And Im only halfway there...
Friday I deciced to start installing my energy suspension master bushings kit on my civic. I was prepared... I have a compressor, press (6 ton $60 from harbor freight tools), and lots of hand tools. Once I removed the control arms I found that the easiest way to remove the bushings was to press out the rubber and inner shell. I then used a hack saw to cut the outer sleeve through in 3 places around it. I used a hammer and screwdriver to pry it up from the arm, then used the press to get them completely out. I used the press to install the new bushings. I think that if I had properly sized dies, I could've pressed it all out at once. When re-installing the suspension parts, I found that it is much more difficult to allign everything to bolt up. This is because the new bushings allow far less play in the suspension.
Today I began the rears; however, that ended quickly when one of the case hardened bolts linking the strut/spring to the LCA snapped off. I used a cutoff wheel to saw off the welded on nut on the other side, then tried to hammer it out with an air hammer.... with no luck. Im taking it tomorrow to have some "professionals" get it out. This is the second time that bolt has broken on me. A few years back the same one in the same place snapped on my 99 si.
Friday I deciced to start installing my energy suspension master bushings kit on my civic. I was prepared... I have a compressor, press (6 ton $60 from harbor freight tools), and lots of hand tools. Once I removed the control arms I found that the easiest way to remove the bushings was to press out the rubber and inner shell. I then used a hack saw to cut the outer sleeve through in 3 places around it. I used a hammer and screwdriver to pry it up from the arm, then used the press to get them completely out. I used the press to install the new bushings. I think that if I had properly sized dies, I could've pressed it all out at once. When re-installing the suspension parts, I found that it is much more difficult to allign everything to bolt up. This is because the new bushings allow far less play in the suspension.
Today I began the rears; however, that ended quickly when one of the case hardened bolts linking the strut/spring to the LCA snapped off. I used a cutoff wheel to saw off the welded on nut on the other side, then tried to hammer it out with an air hammer.... with no luck. Im taking it tomorrow to have some "professionals" get it out. This is the second time that bolt has broken on me. A few years back the same one in the same place snapped on my 99 si.