CivicRage

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

its very possible. worn bushings can cause alignment issues. happened to me when the front control arm bushings were torn and car would never hold an alignment more than a week.

CivicRage

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i think you need a press to get the new bushings in. and yeah dont forget the camber kit too if you have a lowered car. they cant align it without one.

CivicRage

:t up::tup :

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

the bushings are visible from the extremities. They are the linking points of the arms to the chassis. if they are tired, they will allow more movement thus changing the alignment.
If you raise the car as we discussed in the other thread, you should be able to avoid the use of the camber kits (they are more expensive in your case than the 7th generation cars for requiring complete lower control arms)
For alignment, the bushings would cure a lot of the issues, unless you have bent control arms (this will not cause variation, though, but inability to get teh alignment. tie rods should not cause variation either.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

stock bushings are a very weak design to start with, most of it is hollow and has a couple of thin "arms" that always break easily.

CivicRage

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

try to get ES (energy suspension) polyurethane bushings, they will outlast the car. make sure and get a camber kit too. usually control arms wont bend, ive never heard of it happening so youre prolly okay just replacing bushings.

CivicRage

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

eh i dont know that one. ive had the front lca bushings break on me at only 50k miles, and front engine mount too. some of them are more prone to coming apart than others so i guess just replace what you can afford. seems like the lowers may be under more stress but idk.

CivicRage

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Hard to tell... on my miata (same double wishbone suspension), right side had the upper bushings go first, left were the lowers... under cornering it should be similar loads in both upper and lower, but bumps are taken more in the lowers. However lowers are designed tougher than the upper for that reason? Might be possible to change the lowers only and see what happens with the uppers.
However, if you change one bushing, please change all the bushings in that arm and the other side of the car too. Poly bushings are dinamically different than the stock ones. Not sure about the older civic, but on the miata the poly bushings are not bonded to the sleeve pin, so they rotate around the pin. That allows for freelier movement of the arm and the car will behave differently in that arms. If you don't change the other side, the car could behave oddly with differences from side to side. Also, for that reason, it could lower the car a little bit - some miatas got lower by 1/4" just with the bushings.
if you going to change just some of them, maybe using stock might be better?
hope this helps

CivicRage

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i know for sure the front tie rod ends will affect alignment, one of mine almost fell out once and i wouldve lost steering control. anytime you change tie rods (or they start getting old and the boots crack), you need to realign it no matter how close you get the new ones to match the old position.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

any bushings on the suspension does affect alignment. tie rods affect the toe.
If they are bad, change them, but labor could be high. If you can, better to change all of them, but you also have the new shocks/springs to expense...

mclean987

iTrader: (1)

i only have a torn lca bushing on passenger side, driver side is still oem and fine, should i was going to just change the one passenger side for energu suspension lca bushing but you guys are saying to change all bushings and not just the one?

Prodresurgence

Change all 4, your going to take the control arm off you should atleast do both, but Im guessing since the bushings are so much thicker your alignment would be off if you only did one side. Do all four then get an alignment and you;ll never have to worry about it again.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

always change bushings in pairs

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

and if they are ES, even more - the material they are made from are different, i guess.

mclean987

iTrader: (1)

thanks guys!