Ok so I've been playing with them for a little while now hehe. Anyway, the front and rear springs look just about the same, but the rates are higher in the front. Can I switch them to have stiffer rears? I want to try to get the rear end to come around faster, I'm getting sick of the Honda understeer.
New suspension is here!
Just got my ground controls, unwrapped them, and now I have to stare at them until I get the shocks tomorrow and install everything. I was going to get the KYB AGX shocks, after being convinced by Jonny Black, but I ended up with a great deal on Tokico Illuminas, so I got those instead at the last minute. So tomorrow, the second my shocks arrive, class is being put on hold until everything is installed, and hopefully the weather stays nice so I can try out my new Azenis too. I think the CRX handles a corner pretty well now... can't wait to see it tomorrow night.
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
I have the harder ones in the back on mine.
It's tricky sometimes, but definately more responsive.
Be careful.
It's tricky sometimes, but definately more responsive.
Be careful.
Boooo @ Tokico shocks. KYB rocks the socks off Tokico.
Should still be a nice setup though.
Should still be a nice setup though.
Going to the shop right now to install... just got home to a new package.
Sweet man! I just got my Ground Control's in a few days ago too. I am going with the KYB's. I'm heading down to ICON this weekend to get it all worked on Monday. Woohoo! Congrats to us on the new suspensions!
Nice man -- I recently installed Illuminas and new springs. I'll be curious to see where you settle with your damper settings... Have fun!
Ok well it was a pretty easy install, but there's some bad news.
I broke 2 of the shocks. They are getting replaced for free with the warranty, but still it sucks. At the top of the rod there's a threaded part for the nut to go on, and the middle is hollow and takes an alan key. You hold it with the key and tighten the nut around it. Spec is 32 ft lbs. I couldn't get near that before the first one broke. The hex key was pushing too hard on the walls and it cracked down the middle, great. The other front one went on fine, and the left rear did too. Then the last one, right rear, same thing as the first one, but the whole hex part came off above the nut, leaving it screwed together firmly. For the final three, I didn't torque to spec, I got it tight as I could without worrying about it breaking. Anyway, I was able to adjust them since I worked them a little while they were off the car as instructed, so I got the settings I wanted before the things broke, 3 front 5 rear. When I was test driving, the broken front one (which was actually worse) decided to start spitting fluid all over my motor. I'm not happy about this (yes, maybe I should have gone with KYB!).
Anyway, I was surprised how easy the installation was. Everything came apart easily, not something I'm used to with the rex. My old suspension was shot. Both front springs were broken at the bottom coil, not enough to notice when they were mounted, but still broken. One of them wasn't sitting straight and was rubbing the shock body, which I think is the noise I've been hearing lately. The rears were much better, they still had the dust boots, and the springs have slightly deteriorating rubber covers, so they are actually in ok condition. All 4 struts are pretty bad, I can press them in easily and the front ones take a long time to come back up (at least a minute).
The nice thing about the ground controls is that I didn't need a spring compressor at all, I have 3, but 2 of them wouldn't fit between the coils on the stock springs, so I took them off without a compressor (no big deal, it barely moved). The Eibachs that come with the ground controls are the same, but they are so short they move freely when dialed down all the way, so it was no problem mounting them.
When I first put everything back together, I dialed the springs to the same height all around, and when I let it down, the back was near perfect, but the front was slammed. Like, the mudflaps were touching the floor, and it wasn't even all the way down the perch. I moved them up over an inch, and it's still low near the mudflaps, but the car sits nicely.
So, everyone really wants to know how they ride. I put the heavier springs in the back, and dialed the front shocks to 3 with the backs at 5. It drives like it's on rails, very bumpy rails. Yes, you do feel every little bump in the road with these things, and every pebble, every pothole. There is no wheel hop at all now. The car barely pitches under hard acceleration and braking (the rear wheels do not lock up any more). And the best part... no more understeer. I was going to get a ST sway bar, but I'm not sure at this point. I went to our usual autoX parking lot and did some low speed turning like I would at a race, and it was perfect in the corners, as soon as you let off the throttle the rear end comes around nicely. I really don't think it's too low, but the mudflaps do hit sometimes, but then again the roads around here suck. I'll probably take them off now that the weather is getting nicer anyway (but I like them a lot!).
I broke 2 of the shocks. They are getting replaced for free with the warranty, but still it sucks. At the top of the rod there's a threaded part for the nut to go on, and the middle is hollow and takes an alan key. You hold it with the key and tighten the nut around it. Spec is 32 ft lbs. I couldn't get near that before the first one broke. The hex key was pushing too hard on the walls and it cracked down the middle, great. The other front one went on fine, and the left rear did too. Then the last one, right rear, same thing as the first one, but the whole hex part came off above the nut, leaving it screwed together firmly. For the final three, I didn't torque to spec, I got it tight as I could without worrying about it breaking. Anyway, I was able to adjust them since I worked them a little while they were off the car as instructed, so I got the settings I wanted before the things broke, 3 front 5 rear. When I was test driving, the broken front one (which was actually worse) decided to start spitting fluid all over my motor. I'm not happy about this (yes, maybe I should have gone with KYB!).
Anyway, I was surprised how easy the installation was. Everything came apart easily, not something I'm used to with the rex. My old suspension was shot. Both front springs were broken at the bottom coil, not enough to notice when they were mounted, but still broken. One of them wasn't sitting straight and was rubbing the shock body, which I think is the noise I've been hearing lately. The rears were much better, they still had the dust boots, and the springs have slightly deteriorating rubber covers, so they are actually in ok condition. All 4 struts are pretty bad, I can press them in easily and the front ones take a long time to come back up (at least a minute).
The nice thing about the ground controls is that I didn't need a spring compressor at all, I have 3, but 2 of them wouldn't fit between the coils on the stock springs, so I took them off without a compressor (no big deal, it barely moved). The Eibachs that come with the ground controls are the same, but they are so short they move freely when dialed down all the way, so it was no problem mounting them.
When I first put everything back together, I dialed the springs to the same height all around, and when I let it down, the back was near perfect, but the front was slammed. Like, the mudflaps were touching the floor, and it wasn't even all the way down the perch. I moved them up over an inch, and it's still low near the mudflaps, but the car sits nicely.
So, everyone really wants to know how they ride. I put the heavier springs in the back, and dialed the front shocks to 3 with the backs at 5. It drives like it's on rails, very bumpy rails. Yes, you do feel every little bump in the road with these things, and every pebble, every pothole. There is no wheel hop at all now. The car barely pitches under hard acceleration and braking (the rear wheels do not lock up any more). And the best part... no more understeer. I was going to get a ST sway bar, but I'm not sure at this point. I went to our usual autoX parking lot and did some low speed turning like I would at a race, and it was perfect in the corners, as soon as you let off the throttle the rear end comes around nicely. I really don't think it's too low, but the mudflaps do hit sometimes, but then again the roads around here suck. I'll probably take them off now that the weather is getting nicer anyway (but I like them a lot!).
I'm still pretty mad about the shocks, I went outside to have a smoke and I was looking at the rex. Looks a lot better now, so I guess I'm not that mad, just have to wait a few more days and everything will be perfect. I'll need a new avatar, there's a lot of roll in my current one!
dammit when are you ever going to learn?
-PICTURES!!!!!-
And you can drop the car flat on it's belly if you want to. (tried it for fun once) Alto it'll obviously won't drive. lol
Be careful with the shocks. They seem to break easily. I'm not sure how low you are, but riding the bumpstops is not only uncomfortable, it also destroys cheap shocks quick fast and in a hurry.
I have strut braces all around. Front back upper and lower. Those help alot too. I also have the swaybar of a 94 CIvic VTi mounted. It's stiffer than the stock CRX one, but not as stiff as the integra ones.
When I drive conservatively (normal) there's nothing wrong. When I start yanking the car around purposefully, I can actually swing the back end around and catch it again. (Needs lotsa practice tho).
So that might be a bit too much for your taste.
It's not snappy...but I've had the ass slide out on me on a few occasions. Although that was my own fault (clipping the apex with the back wheel) I wasn't able to recover every time.
-PICTURES!!!!!-
And you can drop the car flat on it's belly if you want to. (tried it for fun once) Alto it'll obviously won't drive. lol
Be careful with the shocks. They seem to break easily. I'm not sure how low you are, but riding the bumpstops is not only uncomfortable, it also destroys cheap shocks quick fast and in a hurry.
I have strut braces all around. Front back upper and lower. Those help alot too. I also have the swaybar of a 94 CIvic VTi mounted. It's stiffer than the stock CRX one, but not as stiff as the integra ones.
When I drive conservatively (normal) there's nothing wrong. When I start yanking the car around purposefully, I can actually swing the back end around and catch it again. (Needs lotsa practice tho).
So that might be a bit too much for your taste.
It's not snappy...but I've had the ass slide out on me on a few occasions. Although that was my own fault (clipping the apex with the back wheel) I wasn't able to recover every time.
I will take pictures... probably when I put the replacements in. I don't own a digital camera, so I can't always do it, but I will try to take some when I replace them so I can do a nice write up. I don't think it's excessively low, but I was just reading that you can't judge it by wheel gap, so tomorrow I'll go back to the shop and measure the height to each jack point. The rear end is already coming around when I let off the throttle in a corner. It just kind of snaps into place (with a lot of bad tire noise). I think that will change when I switch to the Azenis, they won't want to slide. I'm familiar with oversteer, I've driven more than a few RWD cars, and getting the rear to slide around was one if the goals of the suspension change because I like oversteer a lot better than understeer.
The important thing is....this is a FWD car.
Your RWD car experience doesn't mean jack **** anymore.
Trust me...I know.
I don't think you're supposed to go sliding already. I would check alignment, camber and bushing quality.
Your RWD car experience doesn't mean jack **** anymore.
Trust me...I know.
I don't think you're supposed to go sliding already. I would check alignment, camber and bushing quality.
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Honda CRX Forum
A forum community dedicated to Honda CRX owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
