I have a 91 crx with koni/GC and have been noticing some awkward handling characteristics of the care lately. I have noticed the suspension feels as though its not actually working and the car will hobble over bumps or imperfections. Upon checking the car out it looks as if it is riding on the bumpstops. Is there any way to get around this other then raising the car back up another inch? Would the SPSS3 valving and shortening give me some more suspension travel.

More information:
450F/400R springrates
rebound adjustment is in the middle front and rear
The car is not excessively low ( will upload a photo)
the bushings on the car were all replaced
GC tophats as well
No oem dustcovers or boots were used

 

If it is riding on the bumpstops, it is excessively low, whether you wish to call it that or not.

Raise it up some.

 

I understand that however, I am very curious how everyone else is driving around generally lower then I am and is not noticing anything? For refference here are the photos of my ride height. Most cars and photos I am seeing of other autox cars are either at my height or a bit lower???

 

too low? hmm never heard of such a thing.. haha

you could either cut your bumpstops or get some low profile bumpstops

 

Is that a camber kit I see up front? Is the UCA potentially hitting the shock tower and causing the "suspension feels like it isn't working" sensation?

 

It is a camber kit. The car felt the same way before hand however. It would be great if that was the cause of the problem though. I guess my only plan of attack at this point is to raise the car up. Will The Koni Shortened and SPSS3 valved dampers allow me to run the car lower without riding on the bumpstops or is that smiply something i will have to deal with reguardless of shock spring combinations?

 

I attempted to raise the car up an inch and was only able to get three sides up higher. The front right (passenger side) was already beginning to compress the spring and I could not get more then a half turn on that side.

The ride seems a bit better, but the car is not really street legal so I wont be able to do alot of testing other then putting around the neighborhood.

any other ideas, tips, tricks to get some more shock travel?

 

Did you get both front tires up off the ground while adjusting front ride height? If not, and if you have a front swaybar, that will prevent you from being able to raise it easily.

Shock fork trick, if that works for a CRX.

 

the car has no front swaybar on it and both were in the air when adjusting anyways. The shock fork trick seems as though it would be bad for the shock. Wouldnt there need to be a new divit placed in the shock body for the bolt to pass by?

 

same tires i have. LOVE em

 

Nah. The divot is really only there to help make it easier to get the bolt in.

 

I looked earlier if there was no divot then the body of the shock would get marred up from the bolt threading itself along the side of it.

 

How are you on the bump stops??
Im lower and don't touch them

 

My teg was a inch lower and rarely bottomed out, and rode like a dream. gc agx combo.

 

Now you see where my confusion is coming from? It seems to ride a bit better with it up higher an inch. Ill dive into the problem a bit further after the autox this weekend.

 

Did you try the old cable tie on the damper shaft to see whether you actually are using up all of the available stroke? Also what bumpstops are you using? I don't know much about double wishbone hondas but can you use a shorter bumpstop without running into tyre to chassis or suspension to chassis interference?

 

I did not. I can physically look in the fenderwell and see the bumpstop resting on the shock body...

 

did you forget to cut the bumpstops? My car came with uncut ones and i bought koni shocks with coils and those were not cut. Lots of people must not know much about suspensions.

 

That is a pretty bold statement for the random things you are spouting off. Koni/GC reccomends the bumpstops not be cut with the GC tophats. You should be carefull cutting bumpstops. Going to far will put your shock in the dangerzone!

 

Cutting them in half is too far? I wasn't saying you don't know anything i was talking about the previous owner of my car and the guy i bought the koni's off. Neither of which had koni/gc.... If i were you i would at least cut them a little.

 

I may contemplate it after checking the shock stroke further after this weekend.

 

With the way the bump stops sits in the extended top hats you shouldn't have to cut them.

 

Im going to pull everything off this week and recheck to make sure it is all assembled and raise the circlips on the shock body to the top position. Ill post whatever my findings are.

 

The cir clip is apparently already on the topmost slot. I was however a bit upset after checking on my spring-rates it appears I was sent 350/250 instead of the 400/450 i requested. I still dont see how everyone else is riding around lower then me and not on the bump stops however when I clearly am...

 

From what I've heard the CRX chassis isn't the same as other civics. Meaning, you're pretty much as low as you can go. Correct me if I'm wrong?


EDIT: Check out post 5

http://crxcommunity.com/viewtopic.ph...02aa94cb357090