Project EF Civic Racecar: Refurbishing the Rear Suspension

Prothane swaybar bushings vs old ST Suspension bushings
The bushings are a universal part so we bought replacements from Prothane. They’re a little smaller but the mounting holes and ID are correct for our application.

Teflon tape wrapped around the swaybar where the bushings are mounted

We used the MotoIQ patented Teflon tape on the swaybar technique to ensure our new bushings don’t squeak.

Rear swaybar mounted in the car
All mounted and ready to go. There are better swaybar options for the EF Civic but the car is already setup for this bar and refurbishing was a fraction of the price of replacing it so we’ll keep it for now.
Stock rear toe links with new Prothane polyurethane bushings installed. Old bushings are shown below
We are stuck with the stock toe links but we can at least replace the rubber bushings with polyurethane bushes. We chose Prothane for our toe links. After pressing out the old bushings we gave the arms a quick cleanup before pressing in the new bushings.
Stock rear camber arms with Prothane bushings installed
We also used Prothane for the camber links. It is really important to ensure the bushings are properly centered or the alignment will be off. Unfortunately the design of the camber link means it is non-adjustable and for Improved Touring we are not allowed to change it for an adjustable link so we’re stuck with the minimal camber Honda gave the car. At least it’s in the rear where we don’t need it as much.

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5 comments

  1. Place some plywood under those jackstands. I know the Civic is a featherweight, but that tarmac looks paper thin, and it doesn’t take much for the feet on those stands to sink right through. Hot day, or water saturation in the substrate combined with a tiny contact surface. It can topple, if you’re lucky it won’t be when you’re wrenching on it. Ask me how I know.

    Reply

    1. Pavement is 60 years old. It’s not thin, but it has sunk a bit. It’s getting repaved soon. Appreciate the concern though!

      Reply

  3. Loving the EF content!
    I have the same chassis with a D15b, and we just replaced the rear drums with disk brakes
    Struggling a bit with the pedal feel though

    Should we upgrade to a 15/16″ master cylinder? (Current is a 13/16″)
    Booster is the factory 8.5 inch

    Reply

    1. You’ll be seeing our brake work in the next few weeks. Not sure when Mike is planning to run it, but it’s been written and submitted.

      I would not go to the larger MC. Both disc and drum Civics used the 13/16″ cylinder. The 15/16″ was for the Integra with bigger calipers. It will make the pedal firmer but the brakes will be a lot harder to modulate. I actually tried the Integra MC on this Civic and did not like it at all. The brakes, especially the rear, were very easy to lock. Not a fun way to drive.

      There are two things you should try first: 1) make sure the master cylinder isn’t leaking. If it’s new then move on to: 2) make sure it’s been properly bled. Master cylinders either need to be bench bled or vacuum bled. Using the brake pedal usually doesn’t get the full stroke of the piston and will leave an air bubble at the very end. If you have a new, properly bled master cylinder then try 3): make sure the pedal travel is correct. When I went back to the stock MC on my car the pedal travel was a lot longer than the Integra MC, but the brakes would still lock. I lengthened the pushrod on the back of the pedal by 3 turns and it made a world of difference.

      If none of this works, you’re better off just removing the booster. A number of companies offer kits that make it a (relatively) easy process. The booster location in the Civic is awful and doing the actual swap requires a lot of contortion. Some of the kits use the 13/16″ MC, others use an aftermarket MC that’s usually 7/8″. I’d try the free home fixes first though.

      Reply

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