About Madness
How did this Madness Shop Manual thing even come about?
I started ProjectCRX just after finishing my b18a1 -> 91 CRX Si swap, and several people came to me asking for advice. On the forums and resource boards I was visiting at the time, I was not able to easily link back to my main build thread on SHO, so I decided to compile/concatenate all the info I had come up with and put it in one place. From there, I kept coming across little bits of information that I found to be useful and wanted to share, and what you see today is the result of those efforts.
Who?
As the lead designer/author/editor, I struggle from time to time to give regular updates, and depend on you, my readers, to inspire me to continue. Even though I started doing this for myself, I’m not the only person who visits (and I’d like to keep it that way). I can normally be found either working on websites for other people, or documenting car build-ups (mine or anybody else’s who happens to be around). Here’s me in action, tearing down a 327ci SBC for my Datsun.
Why Madness Shop Manual?
The biggest reason the Madness Shop Manual is still around is because it’s still authentic. The focus remains solidly planted around backyard engineering and hitting things with a hammer until they work better.
What should I expect here?
Weekly updates of useful shop tips, DIY articles, and updates on my own projects where I put these suggestions into real-world use. Sometimes I get around to posting more than once a week, and sometimes it’s not directly technical information (some news is hard to pass up), but I’ll always come back to the good get-your-hands-dirty articles. Feel free to post comments with a realistic expectation that they will receive a response. I am infinitely more interested in what you want to hear about than in what I could blather on about.
I truly hope you enjoy your stay here and walk away with some useful information. If you feel the need to contact me, feel free to send me an email. I love hearing success stories, comments/suggestions, ideas for articles, and technical questions or recommendation requests.
March 3, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Hi, I just bought a mint 91 SI bone stock. I want to upgrade the suspension and handling. Please let me know which shocks ect. I may want. I also want to replace all wear components, like ball joints. Should I buy genuine Honda, or are any “OEM” parts ok. I am shooting for on rails,, also recommend a new master cylinder and other stuff. Once all this is done, I will make minor changes to the engine. My car has 59k on it and is MINT.
March 3, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Wow, 59k is a helluva find! Congratulations!
As far as suspension, it really depends on your budget. There are a lot of reasons for me having no part review section on this site, but my personal recommendation is to get an Energy Suspension bushing kit, KYB AGX shocks, and a set of H&R Sport springs. It’s not exactly handling on rails, but it’s as close as you can get while being realistically street-able.
After that, be sure to get some good wide rims (tall is bad, wide is good). I highly suggest some 15×7.5 or 15.8 rims, with 205 or 225-series tires. I got BfGoodrich G-force Sports on Tire Rack, and was never disappointed. Be sure to get them balanced properly, and have your camber and toe aligned after doing the suspension upgrades.
As far as brakes, if you’re just driving on the street get stainless steel line ends, get fresh pads, rotors, and brake fluid, and call it a day. You’ll see a marked improvement in brake response but no change for brake fade. If you’re experiencing brake fade on the road, you need to take a driving course.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a track/autoX/scca performance, you’ll want to go for a different goal with brakes. 90-93 Integra rotors/knuckles/calipers are the way to go here, as you’ll get more consistent performance and reduced brake fade due to heat. You’re not looking for instant stopping power, but predictable performance as you brake the crap outta the car. Leave the rears just as they are. If you have an 88-89 it’ll have drums in the back, which are lighter and therefore preferred, and the 90-91 had discs in the back, which are easier to maintain.
Almost all of your braking power comes from the front of the car, especially under heavy braking. The stiffer your suspension, the more evenly your g-force is distributed among the 4 tires assuming the ground is flat.
I didn’t realize I had so much to say on suspension. I could go on for hours here (literally) and I probably will while I’m on the bus tomorrow. For now, this is a personal opinion catered to the information you’ve provided. I sincerely hope it helps, and once I write up a suspension-specific article, I’ll expect some comments/questions/suggestions from you.
Good luck, and don’t forget to subscribe!