PRODUCT DETAILS
BC Racing BR Series Coilovers - 1984-1987 Honda CRX (First Gen, AE5 / AF5)
The first-gen CRX is one of the purest things Honda ever built. Barely eighteen hundred pounds, a peppy little motor, and a shape that still looks right four decades later. These were the featherweight fun cars that made Honda's name with enthusiasts, and clean survivors are getting genuinely hard to find. So if you've got one, you're keeping a piece of history on the road. Lowering it properly takes a little know-how though, because this era of Honda springs the front end with a torsion bar instead of a coil. BC Racing knows that, which is why this kit comes two different ways.
Two Versions, So Read This Before You Order
This is the most important thing on the page, so slow down here. Because the CRX uses a front torsion bar, you get to decide how you want to handle the front of the car.
The first version keeps your torsion bars in place. Your factory bars still do the front springing and the coilover works alongside them, which is why the only rate listed is the rear at 3kgf/mm. This is the more conservative route. It keeps the car's original engineering intact and means less to tear apart during the install.
The second version deletes the torsion bars and adds a front spring rated at 4kgf/mm, with the rear staying at 3kgf/mm. You pull the factory torsion bar setup out and the coilovers take over the springing completely. This is the more modern route. The coilover controls everything front and rear, you get the full range of height adjustment at both ends, and the old torsion bar hardware comes off the car for good.
Neither one is better across the board, they just suit different builds. Want a simpler install and a more OEM-style setup? Keep the torsion bars. Want full coilover control and the most tuning range? Go with the delete version. Just order the one that matches your plan, because they're not interchangeable.
What You Get Out Of It
Either way you go, this kit modernizes how the CRX rides and sits. You get 30 levels of damping adjustment, so you can soften it up to cruise your classic on a nice day or firm it up when you want the car to feel tight and connected. Ride height adjusts at the base of the coilover, so you can set the car level and sitting right instead of living with whatever stance forty years of sagging suspension left you. On the torsion bar delete version you've got that control at both ends, and if you're keeping the bars, your front height still comes off the torsion bar the way the factory intended. For a car where the low-slung look is half the appeal, having that control back is a big deal.
About The Top Mounts
Both versions use RS type mounts, meaning a rubber top mount up front and a rubber or reuse-OEM mount in the rear. On a lightweight classic you actually enjoy driving, that's the right choice. Rubber keeps the harshness and road noise down so the car stays pleasant on a back road, which is the whole point of owning one of these. There's no camber plate built in, so your camber stays set by the factory geometry. If you go low and want to correct it later, plan on adding alignment parts down the road.
Working On A Car This Old
Be realistic about what you're getting into. This CRX is around forty years old, and whatever's bolted to it has had a long, hard life. Before you touch the suspension, look closely at the bushings, the torsion bar mounts, the ball joints, and the hardware, because seized bolts and crumbling rubber are the norm at this age, not the exception. Sort those out while you're under there. That goes double if you're doing the torsion bar delete, since you'll be pulling apart more of the front end and you don't want to fight rusty hardware halfway through. Then take your time, set your height evenly side to side, and get the car on an alignment rack when you're done. Do it right and you'll have a classic that sits gorgeous and drives tighter than it has in decades.
BC Racing has been building coilovers since the early 2000s, and the fact that they tool up two torsion-bar-specific options for a car this old and this rare tells you something. They actually care about the oddball platforms most companies ignore. The BR Series is the kit that built their name, and it brings that same affordable, proven quality to a car that deserves it.
Who This Is For
This one's for the CRX faithful, the people preserving and enjoying one of the coolest lightweight Hondas ever made. Whether you're keeping your car close to how Honda built it with the torsion bars in place, or going all-in on a full coilover conversion, there's a version here made for your plan. Refresh what needs it, bolt these on, get it aligned, and go enjoy a true classic.
Fits: 1984-1987 Honda CRX, first gen (AE5 / AF5). Spring rates, torsion bars retained: 3kgf/mm rear (front sprung by the factory torsion bar). Spring rates, torsion bar delete: 4kgf/mm front, 3kgf/mm rear. Top mounts: RS type (rubber front, rubber or reuse-OEM rear). Damping: 30-way adjustable. Variant: Standard only, no extreme low offered for this application. Important: Choose the torsion bar or torsion bar delete version to match your build. They are not interchangeable.
1984-1987 Honda Civic
1984-1987 Honda CRX