Project 200 Integra: Skunk2 And AEM Come To The Rescue

For those of you who've been following Project Integra, we left off making 196.6 hp to the front wheels. And we're still trying to squeak out the last 3.4 hp to attain our goal. Besides producing horsepower, we want a car that performs well on the streets and at the track. So we enlisted the help of Skunk2 for the suspension issues.

The Skunk2 crew started by installing it's adjustable coil-over kit to help relieve the obnoxious fender gap on the Acura. The CNC-machined, threaded-aluminum sleeves fit directly over the factory shock, allowing for a maximum drop of 3 inches. The springs are CNC-wound from SAE 9254 racing coils for overall quality and optimum ride comfort. Each spring perch utilizes a dual-locking design securing the perches in place once set.

Skunk2 also installed a set of adjustable camber A-arms for the front suspension. This allows us to adjust the camber on the front wheels for any track condition. Chassis stiffening was also on our list of modifications as the Skunk2 crew installed front and rear strut tower braces. A Skunk2 lower rear arm bar ties in the rear suspension mounting points, preventing chassis distortion under hard cornering.

Surprisingly, with the 2 inches of drop dialed in, the car still rides extremely well and, more significantly, it handles much better around hard tight corners. Running on 18-inch RH Evolution GT5 wheels wrapped with Nitto Neo Gen rubber, the Integra is more than able to carve the asphalt to shreds.

With more than 200 hp at the flywheel, the Integra can easily accelerate to triple digit speeds. Logically, we addressed braking performance, opting for the AEM one-piece big rotor brake system. It's an economical way to obtain the big-brake look and performance. The one-piece big rotor for the front measures approximately 12 inches vs. the stock 10.3 inches. In the rear, the AEM is 11.125 inches vs. the stock 9.4 inches.

A brake caliper adaptor is provided to utilize the factory caliper with the larger AEM rotor. It took us about two hours to install the front and rear brake package. AEM provides all the necessary hardware for a complete install. Although the factory brake pads will work, we used a set of AEM high-performance brake pads with the kit. After the bedding process, braking performance significantly improved, with much less pedal effort required to bring the Integra to a stop.

The system retails for around $500 for the front and rear big-rotors from AEM, and an additional $150 for the brake pads. Not bad, considering the braking performance and the car's general overall appearance is enhanced substantially.

For our next installment of Project Integra, we'll go back to the dyno for more power. DPR has come on board to help us gain the additional horsepower we need to accomplish our goal. We're looking forward to testing out a new pair of Skunk2 cams and a DPR racing cylinder head. We're confident that we'll eclipse our 200-hp goal, and then some. Until next time, we'll keep pounding the rollers.