dscarps

So I've been on this mission to setup my CRV's suspension. It seems that the 1st Gen CRV uses components from many other Hondas. Our front brake system is out of a late 90s Integra TypeR. The engine mounts are almost identical to that of a EM1 Civic. Ect ect...

However the suspension is really making me bang my head on a wall.



Good news

Objective: I want to lower my CRV, and setup the suspension, properly.

I have found the appropriate coil overs that I will be ordering. Fortune 500 - CRV Specific

And I have found the camber & toe adjustment arms for the rear.

I also have found Cusco strut tower bars, lower tie bar, and a rear ADDCO sway bar kit.

Awesome!


My confusion

The CRV and the EK/EM1 Civic Si share similar front lower control arms. Solid 1 piece, opposed to the 2 piece lower control arms that everyone swaps out to.

I've been looking around the Honda scene, and I can not find CRV specific bushing kits. Whiteline and Energy Suspension, both send reference to Prothane kits. Every time I try to contact a company for these, I always get the "Oh yeah, we can order those up for you." Then I pay, I wait, then get a refund. It has happened twice... So I'm throwing in the towel on polyurethane, it's probably over kill anyways.

Front upper control arms with adjustable camber. I know they're from a Civic, but I cant nail down what year, make and model to buy from. Also, per this website ( http://www.coloradomountainrally.com ) they provide adjustable control arms, but I can not get communication out of them. Their website says this:

There is a picture of the front kit installed, if you follow the link above. Everything I have found for a Civic's front adjustable upper control arm: the cup where the ball joint fits in to, is facing downwards. Their's faces upwards with the nuts inside of the cup, instead of the balljoint inside.

Someone also told me to use Hardrace stuff, but didn't specify.

You all are a very knowledgeable bunch, please school me. My searching skills wont yield what I am looking for..

OneBadTurboCRV

You can't use Civic upper control arms - different widths than CRV and it bolts to the chassis differently too. You can use Civic rear camber kit though. They do in fact make camber kits for CRV's both front and rear.

As far as struts are concerned you used Accord ones if you want them to last. The bushing part list is out there too. You can get them from the companies you listed already but they don't sell a complete kit.

dscarps

I just found a thread here that shows EK adjustable front upper control arms installed, but unfortunately, due to being shorter than the CRV OEM arms, it gives you more negative camber.

So it looks like I have to run shims. Will have to see if this is even possible.

Edit: Shims in the rear are possible, seems people like to just use washers instead. I'm not too game for that, I will have to find some proper shims. The front end however, it is not possible, as the wheel bearing is pressed into the wheel knuckle.

dscarps

Reference:

1st Gen CRV with EK Adjustable Front Upper Control Arms - Page 4, post # 90
https://honda-tech.com/forums/showth...2939493&page=4

Adds more negative camber, because it is shorter than the OEM control arms.

Good for raising the vehicle, bad for dropping the vehicle, unless you want to go extremely low. They clear the fender easily, no chance of rubbing.

-------------------------------------------------

Now, who wants to explore putting 2 piece EK/EM1 civic lower control arms on the front, with adjustable control arms on the top? A thick wheel spacer and extended studs?

forcfedcivic

iTrader: (3)

Ingalls is the only company that makes crv specific upper control arms....but at $125@side

Only other choice is the adjustable ball joint.....you can get them in +1° or +3°

dscarps

Any reference to the ball joint you speak of? Im going to look up that Ingalls product, but I bet it's just another civic control arm, used for lifting a CRV.

forcfedcivic - I owe you an apology, as you are 100% correct. I've purchased a set, and they are being shipped to my door for $300 through summit racing. Ingalls Engineering is the only company that supplies an application specific adjustable CRV front upper control arm, appropriate for lowering.

forcfedcivic

iTrader: (3)

No problem.....I'm slowly getting the fund's together myself to pick up a set....I think they were just a tad cheaper on ebay.....
Good luck on the v! If you need any misc pieces or parts hit me up.....I'm parting out my old 2001 ebp that was totaled this past winter. ..

dscarps

Thank you. I'm going through the trouble of buying all of my adjustable pieces ahead of time. So I can hit the shop, slap them all on, and align it at the same time.

I've been cursing my open differential in the front, however I feel like I'm going to be buying a new throttle body, intake manifold and an S300 Hondata soon... It feels like there's another 10-20HP in there that I need to find, the factory stuff with the hacked ECU just stinks IMO.

forcfedcivic

iTrader: (3)

Right.....I've adj. Rear links in.....d2 full body coilovers for crv...need front arms
I've got almost everything to turbo. ..and I want a b16 head(mines a 5spd too)
I figured if I can get to about 250hp.....I'd be good with that.
Plus I'm trying to find out if the ls 5th gear set and final drive will work in this tranny...doesn't like highway driving with current ratios

dscarps

Well now maybe I can shed some light on the situation for you

See this thread I started, turned out to help me out a lot in this situation...

https://honda-tech.com/forums/transmission-drivetrain-127/b-series-transmission-component-suppliers-3202111/

Post # 10, a link was made to a guy's thread: who CRV swapped his Civic EM1 ( i think ). He used the CRV trans and AWD system. The biggest problem he ran into with the transmission, was that the B series final drive required some machining on a lathe. This was to make the ring gear mating surface thinner, for clearance purposes. He also used an LS 5th gear, but because it's a USDM syncro, in a JDM transmission (thicker shift forks), he had to shave down the shift fork a bit.

Otherwise, the transmission is holding 450hp of boost, and he says it launches like a beast.

OneBadTurboCRV

That thread is full of you misguiding knowledgeable people. Listen man, you keep diving in head first to a shallow pool. I have done just about everything you can do to a CRV and nothing you are trying to accomplish is new and wasn't new even when I did it (aside from LSD). Every single bit of information you need is easily searchable.

There were a few companies that made camber kits. Most of them are discontinued now. I personally have the Ingalls camber kit and it is NOT for the Civic. Is is specifically made for the CRV and is clearanced properly for the poorly placed pinch weld in the wheel well. I tried bolting on a Skunk2 upper control arm, it wasn't going to work - sold them to a friend with an EM1.

You absolutely can NOT use a B-series differential in a RT4WD transmission. I have no clue where you got that from. We figured that out around 2 years ago when a few of us put our minds together to get a LSD into a CRV trans. You are beginning to insult all the time people put into making write-ups for everything...

dscarps

I dont want to be rude, but everything you just mentioned has already been figured out.

LSD in an CRV FTAWD Transmission, done - https://honda-tech.com/forums/transmission-drivetrain-127/how-i-installed-lsd-crv-awd-transmission-3027124/

If you search his build thread, you will see that he put Integra LS 5th gear in, but had to grind down the shift forks.

I really do appreciate your input and superior knowledge on the topic but please, before you come attacking someone who is new at this, read what they have written:

OneBadTurboCRV

Yes, but read through those threads. I was apart of them. What isn't shown is the **** load of communication that went on between myself, fast2camciv, and draggbody over PM and personal telephone calls. I am not being trying to be rude, but a lot of BS behind the scenes and then you go and make threads stating wrong info getting info mix around.

In any event all the information you need isn't in that write-up and the bolts are now near impossible to source as well making this modification next to impossible without some serious machining. The number 1 PM I get is about not being able to find a machine shop that will do it to begin with.

dscarps

These cars are projects, there's more than one way to skin a cat. I have access to fabricators and machine shops. Anything is possible, it's just about how much money you're willing to spend on it.

Anyways, I didn't think I was spreading BS all over the place here. As I said, I was confused about a few things, and was asking for help. Anything I've stated as a fact, has been found on this very forum with proof and reference to it. Anything that I felt was a question mark, has been addressed and I was very happy with the results of this thread.

For the help I received, thank you to those who've helped.

I have more personal things to say to you OneBad, but I'll keep it professional and PM you.

forcfedcivic

iTrader: (3)

With all due respect to all.....The "seasoned" and the "newbies" I've been in this scene for the better part of two decades.....it's the responsibility of the veterans to inform, instruct, and direct those less informed! Technology and techniques available today are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were just a few years ago, we all know this. I too would love to change the gear set in my cable shifted rt awd 5 speed transmission to make it friendlier for highway use. ...but still have the low end grunt for fun....
So I guess in short help positively, and instruct constructively not everyone has all the answers or experience as some

kiseliok

Camber.. good..

shermanyang

iTrader: (1)

as far as front camber issues go, to avoid all of the negative camber in my front what I did was remove the alignment tab on my front shocks and seated my shocks lower on the forks. My front alignment is perfect with no need for any further adjusments, however I'm not completely slammed either. I can fit 2 fingers between the fender/tire gap. My rear however is a different story...my stupid toe adjustment bolts are seized and I just need to find time to torch those MFers.

kiseliok

Seems to be a common issue.. Chain shop refused to f*ck with it so I'll have to go to a local shop and have them figure it out.

Ingalls for rear camber work well though. Got the civic ones.

shermanyang

iTrader: (1)

Let me know how that goes kiseliok! I paid for the life time alignment at Tires Plus, so whenever I can figure this out I'll just take it back to them. I'm going to try to torch the bolt and see if that works.