So the coilovers werent that bad to install huh? Im about to put coilovers on mine because my springs were heated. the person that did it was a moron. i heard the coilovers made the ride pretty bouncy, is that true? Do they ride good? And also did u have to get a camber adjustment kit when u put the coilovers on because right now my cam*ber is way off from the ghetto way my car was lowered, im thinking of getting the dropzone coilovers with the stock shock. well email me back im very interested in hearing from u as i will be doing the work soon.
I really need to put up an FAQ of some sort because I get a lot of the same sort of questions from other people. :^)
The VIS VSpec-II that I have was easy and straight forward. I've also installed the Skunk2 kit and some other "generic" brands. Basically they're all pretty much the same.
As to being too bouncy, that will depend on the springs that come with whatever kit, the shocks that you are going to be using and how low you plan to go.
Most people try to reuse the stock shocks which will work but will be very bouncy. The reason for this is because the shock is now in a sort of "compressed" state and unable to dampen properly and so you're pretty much riding on the "springs" only. If you only plan to lower the car an inch via the adjustable coil over kit, then you might be able to get away with using the stock shocks. My recommendation (as well as many others) is to just replace the stock shock with a performance shock. Something like the Tokico and KYB are very affordable and common.
The springs that came with my kit, however, I felt were too soft and so I just replaced them with a set of Eibach Sport's that I had originally purchased for the car. The ride is a bit stiffer but now the car handles the way I like and it fits my current driving style.
When it comes to ride quality, this is really a personal opinion. What seems harsh and stiff to someone else may seem perfectly fine and normal to you (and vice versa). You also have to take the wheel and tires into consideration. My current wheels are 16 x 7 inch with 205/40-16 tires. Not much sidewall and it doesn't absorb bumps as well as my 14 inch Del Sol rims with the 195/60-14 inch tires.
I also typically run my car with a 1 to 1.5 inch drop. The Eibach springs are kinda stiff but the Tokico that I have on there are kinda soft (though not as soft as stock) so they kind of balance each other out. Most people that have ridden with me comment on how smooth it rides (even with the low profile tires). When I run with the car down between 2 and 2.5 inches (about as low as I can go and still be able to drive), the ride gets noticeably stiffer and unforgiving.
As to a camber kit. You don't really need one but if you can swing the cost, then get one. I have (and have STILL yet to install...) the Ingalls camber kit (front and rear).
When I run my car at what I call the "daily driving" setting (which is 1 to 1.5 inch of drop), I have about a negative one (-1) degree of front camber and the rear wheels are pretty much at zero degrees. When I run the car down below 2 inches (the pics on my site show my car sitting are the 2.5 inch drop), the front camber has been measured to be as much as negative two (-2) and the rear close to negative one (-1).
One thing about camber kits, if you plan and want to run your car down around or below the 2 inch mark is that when you go to adjust the camber, sometimes the top of the tires will rub or hit the inside of the fender (this of course also depends on what your wheel size, width and offset is) and so you are forced to raise it. Or flare the fenders.
As for the adjustable coil over kit that you are looking to get, which I believe is made by GMP Performance, I've not had much experience with them other than I know they offer two kits - the traditional sleeve kit that slips over the body of the shock and the full bodied style (which is basically a shock with the adjustable perch integrated into the body of the shock). And they've been around for almost 30 years now... At least 20 or 25...
I didn't know they made one for the CRX. I know they made them for the 6th or 7th Generation Civic's but it's been awhile since I last looked at what they offer.
But most are copies of other designs where it's a threaded sleeve that slips over the body of the shock with an adjustable perch. As mentioned earlier in my reply, I strongly recommend that you not use your stock shocks.
And whatever you do (using the stock shocks or a performance shock), DO NOT RUN WITHOUT THE BUMP STOP! If needed, cut the stop.
As in my tech article, I did have to cut mine about a half inch when I was using the stock shock. But when I later went to a set of Tokico, I replaced the stops with new ones from the dealer and I found, for whatever reason, I did not have to cut them. I suspect that my stock shocks were just worn out in general (it did have a lot of miles on them...).
And while on the topic of the bump stops, I've seen some kits include their version of the bump stop which is nothing more than a flat piece of rubber that goes between the top of the spring and the bottom of the spring holder/cup. I've even seen one where it's made of metal. THESE THINGS ARE USELESS AND YOU MIGHT AS WELL NOT BE RUNNING WITH BUMP STOPS AT ALL! That, of course, is my personal opinion ~ other's will most likely differ. :^)
Anyway... if you do get the one from DropZone, please let me know what you think (installation, how it performs, etc...) of them.
CRX Owners Group President (http://www.crx.org/southcal)
1990 Honda CRXsi (http://www.hooligan.cc)
ICQ # 3714283 (nickname: godzilla)
Alpine Drive (San Diego County) - February 8, 2003
http://www.crx.org/southcal/events.html
