Rep Power: 0

I have an 06 EX coupe and i just put new KYB shocks in the rear, nothing else. I didn't touch the springs and haven't done the fronts yet. With just the new rear shocks the steering feels looser. It makes me a little nervous about what it will feel like after the fronts are on. Is there a way to adjust the steering rack on 8th gen civics? What could cause this

 
Rep Power: 243

Is the loose feeling coming from the front or is the back end wanting to swing out making the car feel unstable or loose?

 
Rep Power: 367

after doing the fronts, likely best bet is to align it.

 
Rep Power: 0

The back feels pretty solid. I even rotated the tires and adjusted the tow a little in the rear to be safe. It just feels like the steering wheel has more play before it actually turns the car now

 
Rep Power: 367

any changes in ride height? Rear lower? higher?

 
Rep Power: 0

It's ever so slightly higher. .25-.5 inch I'd say

 
Rep Power: 367

if that is unstable, take to a shop.
hard to diagnose just by words.
did you adjust the tire pressures?

 
Rep Power: 229

Is it possible that you tightened the top mount bolts while the car was in the air?

if so double check to see if all of the bolts are fully torqued now that it's on the ground.

 
Rep Power: 0

I tried to pre load the suspension before tightening but i thought about loosening them then re-tightening now that it's on the ground. Could that alone do it?

 
Rep Power: 229

Should be fine as long as the top mount nuts are tight.

Once I tightened my front top mount nuts while the car was up. I basically just torqued the tension of the spring and thought it was fully bolted down. I only found out they where loose by 1/16 of an inch once I was driving.

When the vehicle weight pushed the springs down, I could see the gap.

 
Rep Power: 243

Did you break an end link on the front sway bar? Without the front sway bar connected the steering could feel looser.

 
Rep Power: 0

Nope. In fact i just put new ones in so the sway bars are tighter