As I was installing my suspension this weekend I noticed that the rear trailing arm bushing allowed lateral movement. I thought this was due to it being worn out, but then I just read that some rear suspensions have a certain amount of deflection built into the bushings to correct toe during a turn. So the question is, does an 89 crx si have a bushing deflection toe correction design, or are my bushings shot?

 

I'll guarantee that a 14yr old bushing is shot. I'm not sure about the design issue.

 

I figured that it was either way, but I was wondering nonetheless because the lateral movement seemed predictable based on how far down the trailing arm was pushed. Probably not a bad idea to freshen the bushings though. What a bitch that'll be. Thanks for the reply, though. I've had this same post over at clubsi's auto-x forum for a week with no replies.

 

rubber bushings are there to give a solfer more quiet ride. the ITR uses stiffer rubber to gain performance but loosing the quiet and soft ride. a full race set up is one that uses hard spherical bearings that allow for no deflection that way allignment settings stay where you want them to stay. progress now makes some spherical bearings for some hondas.

 

From my observations...

Where the trailing arm attaches to the compensator (toe) arm, that point by design rotates around an axis defined by where the compensator arm attaches to the body, where the lca attaches to the body, and whatever "give" the bushings themselves allow.

Where the trailing arm attaches to the lca, that point by design rotates around an axis defined by where the compensator arm attaches to the body and where the lca attaches to the body.

I don't know if these two points are parallel with the centerline of the body or not (haven't checked), but one describes a relatively small arc and one describes a relatively larger arc around this axis. What's in the middle is the big trailing arm bushing, attached to the body solidly. Where it attaches to the trailing arm is of a rubber web construction, at least on all of the later Civics and Integras I've seen. Looking at it from above the arm looks like it rotates in a horizontal plane around this bushing under suspension deflection. Because the hub assembly is solidly attached to the trailing arm, I would think there is toe change during suspension deflection.

Its why I was wondering how the Prothane bushing works. It seems to be a solid cylinder, only allowing trailing arm rotation in the vertical plane. Does it compress/expand somehow to allow free rotation in the horizontal plane? If it were spherical it would, but I don't think it is.

Hey! Someone want to make a 3D model and animate it for us?