I'm trying to figure out why my axles are binding. The guy I bought this hatch from said "I may be the only one to have gotten this to work". I realize now that the front LCA's on my car are from a GS-R to support the front GS-R sway bar.

I've been searching to try to find anyone else with that setup but I've had no luck. I've looked up part numbers, and schematics and have verified that my front LCA's are in fact from a 98-01 GS-R. The sway bar end link holes are facing vertial.



The end links attach to the sway bar and then have a threaded stud to connect to the sway bar as pictured above, and sectioned off to the right in the picture.

Can anyone tell me if this is wrong and could be causing my axles to bind? I took my car to Honda and they said my axles are too long, but that could be because they front LCA's are from a GS-R. The JDM company who sent me my setup gave me DA axles. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

and i bump

 

something is majorly wrong. gsr front lca's do not fit on a ek properly. completely different geometry.

 

http://www.slhondaparts.com has WAY better parts drawings.

 

Well regardless of LCA's i would think that axle length would be the problem not the LCA. If there is something im not understanding, please enlighten me. As far as i know all the civics and tegs LCA's only differenciate by sway bar mounting.

Also axles from any car that came with a b series should be the same length right?

 

I have GSR LCA's on my EK/EJ and they work fine. The only thing I changed was the body to LCA bushing because I prefer the design of the EK/EJ bushings.

The two pictures with the stamped LCA's are showing Civic SI LCA's. The Standard EX/DX LCA's are cast iron just like the GSR ones.

Maybe the axles are just bad? I'm pretty sure all B series axles are the same.

 

bump....but could the problem be in the knuckles? mabey theyre eg/dc knucks and the might set the axle at the wrong angle? anyone?

 

i'll take some decent pictures when i get home tonight with the wheel off. Maybe we can identify exactly what brake/LCA setup i have going here.

 

I have Integra knuckles on my EK/EJ. They're all pretty interchangable. You really have 3 kinds of hub though. CX/DX hubs that were used with the D series engines and small brakes. SI/DC2/EX hubs that are wider and were used with the upgraded braked and R hubs that are 5 lug and wider still.

I'd think the actual axles could be the same for all 3 hubs though.

 

ok, here are some pics from my setup. Sorry for the huge pics.




Modified by djmatix at 10:50 PM 1/6/2007

 

Those are standard Civic EX LCA's. Look at the bushing on the body side. That thrust washer looking part's only on the EK and newer and not on the Tegs. The fact the LCA has a hole to mount a sway bar also tells you it's EX. The CX/DX's didn't have front sway bars and didn't have the sway bar mount hole.

What's the diameter of the rotor? If it's 10.2" then the brakes are the upgraded EX/DC2/SI style brakes.

That looks like an SI sway bar which probably won't work with your LCA's. New EX sway bar's only $100 or so. I'd sell that bar and buy and EX or better sway bar.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MasterKwan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Those are standard Civic EX LCA's. Look at the bushing on the body side. That thrust washer looking part's only on the EK and newer and not on the Tegs. The fact the LCA has a hole to mount a sway bar also tells you it's EX. The CX/DX's didn't have front sway bars and didn't have the sway bar mount hole.

What's the diameter of the rotor? If it's 10.2" then the brakes are the upgraded EX/DC2/SI style brakes.

That looks like an SI sway bar which probably won't work with your LCA's. New EX sway bar's only $100 or so. I'd sell that bar and buy and EX or better sway bar. </TD></TR></TABLE> umm...will that fix the binding problem???

 

What binding problem? Lots of suspension pics, no sign of binding problems in any of them. Basically there's nothing wrong with the suspension I can see. The shock fork looks at bit funny and someone's using the wrong bolts on the lower shock fork (and the bolt's in backwards) but, that shouldn't affect the axles.

That side has the idler shaft to the tranny. Did you check the bearing in that thing?

That brake line's in picture #9's an accident waiting to happen. You ought to cable tie that thing up or something's going to pinch or cut it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MasterKwan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What's the diameter of the rotor? If it's 10.2" then the brakes are the upgraded EX/DC2/SI style brakes. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Those are Nissin 17CL14VN calipers, so they have to be the 10.3" rotors.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That brake line's in picture #9's an accident waiting to happen. You ought to cable tie that thing up or something's going to pinch or cut it. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Indeed. Use some zip ties on that.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by djmatix &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The JDM company who sent me my setup gave me DA axles.</TD></TR></TABLE>
You couldn't be using a DA left axle unless you're using a DA intermediate shaft, because the DA left axle is male at the inboard end (DA int. shaft is female). All hydraulic-clutch B-series transmissons have a male intermediate shaft and use a female left axle.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MasterKwan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Those are standard Civic EX LCA's. Look at the bushing on the body side. That thrust washer looking part's only on the EK and newer and not on the Tegs. The fact the LCA has a hole to mount a sway bar also tells you it's EX. The CX/DX's didn't have front sway bars and didn't have the sway bar mount hole.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Aren't the 92-95 EX flca and the 96-00 EX flca very similar? (I know that the 99-00 Si is the one with the stamped steel design) And the flca of the 92-95 civic EX is most similar to the 94-01 integra, correct? If I inderstand correctly, the newer inner lca bushing is what you refer to as the thrust washer deal? as pictured here: http://img.eautopartscatalog.c...S.JPG

 

after speaking at great length with the original poster, i think he may have a clutch type lsd, which would explain the clunking at low speed.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Rodney &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">after speaking at great length with the original poster, i think he may have a clutch type lsd, which would explain the clunking at low speed..... </TD></TR></TABLE>
Lovely. I'd take a limited slip over a clunk-free car any day

I'm sure you've already mentioned to him that it can probably be minimized by using the proper oil and putting it through a break-in procedure.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Targa250R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm sure you've already mentioned to him that it can probably be minimized by using the proper oil and putting it through a break-in procedure.</TD></TR></TABLE>

he got the tranny used, and put run of the mill oil in it. i told him to swap the proper fluid in and it will minimize, but not eliminate the clunk. who knows the condition of the diff as welll...

 

I'm using a DA intermediate (female) and DA left axle (male). The passenger side is a GS-R. I've got SI axles and intermediate shaft on the way. I'll zip those brake lines out of the way, and i'm going to get some KAAZ fluid to put in the transmission.

Thanks to Rodney for REALLY knowing about differentials. Everyone else told me factory ones move both wheels at the same time.....GEEZ

 

chrisw85, similiar is correct but, not identical. I suspect you could bolt the 95 LCA's on a newer car no problem but, you lose that thrust washer looking thing which is an upgrade Honda made to the later suspensions.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MasterKwan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">chrisw85, similiar is correct but, not identical. I suspect you could bolt the 95 LCA's on a newer car no problem but, you lose that thrust washer looking thing which is an upgrade Honda made to the later suspensions. </TD></TR></TABLE>

The replacement LCA i bought for my 94 civic EX coupe are the updated ones with the better inner bushing. They only cost me about $85 ea arm new..I plan to convert my old lca to sphericals with the Orijin setup.

 

I've been thinking about doing that too. Thought I might do polyurethane first though and see how I like it. That's one of the few places on a Civic I think poly would work fine, that and the lower attachment points for the shocks.

 

ok so thanks again to rod-knee, my problem has all but dissapeared. He noted that i was using Syncromax Royal Purple in my transmission. That stuff is reallllly thin and good for stock trannies, but as for mine, which apparently has a clutch type lsd in it needs thicker fluid. So I went back to Pepboys and picked up Royal Purple "GEARMAX" which just so happens to be 75w90. Slap that in my transmission and take it for a drive. THE CLUNKING IS 99% GONE!!! I can take turns now at slow speeds, I can turn sharply and no noise. Every so often it'll "clink" but barely noticeable.

Consider me very happy. My car is now fun to drive!

 

Is is compatible with the synchros? Some gear lubes eat synchros. You might want to try "MT-90" and you must use a friction modifier or you'll wear the LSD out fast. I use MT-90 in my civic/track car.