What is the correct way to lower my 1st Gen CRX?

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First the basics- the early CRX has torsion bars, rather than springs in the front. Honda used T-bars to save space, reduce unsprung weight and allow a lower front profile. In the rear, there is a beam axle located by trailing arms and a Panhard bar with coil springs. Inside the rear axle is a torsion bar that acts as a rear sway bar. In the front, there is a conventional sway bar. To lower the car, you need shorter springs and reset torsion bars ***Important Note*** When you lower the rear, the axle moves closer to the driver`s side. To correctly reposition the rear axle to the center of the car, you will need an adjustable Panhard bar. They are available from www.opmmotorsports.com and www.redpepperracing.com. Coil overs are the best way to lower the rear. www.ground-control.com sells a couple different options for coil overs. If you are cheap you can use the rear springs from the Civic Wagon or the Integra and cut one coil off. Cutting coil springs is generally not a good idea, but the simplicity of the CRX rear suspension allows a measure of crudeness. In the front, the front torsion bars can be adjusted lower about 1/2\" by loosening the adjustment nut underneath the car on each side. To get the front really low, you will need to take the torsion bars out and reposition them 1 notch lower. If your car is a 100% racecar, get the thickest torsion bars you can find (OPM Motorsports has a selection). Lowering the car reduces suspension travel. You can increase suspension travel by filing off the brake line bracket on the front struts and positioning the struts 1-inch lower in the front knuckles. Camber plates will also give you some more suspension travel at the top of the strut. Adjustable struts are expensive, but they allow you the opportunity to fine-tune your suspension. If you are not racing, maybe you do not need adjustable struts. Increasing camber and caster will wear out your tires faster, but will help you on the racetrack. An alternative to camber plates is to bolt on the lower arms from an Integra to get about 1 degree of negative camber. Caster can be added by loosening the sub-frame, pulling the entire front end forward with a winch and then re-tightening the sub-frame. Suspension Techniques and OPM sell a bolt on rear sway bar, which is a good idea to add to your car. There are many opinions about the front sway bar on the CRX. Some people suggest removing it completely, others advocate using the thicker Civic Wagon front sway bar. Changing the front sway bar is a PITA. For street and Autocross use, I kept the stock bar with new bushings.

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