Suspension bushings???

cb723

Hey Hey Hey Hello everybody. I have a 1990 civic wagon with a jdm b16 two wheel drive (Having problems uploading pictures) what's a good company to buy all of the suspension bushings from. Thanks for any advice.

BIOHAZARD

i put the energy suspension bushing kit in my wagon and they are a 100% improvement over old worn separated bushings(they were shot when i bought the car).

other on here have liked prothane or other like brands but i havent used this brand before so other wagonists may want to give their testimonials.

udubrx7

I replaced every bushing in the front of my wagon with energy suspension bushings..... made a huge difference with steering response and everything, but they have their problems too. After replacing all your stock bushings with energy suspension you will feel every little crack in the road like WOAH. It takes some getting used too, and I think on my current hatchback build I'm going to try and just replace some of the bushings and swap them back and forth between stock until I can find a good balance between handling feel and road roughness. Also, my bushings squeak like crazy in the wintertime, even after re-lubing them all (that did help). The squeaking is kind of lame because people can hear it from outside the car and sort of makes the car sound like a POS.

I have heard that prothane bushings are a little more compliant and less squeaky, but I have no personal experience. I think they may give you a choice in the stiffness of the bushings, if so I would go with whatever they say is softer than the energy suspension ones.

Jaker

Many times, the squeak comes from the shiny finish on the bushings. The last time I installed a set of ES bushings, I took the time to sand down the surface of the bushings anywhere there would be contact with other bits, just enough to take off the shine. That set of bushings went about 5 years without squeaking once.

udubrx7

Jaker wrote:

Many times, the squeak comes from the shiny finish on the bushings. The last time I installed a set of ES bushings, I took the time to sand down the surface of the bushings anywhere there would be contact with other bits, just enough to take off the shine. That set of bushings went about 5 years without squeaking once.

Jaker for the win!! Dude you should write a book. Seriously. I will definitely do this before I put them in my hatch.

Jaker

Almost 25 years of Hondas now. My first Honda was a brand new 1986 Civic Hatchback. I'm getting old, so don't necessarily remember ALL the tricks from over the years, but the ones I do remember I'll gladly share given the opportunity.

cb723

Thanks everbody for the advice and input." keep the rubber side down "

Tatty90EE4

I'm kind of in the same boat. (Not meaning to thread jack or anything) I ordered some Prothane Motor Mount Inserts, should I lube them before installation, if so, what should I use to lube?

udubrx7

Inserts for all four engine mounts? I have energy suspension ones, I never lubed them and they don't make any noise. I'm only using the ones in the front and rear mounts now though, there is SO MUCH vibration transmitted back into the car when you use all four. Way more than is comfortable in a street car, even if you're used to riding around with stiff ass suspension and a stripped out interior.

Tatty90EE4

udubrx7 wrote:

Inserts for all four engine mounts? I have energy suspension ones, I never lubed them and they don't make any noise. I'm only using the ones in the front and rear mounts now though, there is SO MUCH vibration transmitted back into the car when you use all four. Way more than is comfortable in a street car, even if you're used to riding around with stiff ass suspension and a stripped out interior.

Yes, all 4. I haven't installed them yet, just trying to get an idea.

leWolf

udubrx7 wrote:

Inserts for all four engine mounts? I have energy suspension ones, I never lubed them and they don't make any noise. I'm only using the ones in the front and rear mounts now though, there is SO MUCH vibration transmitted back into the car when you use all four. Way more than is comfortable in a street car, even if you're used to riding around with stiff ass suspension and a stripped out interior.

Is it really that bad? I am just tired of my engine wiggling around but if it's gonna make everything vibrate badly nevermind then!

Haydz

Nolathane (usually red) and Noltec (usually blue) are the main poly bushing brands here in NZ.

I have heard mixed opinions on whether to go OE rubber or good quality poly bushings. I put Noltec RTA bushings in the RTi and it made the car feel very flat and stable in the rear (more than it did already) but i wonder, if i had used brand new OE rubber ones for everything, would it be better than poly all round?

udubrx7

AlexanderleWolf wrote:

Is it really that bad? I am just tired of my engine wiggling around but if it's gonna make everything vibrate badly nevermind then!

With the side mount inserts in, yes it is pretty bad. I dealt with it for about a week before I pulled the inserts out. The inserts are cheap and easy to install though, so feel free to find out for yourself! I would definitely recommend using the inserts for the front and rear mounts, just not the sides. I have the inserts in the front and rear, and brand new OEM mounts on the sides, I don't have any problems with the engine wiggling around.

leWolf

udubrx7 wrote:

AlexanderleWolf wrote:

Is it really that bad? I am just tired of my engine wiggling around but if it's gonna make everything vibrate badly nevermind then!

With the side mount inserts in, yes it is pretty bad. I dealt with it for about a week before I pulled the inserts out. The inserts are cheap and easy to install though, so feel free to find out for yourself! I would definitely recommend using the inserts for the front and rear mounts, just not the sides. I have the inserts in the front and rear, and brand new OEM mounts on the sides, I don't have any problems with the engine wiggling around.

Awesome!

absolutetinting

i had energy suspension on my last ride. yes, it was a better handling ride.
if i had to do it again, i'd go with factory honda parts.
i wasn't doing road courses, just driving around.
my 2cent.