Okay, the wheel spacing on my CRX is way off up front. The rear is fine, but on the front, my front left corner is higher than the front right corner. You can tell easily just by looking at the wheel spacing in the wheel well or by simply putting some fingers in there and gauging the distance that way. It's a few fingers difference in spacing. Who knows what the problem is? I suspect its the lowering springs, probably one is slightly different or something is wrong with it, the reason I say that is before the motor swap I had done at a shop around here, the spacing problem was on the other side! I have NEW Tokico gas shocks that got put on during that swap so it has nothing to do with that because the problem existed before they were even installed. It has to be the springs, but if I'm overlooking something, please let me know. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

whenever you install suspension parts you need to do an alignment

 

nothing to do with alignment.

totally normal. all cars are like that. just uneven weight distribution.

 

normal? I highly doubt it! I hope your cars corners are higher or lower and you think its normal.

 

Oh my god, an alignment. I swear I said only people that know what they're talking about. The uneven weight distribution is a better guess, but I already though of that and the engine even sits more to the side that is higher so I don't think it's that.

 

here's your other answer.

the stock rubber bushings are made of a inner metal sleeve and an outer metal sleeve. there is rubber filled between the two and bonded to the surface of both sleeves. the inner sleeve can only rotate so much relative to the outer sleeve because the rubber only allows so much stretch. it also stretches elastically, like a spring. bushings actually contribute to the spring rate of your suspension. when you tighten the bolt to the bushing, it locks the relative position of the inner sleeve to the outer sleeve, plus the range of motion and spring force the bushing allows.

if you do not reset your bushings, then the bushing is forced to be in a stretched position most of the time at an outer range of the intended motion, instead of resting at the middle, unstretched position. and once you over stretch the bushing, it loses its capacity to stretch and breaks the rubber like a rubber band. which is how you easily kill a bushing. gone is the spring rate of the bushing and will likely deteriorate faster and cause slop in positioning the inner sleeve concentric to the outer sleeve.

aftermarket urethane bushings dont have this problem since the inner sleeve can rotate freely inside (which also causes the squeaks). but they have other issues of their own i dont need to go into now.

to reset your bushings, put the car on 4 jackstands. take the wheels off. loosen the suspension bolts. put a jack under one of the suspension corners and raise it until that corner is off the jack stand. bounce the car a bit. then tighten. dont forget to tighten a bolt youve already loosened.


but it really is normal that ride heights are uneven.

 

Yo SohcZcCrx

My rex is like that too. I've got about 1/4 inch difference on my front right side and it bother's the hell out of me.

Tyson, thanks for the info, that sounds like what I may have considering I've been tightening my suspension while not compressed like you mentioned. I've got blown bushings (upper/lower/tie rod) all on the right side too. I've got the whole energy bushings set just need time to install them, so I'll make sure to compress and tighten.

Good luck SohcZcCrx

JG

 

i agree with tyson, my car was like that too, until i did what he had mentioned in his post

 

Unfortunately for me, Im talkin about like an inch difference in spacing. But now that you mention bushings Im getting a mental picture of my sway bat with a huge gap in the bushing and the lower control arm ON THAT SIDE, probably about a half inch or so. And the bolt isnt even tightened in all the way. My cousin had this car before me and he was a crackhead for a while, so you can imagine what kind of things Im having to work through with it. Check out my other thread about my turn signals, if you know anything about wiring in crxs or know where to get the info. thanks ill check my suspension later today...i do have polyeurethane bushings though...(aftermarket sway bars and bushings)

 

I think its my springs.