[JKG08]

me and my dad are looking at buying a pair of crx si's.......one is a 88 and the other an 89. We were wondering about their supensions. do they still have the solid rear axel? He wants to know if it will handle as good as his 1990 prelude Si. so the question is, did the 1988 and 1989 crx Si's have a solid rear axel or independent rear suspension? I thought they changed over atfer 1989 but I'm not sure so all info would be appreciated.

 

[mattminerDOTcom]

88-91 are all independent. 88 had a funky shock mount in the back. instead of a fork it has an eyelet and the LCA is boxed out, like an ITR.

thats the only difference suspension wise.

[email protected]

 

[JKG08]

cool thanks.......for some odd reason i thought that the 88 had a way different suspension. but thats good to hear because now both me and my dad might end up haveing Si rexes haha. he has a prelude and he's getting annoyed with the automatic.

 

[coldtotouch]

i think thats really cool...

 

[downest]

To answer your question about the Prelude... neither CRX is going to handle like that 'lude if it's a 4WS model without some suspension upgrades.

 

[jfrolang]

the mounting point for the compensator arm is a little different on the 88. Tyson on HT says it sits up higher by about a half-inch. This makes the 88 a bit tail happy.

 

[signalpuke]

I recall reading somewhere about the suspension on the CRX having a type of passive all wheel steering. Something about how the suspension geometry in the rear likes to toe a lil bit under hard cornering...I only felt it prior to replacing all of the 15 year old bushings in the suspension, getting on the gas a lil bit midturn made the rear swing out a bit. Anyone else feel this? BTW car is a 91 HF

 

[jmart]

I concur that the word at honda when i worked there was that the crx rear suspension geometry was designed with some passive rear steer in 88. However due to negative operator feedback they reduced this for models 89-91. i did not know however whether it was caused by different length linkages, or mounting points. This came up when we were looking at fea models for the new civic si rear suspension which was supposed to have a smidgin of passive rear steer.
It is possible it is still a myth though. **shrug**

 

[SIred91]

I have both!! My two favorite cars I have ever owned. Honestly.

Both 91's, Both si.

Stock to stock--the prelude runs circles around the crx as far as handling.
Night and day difference in the handling. The rex needs a lot of work on the suspension to hang with the stock prelude.

 

[JKG08]

Sired91.......is ur lude 4wheel steering? my dads isn't so if urs is then it doesnt help me out a lot but if it isnt then that helps a lot. haha

 

[crxgator]

i would think that the crx handles a ton better than the prelude...maybe it's your imagination... :wink:

ive never driven an 88 si, but i wonder if it's as much tail happy as my ITR (which btw is an awesome fawkin ride).

 

[Slystone]

Prélude lot of fun to drive!! :lol:

 

[ludesrv]

I've driven a 4th gen. I know it's different suspension but does it ever outhandle the civic in every way and form. The prelude makes my civic feel like poop around corners, even with the exact same upgrades to them. I also found my prelude suspension to cost ALOT more to upgrade .

 

[JKG08]

well my current crx isnt an Si and my dad's prelude is. and keeping that in mind.......his 'lude handles a LOT better than my crx

 

[bobski]

I think the rear sway bar (or lack thereof on the HF and DX) has huge effect on a 2nd CRX's handling. My '90 DX would understeer at the drop of a hat... It was downright frightening in the rain. I swear, the only way to get that thing's rear end to come around was the e-brake.
Anyway, when I totaled the '90 (unrelated to handling ), I picked up a '91 DX shell from a friend to replace it. In the process of transferring things over, I installed a Suspension Techniques front/rear swaybar set I had ordered but not installed. The suspension is otherwise stock.
When I got behind the wheel of the '91, that understeer was GONE. In hard cornering, the difference between understeer and oversteer is now how much throttle you give it... A matter of weight transfer.
Last I checked, you could get the ST set at summit for around $240.

 

[SIred91]

Yes the lude is 4WS,

Trust me gator, the lude runs circles around the crx/civic.
And it will continue to with equal mods.

:greenbanana:

 

[crxgator]

idk, it seems different especially with scca is concerned...the 88-91 prelude compeats with the crx dx, hf, 89-91 civic si and metros, while the newer prelude compeats with the crx si in g class...and both the crx and civic si stomps on it in auto-x...

 

[ludesrv]

while the newer prelude compeats with the crx si in g class...and both the crx and civic si stomps on it in auto-x...

That would be mods/driver related. Trust me, I drive both of those (welll a hatch not a CRX) and the prelude would run circles around the civic. It just has a wide turning radius because the Sr-V is not 4ws.

 

[crxgator]

while the newer prelude compeats with the crx si in g class...and both the crx and civic si stomps on it in auto-x...

That would be mods/driver related. Trust me, I drive both of those (welll a hatch not a CRX) and the prelude would run circles around the civic. It just has a wide turning radius because the Sr-V is not 4ws.

GS and HS meaning they are stock...i dont see how a pig of a prelude would beat a crx/civic hatch si in handling, im sorry...i think the 4ws is more a placebo effect on you...

 

[SIred91]

while the newer prelude compeats with the crx si in g class...and both the crx and civic si stomps on it in auto-x...

That would be mods/driver related. Trust me, I drive both of those (welll a hatch not a CRX) and the prelude would run circles around the civic. It just has a wide turning radius because the Sr-V is not 4ws.

GS and HS meaning they are stock...i dont see how a pig of a prelude would beat a crx/civic hatch si in handling, im sorry...i think the 4ws is more a placebo effect on you...

Dammm dude, go find one and drive it. I have gone down the same canyon roads in both cars, the lude will go 25 mph faster and still have some room, where the crx is just too freakin scary.
Look in an old road and track (91) at the skidpad on the lude, Im too lazy too search it....It out handles the ZR1 vette, two Ferrari's, the Lamborghini countach, and a few other top end cars on the slalom and the skidpad in G's.
Im serious too, no BS. But find the info on the 91 4WS si model only.

Make an account on preludepower.com and go to the 3rd gen forum and ask some questions, the guys there will be happy to educate you on the 3rd gen 4WS prelude.