93stealthtt

Ok guys I need some help/input...

Just recently purchased a 1997 Civic Ex with a H22 swap. On the drive home I noticed a shimmy in the steering wheel, I just assumed it was an alignment issue or a problem with the cheap suspension on it. When you hit a bump it sounds like metal on metal hitting or rubbing (this same thing happens when your taking a left-hand curve slightly fast) In the next few days I took it to my friend at Expert Tire and let them diagnose it. They said I needed inner/outer tie rods and that the adjustable rear upper control arms had no bushings whatsoever in them!

Fast forward a few days... I took out the cheap coilovers with cut springs and factory shocks and replaced them with brand new H&R Sport Springs (330/280 # ratings I think) along with brand new Skunk2 shocks. I also replaced the ghetto rear upper adjustable control arms with factory Civic rear uppers. I then took it back to Expert and they installed new inner/outer tie rods and done an alignment.

So on the drive home the same problems still persist! I am at wits end and really don't know where to turn from here! So what could it be? Bad mounts that have the motor sitting strangely? Front end needs to be raised up a bit for more clearance? Axles?

Let me know your guy's opinion, this problem is getting very old very fast. Thanks in advance.

sleepyaccord96

Sounds like your upper control arms (UCA's) are hitting your strut pocket/ shock tower. How low does the car sit? can you post pics of the car as it sits now?

what condition are the ball joints in (upper and lower)

93stealthtt

Thanks for the reply! I know the front UCAs are aftermarket (most likely something cheap it appears)... so this could possibly be a problem. I will get a picture of the car tomorrow in the daylight and inspect the UCAs more closely.

b20bFourDoorCivicLX

post what it was and pics would be great

93stealthtt

This is how it sits on the H&R springs with the Skunk2 shocks. I've not got the chance to jack it up and check the UCAs yet but when I do is there anything else I should look for? Where the axles comes through the pinch forks it does not appear as if anything has been rubbing so I am thinking that is not the problem.

cvcrcr99

What axles are being used? What mountsd are being used?

Is this issue only at certain speeds, rpms, gears?

My H22 swapped (Not H2b) 99 Civic had horrid axle bind that I couldn't fix. Tried numerous sets of axles and engine mounts, nothing took the binding away 100%. Ended up selling the car about 1.5 years after I did the swap.

sleepyaccord96

That car is not low enough to allow the UCA hitting the strut tower.

Something else is going on.

I have a 94 civic hb with h22 swap and have no axle or suspension issues whatsoever(i know this is off topic but anyways)

Inspect your ball joints.

And last but not least..IS THERE any way possible you have rear springs on the front of your car which means the springs were be a bit soft allowing tons of suspension travel.

93stealthtt

Thanks for the input guys...

The noise/vibration is the same after the spring install as it was before the spring install so I don't think that is the issue here.

The mounts appear to be no name mounts as I do not see anything stamped on them. The motor leans ever-so slightly back toward the windshield but not much. I had a friend get in the car and hold the brake and let the clutch out to see if the motor would twist and it did just a tiny bit, I mean a tiny bit so the mounts are solid; just don't know if the placement of the motor is correct if that makes any sense.

And I'll have to check with the previous owner about the axles (although I will probably get a left-field lie), because I do not know what brand they are.

And about the ball joints, you can check them with the car jacked up and grab ahold of the wheels at 12-o'clock and 6-o'clock and shake them and if they had play they are bad, correct?

This vibration happens whenever you hit a hard dip/bump in the road; or, when you're turning to the left and the right front has a slight load on it; or, under hard acceleration you can feel it just slightly...but like I said I don't know but it looks like the axels are not rubbing on the pinch forks. But I'm about at wits end.

ej7attack

axle bind