ok..i ground off the brake line holder on my front struts and slid the strut down through the fork, the car lowered about an inch in the front and rides better in front......what kind of mod can i do to the back struts to make it ride better/lower a bit more to match the front....i have a 90 crx si

 

You're using sleeve coilovers right?

Anyways, you can't modify the rears, all you do is to use extended top hats. Buy em from GC or weld your own.

 

no coilovers here.....i have jamex drop springs, but i have been using stock struts...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chickenandpickles &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">no coilovers here.....i have jamex drop springs, but i have been using stock struts...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Extending your existing rear top hats is your only option then. The only thing is that it will not lower your rear ride height to match the front...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Extending your existing rear top hats is your only option then. The only thing is that it will not lower your rear ride height to match the front...</TD></TR></TABLE>

can someone please explain a little more about "extending your top hats"?

I think this is a route I need to take, but need more info, can it be done on front & back? And basically, am I just extending the shock to give it a better ride?

 

Sounds like you understand the concept perfectly. The upper pivot point of the shock is raised higher so that the piston is extended further at any given ride height. This allows the suspension to compress more than normal provided that your new Top hats allow the shock body to actually enter the top hat. If your extension is has too small of an inner diameter, the shocks body will just crash into the top hat instead of landing on the bump stop. This will destroy the shock & top hat...

There was a whole thread on DIY extended top hats (click here to read)...

(Pic stolen from "Travis")

 

thanks a bunch...check out the thread I just made to give you a better explanation of the siuation I'm dealing with right now https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1240214

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 94eg! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Extending your existing rear top hats is your only option then. The only thing is that it will not lower your rear ride height to match the front...</TD></TR></TABLE>

extended top hats are NOT the solution. they will just limit droop if used alone.

since you dont have adjustable springs, you need to cut your rear springs. yeah, it sounds such taboo, but its the only thing you can do except switch the rears to an adjustable spring kit. im guessing the rears are progressively wound with a few dead coils up top, if you just cut one of the "dead" coils, then you wont affect anything adversely really. to do it right, then the hardest part will be grinding down the top of the spring flat.

keep in mind, doing it this way youve lost some shock travel in the rear. which you can regain with then using extended top hats. but its typically not needed in the rear, but you might want to since youre using street rates. usually ppl who run 600-900lb springs in the rear who dont need the shock travel.

 

hmm....do you think i can get away with using a stack of thick washers instead of the tubing, just cut the bushing top off, put a stack of thick washers in between, then place the bushing part on and tightening everything down?...it would be nice to do the mod without having to weld, since i dont have a welder....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chickenandpickles &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hmm....do you think i can get away with using a stack of thick washers instead of the tubing, just cut the bushing top off, put a stack of thick washers in between, then place the bushing part on and tightening everything down?...it would be nice to do the mod without having to weld, since i dont have a welder....</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't think you get it. You have to cut the top off, and weld the tube in between the top & bottom. There is no place for "washers", or whatever, to go...

 

let me put it this way......can i do this mod without welding the pieces back together....wouldnt everything just tighten up and be stationary after tightening down the coil on the strut ?

 

um... no.

i dont think the two of you are listening. extended top hats are not going to help you bring your rear level to your fronts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">um... no.

i dont think the two of you are listening. extended top hats are not going to help you bring your rear level to your fronts. </TD></TR></TABLE>

In his original question, he wanted lower AND better ride in the rear. I have given him a soloution to the "Better" portion of his question. You told how to get the "Lower" portion. The problem here is that he doesn't seem to understand how the upper mount works...

If he doesn't understand that the extended top hats don't lower the car, then he needs to re-read my posts...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chickenandpickles &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">let me put it this way......can i do this mod without welding the pieces back together....wouldnt everything just tighten up and be stationary after tightening down the coil on the strut ?</TD></TR></TABLE>

If the two portions of the top hat are not welded back together, when you hit a hard bump, your shock pistons are gonna pop up and punch a hole into your interior. Also, your dampers won't be able to do their job properly. Not to mention washers are not going to space out the upper mount properly...

If you don't want to do it correctly, don't do it at all. Your going to ruin your car because you want to save a few bucks. These arn't the things you should be trying if you don't understand the priciples...

 

Another thing that needs mentioning. You can't move the brake line bracket up without coilovers. Well, you physically can, but you're just lowering your car and losing suspension travel.

What you would need to do is to use sleeve coilovers, and raise your perch the same distance that you raised your bracket.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by erikiksaz1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Another thing that needs mentioning. You can't move the brake line bracket up without coilovers. Well, you physically can, but you're just lowering your car and losing suspension travel.

What you would need to do is to use sleeve coilovers, and raise your perch the same distance that you raised your bracket. </TD></TR></TABLE>

um, yeah you can. and you dont lose suspension (shock) travel. suspension travel is actaully not changed at all when you JUST lower the shock in the fork.*

adjustable springs are actually needed only because you run into the problem this guy is having.

if you lowered your car FIRST with an adjustable spring kit or lowering springs, then lowering your shock gives you BACK your shock travel. you never really gain suspension travel, you just get back whats lost.

*i forgot this guy is using lowering springs as well. so yeah, now he's gained back some of his lost suspension travel.

 

this is all kind of funny to think of all the trouble. if you were to do this without adjustable spring kits, what you could do is use something like eibach PRO kit springs up front, lower the shock in the fork to regain the lost shock travel, but also lowers the car even further. then use eibach RACE kit springs in the rear, to equalize the extra lowering up front. which then i would suggest using extended top hats to safely maintain enough shock travel in the rear...

end result is a rather low ride height, without coming any closer to riding your bumpstops than stock.

which reminds me why i keep my stock springs on...

 

[QUOIf the two portions of the top hat are not welded back together, when you hit a hard bump, your shock pistons are gonna pop up and punch a hole into your interior. Also, your dampers won't be able to do their job properly. Not to mention washers are not going to space out the upper mount properly...


i dont think you understand the proposed question.....how would the piston bust through the interior with the top put back on and nut tightened back on the top of the strut..? all im wondering is if you can substitute the little piece of pipe with some washers, then put the top back on and install...how would the strut shake apart if it is tightened back up completely..?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by chickenandpickles &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


i dont think you understand the proposed question.....how would the piston bust through the interior with the top put back on and nut tightened back on the top of the strut..? all im wondering is if you can substitute the little piece of pipe with some washers, then put the top back on and install...how would the strut shake apart if it is tightened back up completely..?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

NO you do not understand the suspension at all, if you stacked up washers you would be doing the exact OPPOSITE of what you are trying to do.

 

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

 

Ok people, lets not get our panties in a bunch. Instead of just saying "no the washers would not work, explain why. Heres why, by adding the washers you and simply entending the shock rod by an inch or two, but keeping the top hat in the same location, and the bump stop would still bottom out on the top hat. By cutting the top hat and extending it an inch or two, you are entending the shock rod, but allowing the shock itself (+bump stop) to travel up into the extension if needed due to hitting a larger bump. Therefore by cutting the top hat, you would gave yourself about another inch or two of shock travel.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zumiez007 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok people, lets not get our panties in a bunch. Instead of just saying "no the washers would not work, explain why. Heres why, by adding the washers you and simply entending the shock rod by an inch or two, but keeping the top hat in the same location, and the bump stop would still bottom out on the top hat. By cutting the top hat and extending it an inch or two, you are entending the shock rod, but allowing the shock itself (+bump stop) to travel up into the extension if needed due to hitting a larger bump. Therefore by cutting the top hat, you would gave yourself about another inch or two of shock travel.</TD></TR></TABLE>

again you wrong i really REALLY wish people would STOP spreading miss information.

and explaining droop isn't that easy, and explaining it to someone who understands nothing about suspension is NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE.

besides there are threads on HT were knowledgeable people have discussed it

 

If we are so wrong as you state, Please educate us on what were are wrong about and correct the problem. Just by saying, "your wrong" doesn't help anyone.

I was simply trying to explain as i saw it, why adding washers would not work. And in my explanation it fits and makes sense.

 

adding washers ANY place on the top part of the shock wont do any thing, or adding them between the top hat and the metal "stoper" on the damper would simply extend your droop.

doing the OPPOSITE of what the "extended" hat would do. your shock has a given amount of travel you can't change it.

droop- is the amount you suspension "droops" when the suspension is completely unweighted, IE your car is on jack stands. By extended the top of the damper shaft and top hat mounting point up wards you limit your droop.

again if you search around there is alot of info on this from some very very knowledgeable people on this site.

agian the SEARCH function found by clicking, https://honda-tech.com/zerosearch , is very usefull, some of the most educated people on this site don't come into this forum and they post information ONCE and it is there for you to find and read.