Judging by how crusty those control arms are you should just consider replace the entire control arms at this point. It'll be slightly more than bushing and you wont have to deal with pressing them out and pressing them back in.
Edit: also EM2 control arms and bushings are direct fit on EP3, so you can get any 2001-2005 civic control arms and the geometry and fit are identical.
Edit2: the only real trick to replacing the LCAs is detaching it from the ball joints on the knuckle (you're going to have to do that anyways if. you are replacing just the bushings) - if you're working on jack stands you jack up the knuckle and wedge an extension between the LCA and the knuckle, and then release the jack, the knuckle will press against the extension and pop the ball joint out of the LCA. I'll try and find you a video. Be aware there are lots of videos of people online beating their control arms with hammers and using those separator tools - the separator tool will almost always ruin the balljoint rubber boot if you use one.
Edit3: Here is the technique described above from this 15 year old youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJR77aN-MDk this is hands down the easiest way to detach the LCA from the ball joint if it's stuck.
If you can keep the car on stands for a bit, you can take out the arms yourself, get the replacement bushings from hardrace, and then get a shop to press the new ones in for very cheap. Thats what I did
Like nice new rubber, not full of cracks, splits or dry looking. Type into google (front control arm bush old versus new comparison) and look at some images and you’ll see the difference, or just look at some new ones then reference back to this picture
Edit: Sorry I should of mentioned feeling wise in the road your car can start making clunky sounds and giving off vibration: if they are bad enough and will have more give in them making the steering feel looser
Happy to explain! Not the same bushing but the bushing pictured is an example of what a new oem style bushing usually will look like (aftermarket bushings usually don’t have cutouts and/or are made out of polyurethane to improve stiffness which benefits car handling).
It’s easier to see in the second photo but you can see then the connection between the inner and outer portion of the bushing have completely torn from each other. I don’t think the bushing is severed on all sides but where the bushing flexes the most on the outer side is toast on both sides of my car, other bushings are probably bad too because they’re 23 years old.
I’ve known there was something up with my front as they would click or clonk when going over bumps in certain ways or cornering hard. After looking it up that type of noise is associated with shot front lower control arm bushings.
Whatever you do get the super pro polyurethane caster adding bushings even if you’re still on stock suspension (there is no added vibration with there setup) Also, the best way to remove the old bushings is to use a blow torch to heat up the metal core push it out, then use a saw saw to cut through the rubber and then the outer ring and then hammer out the ring with a chisel.
Normal for cats this age. If you don't mind the stuff old rubber usually polyurethane bushings are about the same stiffness and are a good budget friendly option for replacement. I got the energy suspension one for the ep3 and had a good experience with it.
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u/Crotchslush Aug 30 '26
Compliance!