Bushing Preload, FR Suspension

After you change your rideheight on your Civic (or any car with a similar suspension design), you should re-preload the bushings.  I know you don't want to half-@ss anything on your project car.

Step 1:
Loosen the Upper Control Arm bolts (the ones that go from the engine bay, through the upper control arms, and into weld-nut brackets on the inside of the wheel well).  Don't remove them, just loosen them.

Step 2:
Drive the car onto Rhino Ramps or equivalent.  If you can't operate your car, you may be able to set your car, on the wheels, on some cinder blocks.  Use your prudent judgment when doing this because I'm not your mom and I can't make sure you're doing it safely.

Step 3: Loosen the Lower A-Arm front bolts (1/side), rear nuts (1/side), and shock fork lower bolts (1/side).

Step 4: Get out from under the car, compress the front suspension a little and let it decompress itself (push on each shock tower or on the front core support).  This lets the suspension bushings settle in their neutral state.

Step 5: Re-tighten everything you just loosened.  That's four upper A-arm bolts, two lower A-arm bolts, two lower A-arm nuts, and two shock fork lower bolts.

Drive it off the ramps and into the sunset.

two pics:

As always, if you have technical questions or comments, don't be shy.

yours truly.
Kwan.