My '65 Riviera had airbags on it when I bought it. I am considering rebuilding the suspension, replacing the rubber control arm bushings with urethane because a friend has expressed concern that the extreme amounts of travel lifting the car will tear out the rubber bushings. I only drive the car a couple thousand miles a year, if that. Has anyone had first hand experience with this problem? I can do it for about half the price if I go with rubber bushings, and money is really tight.
go with the rubber, any non complaint bushings will increase ride harshness and will impeed suspension articulation.
yeah rich... definately go with rubber. it will wear out faster, but the ride is way more comfortable and will bind less then with a ployurethane... also, it sqeeks more.
Just bought the complete set of rubber bushings(front end) for my car from NAPA. If you spend over $250, you get a $50 rebate. If you spend$125, you get $25 rebate. My car has a 10 inch travel with hydraulics.
Every customer who came to me asking me to install polyurethane bushings, has come back, asking me to take them out. One came back the same day! I cautioned all against it, up-front, but they insisted. I got paid, twice each customer.
I put polygraphite bushings in my 55 after the rubber ones wore out kind of quickly (7 years). The bushings are kind of small, and the front of the car is heavy and it gets driven a lot. I haven't had any problems, no squeaking or noticeably rough ride or anything. I guess it depends on the car.
Lee's concern is mostly about damaging the rubber from adjusting the suspension up and down, since it is much more travel than normal use in a car without airbags. I don't really think it's an issue, Hell I don't even know if they need replacing as it is. But I have to replace the carrier bearing, and a compete rebuild kit, with ball joints and bushings, tie rod ends, etc., costs less($250) than the ball joints alone($80.25 each for upper and $57.50 each for lower) from the same supplier, so I figure I'll go ahead and get the whole kit. http://www.oldbuickparts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=19_34_589&products_id=1379
The trick.....tighten the bolts with the suspension in the center of its travel, not with the suspension hanging, then the rubber flexes equally in both directions, besides a car that moves just up and down doesnt bind the suspension, its the roll and side to side that binds it up, and poly will make that even worse.
With extreme travel rubber Will wear out much faster than a poly type...IF..and this is tje kicker..The poly bushings must be greasable...and most store bought are not, they just replace the rubber ones. Each application is different, so mods needed Will be different , but you have to drill/groove the bushings to disperse The grease , as well as a zerk fitting in the shaft or bolt or whatever. Each rubber bushing manufacturer Will differ as well as the physical properties are not the same, a harder rubber Will tear before a softer one..If you do use factory rubber type, dont install them as you would on a normal car if you have air ride or hydraulics...normally you want your bushing/a-arm to be fastened at ride height so it doesnt flex that much from negative or positive from normal height. If you do this on a air ride Car then set it on The rockers, you are twisting The ever living shiznit out of your rubber bushing and it WILL fail earlier. I would not tighten suspension bolts at ride height , but maybe 25% below or even lower maybe. Greasable poly type bushings will last almost indefinetely if maintained. If you have air...your ride is soft enough, if Hydro ...it will always ****, if you have normal coils and it changes it so much you notice it(and must do something ) , put in softer coils(and you are a little girl). Put rubber bushings under your seat , body bushings and steering isolation...put real bushings in your suspension. Just one guys opinion/experience...
An a-arm goes up and down AT THE BUSHINGS exactly The same regardless of normal driving or Dr Dre type action , the a arm us just a simple hinge. The rubber will without doubt help compensate in letting the arm twist in ways it wasn't designed to...3 wheel action rubber might have a slight advantage if you are just looking for MAX articulation. Your ball joint housings will limit ROM as well as the shaft hits the housing.
From all the comments I've gotten here and elsewhere, I think I'll save my money and stick with rubber bushings. The slight benefit urethane doesn't seem worth the cost or harsh ride.
Or if you wanted to go nutso, ditch the bushings all together and install needle roller bearings! I did and I am not going back
Extreme amount of travel? Are you mudd bogging? Yes rubber is the ticket as others have stated, nothing is more annoying than urathane bushing squeak
I've used poly on alot of cars and had no problems at all. Just make sure you don't use wd40 to install them or the disintegrate in a few months and use lithium grease..
LOL,, it took a bit to get this one rolling but its turned out to be an eye opener with good usable info! I do think someone needs to call another poster an idiot, ***hole or douchetard so it will flow with the rest of the Hamb. I'm trying to be a kinder gentler Tinman so someone else will have to be the huckleberry.
How about this: RAT ROD RAT ROD RAT ROD ! Seriously, I was surprised at first I didn't get more recomendations for urethane, but I'm glad I didn't, I'm on a tight budget, and I want to paint that thing too. Now that I think about it, the bushings have a metal sleeve inside, so i don't reallly see why raising and lowering the suspension would radically wear them out, much less tear them.
The outer sleeve is pressed into the control arm, the inner sleeve is bolted tightly to the mounting shaft. The rubber between them twists as the arm goes up and down. Rubber can only move so far...if the bushings are large diameter, like on newer cars, it's not a problem. If they're on the small side, you can't get a lot of angular movement without straining the rubber. Poly bushings are different, they are designed to be lubricated, and move in the metal parts.
Unclee and I were just discussing this, I guess I need to check the old bushing to see if they ahe shot before I make a decision. Regardless, I can get the whole kit with ball joints and bushings for the same price as the bushings, so I will probably do that and possibly just put the bushings on the shelf or sell them if I use urethane.
My OT/DD offroad truck has Currie Johnny Joints on one end each of the control arms, and rubber bushings at the other end. Even with the rubber, they convey a large amount of vibration to the ch***is.
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