Hello HT!

Well I finally purchased my supsension setup and ready to do the install on my 94 integra ls!
Tein SS w/ oem tophats
blox rear LCAs
ES poly. hyperflex bushing kit & ES RTA bushings(still waiting on these from a fellow memeber :D)

Side note: I do plan on running ITR rear sway bar and aftermarket subframe brace! but ran out of money this summer =/

As for the 3 questions

#1
Within the hyperflex bushing kit.. bushing part # 8096(upper shock mount bushings.. 8 total.. 4 front 4 rears) Where do these install? MY tein Ss already had oem tophats mounted when I recieved them...

The 4 smaller single bushings(the larger 2 are for the lower shock mount position on the LCA)


#2
I do not have a press and wish to not torch them.. shop quoted me 200 to do this for me lol has anyone used the Threaded Rod technique? I came across this while reading import tuner.. heres a link to the articleDIY Bushing Removal And Replacement - Import Tuner Magazine
they did it on the steering rack bushings.. I thought that would be easier than lower control arms, since that is what I am mostly worried about?? lol


#3
I have a helms, and read the part mentioning to pre-load the bushings/suspension... now I am confused on how to do this.. I will be replacing my entire bushing kit, RTAs, and full body coilovers at the same day/time.. How would I find my ride height?

-I know to measure from the center of the wheel/axle nut area to the floor or fender
-jack the car up and place on jack stands
-jack the suspension until the weight of them car is on the suspension and to correct ride height as measured before
-torque all bolts down to spec

but i will not be using stock suspension as before..
-should I just install everything
-tighten it down
-lower the car and measure then
-jack it back up/place on stand
-loosen all the bolts and re-torque them to spec while being preloaded?

any other better ideas, or proper way?

I probably sound stupid, but I just want to do this efficently and correctly.. as I don't want to bind/warp/screw up any of my new RTA or poly bushings??

Thanks in advance!

 

1: Those bushing will go in your top hats, there should be 8 of them. 2 per corner.

2. I've never seen that before and it looks like it would do the trick, try it if you want, if you don't have success then just burn the old bushings out(tried and true basically free technique).

3. Just hand tighten all the bolts and drop the car to find your ride height with the new coil overs, measure where the middle of the hub sits in accordance to the fender, raise up the car, put it on jack stands then jack up each corner tightening bolts to spec at the proper height.

 

I don't think that technique will work on bushings as old as yours, unless you burn the bushings first. My 20 ton press wasn't even able to press out most of my bushings without major help (burning, cutting).

Of course, it all depends on what bushings come in the kit and what arms you replace. The worst bushings are the f/r LCA bushings.

 

1: yup i have 8 of them.. someone also mentioned they are installed on top of each other in diamond shape not hourglass within the tophat.. cant find any articles on these installed.. debating if I should just leave it all alone since its already assembled..

2:yea i think the lcas are gonna be a pain... at least I can do the upper arms, and steering rack with this method =/

3: alrighty sounds like I was on the right track.. I just wanted some reassurance lol!

yea true.. probably will work on the steering rack, shifter, and upper arm bushings.. compliance looks more difficult than the LCAs lol.. I might try the threaded rod technique on my blox Rear lcas... they might not be as rusted and have less LCA around them.. I have extra upper arms.. compliance bushing mounts, and front lcas.. I plan to put all the bushings in the spare parts, then just replacing the parts on my car! that way my car isn't all apart if something goes wrong!

 

The compliance bushing is easy -- it just bolts on! Upper front arm is easy but upper rear is hard because of the metal plate that runs through the bushing. But the hardest are the front and rear LCA because they are so tight.

The bushings should come out of the Blox LCAs fairly easily. Be careful not to put too much pressure on the aluminum.

To tighten the bolts your technique will work, but you will probably have to use a spring compressor to get yourself back to ride height because the spring will not compress enough before you start to lift your car off it's stands if you try to lift the hub/knuckle to ride height from the LCA.

Depending on your drop, you may be able to tighten all bolts on the ground, at least in the rear, but this is unlikely in the front in my experience.

 

yea the compliance assembly bolts on but the ES poly compliance bushing reusing stock compliance mount.. I'll definitely need to torch this one.. theres a lip that comes out around the rim.. compare to the lcas being flat/flush

yea I read somewhere that lifting from the hub/kuckle isn't correct.. its better to lift from the front lca where the front shock mount is this way is compress the suspension, not just lifting the car

currently running 185/65/14 which is only .4 inch off from 205/50/15 diameter(which is what I'll be using when I get new tires lol) I plan on doing 1 finger gap front/2 finger gap rear.. maybe if I got the car on 4 ramps it would work lol! being that low would almost be impossible!

 

OK, yea the compliance bushing is going to be a serious PITA if you have to reuse the mount.

IDK about the lift point, but the force being placed on the spring is the same wherever you lift the LCA from. As soon as the spring has compressed enough that it's generating the 500-800 lb necessary to lift that corner of the car up, the car will raise off the stands. With high-rate lowering springs my guess is that the LCA won't want to lift much before the spring starts pushing the body up, too. Let me know what works for you and I'll put the info in my bushing install guide.

 

I happened to see an old compliance bushing on the floor of the garage when I was getting the shop vac, and it occurred to me that you could just cut the lip of the bushing off with a sawzall and it should come out of the mount relatively easily without the lip holding it in.

 

They definitely go in a diamond shape, if you put them in like and hour glass they wont sit properly and far enough into the tophat. These are extremely easy to install, I have the hardrace hard rubber bushings in my top hats. Takes way longer to get the suspension system out than it does to install these bushings.

 

burning them out is by far the easiest way, especially if you have an older car. id recommend using a MAPP gas torch over a regular propane torch, too. seriously, it will save you a ton of time and swearing, wrench throwing, etc lol

 

if you have access to an Acetylene torch it'll probably take 1 minute per bushing to burn them out. Propane is really not the greatest when it comes to heat, I mean it does the job but takes way longer.

 

gagnar: Yea, I cut the lip off the compliance bushing then used my 2.5lbs mallet w/ a socket on the inner sleeve, BAM slid right out in 2 hits!

full circiling/absolut: Yea propane sucks! my bushings barley catch on fire unless I sit there for 5min+! I got the front LCAs done in no time!.. I burned just around the inner sleeve just the weekend the bond.. Then hammered/pried out the inner sleeve like nothing. All of the ridiculously remaining rubber, I pried off just enough the have some room for the hack saw.. cut a slit.. bent it with a chisel.. hammered the sleeve out.. DONE! except for UCA and REAR Blox lcas lol!

I almost got one rear lca out with just my 2.5lbs mallet & socket but it stopped 3/4 of the way out.. I think Im going to just repeat the process that worked on the Front lcas..

I'm scared to do much with the UCA because it bends so easy/looks fragile.. might try using two sockets like Threaded Rod technique but use a bench vise to "squeeze/press" it out.

PB balster and reusing the inner sleeves as a hitting guide help a lot! Hoping I should be finished today with the removal process.. pressing the bushings in looks like I'll be using a large C-clamp/ bench vise/threaded rod technique!

Thanks everyone! will keep you updated!

 

put the bushings in your freezer over night before the install, it'll make them shrink a bit.

 

alrighty sounds good! thanks!

UPDATE! UCAs and Rear LCAs bushings ARE OUT! The BLOX Rear Lcas were the easiest of all the bushings I've attempted this week!!

UCAs no so much LOL! I heated the rubber and used the threaded rod technique, but that didn't remove it entirely, just loosened it.. After the threaded rod, I heated the rubber a little more to make it weak, then pried out some of the remaining rubber around the inner sleeve(The inner sleeve of the UCAs flange outward at the ends.. it isnt a straight sleeve like the LCAs).. After most of the rubber was out.. pulled out the inner sleeve with some pliers. Good thing Energy suspension reuses stock outer sleeve, saves some time!

Guess what I did to remove the Blox bushings!??....Twisted them!(that sure tells you how well their durability is lol)

LOL Grabbed some Big,Long a$$ pliers, gripped the inner sleeve like it was my life.. twisted the pliers & lca in opposite directions.. POP! the came right out after a few more turns w/ most of the rubber attached!! well.. I still have to hack-saw them but thats nothing!... oh and I did heat the rubber a little bit before hand so it would dry/crack, other wise you would need to be the Hulk lol