DIY: Installing Coilovers

[SVOboy]

See here: http://crxmpg.com/loweringsprings.html

[Bunger]

Use spring compressors! Don't shoot the spring off the strut into a wall or some nonsense, many auto parts stores have free loaner spring compressors.

Awww... I like shooting the strut across the floor!!! What do you think I bought the air tools for? That pesky nut on the top of the strut rod! =)

[Bunger]

Ohh yea, and like SVOboy said... at very least adjust your toe, hondas (and most other cars) will toe out in the front when you lower the car:

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This will eat your tires more than the - 1 to 3 degrees of camber you will get also...

[SVOboy]

Yep, that point should be emphasized I say, I will put up some suspension stuff and links soon and expect DIYs on setting toe and the rear camber trick when I get around to them,

[Bunger]

rear camber trick

aka washers?

[SVOboy]

All mysteries will be revealed, but yeah. I wish a front camber kit didn't cost so much.

[Bunger]

Do you remember Ryane Motorsports? They used to make a set of lowering trailing arms and knuckles that moved the wheel 1.5" up the suspension, thus lowering the vehicle 1.5" without changing the suspension geometry at all.

I foolishly sold my setup and they shortly thereafter went down a different business avenue (I think they make kit cars now). I've often thought of making a set for myself, but have never gotten around to it.

[SVOboy]

I'm 17, been in the car game for 7 months, I remember very little, :p

Any ballparks on what camber I'd be running if I go with a 3" drop? 2.5? 2?

[Bunger]

Ahh, well you hold yourself very well for a 17 year old!

3" expect about 3.5-4 degrees 2.5" should be around 2.5 degrees and 2" around 1.5 degrees.

This of course is assuming your suspension was within the stock parameters to begin with.

FYI... I've been in the game since I was about 16... so add 11 or so to that and you've got my age.

[SVOboy]

I've been talking with a 22 year old about this and my final conclusion is 2 on the front, little more on the back to balance out the vault from my springs. Washer trick on the back, try to keep the camber from burning the front tires until I can afford a front camber kit and then I'll go to 3 on the front.

Don't want to burn my damn new tires, yep.

[Bunger]

Tell me about it... Before I adjusted the front toe, I burned through a set of Toyos, so I was sure to get it aligned before putting the Advan A032R's on (the soft ones even). The part that will suck will be going back to any other tire, these things GRIP!!! If I don't have at least 1/3 tank of fuel, I can easily create enough G's to move the fuel away from the pickup and cause the car to sputter out. =)

Ohh and I'm just trying to conserve fuel of course... if you don't slow down for the corners, you don't have to accelerate from the apex. =)

[SVOboy]

Do you know if a 94-01 teg front camber kit will fit a crx? The kinda square cheap type that has four things? I'm looking for one used and cheap, :p

[Bunger]

Are you talking about the style where you move the balljoint on slots in the upper control arm? I've seen some horror stories with those.

[SVOboy]

I'm not sure, I suck.

[Bunger]

IMHO, I prefer the non adjustable camber kits. There is MUCH less to fail or come loose. Also, don't go too nuts with washers in the rear, you'll want some negative camber, unwanted oversteer can be a scary thing.

[krousdb]

It looks like one link to a picture did not work. Also, no final pics of how rex looks lowered. So I will need an alignment. But whats with the camber kit? Will I need one if I only lower 1.5"?

[SVOboy]

Yeah, I'm prolly gonna do one washer per inch and then take a washer out for a bit of camber.

[SVOboy]

Also, no final pics of how rex looks lowered.

I haven't done the final lowering yet, waiting until before I put the rims on and wondering if I'll get a front camber kit.

So I will need an alignment.

This is best or do it yourself, you don't wanna burn up your tires.

But whats with the camber kit? Will I need one if I only lower 1.5"?

It makes the tires go straight up and down like stock rather than / \ if you're looking from the front of the car. You won't need one for 1.5 inch drop, but if I wanna do three I will.

[krousdb]

This is best or do it yourself, you don't wanna burn up your tires.

OK, so how do I do an alignment myself?

[SVOboy]

I'll post up some threads here as well as do my own DIY on it. I gotta finish trying to mount my speakers with linoleum right now though. It's basically just finding the toe by some method and tweaking it until it's set, not hard it seems.

[krousdb]

I was on the highway this week for a few miles and I hit a patch of bumps that launched my rear wheels off the ground. The impact when the wheels hit the ground caused my head to smack against the headreast. This happened numerous times. I had a bad headache in no time. Perhaps a minor concussion.:eek:

Anyway, since I hadn't been on the highway much since the "drop" I didn't realize how bad the ride could be. I'm thinking about undoing the coilovers and going back to the stock setup. If so, I should be able to quantify any difference.

[SVOboy]

Were these speed bumps at 65 mph? I've never heard of such a thing! Well ****, that's really odd.

[krousdb]

Were these speed bumps at 65 mph? I've never heard of such a thing! Well ****, that's really odd.

No speed bumps, just bad roads, potholes and expansion joints on bridges. Not odd at all on non-toll interstates in PA.

[SVOboy]

Wow, that's still crazy though. :(, sorry for your loss, :(

[krousdb]

Wow, that's still crazy though. :(, sorry for your loss, :(

No loss though. It's just one of life's lessions. Well worth the cost if you ask me.:)

[SVOboy]

Loss meaning the gassy mileagey thingy. You can prolly get your money back selling the struts, :p (that's what I often end up doing).

[krousdb]

Loss meaning the gassy mileagey thingy. You can prolly get your money back selling the struts, :p (that's what I often end up doing).

Somehow I don't think the gas mileage will change that much. I think that the increase I saw had more to do with warmer weather and better technique. We will find out for sure if I change back. I wull keep the struts however, except for the one rear one that had the missing flange. I don't know if that one will work with my stock springs.

[krousdb]

After about a week, I have noticed no measureable drop in FE by going back to the OEM springs. So much for the gain I thought I had. Probably just improving driving technique. Anyway, i just found this DIY on lowering a Prius. Seems like lots more work that i had to do with the Del Sol.

http://www.vfaq.net/mods/Springs.html

[SVOboy]

*shrug* I'll have to do a highway test on this junk, but *shrug*

[SVOboy]

Redid the picture and threw it at my site.