Paiige

I'm still a bit of a noob when it comes to suspension, so if this is a stupid question, don't give me **** please

So I just got some sportlines in the mail and am planning on getting them on this weekend. But my shop foreman said to be careful because there's a good chance my LCA bushings are gonna be shot.

Honda doesn't have a part number for JUST bushings and our parts department recommended swapping out the arms because of this.

I know with rubber bushings they can be put in with a ball joint press or a torch, but my bushings are collared so it's a pain in the *** to get them in. But I'd really like to not have to buy all new arms. If I have to, I will, but I'd rather not.

In the event that I *DO* have to replace all my arms, which ones am I gonna have to replace? Would I just be looking at my LCAs or am I looking at having to replace front and lower in both the front and the back?

I'm also looking at an Energy Suspension bushing kit, which seems like it might be a good option. Anyone use these?

I'm basically trying to figure out what the best choice is gonna be. I would be going with Moog arms all around if necessary. And Moog also makes JUST the bushings as well, so would it be better to go with a kit (again, not sure the Energy quality) or just get them individually?

Thanks!

SpeedRacerEX-R

The big question is, what do you have planned for the car? Rubber will ride better than urethane for DD because it's softer.

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

There's no way of knowing which bushings need replacing without getting under there and looking. Chances are most if not all of them will be pretty worn but you didn't post any vehicle information so we have no idea what model/year you have. I would generally recommend hard rubber bushings over polyurethane. Look into hardrace or even PIC/suja1. Both companies make entire bushing kits that will contain most/all of the bushings you'll want to replace and are cheaper when purchased as a kit vs piecing together bushings for one component at a time.

M3THTICAL(EF)

iTrader: (1)

You're probably looking at 300-400 for brand new oem lca both rear and front. As for the bushings go to some website like hondapartsnow and look for the part number for each of the bushings. Compare prices with sites like rockauto. Moog is a good brand for the bushings as well. Dont forget to tighten the bolts with full load of the car on them.

Paiige

I kind of assumed that if the OEM ones are collared then that means I have to stick to collared ones, but if that's not the case I'd gladly go with rubber.

Or do you mean I have the option of choosing between rubber and urethane for collared ones?

The car is my daily so as 'nice' of a ride as possible would be ideal.

Paiige

2000 Civic EX coupe. I'm taking a look at them today but I'm not sure how to visually tell if they're shot or not. Will I have obvious signs of wear?

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

What do you mean by collared? Metal sleeved? Yes, deformed and/or torn bushings are worn.

Paiige

Yes

M3THTICAL(EF)

iTrader: (1)

Well if the bushings are falling apart or if the rubber looks twisted/ binding in any sort of way, they need replacing. Just take them to a shop to have them pressed out.

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

OEM, OE replacement, hardrace, PIC, basically any rubber bushing will have a metal sleeve surrounding the rubber and will press into the arm as one piece. The poly bushings (ie: energy suspension), will not have the metal sleeve and in order to use them you will have to fully remove the existing sleeve of the original bushings from the arm as the OD of the poly bushings matches the OD of the OEM replacements' metal sleeve. It really comes down to personal preference and budget when selecting the type of bushings you want to use as replacements so you should do some research to see which type is right for you. The poly vs rubber debate has been covered many times before so you should find plenty of information and opinions by searching. I personally would recommend hard rubber over poly but it's completely your decision.

Paiige

I'm definitely planning on going with the rubber. I just found this DIY, is this something I can trust? Basically using a C clamp and a torch haha.

https://honda-tech.com/suspension-br...t-lca-2411953/

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

Yes that will work. A couple things I'll mention though...

Burning the bushings and cutting the sleeves is a major PITA. Once you do the first one, you won't want to do it again. I would definitely suggest pressing the existing bushings vs the burning and cutting method.

The C clamp used in that how to is very beefy. Looks like a specific balljoint press tool and is what I would recommend using if you don't have access to an actual press. You can buy them pretty inexpensively (about $40-50 IIRC). A normal cheap C clamp won't deliver the force necessary to press them in or out without just deforming the straight section of the C. If you do get one of those balljoint presses, you should be able to use it to press them all out so you can avoid the burn/cut method entirely.

Also, in one of my previous posts I recommended getting a master bushing kit instead of individual bushings. Those kits come with the rear trailing arm bushing which is likely going to be one of the worst bushings you will have on the car. Nearly every honda I've seen has had them ripped completely through to the point that they aren't serving their purpose at all. I definitely suggest looking at the condition of yours. They play a huge role in rear end stability and control and you WILL notice a difference replacing them if yours are shot.

Paiige

A friend of mine is going to be helping me with all this, he actually has a balljoint press but he said in his experience you can't get the collared bushings out with it, if they were straight rubber or urethane it would be fine. Maybe it will just leave the sleeve inside of the arm and that's what he meant, and that's why he told me I'd need a shop press.

But thank you, that actually makes this whole process about a thousand times easier, now I have faith that it's a lot more doable

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

No problem. I said "should" because they are pretty strong and can deliver quite a bit of force. Much more than a cheap C clamp anyway. However, I have never personally used mine on anything but ball joints so I can't guarantee it will work. I use my 12 ton press for bushings. Like you said if nothing else at least you can press the rubber and inner sleeves out and only have to cut the outer sleeves. At least you won't have to deal with burning them. The fumes from burning the rubber bushings is terrible.

Paiige

Yeah I can't imagine it would smell too good haha. Is there a better approach to cutting out the outer sleeves than a screwdriver? Assuming they're fused to the arm, which I'm sure they probably will be. Maybe a dremel would be a better option?

rollinmyda

iTrader: (19)

Really you need to use a reciprocating saw like a sawzall or hacksaw. I can't think of any attatchment on a dremel that would work since it's a rotating tool.

spAdam

iTrader: (1)

Usually it's the trailing arm bushing that's in the worst shape. If the car hasn't been improperly lowered, the lca bushings are usually still pretty serviceable. The TA bushings have a much bigger effect on the ride and handling of the car than the lca bushings too.

The good news is that the TA bushings are pretty doable to replace on the car with the Schley tool, or even easier to replace off of the car with a press and the Honda drivers. Google around for the service bulletin with part numbers, and an OE set of TA bushings can be had from Honda dealers on eBay for ~$70.

If all of the bushings are in decent shape, I would worry less about them and more about what shocks you are putting those springs on, especially with a lower spring type such as the Sportlines.

Paiige

Thanks for all the help guys, I have a kit in the mail Went with the poly over the rubber for installation purposes so we'll see how that goes. Worst case scenario if they're not what I'm looking for I'll replace them when the time comes