Offroad Evolution of My RD1 CR-V - From Stock to 6" Inch Lifted! OFFOADING ONLY VIDEO! 

Hi from france , great. ayou have a vidéo to the element diff instal please , need this for france mountain for my crv , thank's :)

@@DAV4WSR1 Hey mate, sorry for the slow reply - I don't have one because I haven't taken it out and I wasn't the one who installed it - that was back when I had literally 0 mechanical experience! Maybe one day when I do some upgrades but not for now sorry

@@isakjetbean thank's , thank you for your answer, I'm looking to put a differential in the rear and / or the front on my CR-V I just came back from the Bardenas desert in Spain, I couldn't do everything because of lack of mechanical diff modification information on CRV, in France we have little info and the delay in mechanics compared to you ;) thank you

Hi Isak, why not put an Silver LSD Limited Slip Differential Conversion Plate, it's an sorte of plate that without welding blocks the differential, for the rear I want to try it costs 30 dollars

@@DAV4WSR1 As much as the block style LSD would work, I'd only do it in a cheap 2nd hand diff - never in my element diff. Regardless of design, it's going to wear your gears in the diff and eventually cause it to break, so doing it in a diff I had to import isn't worth it. There's a rear helical lsd and I'll be installing that rear with a torsen up front - much better and better longevity

They're some of the most reliable vehicles on the road. They last for ever

I've only done some of the hard work! I'll send it hard, for sure, and share all the info I can. Other people like to hoard what they've learnt because they "did it themselves, everyone else can too". The way I see it, the more people recognise these baddies, the more support they get. In 5-6 years I've already seen lifted support grow from like 2 brands to 10-15. I've DREAMED about getting an Element, but we're not allowed to import them here :( I would've gotten one over my Trooper/Jackaroo 10000%

Great info but a few minor notes specific to my case - my original rear differential had already been serviced using DPF2 after I bought it (prior to all of these clips pretty much). In this instance (pre-element diff), I believe mine was overheating clutch packs that had been worn down over the 240k it'd been driven before I bought it. From my understanding, the DPF2 fluid in place of ATF fluid increases the viscosity under load, increasing clutch pressure in the input housing. Better clutch pack contact - less chance of overheating and slipping and squealing. In my case, it seems the clutches were already having trouble as it squealed after a short time of engagement. Compare that to the Element differential (running the same DPF2 but from factory), with their thicker, redesigned clutch pack material (more surface area) and their wider fluid ports, engagement is both much quicker but also much stronger, with (so far, 4 years later) no squealing at all, ever.

@@isakjetbean Yeah, if its worn then fluid changes will do nothing for you. I recently got my 1998 with only 35,000 km on it and the diff was making this noise under load. The fluid change worked for me but quicker engagement would be nice. I might look into swapping out the diff later on.

@@rob3071 35k! That's amazing, basically brand new. Super jealous obviously I hope you enjoy it!

What mods did you have to do to fit the element differential? I didn’t know it would fit. Now I’ll be looking out for one. My rear ended is a bit saggy anyway and on original suspension so I will think about doing the rear end.

@@craigiefconcert6493 None, they fit as factory. They use the same differential and differential housing, the only differences in mounting are that the Element has a different differential mount, so you just use whichever diff mount for your current differential. You can use 3rd gen CR-V differentials as well as Element differentials - the Element differential has an upgraded dual pump clutch setup in the input housing and the 3rd gen has a ramp up. To put it simply, the 3rd gen will apply 30% of what the rear diff can engage to automatically through the ramp up unit, whereas the Element differential has larger viscous fluid ports to help press the clutch packs together to engage the differential. The clutch material on both is improved from 1st gen which is why they don't squeal. Aside from the ramp up unit, they're both pretty much the same. The ramp up just allows instant engagement without needing the viscous fluid to engage. There's more info from Joey Gossens on Lifted Honda Society on the 3rd gen diffs. The "AWD/4WD" of the cr-v is full time, but the rear differential has something similar to a torque convertor in that at low torque application, the tailshaft doesn't send enough velocity to the viscous fluid in the differential to push the clutch packs inside together, which is what locks it into drive. The benefit to this is a simple, all mechanical fixed gear AWD drivetrain with the ability for the viscous fluid to allow difference between the front and rear tyres. So without that, the differential would run full time and could bind on corners because nothing is allowing for the different wheel speeds that occur when you turn.

Thanks mate - it's gone now (thieves) but I'll be incorporating a new one into a rear bar when I get around to it.

And people ask me why I don't travel out of country more... I've barely tapped the surface of QLD let-alone the rest of Australia 😁

Never snapped a CV! I'm veeeerrry careful with how and when I shock load my cvs but even when I've had to, they go hard and get me home!

@@isakjetbean I hope the ones of my rav4 last as long

Cheers man good to hear from ya 🤙🏻🤙🏻

And this is with me being scared about bashing my sump with no bashplate 🙃 This thing will soon be ripping through ruts I reckon.

I want to get back down that way this winter and film all sorts of goodness like that. Time will tell, but hopefully...

Even if you don't, they're great cars - even stock I loved mine. Ingenius and tough 💪

I could've ripped til about 70% up but then it turns to massive wombat holes, would've needed more flex or lockers to make it without a winch.

Honestly, I love the CR-V but it's not a practical offroad car. It's a tonne of fun and you have to get really creative, but if you just want to go offroad a real 4x4 is the way. That said, having both is the dream 😍 The CR-V is just my toy these days

A couple of mods, the right ground clearance and knowing how much speed you need for an obstacle and they'll take you just about anywhere. They might not have a frame like a real 4x4 but they're built pretty tough!

@@isakjetbean Ja, you give it a right thrashing :)

You can see a couple of quick vids I put up on my channel

Hey man, I'd be keen for sure, would have to be early next year once I've got a few things sorted though. Trying to sort out some custom HD tie rods/rack ends since I've had them go yearly so far, and I gotta do my wheel bearings before I get back out again.

I parked it in neutral but my handbrake wasn't working and it rolled into a tree. I couldn't open the bonnet and the intake filter came off. Rather than dust my engine, I removed the bent bullbar and can no longer bend it back to shape easy enough to be worth it. Going for a proper bullbar with DIY mounts anyway

Does alright, I never really load it up very heavy. Gotta hit any decent long hill at like 20-25km/h min, usually favouring around 30-35km/h. With a regear up to around 5.8 I think I'll get down to 24km/h with close to max tq (3600rpm) on stock engine. So idling pretty cruisy at that point. As for weight, gear is never heavier than 3 passengers so it's kind of negligible. Haven't re-geared anything.......yet

Banjo Chords and maybe a roll of ducktape but probably bungie cords.

It's a "Ridge Ryder" from Supercheap Auto - I hate it and don't recommend it. It used to be a basket and I chopped the top off, it's heavy, poorly made and way too expensive. The crossbars are Prorack S18s I believe.

All years. And 2nd gen / 3rd gen crv diffs work too. 3rd Gen have an internal mechanism to engage the dual pump to 30% leading to faster engagement and less wear. They're better. Dual pump diffs have clutches that force together when a fluid thickens, which happens when it's spun. The higher your rpm, the thicker the fluid. That pushes clutches together and engages awd. The Element have more clutch material and wider ports for the fluid to flow when it gets thicker so faster.

Faster engagement - CR-V is 2wd until certain amount of force is applied to the dual pump unit in the rear diff. In the 1st gen CR-V it wasn't great so it cuts out and takes to long to kick in. In the Element, they'd refined the unit so it has more pressure to kick in faster and for longer, more consistently. My CR-V drives in AWD a good 75-80% of the time whereas before I'd guess it was like like 45-60% maximum.

Mines an 04 but 08+ are better. Better still, the 3rd gen CR-V's implemented a ramp up unit that immediately preloads 30% drive in the rear diff while the dual pump unit gets going, which is also easier on the dual pump clutches so they get less wear (in theory)

I'm using the Prorack S16 "through bars" - Google will bring em up no problem. Mine are riveted on - I had a shop do it since it was before I had any mechanical or DIY skills

Australia only, company in QLD made em

MASTER cylinder, not slave cylinder. I wish I caught that in editing lol just a word slip sorry. Supposedly "needed replacing" with my slave cylinder when my clutch burnt out - fair enough I thought, paid for it all to be replaced ($1700) and then 3 months later needed a new clutch. Car was driven intermittently for 8 months along with my old Mazda, then clutch burnt out. New clutch went in, and I was worried to death about it. So I took it to a clutch specialist. The piston was not returning fully, causing the pedal to "stick" as your foot lifted off the clutch pedal. I'd tap it forward with my foot when I would occasionally notice it do that, not knowing any better. 2 clutches later, took it to a clutch and brake shop, immediately the dude pressed his foot on the clutch pedal and saw how it didn't fully return, diagnosed it on the spot. Basically, the piston not fully returning meant that the clutch had light contact is my best guess - because they just took it out and replaced it I can't verify how it failed, only that the problem is now resolved. Since replaced, I've done more than double the kms on the current clutch than either of the others and even towed 1400kg mulch with it no problems.

Take a look at the exhaust set up first.

​@Teknakill what do you mean with exhaust set up? I have a 2 in lift but constantly sitting up and hitting my exhaust in middle! Is there a solution, like a cover plate or so?

Yes maybe a plate or rerouting the piping so it is above the lowest part of the chassis, which would require custom fitment. Just an idea. @@alhandyman

Hey man, nah no certs on it - I plan on completely rebuilding the suspension with some custom parts and modifications before I try and cert anything - I don't think lift spacers on a CR-V would pass cert (not for safety but just dumb bs rules here) As for recommended setup: Honestly get springs first, Kings or OME - I prefer Kings bc progressive rate is just baller. Neither spacers nor springs net you extra travel, but springs will have you rubbing less than just spacers since it won't over-compress as easily. From there, I'd say go max 1" spacer front and rear. You'll probably still split CV boots without a subframe drop. As for tyres, I fit 235s on mine with this but had to trim plastic on rocker panel guards. Hope this helps

@@isakjetbean thanks for the reply spacers arent legal in aus hey? ill watch more vids of yours before i ask dumb questions! im getting a 2009 i only realy looking at having a vehicle i can still throw a tools in for work but also go to campsites away from overcrowded places because my dmax ute is 2wd n rubbish offroad i thought a cheap lift and some mud tyres would be an affordable way to do that with a crv.... great videos mate your a gun very entertaining and real keep on at it man you will kiill the tube...i am learning alot from you too cheers bug fella

@@michomarble9562 They're not - however I've been running mine for 4 years, been pulled over, breath tested etc. never an issue. Same with a few friends. However, the risk is always there which is why I'm working out what I need to engineer for proper long travel coilover suspension without spacers. I'm not suuuper familiar with the 3rd/4th gen CR-V's unfortunately, but honestly the biggest drawback on them is the ground clearance and low-end power. A bit of extra height and some grippy tyres and they do great things. One final note on the 3rd gen and up - they have an upgraded rear differential from a stock 1st gen - it has a ramp up unit in the input housing which engages rear immediately on takeoff (up to 40% of it's engagement instantly) whereas the originals had to rely solely on the dual pump clutches and fluid to kick in. That means yours will have a better time in sand than most 1st/2nd gen cr-vs. Glad I could help!

USD $5000.00

They come out of the cup at the differential end. It's a tripod roller bearing style CV axle, unlike more serious 4x4s that use a 6 bearing inner cup. These tripod rollers can easily pop out of the cup if the wheel hubs are out of factory spec without the correct subframe drop because they're extending further than they should. On top of this, the increased angle this puts them on causes the CV boot to split, which is another point of retention lost for the CV to stay in the inner cup.

Strange. My answer is absolutely. The springs designed by kings are progressive rate, so they handle nice and soft like factory but have heavy rating where it counts so you're sitting nice and high but without stiffness and on bumps you're not bottoming out by sacrificing stiffness. Best of both worlds and a nice lift to fit 215/75s nice and easy. My stock setup was on 215/70r15s btw so you could definitely run 225/70r15 if legal on these quite comfortably

About 40-45k kms on mine so far and still riding awesome.

@@isakjetbean i called up a supercheap that was stocking them and I asked about the rears and they said it only provides a 10mm lift. do you think I should pair that with a 1inch rear aerogenics spacer. and then get the front Kings springs (no spacer) as well? I don't want to lift the front much as I've heard that's when premature wear and problems start happening. For context I'm going with a conservative build that gives me a little bit more ground clearance while the car is loaded up and slightly bigger tyres for more grip, nothing major for now. Also wondering what tow bar setup you have cause I've been looking for one recently. Thanks!

@@jamesfavretto7081 don't rely on Supercheap, they don't know anything. Kings RR and FR springs are 30-40mm, plus on old sagging crvs it's more like 50mm.

@@jamesfavretto7081 1" rear spacer will be fine combined with springs, I wouldn't do any more. 1" you won't need trailing spacers or subframe/camber drop. Adjustable camber arms recommended for rear but that's about it. Anything more and cvs etc all need work

That's your rear differential. They have a viscous fluid x clutch pack setup to engage the rear. Basically, you need to have your rear diff serviced with Honda DPFII fluid. It should help with that. The CR-V's shipped from factory with a different fluid in the rear diff that wasn't thick enough to engage the clutch packs fully and wore them out. That squealing is the clutch packs heating up under low friction and trying to separate (disengaging your rear) because the fluid isn't thick enough to force them together under heavy strain for long. Depending on if yours has ever had DPFII or has been serviced with ATF fluid for its lifetime, this may not help much, but it might change your world.

The SUPER BASIC way it works is when you accelerate, your tailshaft spins into your rear diff input shaft. That spins the fluid which gets thicker when it spins, that pushes it through these holes and presses the clutches together. When these clutches press together, that tailshaft spinning transfers into the differential itself and drives the rear. When this fluid isn't thick enough it can't do this right

@@isakjetbean thank you very much 🥰

Yep, since like 2019 or late 2018 I think. Thing rips way harder than stock, though I've heard 3rd gen+ are better due to the ramp up mechanism. 🤷‍♂️

Na Prorack S18

@@isakjetbean did they bolt right in?

How utterly boring that would be. I'll pass thanks. How sad it is people think I'm going to suddenly decide to stop building my Honda just because some random on the internet doesn't like it lmao, grow up

Lmao Nah man, 4yrs all I broke was steering racks that already had leaks and play, and a strut that was bolted up wrong for 2yrs. Water pump, rad, tailshaft, engine, gearbox, engine mounts, bushings, control arms - nothing. I've blown more stuff daily driving under normal wear and tear than I've damaged off-roading. My little brother has a surf/4runner - more broken on less than half the time and less 4wdign. I have mates that have broken steering racks (rodeo) and tie rods, done cvs or unis on the same tracks, sometimes same day, and I've broken none. Cvs have held up 4yrs abuse, bushings are all fine (lifetime offroad warranty - everything short of jumping the car is fine). Worry about yourself 👍🏻 Been feathering this gas pedal since day 1 and I've learnt how I need to drive it. Do I go too hard sometimes? Sure. Is it out of fun or seeing how the CRV will push itself? FUCK Yes. YOU need to learn how these run - AWD kicks in around 2k rpm OR with excess slip. If you want your rear to RELIABLY and PREDICTABLY kick in AWD, you have to intentially slip the fronts on take off, you NEED momentum bc the b20 can't accelerate enough to kick the rear into drive if you're going up hill. Basically, feather on flat where you can afford to come to a stop, not on a hill. I avoided showing all the clips where I had to re-try an obstacle because I went to slow, lost traction on 2 wheels and stopped going forward. IF I included all of this footage it'd be an 40 Min video - the clip where I jumped the car and the shock-fork failed is the exact design issues I'm trying to locate before I start taking it touring around QLD. It needs to not fail to work. Taking that obstacle slow enough to not jump the front end isn't possible as 90% of the obstacle only has 2 wheels of traction, opposing wheels. Tell me how to slow down for that without lockers, I'll wait - gear reduction wouldn't help there without some traction aid so really there's no way around it until an lsd, viscous and potentially even a final drive regear for lower speed torque Besides, It's not a daily driver. It's a DIY offroad toy that I'm building to handle 4wding and weekend touring. If it can't handle this driving, it has no business being wheeled. And dont tell me how to drive 🤡

I can’t believe what the CRV can do in your hands! Gives me inspiration! Maybe no need to buy a Toyota for mad money