2026-09-24 · 5 min read
Honda Civic Type R FD2R (2006–2011) Polymann Bushing Upgrade — Restoring the Precision the Type R Was Built For
The Honda Civic Type R FD2R's legendary handling depends entirely on its suspension geometry staying precise. Worn rubber bushings are the number one reason a high-mileage FD2R loses its edge. Polymann offers four bushing kits for the FD2R — front lower arm, rear trailing arm, rear knuckle and rear upper arm. 4M Carcare is an authorised installer.
The Honda Civic Type R FD2R — produced from 2006 to 2011 — is one of the most celebrated front-wheel-drive performance cars ever built. Its K20Z high-revving naturally aspirated engine, close-ratio 6-speed gearbox, and multi-link rear independent suspension were all tuned to deliver a driving experience that stood apart from every other Civic. But all of that engineering only works as intended when the suspension geometry is precise — and precision depends on the bushings.
A FD2R with fresh bushings is a completely different car from one with 15-year-old degraded rubber. The steering sharpens, the rear end locks in, and the chassis communicates exactly what the tyres are doing. This is why Polymann bushing upgrades are especially popular among FD2R owners who want their car to feel the way it was designed to feel.
Front suspension
PPPB 35861 — Front Lower Arm Bushing Kit: The FD2R uses a MacPherson strut front suspension with a lower arm that has three bushing points — one large rear pivot and two smaller forward bushings. This three-point arrangement gives the front lower arm greater precision and lateral stiffness than a simpler single-pivot design. When any of these three bushings wears, the front wheel loses its precise fore-aft and lateral positioning. The result is a steering that feels softer and less communicative — a significant compromise on a car specifically tuned for driver feedback. The Polymann PPPB 35861 replaces all three bushing positions in the front lower arm.
Rear suspension — where the FD2R's character lives
The FD2R's rear multi-link independent suspension is one of its defining engineering achievements. Three kits cover the rear suspension's critical bushing locations:
PPPB 35873 — Rear Trailing Arm Bushing Kit: The trailing arm defines the longitudinal position of the entire rear wheel assembly — it determines how far forward or backward the rear wheel sits relative to the car's body. On a front-wheel-drive Type R that relies on the rear end for stability under hard cornering and trail braking, the trailing arm bushing is critical. Worn bushings allow the rear wheel to shift fore-aft under load, causing the car's cornering balance to feel inconsistent — particularly noticeable when the driver is pushing the car on a twisty road.
PPPB 35957 — Rear Knuckle Bushing Kit: The rear knuckle (wheel carrier) is the central hub where all rear suspension arms converge and the wheel bearing sits. The knuckle has its own bushings at the arm connection points. These bushings are the final link between the arm geometry and the actual wheel — if they are worn, the precise geometry achieved by all the arms is not fully transferred to where the tyre meets the road. On the FD2R, worn knuckle bushings are a common reason why the rear end feels slightly vague even after other suspension work has been done.
PPPB 36287 — Rear Upper Arm Bushing Kit: The rear upper arm controls the camber of the rear wheel through suspension travel. On the FD2R, the rear camber setting is deliberately tuned by Honda to optimise cornering grip — the rear wheels are set to negative camber so they lean into corners, maximising the contact patch. When the upper arm bushings wear, the camber setting can no longer be held precisely under dynamic load, and the rear tyre's contact patch reduces exactly when the driver needs it most: mid-corner at the limit.
Wheel alignment is mandatory — and worth doing properly
The FD2R's rear suspension geometry is precise by design — Honda engineers set specific camber, toe and thrust angle values to achieve the car's handling balance. After replacing any of the three rear bushing kits, a full four-wheel alignment is mandatory to return the rear geometry to Honda's specification. On a Type R, this is not a job to skip. A properly aligned FD2R with fresh Polymann bushings will feel like a genuinely different car from underneath.
Install Polymann FD2R bushings at 4M Carcare
4M Carcare is an authorised Polymann installer in Bandar Sri Damansara. We stock Polymann bushing kits for the Honda Civic Type R FD2R and handle front and rear installation in-house, followed by a full four-wheel alignment. If your FD2R has lost the sharpness it once had — steering feels soft, rear end feels loose, or the car no longer communicates through the chassis — WhatsApp us with your mileage and we will guide you through the right approach.