Im looking into getting one in a couple days, but what are you opinions of it? Does it make a noticeable difference? Is it worth worth the $100 kit, and the $300-400 dollar installation? Leave your opinions of it, thanks.

 

I bought the Energy Suspension bushing kit for about $130. I was quoted $1200 (but they'd do them all for 1k even) from a local shop. I'd do them myself, except I don't have the required tools necessary, which seem to be
1. Acetlyne torch
2. Strong press

From people I know who have installed at least some of the bushings, it is a royal PITA. But, I've heard they are worth their weight in gold, especially in racing applications.

I really need to look into this further, especially because I have the ES set! lol
Anyone have any experience installing the bushings?

-Tony

 

i did. royal pain in the behind. i did not have a press, i had plenty of fire. burned all the old ones out and installed the new ones.
a more detailed instructions are around here, search
stan

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tony Ignatz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I bought the Energy Suspension bushing kit for about $130. I was quoted $1200 (but they'd do them all for 1k even) from a local shop. I'd do them myself, except I don't have the required tools necessary, which seem to be
1. Acetlyne torch
2. Strong press

From people I know who have installed at least some of the bushings, it is a royal PITA. But, I've heard they are worth their weight in gold, especially in racing applications.

I really need to look into this further, especially because I have the ES set! lol
Anyone have any experience installing the bushings?

-Tony</TD></TR></TABLE>

Harbor Freight sells 10 ton hydraulic presses for $150, I dont know if the 10 ton presses will be enought to do the job though. And also NAPA has those disposable prophane torches in a can. Maybe you can try that too?

 

bah you dont need a torch or a huge press... although it helps. I used a manual ball joint press (loan a tool from Autozone) to push much of the rubber out, then used the hacksaw to cut out the metal rings. if you have a drill and drill holes through the rubber that helps to loosen it up.

heres a good write up: http://overboost.com/story.asp?id=426

it took me 3 days off and on to replace all the bushings and ball joints, and install camber kits and full coilovers. (only using hand tools) But it was well worth the time and money saved.

 

Buy the 20 ton press from HF, do the job yourself without any real trouble, then sell the press if you don't need it anymore. The press is cheaper than any labor quoted above, and it will do hubs/bearings/studs too.

As for the ES kit, I personally wouldn't do it. It includes quite a few bushings you really don't want (many of the front suspension bushings) and it's missing many that you need (many of the rear suspension bushings). I would personally recommend OEM for most street applications with some ES or Prothane bushings in choice rear locations. For race (non-drag, that is) I would recommend a mix of OEM, Prothane, and Mugen. The only ES bushings in my car are on the rear sway bar and the shifter linkage.

 

Well, (not to hijack the thread too bad) I already have the ES kit. I have the Mugen rear kit on my wish list. Could you possibly shed some light on what you think are the most or more useful bushings on the ES kit, and the glaringly obvious ones not included?

 

i can't say much for the suspension kit havent used one, but i know that the motor mount inserts kick ***. i used them on 2 diffrent civics and each time i was very pleased with the performance. it was liek a diffrent car each time.

 

I love , my kit... it feels much snugger hugging the road. The ride transfers into feel much more, ginving you a way better communication with the car.

...some people see that as a loss of comfort.

 

Awesome kit it did the instalation my self and it was hard but i did a section a weekend. Not all at once. I dont think you could do all at once by yourself. A trick to getting the bushings out is burning them out. i used a vice and big sockets to press mine out and a cutting torch for the big ones.

 

es master kit,works for me it is missing the rear end links and anti-roll bar bushings and if you can install them yourself,you will learn alot about your suspension..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tiny Tim &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Im looking into getting one in a couple days, but what are you opinions of it? Does it make a noticeable difference? Is it worth worth the $100 kit, and the $300-400 dollar installation? Leave your opinions of it, thanks.</TD></TR></TABLE>
i like mine. noticable difference? absolutely, considering the rubber bushings were shot

and if you do it partially yourself, it's a $50 install. search and you'll find a lot of ways to do it yourself

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Driven &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
i like mine. noticable difference? absolutely, considering the rubber bushings were shot

and if you do it partially yourself, it's a $50 install. search and you'll find a lot of ways to do it yourself</TD></TR></TABLE>




My 13 year old rubber bushings were done for as well.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SETI20 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I love , my kit... it feels much snugger hugging the road. The ride transfers into feel much more, ginving you a way better communication with the car.

...some people see that as a loss of comfort.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I did my installation myself. It took about a month. I have limited time to work on the car, so al in all 4 days total. machine work was done locally(pressing out and in new bushings). I got my kit from http://www.P-S-T.com . Polygraphite and more money than you should spend on this job. If I were to do it again, I would. Handling was improved dramatically, but I also added my Koni reds/ pro-kit, rear disc conversion, and stock rear Si sway bar at the same time.

Side note:
My alignment was **** for about 300 miles following the install. The suspension needed to settle and once it did and everything was balanced out, it drives excellent. I suggest doing the alignment yourself, but that should get the major movements needed for the car to drive straight after replacing the entire front end bushings.

Edit: found a pic.



Modified by busychild at 10:33 AM 9/27/2004

 

I tried burning them out but what a stink so I drilled the rubber out and used a coping saw to cut the rubber and then a hack saw to cut the metal rings. Cost me about $20 for saw and plenty of blades and about 8-10hrs. I also recently did the rear trailing arm bushing. Bought myself one of those 3lb hammers ($8) and banged it out. Replaced them with Mugen - very nice. BTW, read a post on someone banging them in so I did the same. I had problems getting it started so I sanded down one end a little and it worked. This was done ON the car! Not easy. Didn't want to remove the hand brake.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 4drEF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

My 13 year old rubber bushings were done for as well.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Best upgrade I have ever done for my CRX. My old bushings wer not even on center!! It does give the ride a stiffer feel, but I like it.
When I did my kit it tok one afternoon. I jacked up the car on all 4 sides and removed the 4 lower arms. I took them too a shop and paid $15-$20 for each arm to get the bushings pressed out. Installtion was a snap.

 

I did it my self and it was pretty easy but I have a press.
I think its one of the best mods you can do and considering how old our cars are they can really use new bushings.

 

Ive had my ES MK sittin in my room and need to install this NOW and i got the trailing arm ones also, but i was quoted 200 for install

 

Its so easy to intall... Most of the pieces are just time sonsuming to remove/ replace (I would never spend those pries that were quoted above!!!) The tuff parts are the lca's. I did the fronts myself, that was a lil ruff, and there is only 4!!! Took a good few hours with a friend, cutting, burning, sanding exc... I called the machine shop for the rear, he only wanted 20 bux!! Hour later those were out. So my install wasent that hard.

I did the install over the course of like 4 months, so I didnt notice a HUGE difference. But it was worth the $110 + $20 for the rear lca's press.
Ryan

 

well its worth it, and you will notice alot more with more work to the vehicle

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Buy the 20 ton press from HF, do the job yourself without any real trouble, then sell the press if you don't need it anymore. The press is cheaper than any labor quoted above, and it will do hubs/bearings/studs too.

As for the ES kit, I personally wouldn't do it. It includes quite a few bushings you really don't want (many of the front suspension bushings) and it's missing many that you need (many of the rear suspension bushings). I would personally recommend OEM for most street applications with some ES or Prothane bushings in choice rear locations. For race (non-drag, that is) I would recommend a mix of OEM, Prothane, and Mugen. The only ES bushings in my car are on the rear sway bar and the shifter linkage.</TD></TR></TABLE>


OEM,energy, and mugen

i have prothane trailing arm bushings (the big ones in the back) and everything else is energy kit, except the rear sway which has its own heim joints.

everyone is right, the car rides rougher and u feel more, which is good for osme people

but the bad is when u push too far and that give that the stock bushings have u dont have anymore becasue of the stiff bushings. the car breaks away unpredictably at times and very quickly. if i were to do it again, i would sit down and do some thinking about what i want to give a little and what i want to not give at all.

 

The idea is not to 'burn' them out with the torch but to heat the metal enough to melt the bond to the metal (with some bushes you have to re-use the metal ring)

 

Well worth the effort. I wish that ES would have included the rear trailing arm bushings (the big ones!) I think those are the only ones that make a big difference.


Go here for a good tutorial on installation

http://g6civcx.napalm.net/tech/bushings.htm

 

Got my set for $75 and the mechanic who I bought my hatch from did the labor for $200...

 

I'm needing a chassis refreshening badly. My car is quick for now, has decent interior, etc....BUT my steering feels like slop, and at the limit you can feel the ragged out bushings w/too much play.
I need to sit down and figure out just what all I should replace/revamp/etc. and do it over the summer or something, b/c the sloppy feel is getting tiring from my 88 hatch.

I member hearing the master kit was kinda useless to buy. I assume that the main bushings like the LCR's front and rear, sway bars, and what else??? shoud be replaced. Of course get a reman. steering rack also.