I am thinking of getting the Energy Suspension bushing kit for my 94 LX Civic. For those who have installed this before, do you need any special tools other than metric sockets to get the job done? Any problems you encountered?

 

i think you need to get some of the bushings pressed in by a machine shop like for your LCA's ive got my bushings but havent installed yet it said some of them need to be pressed in

 

Do they include instructions with the bushings?

 

instructions are vague at best. you don't need to get the energy suspension ones pressed in, but the old ones need to be pressed out. what i did was burn the bushings out with a torch, then very carfully heat up the part and take a socket that is just big enought and hammer out the metal bushing part. to get the new bushings in you just grease them up and put them in they are split in half so the don't need to be pressed. and some might need to be squeezed in with a bench vice. just make sure you grease them good other wise they WILL squeak. and the rear trailing arm bushings don't come with the kit they are extra, and some people say they cause rear suspension binding, but the mugen rear trailing arm bushings don't.

 

I cut the rubber out with an air saw, then used the saw to cut through one side of the outer race of the stock bushing (just the ring that was attached to the bushing, not the part its mounted in), then it will compress a little, making it easier to drive out. you will need a bench vise on a lot of them, and it makes pressing them in and out easier. plan out a lot of time for this project though, it can get pretty complicated.

 

I have a Chilton's manual. That seems to give general directions on how to take suspension parts off. It sounds like the control arms need to be taken off in order to remove the stock bushings.

The bushing kit also comes with shock mounts. Is it difficult to replace the struts? Is it beyond "unbolt bolts, take out strut assembly, replace struts in strut assembly, bolt strut assembly back in". I know I would need a spring compressor. Has anybody done this before? What else is needed, extra bolts and washers? I guess it would be good to get upper strut tower bearings.

 

Short of burning the OEM bushings with a torch, could you use a hacksaw and cut it into pieces so that it's not exerting outward force into the metal sleeve? Then you can hammer it out as you would with only just the metal sleeve.

I'm interested in replacing all of my bushings so if someone could let me know, I'd really appreciate it.

 

cutting those bushings is pretty difficult. its pretty hard, thick rubber and trying to cut all of it out would probably be more time consuming and difficult than just putting a torch to them.

DIY i plan on using to install my from bushings.
https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_507169/tm.htm

i plan on picking up another set of front LCA's from a junk yard to burn out the bushings and install the ES ones on my car. that way ill be able to take my time, do it right, and still be able to drive my car if something bad comes up in the process.

 

I read some instructions related to the energy suspension parts. they suggest keeping the metal sleeve on an LCA intact. the DIY posts I've seen on this forum say to cut the sleeve out.

what method is right?

 

It depends on the model of the car and which bushing you're talking about. I have done some of each but I can't remember what's what.