my YouTube channel, @revcircle:
2. Installing Front and Rear Coilovers on my RSX Type S / DC5 integra: Fortune Auto Coilovers
3. Fortune Auto Coilovers: How to adjust coil-over height while on your car