PRODUCT DETAILS
Energy Suspension Front Control Arm Bushings - 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si (EM1)
If your EM1 Si has gone vague up front, mushy steering, clunks over bumps, or wheel hop when you put that B16 to work, your worn factory control arm bushings are usually the culprit. After 25-plus years, that soft OE rubber cracks and sags, and it lets your front control arms move around and drags your alignment along with them. This Energy Suspension set swaps the front upper and lower control arm bushings for polyurethane that holds everything where it belongs, so your inputs go straight to the front tires instead of getting soaked up by tired old rubber.
What You Get Out Of It
You'll notice it the very first drive. Your steering sharpens up, the front end feels planted, and that wheel hop a lot of EM1 owners fight on hard launches backs off, because now the control arm stays put under load instead of squirming around. On a light, tossable car like the 99-00 Si, tightening up the front control arm bushings is honestly one of the best dollar-for-handling upgrades you can make. And it holds an alignment way better than worn rubber, which matters even more if you're lowered or making more than stock power. Poly also shrugs off the oil, salt, and grime that rot rubber, so this is a do-it-once deal.
What's In The Kit, And What's Not
Let's be clear up front, because this trips people up. This kit includes both the front upper and lower control arm bushings, for both sides of the car. What it does not include is the front strut or shock mount bushings, those are a separate Energy Suspension set (16.8111). So if your strut bushings are worn out too and you want to do the whole front end in one shot, grab the 16.8111 at the same time and you're not stopping halfway through the job to order more parts. If your strut bushings are still good, this control arm set stands fine on its own.
EM1 Only: Confirm Before You Order
Read this one before you buy, because it's the easy mistake to make. This set is specific to the 99-00 Civic Si (EM1), the one running the B16A2, and it has its own front control arm geometry. It does not interchange with the EK Civic or the 7th-gen Si, those use different control arm bushings entirely. So if you've got an EM1 Si, you're in the right place, just make sure that's actually what you've got before you order.
The Honest Tradeoff On Ride
Let's be straight about the ride. Poly is firmer than that soft factory rubber, so you'll feel and hear a bit more of the road than you did when these were new. On a driver's car like the EM1, that connected feel is exactly the point. But if yours is a comfort-first daily, just know the ride firms up a little going in.
What To Expect On Install
The new bushings press in easy. The hard part is getting the old rubber out of the control arms, on a 25-year-old car they're usually seized right in there, so plan on a press, a good bushing tool, or a shop visit for that step. Most people just pull the control arms and do it on the bench, which makes the whole thing a lot less of a fight.
Grease Them Well, And A Note On Color
Here's the big one: the most common gripe about poly bushings is squeak, and it almost always comes down to a dry install. Use plenty of a polyurethane-safe grease on every surface where the bushing rotates against its shell, do that right and they stay quiet. On color, red and black are the same polyurethane at the same hardness, so it's purely a look thing, the black is graphite-impregnated to be a touch more self-lubricating, while red is just the color. Pick whichever you like.
Specs
- Part numbers: 16.3115R (red), 16.3115G (black)
- Type: front upper and lower control arm bushing set, polyurethane
- Material: Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex polyurethane
- Coverage: front, both sides (driver and passenger)
- Includes: Formula 5 grease
- Not included: front strut/shock bushings (see 16.8111)
- Warranty: 7 years / 750,000 miles (per manufacturer)
Fits These Cars
- 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si (EM1, B16A2)
Note: Energy Suspension Hyper-Flex polyurethane front control arm bushing set for the 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si (EM1), part numbers 16.3115R (red) and 16.3115G (black). Replaces the worn front upper and lower control arm bushings on both sides with polyurethane for sharper steering, a more planted front end, reduced wheel hop, and better alignment retention, while resisting the oil, salt, and grime that rot rubber. This set is specific to the EM1 Si (B16A2) and does not interchange with the EK Civic or the 7th-gen Si, which use different control arm bushings, so confirm your car is an EM1 Si before ordering. It covers the control arm bushings only; the front strut/shock mount bushings are a separate set (16.8111). Red and black are the same hardness (black is graphite-impregnated to be slightly more self-lubricating, red is a color choice). Polyurethane rides firmer than stock. The old rubber is often seized in on a car this age, so a press helps, and every bushing should be greased thoroughly on install to prevent squeaks. Backed by Energy's 7-year / 750,000-mile warranty (per manufacturer). One set per order.