Re: Busted spring, hang on for a while...

Well, both those issues can come back to bite ya hard. Honestly, if ya going to do the bushings, which is important, you should also do the spring, just as important. They work in symbiosis together, honestly, I 'd be more wooried about the broken spring than the bushings if you really have to choose between the two right now.

Consider posting this to the two Honda newsgroups rec.autos.makers.honda and alt.autos.honda. Crosspost, or hell hath no fury like certain regulars who do want the archives to be a holy ground of Honda repair info. ;-)

The front springs on Hondas of this vintage do break pretty often. I trust you know will need a spring compressor to do this yourself.

You sure about those rear bushings being gone? You been driving in salt and snow or what all? If they're gone, I would replace them first.

I drove my 91 Civic in the Northern U.S. for something like ten years, and the rear bushings were not that bad. This past summer I did do a complete rebuild of the car's lower suspension: Springs, lower control arm bushings, stabilizer links, and front springs. Also did all rear upper arm bushings and the big bertha trailing arm bushings (got the special tool for those), too.

How is your tire wear looking?

One of my front tires got all messed up due to, IMO, a completely rotted out stabilizer link and its associated bushings.

"z" wrote

"z" wrote in news:1167164549.706738.279140@

Extremely common with this suspension design. The springs are small, tightly wound and break often, always at the very top or bottom.

Yes you can. You've lost maybe 1/8" of suspension height, but as long as you're gentle going over potholes, curbs and railroad tracks, it's quite stable the way it is.

So long as you don't hear clunks from the rear, you can leave it alone. Eventually the inner metal sleeve delaminates completely from the rubber and you will get lots of noise. Time for bushing replacement at that point.

What's it actually look like? Got pics?

"z" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

That's not good at all. It means the rubber has completely disintegrated and fallen out. You need to replace that bushing and the others if they are in similar shape.

That's a short archive. Doesn't "Discard vehicle. Recycle into beer cans. Replace." sum up how to repair a Honda?

;)

Ah ha ha ha ha!! You muscle car-driving men are so adorable!! {{kiss kiss smooch and other forms of sex harassment. Sue me!}}

Indeed I am laughing all the way to my (discount) broker, who has happily taken my gas savings (40+ mpg on my old 91 Civic) and made me a small fortune in the stock market.

;-) back atcha

Nah, I'm not the litigious type. ;)

To each his own. But see, I've actually ENJOYED driving my 73 Plymouth for 447,000 miles, instead of ENDURING driving a tin can transportation device with no notable charm besides high gas mileage and exhorbitant repair costs. Just to let you better understand us muscle-car driving types ;-)

"Steve" wrote

To dis a man with such passion, driving a 30+ year old car, is a sin. :-)

Conceded about the "tin can." My 91 Civic certainly will not hold up well in a collision, by all reports. Though I hear newer Hondas are doing much better in crash tests. What exorbitant repair costs? The cheapness of maintaining a Honda is why it is one of the popular cars even today.

"z" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@i12g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Pull the arms yourself. Removal is very easy with an electric impact wrench (rentable). Can be very difficult with just human muscle.

Any garage with a press can change the bushings easily. Don't try using a bench vise.

I'd advise going with OEM bushings.

Dare I admit that lately I've been driving a 40-year old car ('66 Dodge) every day instead of the '73?

I don't doubt it. I actually very much respect the engineering behind most of what Honda does under the hood and with the chassis. My machinist specializes in two brands- Mopar (50s thru present) and late-model Honda- and considers them about equal in terms of engineering design. If they could just put a little passion into the cars and make them a little less like toasters. Yet, some people are very passionate about them. I admire that, even if I don't understand it. You don't see that kind of interest in Camrys, that's for sure.

What

Parts costs sure seem very high compared to American cars (especially older ones). Can you buy a water pump for *ANY* model of Honda for less than $50? My other gripe is the preponderance of interference engines timed with belts in the Honda lineup. Many other makers now do the same, but that's no excuse. Its just bad engineering to save a few bucks, and the driving public has come to accept trashing an engine due to a broken belt as a reasonable risk.

Oh do! It restores my faith that humanity still has some imagination and is still capable of loving!

This is surely a joke, right? Aren't Camrys still one of the most popular cars for auto thieves? (Though maybe this is because they're easy to steal? No idea.)

From also doing a bit of work on my parents' old Ford, I reckon this is so.

I defer to your more extensive experience; duly noted. :-)

I was thinking the other day that this country needs a truly no frills car--none of the electronic, cosmetic gadgetry. A few basic, well built parts (engine, alternator, distributor system, tranny), replaced regularly, and the car is good to go until the body gives. If I had just about three slightly used c. 1990 Civics/CRXs laying around, I'd be good for transportation for the rest of my life. Spending money on a new car every 20 years is such a waste. :-)