We cleaned up as much of the rust as we could from the hubs and reassembled the upright. We replaced the balljoints with OEM replacements from Hardrace, then we pressed the hubs back in. We also picked up a set of new axle retaining nuts to make sure our new suspension stays together.We replaced both inner and outer tie rods. I wanted a set of Hardrace hardened inner tie rods but the lead time was up to 6 months. We settled for Delphi OEM replacements instead.For outer tie rods we went with Pro Car Innovations’ adjustable tie rods. The bearing in these tie rods is much larger than stock for better steering control. They are also shimmed so we can adjust out bumpsteer. These are designed to mount to the topside of the knuckle like stock and are not meant for overly lowered cars.After weeks of after work wrenching, degreasing, pressing, hammering, drilling, and busted knuckles we have a front end worthy of a racecar. No more rubber bushings, no more crusty wheel bearings, and no more grease oozing balljoints. We even have freshened brakes to make sure our Civic stops on a dime! The Kingpin arms are so buttery smooth that with the damper unbolted you can lift the entire suspension assembly with two fingers. It is insane how little stiction there is in our suspension. Once we get the rest of the car assembled we can align the car and see how much better our Civic handles. We’ll be covering the rear end and brake work soon, so stay tuned!
I absolutely loved the Kingpin spherical bearing setup on Project S2000. All that suspension work is going to transform the car. What can you do to stiffen the chassis within the rules?
Well it’s already got a rollcage and front strut tower brace. We can add a few more per the rules. I would like to add to the cage as it is very basic. Could use some extra diagonals.
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Really looking forward to updates. This takes me back to Sport Compact Car days.
Glad it brings back happy memories. Got lots more coming. Thanks for reading!
I absolutely loved the Kingpin spherical bearing setup on Project S2000. All that suspension work is going to transform the car. What can you do to stiffen the chassis within the rules?
Well it’s already got a rollcage and front strut tower brace. We can add a few more per the rules. I would like to add to the cage as it is very basic. Could use some extra diagonals.