I'm hoping some of you guys can shed some light on what I found tonight. I was throwing some new rear discs on and found what you see in the pictures. There's a bit of cracking around a small plate that appears to be "on top" of the subframe. It doesn't look like it's welded on so it sort of separated. The other side is totally flush.

My last bad off was almost two years ago at buttonwillow that destroyed a splitter and maybe this? Last two events were this past December at T-Hill and Laguna Seca. I had no offs and can't imagine what else would cause the subframe to bend like this. I haven't noticed it any other time I was under the car.

I know it doesn't look major, but I'm really, really concerned. Thanks for any insight you guys might have!

Cheers,
Nick


and

 

No Subframe brace?
Can you take the parts off the subframe so it shows it better?

 

could maybe be a mixture of how old the car is and how much stress it's been put under.
i would imagine that with a little welding and the addition of a subframe brace you will be okay.

 

remove lca and brace and weld gl. and yeah a subframe brace might help.

 

Ahh,the infamous subframe...

 

No subframe brace because the rear sway on a CRX doesn't attach to the subframe. I'll be taking the parts of next week and will have to post better pictures. Damnit.

 

Time for a ASR brace: http://passwordjdm.com/ASR-Subframe-...-P2964C10.aspx

 

Nick,
That looks totally normal to me! I wouldn't bother removing parts because it doesn't look like anything is wrong.
The subframe on the EF is something that should be checked after every track weekend because they are particularly weak. They normally develop cracks in the center of them first.
You have a lower "tie" bar between the inner points of the LCA and that's the minimum I recommend for people doing trackdays with an EF!

 

Okay...you're making me feel better.

I'm going to take the LCA off, pound that lower lip on the subframe straight and will be ordering the ASR brace. I won't run their sway, because I'd rather just run the ST sway since it DOESN'T attach to the subframe.

 

clean it up a little and take a couple mroe pics, but that looks bent not cracked

 

NO. DON'T take the rear LCA off before pounding on the subframe. You'll end up bending it and you won't be able to get the LCA back on.
If it really bothers you that much, leave the LCA on and hit it back in to shape.

If you plan to do more track days, leave it alone! That is just what happens when you run these cars at the track. Take the tiger teeth down the center of the car and they hit that spot on the subframe. If you pound it back to shape, you'll bend it again. The more times you bend it back and forth, the weaker it'll get.
At least where it is now, it's not likely to bend anymore, it'll now start to grind down!

Welcome to the world of track-day EF's!

 

^^ Is the Jaques Custeau of the crx and it's associated sub-frame....

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Good points...especially about the bending back and forth. I'm just going to throw on an ASR brace and leave it alone.

Been trackin' this car since '05 and it's still really, really nice. I'll be buried with it so that's why I get so ancy when things get messed up. This is exactly why I'm going to start building a different car starting this year