i had the energy suspension bushings in my dsm a few years back. They aren't as bad as people say. the polyeurethane really helps translate into better feel of the road. didnt' have any skeaking problems either. I'll eventually swap them out on the evo as well.

same thing with the motor mount inserts, it should definatly be on the list of upgrades. in fact I don't know a dsm owner who doesn't have em.

the rear is a little difficult to get to, but the F/R set is all you'll need. definatly a worthwhile upgrade.

any vibration or side effects people talk about, are really non-existent/too minor to worry about.

 

Back from the dead... I'll be installing these in the not too distant future... I've really wallowed my OE bushings out. I hope to get them installed in the next couple of months and see if the graphite black set squeak. I know they will clean up a lot of slop as tired as my OE set is.

 

Back again from the dead...

I installed energy suspension bushings in my civic that I used to auto X. When I say I replaced the bushings what I mean is EVERY dang bushing in the car. I removed every piece of the suspension from the car, pressed out the old bushings, media blasted the parts, powdercoated everything, and reinstalled the energy suspension bushings.

Review:

I used a LOT of the silicone lubricant while installing these so the squeaking/noise was not there.

The ride was stiff for a few weeks but then it eased up.

The performance was AMAZING. The car handled like it was on rails. I was very impressed...to the point of laughing out loud.

I am ordering a set for the Evo tomorrow since I am taking the suspension apart. I wont have them installed for a few more weeks though.

MAKE SURE YOU USE TONS OF THE SILICONE LUBRICANT. It makes all the difference.

 

I used redline CV2 grease with moly lube on my eclipse, 2yrs of daily driving and no noises at all. I had the black ES bushings.

 

I've eventually experienced squeak with the red bushings on other chassis regardless of lube, but not the black... guess we will see. I ended up getting a black master set for my SC Integra also. I'm actually putting those on tomorrow.

I did install the Evo diff bushings... there IS more "whine" transmitted into the cabin.

 

I may post a review after building my autocrosser. It'll have the Ralliart Engine mounts (4) and the Works Poly suspension (14) full setup as well as the Energy rear diff bushings (2) not included in the Works kit. It's a total of 20 different bushings to be replaced on the car. Basically replacing any OEM rubber bushing on the car with poly or higher durometer rubber. Any existing OEM pillowball bushings stay.

I've had these on my SC'd D-series Civic in the past and loved the added response and stability. Noise was not a concern or very evident.

Not a fun job, but it's winter and the car is on jackstands. Can't wait for spring!

 

Another trick on the bushing in the control arms and other moving parts is to tighten the bushings when they are under a load. Don't tighten everything with the car hanging, but actually sitting on the ground. It really helps due to the bushings being "set" in there proper "location". The silicon lube makes a serious difference also.

 

Even for the stock bushings, the shop manual recommends this method whenever reassembling suspension components.

An alternative technique to tightening parts while your car is on the ground is to use a jack of some sort (I use a scissor jack) to preload the suspension when tightening parts. This works the same and is a lot easier to do, especially if your car is lowered.

 

marksae,
Thats exactly the method I use. With OEM bushings this is a must as the rubber must be at its neutral position at the normal ride height. Otherwise your bushing will be "preloaded" all the time and will wearout prematurely. This isn't really an issue with the poly stuff as the metal inner sleeve isn't bonded to the outer poly portion.

 

shameless plug, but we have the Energy kits in stock

http://z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?model...ng&prodid=1645

 

I have the Energy Suspension bushings kit installed. I replaced everything except the stock spherical bushings. I'd be curious to know which bushings are provided by Whiteline or RalliArt that aren't provided in the Hyper-Flex kit. The more the merrier.

Anyhow, I think the bushings are an essential mod if you're serious about autocrossing or tracking. Be forewarned, there's a lot of labor involved in installing these.

BTW I haven't had any noise issues, but, then again, I'm practically deaf from my exhaust and brakes.

 

are there any bushings that don't require an alignment after installation? I'm about to get the energy master set and wanna know if i can just do a few at a time by myself, or should i just jump into the deep end and go all at once?

 

ovenmit,
I would recommend doing them all at once as your overall cost and labor will be lower. An alignment post surgery is a must.

 

An alignment is certainly a must after any kind of suspension "surgery". If nothing else it will let you know if you did something wrong. The #'s never lie.