Energy Suspension Install (Updated with Qs answered 04/15/04)
Well guys, I've finished installing the energy suspension bushing kit onto the lude.
I went with the Hyperflex kit, the trailing arm kit and the engine mount kit.
This is the best mod I have ever done to my car, all the squeaks, rattles and bangs have gone, the car feels firm around corners yet smooth on the straights, the suspension reacts to the road better its superb
So to anyone thinking of getting this kit, my advise is do it!
If your doing it all on your own (Like I did, its quite hard work and time consuming) but well worth it!
i heard that urethane bushings themselves can make your car squeeky did you have to greese them? and your car didn't become squeeky from the urethane bushings? also how hard is the ride? would it be unbearably uncomfortable for some? like parents?? and girls?
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JDM euro-r h22a, aem v2, greddy header, rs*r exhaust, p28 s100 chipped (and not tuned properly but whatever)
Name: Chris Aim: rentien
I LOVE BLACKTRAX!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! MIRACLE SHOP I TELL YOU!!!
yeah all polyurethane bushings are like that, Lube them before installing them, other wise some will be hard to lube later, I only have polyurethane bushings from my camber kit, and forgot to lube them first. They squek on every single bump, Unless your music is playing loud. lol. The sound is almost worse than having the bumpy ride.
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Black 93 SI CAI/H/E, AEM CAM gears, jacobselectronics wires, 2.5" drop (sprint springs, kyb shocks), neuspeed front upper strut tower bar, no name rear strut tower bar, chrome dc sports lower rear tie bar, thermal R&D exhaust, DC Header. 17's currently with dunlap sp901's.
ds2000... did you use the urethane busings? or do they make them in rubber? well since you said the ride is real smooth, i'm guessing they are rubber ? i was thinking about getting new shocks 'cuz my ride was so bumpy and squeeky but i might go ahead and try this first since i can get all the parts for until 100 i believe right? how much did it cost you? please let me know... i'm interested... thanks
I'm guessing they were polyurethane, I don't know of any company that makes performance rubber bushings, but i could be wrong. Dave? Lol, all questions pointed in your direction.
then how do they ride smoother with polyurethane bushings? how often do you have to grease them? are there any ways to stop the squeeking noise without getting sitffer ride?
i couldn't answer that question bud, but what i do know is performance bushings are polyurethane because they flex less, making your car that much more rigid, as well as responsive.
Originally posted by ds2000 Well guys, I've finished installing the energy suspension bushing kit onto the lude.
If your doing it all on your own (Like I did, its quite hard work and time consuming) but well worth it!
I'm a very very happy luder at the moment
thats good to hear. how much time did it take? what tools did you use? any install tips that you learned or think may help us if/when we decide to do it?
It's like this.. you guys are getting bushings mixed up with other bushings.
The ES Poly bushings are a VERY soft Poly compared to camber kit poly bushings. They dont squeek or anything. They're a very high quality poly bushing. Even when ungreased they aren't squeeky like camber kits are.. hell camber kits are unbelieveably squeeky, the ES bushings are silent. They ride VERY nice, and are not harsh, rough, etc. They will smooth out any of your guys' ludes ride.
prelude styl - I think you've hit the nail on the head
The best way of describing it is that with rubber, the bushes aren't meant to move under load, if you've lowered your car, your straining the rubber bushing so shortening its life - the energy bushes allow the suspension to flex and move freely but also make the car more rigid.
My car had the classic knock on the front, this has gone, all the suspension squeaks have gone its superb.
The only time the car feels very solid is going over speed humps or huge holes - the rest of the time the car feels more sure footed, balanced and positive, I'd say this is the best mod I have ever done!
cifer6425 - I'd say put a whole weekend aside for it (If your doing it yourself)
I used a torque wrench, standard socket set, balljoint breaker, axel stands, a long 17mm socket and a jack - also used high temp grease to relube the callipers while I was at it.
You will need someone to press the old bushes out:
2 per Front Upper Control Arm
2 per Front Lower Control Arm
3 per Rear Lower Control Arm
2 per Rear Upper Control Arm
2 per Rear Trailing Arm (I think - can't remember exactly)
The others can be pushed out by hand:
2 per Front Tierods
2 per Shock
1 Bumpstop per Shock
note. I may have missed one or two out.... I'll update as I remember
You need to remove the outer shells on all of them bar the rear trailing arm (even though the instructions say to take this one off too) - this is what requires the press, it took 2 tonne of pressure to pop one of mine out
Install tips
- Leave the upper ball joint attached until you have to remove it
- Take the calliper off and bracket, its less weight in the arm because you will need to tie it up (otherwise you'll rip you ABS lines)
- When taking the front tie rods out loosen the 17mm nuts on the front of the car (behind the black plastic) whilst the lower control arm is attached, if you take the lower control arm off then the tie rod will twist the bushing and never come undone.
- Be sure you attach the tie rods the right way around, the one gearbox side bends away from the G/B, whereas the other side bends up toward the car (odd I know)
- Take your time
As I say, it is pretty straight forward, you just need to sit down and have a think about it. I've edited a few pics for you guys so you can see which bushes you replace.
The snotgreen bushes are the ones you get in the kit and will replace
The red bush doesn't come with any kit nor do ES make one, I personally would get a new one from Honda, it'll cost next to nothing.
The blue bush is the trailing arm bush, this is the one where you burn or drill out, whatever you do, don't remove the outer shell!
rentien - my girl has actually said how much better the car feels now - also the ES kit comes with some grease, it doesn't go very far so I used loads on the main bushes and just normal grease on the shocks, I figured I could regrease the shocks in no time at all if the worse came to the worse
Anymore Qs guys then ask away, its nice to be putting something back into PO instead of hijacking info
Its also worth mentioning that my car sits lower now than it did before, its looking seriously sweet!
If you've fitted springs/shocks yourself its a breeze, as I say when your taking things apart, put all the nuts n bolts back in the components when they're off the car - it makes life so easy
I have a Prothane Bushing master kit installed, and its been over 6 months. I don't know about "smoothing" and "firming" the ride of the car simultaneously. I'll have to think about that....
You don't need someone to press the bushings out. There is a small ring or sleeve that needs to come out of the control arms that no local machine shop here could press out, even with the 400 ton presses.
You need a blowtorch and a hacksaw, a few chisels/screwdrivers and a hammer.
First. Burn the rubber bushing out with the blowtorch, your neighbors don't like you anyway, so ignore the smell, but try not to breathe it. Once the bushing is gone/ falling apart, you can pry out the inner sleeve easily and scrape out the last reminants of rubber.
Next, once it has cooled, slide the hacksaw into the hole where the bushing fell out. Cut a single cut through the bushing sleeve still lining the hole.
Finally, using a chisel or screwdriver, and the hammer, pry the ring out of the control arm. It will take about 4-5 hours to get all the bushings and sleeves out. And about 3-4hrs to grease, press in, and re-assemble all your suspension parts.
Ok: here was the thinking: The car's handling should be considerably better especially at turn in: The removal of the 'play' or 'slop' in the suspension maybe the smoothing action felt as an impact is absorbed soley by the shock, not rattled through the suspension first, turn in and weight transfer should be quicker, and more precise. Urethane (urethane is a synonym for poly-urethane: which is generically classed as a rubber) polymers can be custom 'tuned' by the manufacturer for specific elasticity (compression/rebound stiffeness), hardness (surface hardness), elongation (stretchability), tensile strength (force it takes to pull it apart) and many many other features. All this means is the bushings are tuned so your car will handle better, because the bushings will not deform underload.
My car feels much firmer, and communicative: I feel more of the road bumps, not unpleasantly, but I feel them, and I know what the wheels are doing. That is a good thing.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacques,Mar 8 2006, 12:15 PM
Damn you guys and your Miatas!
2007 FP... 6fth; 2008: just tryin not to be DFL
Last edited by mtbprelude; 04-15-2004 at 09:40 AM.
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my girl has actually said how much better the car feels now 
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