Energy Suspension Rear Control Arm Bushings for 89-95 Civic

Energy Suspension Rear Lower Control Arm Bushings for 89-95 Civic, CRX, and Del Sol

If your EF or EG Civic, CRX, or Del Sol has gone loose in the back end or will not hold a rear alignment, the rear lower control arm bushings are a prime suspect. After 30-plus years the factory rubber has cracked and sagged, which lets the rear control arm shift around and throws your rear alignment out every time you load the chassis. This Energy Suspension set replaces that worn rubber with polyurethane that locks the arm down, so the rear end stays planted and your alignment stays honest. On a light Honda chassis like these, tightening up the rear bushings is one of the most noticeable handling refreshes you can do for the money.

This set fits the 89-95 Civic, the 89-91 CRX, and the 93-97 Del Sol including the VTEC. These are the cast-iron rear control arm cars. If you have a 1988 Civic or CRX, you have the earlier stamped-steel arms and you need part 16.3111 instead, not this one. Polyurethane also shrugs off the oil, road salt, and grime that rot rubber, so unlike the factory bushings these are not going to soften back up on you again in a few years.

What you get and what these cover

This kit comes with four complete bushings and their inner sleeves, enough to do both rear lower control arms. One scope detail worth knowing before you order: these are the rear lower control arm bushings at the spindle and frame. They are not the bushing where the rear strut attaches, that one is a separate part (16.8103). If your strut mount bushing is also shot, plan to grab that alongside this set.

Specs

Color options

Red and black are the same polyurethane at the same hardness. The black is graphite-impregnated so it is slightly more self-lubricating, the red is just the color. There is no performance difference, so pick whichever you want.

Fitment

This is the cast-iron arm version. For a 1988 Civic or CRX (stamped-steel arms), use 16.3111 instead. The CRX ended production in 1991, so there is no 92-plus CRX. The Del Sol picks up where the CRX left off and runs 93-97.

What to know before you buy

First, the honest tradeoff. Polyurethane is firmer than the soft factory rubber, so you will feel and hear a bit more of the road than you did when these were new. Energy is upfront that poly adds a little NVH versus rubber. On a car you enjoy driving, that is a fair trade for a tighter, more controlled rear end. On a comfort-first daily, just know the ride firms up slightly.

Second, this is a press job. The bushings press into the control arm, so you will want a shop press or press tool, and on a car this age, budget for a fight with the old bonded-in rubber. People have done it at home with a hacksaw, vice, and patience, but a press makes it far easier. Grease the bushings well on install, a control arm bushing rotates a lot against its shell, so a dry poly bushing is what squeaks later. Coat every contact surface.

Third, do the rest of the rear end while you are in there. If you have the rear control arms apart to press these in, it is the right time to address the rear trailing arm bushings or the rear strut mount bushing (16.8103), since you have already done most of the labor to reach them. This rear set is also one of the components in Energy's 88-91 Civic/CRX master bushing kit, so if you are refreshing the whole car rather than just the rear, the master kit covers this position along with the rest.