Q: What is a good replacement for the rear
springs?
A: You have two choices. The best, and more expensive
choice is to buy Ground Control coil overs which come with a variety
of Eibach springs. Or, you can buy a set of Integra or Civic Wagon
springs from the junkyard. On my car, I have the stock torsion bars
and a set of Integra springs with one coil cut off. This combination
works well.
Q: From what Honda products can I source
sway bars and torsion bars?
A: Ballade, from the CRX Resource, provides this handy
list:
Both the Si CRX and DX CRX had the same suspension Specs
Stock 84-87 SI&DX: Front sway bar 16mm
Rear internal sway bar 15mm
Torsion bar 20mm @24.5" Long
Civic Wagon 2WD: Front sway bar 20mm
Rear internal sway bar 15.5mm (won't fit into CRX beam axle due
to end link)
Torsion bar 21mm @22.5"Long (shorter then CRX bar, need wagon torque
tubes)
Thicker rear springs (cut to fit)
Civic Wagon 4WD: Torsion Bars 21mm @ 24.75" Long
(will work with CRX Torque
tubes.)
Integra: Front sway bar 19mm
Rear sway bar 17mm
Torsion bar 22mm they are longer then CRX bars and won't fit in
lower arms
Thicker rear springs
Integra SE Rear internal sway bar 19mm
Q: What is the correct way to lower my 1st
Gen CRX?
A: First the basics- The early CRX has torsion bars, rather
than springs in the front. Honda used T-bars to save space and allow
a lower front profile. In the rear, there is a beam axle located
by trailing arms and a Panhard bar with coil springs. Inside the
rear axle is a torsion bar that acts as a rear sway bar. In the
front, there is a conventional sway bar. To lower the car, you need
shorter springs and reset torsion bars.
***Important Note*** When you lower the rear, the axle moves closer
to the driver's side. To correctly reposition the rear axle to the
center of the car, you will need an adjustable panhard bar. They
are available from www.opmmotorsports.com.
Coilovers are the best way to lower the rear. www.ground-control.com
sells a couple different options for coilovers. If you are cheap
(like me) you can use the rear springs from the Civic Wagon or the
Integra and cut one coil off. Cutting coil springs is generally
not a good idea, but the simplicity of the CRX rear suspension allows
a measure of crudeness. In the front, the front torsion bars can
be adjusted lower about 1/2" by loosening the adjustment nut underneath
the car on each side. To get the front really low, you will need
to take the torsion bars out and reposition them 1 notch lower.
If your car is a 100% racecar, get the thickest torsion bars you
can find (OPM Motorsports has a selection). For street and track
use, the T-bars out of the 4wd Civic Wagon are thicker than the
CRX and usable on the street. Lowering the car reduces suspension
travel. You can increase suspension travel by filing off the brake
line bracket on the front struts and positioning the struts 1-inch
lower in the front knuckles. Camber plates will also give you some
more suspension travel. Adjustable struts are expensive, but they
allow you the opportunity to fine-tune your suspension. If you are
not racing, maybe you do not need adjustable struts. Increasing
camber and caster will wear out your tires faster, but will help
you on the racetrack. An alternative to camber plates is to bolt
on the lower arms from an Integra to get about 1 degree of negative
camber. Caster can be added by loosening the sub-frame, pulling
the entire front end forward with a winch and then re-tightening
the sub-frame. Suspension Techniques sells a bolt on rear sway bar,
which is a good idea to add to your car. There are many opinions
about the front sway bar on the CRX. Some people suggest removing
it completely, others advocate using the thicker Civic Wagon front
sway bar. Changing the front sway bar is a PITA.
For street and Autocross use, I kept the stock bar with new bushings.
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