Progress Technology 02-06 RSX Street-Sport Coilovers

Progress Technology Street-Sport Adjustable Coilovers for 02-06 Acura RSX (DC5)

Most RSX owners want two things from their suspension that pull against each other. They want the car to sit lower and corner flatter, and they still have to drive it to work every day. Cheap coilovers usually fail the second part. They're stiff, crashy, and tiring on a bad road. Lowering springs on stock shocks fail the first part. The shocks can't control the springs, and the car feels floaty and underdamped. The trick is a spring rate that's firm enough to fix the RSX's lean and understeer, and soft enough to live with every day.

Progress's Street-Sport kit is built for exactly that. It uses the same rebound-adjustable dampers as their Track Day/Autocross kit, but with softer springs: 350 lbs/in front and 650 lbs/in rear, compared to the Track Day's 425/850. The RSX still rolls less, turns in better, and pushes less than stock. Small bumps and expansion joints come through gently. You'll feel the road more than on stock suspension, but it won't beat you up. If the car mostly lives on the street with an occasional autocross, this is the kit. If it's mostly a weekend track car, step up to the Track Day kit.

Why a Stiffer Rear

The rear spring rate is almost double the front, and that's on purpose. A stiffer rear resists body roll more than the front. In a corner, more of the cornering load goes to the rear tires and less to the front, so the front tires can keep steering instead of washing out. That's what takes out the RSX's built-in understeer. At 350/650, the balance is lively without being nervous. The car rotates nicely when you trail-brake into a corner, but it doesn't snap around if you lift off the throttle in the middle of one.

24 Rebound Settings

You can adjust rebound damping from the top of each damper, with 24 settings. Rebound controls how fast the suspension extends after it compresses. More rebound keeps the car flat and settled when you switch direction quickly. Less lets the wheels follow a bumpy road better. Compression is fixed. For daily driving, start on the softer end. Firm it up a few clicks for a back road or an autocross, then back it off again for the drive home.

Dampers and Hardware

The dampers are twin-tube with deflective disc valving. Inside, thin steel shims flex open gradually as the damper moves faster, so the damping firms up smoothly instead of hitting all at once. The front housings are shortened, which keeps more of the shock's travel available once the car is lowered, so you're not riding on the bump stops. The spring perches are CNC-machined and lock in place, so the ride height doesn't creep. The Progress race springs are wound from high-tensile wire.

Install Notes

The kit reuses your factory steel top hats, which aren't included, so check yours for cracked rubber or rust before you start. Set the ride height on the bench first, install everything, and torque all the fasteners with the car on its wheels. After a few drives, recheck the height and get an alignment. Two spanner wrenches come in the kit for adjusting ride height.

What's in the Kit

• Twin-tube rebound-adjustable dampers (24 settings)
• Progress race springs: 350 lbs/in front, 650 lbs/in rear
• CNC-machined locking spring perches
• Two spanner wrenches and hardware
• Decals and key fob lanyard
• OEM steel top hats required (not included)

Fitment

• 2002-2006 Acura RSX Base and Type S (DC5)
• Requires factory steel top hats