Hi,

I just finnished overhauling my rear suspension on my '90 DX hatch.


What I changed:

-Energy Suspension poly bushings on the LCAs, both inner and outer ends.

-OEM Honda trailing arm bushings. Installed with the long end towards the inside. Part number: 52385-SR3-000

-OEM Honda compensator arms, both sides. Part number: 52341-SJ4-000

-OEM Honda upper arms, both sides. Part numbers: 52400-SR3-000 & 52390-SR0-A00

I had a hard time getting the LCAs to go in properly, they were offset towards the front of the car a bit. Both sides did this, equally.




I just pryed them into place and torqued everything down then gave the car an alignment.

Now, it rides really rough and bouncy. The rear end of the car is very stiff. It's especially noticable when going over speedbumps, the front one rolls over niceley then the rear goes over and sends everything in the cargo area flying. It's quite stiff.

Obviously whatever was causing me problems trying to get everything together is now making the suspension bind.

Problem is, I don't know what could possibly be wrong.

When re-installing, I had all arms already bolted to the trailing arm assembly. I bolted up the upper arms first, then the compensator arm, then the trailing arm bushing bracket, then the lower control arm.

I hightly doubt anything is bent because 1) from a visual inspection everthing was very straight 2) both sides did the exact same thing, equally. So if something was bent, then something on both sides was bent, equally.

The replacement parts I received seem to be the right ones, holding up the old ones beside the new ones shows them all to be the same length.

So help me out guys, what the heck could possibly causing this?

Pictures if they help any:

 

Damn good work but you should of at least put disc breaks on for all that...good work peace...MOE@HYPER16VALVE...

 

god damn! all that rust and ****

 

Yeah it's a canadian car....we have rust.
Oh well, it's just my winter pizza delivery beater. Which is why I'm pissed at it because it's taking too much of my money/time.

IMHO disks arn't needed in the back....as long as I can lock up the wheels bigger/"better" brakes arn't going to do anything other than take longer to fade, which is hard to get on the street when it's -30 out like it was today.


Anyone know why **** is binding up? Anyone ever have their LCAs put up a good fight trying to re-install them?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SkipMic2006 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">god damn! all that rust and **** </TD></TR></TABLE>

damm that is very rusty.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Run Away &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Anyone know why **** is binding up? Anyone ever have their LCAs put up a good fight trying to re-install them?</TD></TR></TABLE>

With the polyurethane bushings, it's sorta tough to install the arms into the suspension pick-up points on the chassis, and the shock mounts, but it's not too bad. You just have to shimmy them in there. I'm not really sure why you're binding up. Have you actually tried pushing down on the rear of the car and seeing if anything moves?

Open the tailgate (too keep from bending the sheet metal), and push down on the car and see how it moves. Is the suspension travelling at all?

Also, WOW your car is rusty underneath!!! It looks like it was in the ocean for a while!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Run Away &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Anyone know why **** is binding up? Anyone ever have their LCAs put up a good fight trying to re-install them?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep lol, try using the scissor jack and jack them up to where you can get the bolt through lol, works miracles! Yes that rust is scary! I'd watch those struts!

 

Try loosening everything (to hand tight) and installing them then torque everything together. MAybe when u installed the comp arms it wacked out your geometry?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by djphonics &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">With the polyurethane bushings, it's sorta tough to install the arms into the suspension pick-up points on the chassis, and the shock mounts, but it's not too bad. You just have to shimmy them in there. I'm not really sure why you're binding up. Have you actually tried pushing down on the rear of the car and seeing if anything moves?

Open the tailgate (too keep from bending the sheet metal), and push down on the car and see how it moves. Is the suspension travelling at all?

Also, WOW your car is rusty underneath!!! It looks like it was in the ocean for a while!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah if I bounce the rear of the car everything seems pretty normal in the way it moves (no noises either), but there's no way that just those couple of poly bushings I put it made the car as stiff as it is....driving down roucgher roads, my head is going like a bobble head. That shouldn't happen with OEM springs and shocks.

Boosted Chemist:
That's more or less what I did, everything in loose then torqued down.

When we did the alignment, we couldn't get it all the way into spec, but it was damn close. I think the toe was +0.10 total. Camber was dead on.

 

+1 for "loading" each corner before torquing the bolts.

 

If I were you I wouldn't bother with that car anymore.......that thing is rustyyyyyyyyyy..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CroSi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If I were you I wouldn't bother with that car anymore.......that thing is rustyyyyyyyyyy..</TD></TR></TABLE>

ive seen alot worst in ny driving around. Its not that bad, sand it down and bondo it your good for 2-3 years.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Run Away &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When we did the alignment, we couldn't get it all the way into spec, but it was damn close. I think the toe was +0.10 total. Camber was dead on.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats really weird that you can't dial your toe in far enough, sounds like something could be up with your compensator arms, they are what mainly controls toe in and out. Thats merely a suggestion as I am probably wrong, just trying to help out.

 

Just updating for people who search in the future...I hate it when I'm trying to solve a problem and someone has had the same problem but never posts the fix after the thread has died.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fireant &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">+1 for "loading" each corner before torquing the bolts.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This was my problem.

I loosened all the bolts and put the car back down on the wheels then torqued them down again with the vehicle weight on the suspension...worked, it rides beautifully now.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

Im glad it all worked out