ease or difficulty of suspension bushings upgrade?

[Darrel]

All, I would highly recommend that you do not install the polyurethane T/C rod bushings on both sides of the T/C rod. There have been quite a few reported instances (check Hybridz.org for one that just happened in the past month IIRC) of the T/C road snapping when using poly bushings on the T/C rod. A work around is to use poly on the front side and rubber on the rear. The rod needs some give in the bushing so that a bending moment is not induced in it.

Another solution, and one that I am using, is the delrin T/C setup that MSA sells.

The only ones that I have seen problems with the poly t/c bushings have been with 280zx. Maybe I missed the problems with the s30. With the way I drive my 240 with the z club I am sure mine would have broken by now. :-D

[John Coffey]

TC rod breakage is kinda car specific. Its a combination of ride height, the poly bushings, LCA bushings, and driving habits.

[Arne]

The one thing I was told about squeaking was liberal grease but the clerk suggested to avoid the Red poly from ES and go with black poly because they are graphite impregnated and do not squeak as bad as some have reported the red bushings do .

Very true. When I sold suspension upgrades I was told that by the Energy Suspension factory rep. I would only consider black for my own car.

[V8-240Z]

After many years of owning Corvettes and using urethane bushings, we always drilled and tapped the control arms or bushing retaining parts to accept grease zerks. For the bushings a groove was cut around the OD with a file and or a a hole drilled through the bushing so grease could reach the inside pivot point. I don't see anyone doing this on the Z's. I do have urethane bushings on rear my 71 and did drill and tap for zerks.

My front sway bar is a 1" bar with urethane and a zerk with a hole drilled through the urethane to the center. That has eliminated all the noise, that front bar at one time squeeked worse than a old rusty gate.

As far as grease I use the green marine grease, there may be something better but it seems to work well.

[7277]

..spindle pins made easy. here' how. cut through old bushing/pins with electric sawz-all. take strut tower to machine shop. have them press out the pin with 50-ton press. pay guy $.. install new pins/setting bolt. you're done. the rest is average mechanical knowledge.

[Jeff G 78]

..spindle pins made easy. here' how. cut through old bushing/pins with electric sawz-all. take strut tower to machine shop. have them press out the pin with 50-ton press. pay guy $.. install new pins/setting bolt. you're done. the rest is average mechanical knowledge.

Yep, that's the only way mine would come out. It took every bit of force the 50 ton press at work could muster. When it finally did move, it sounded like a gunshot. It was very scary!

I thought about doing the zerk fitting install, but at the time I was doing my suspension I was in a rush and didn't want to take the extra time. I might pull it all back apart and do it right. :stupid:

[Poindexter]

So- has anyone actually tried to mix rubber and urethane in different locations? Rubber where it primarily affects ride comfort, and urethane where it can tighten up handling without making the ride much harder?

I have to make a move soon on my bushings- I looked into the left rear wheel well and I think I'm actually *missing* a bushing where two of the parts meet- exactly which one's I'm trying to find out- but I can see that their meeting faces appear to be covered in small knobs that look like they'd keep a bushing from moving around. Sorry for the lack of terminology, I am waiting for my FSM, Clymer and Haynes manuals to come any day now- I know this is critical!

I'm trying to make all of these numerous decisions virtually in the dark, so I'm relying on all of you for your years of experience on the precise cause and effect of each change I'm plotting, that way I don't have to rely on so much trial and error. I just hate wasting money on doing things more than once if I don't have to. That's money I could spend on other parts!

[bkelly]

I just put the inner poly bushings on my rear control arms tonight. It looks like there is a lot of space in between the washer and bushing...like 1/16th of an inch. Is this normal? The instructions also said something about a sleeve. I hope it wasn't something I was supposed to have taken off of the old bushings....they're in a landfill somewhere now.

[Darrel]

I just put the inner poly bushings on my rear control arms tonight. It looks like there is a lot of space in between the washer and bushing...like 1/16th of an inch. Is this normal? The instructions also said something about a sleeve. I hope it wasn't something I was supposed to have taken off of the old bushings....they're in a landfill somewhere now.

There should be 4 large diameter sleeves in the kit. 2 different lengths. They go over the inner control arm stubs in place of the rubber bushings, then the poly bushings will fit.

[bkelly]

ahh....I thought it was some type of rubber sleeve that goes over the bushings. I installed them right then. Any idea on why the bushings aren't tight? It looks like the metal sleeves are too long. They stick out a bit over the stub. Should the be ground down?

[Darrel]

It's been a few years since i did mine. I do remember the instructions were wrong and i started to put the short sleeves where the long sleeves should have gone. The sleeves get driven or pressed to the base of the control arm. I don't recall any spaces after tightening up the bolts.

BTW Poindexter, i really don't know the advantages or disadvantages of mixing rubber and poly bushings. Except one may deteriorate quicker than the other.

[m4xwellmurd3r]

I can think of a good reason to mix the two. Some places need a certian amount of give to prevent damage if you drive the car a lot. put all poly's and it's like a hell ride for the car and driver unless it's strictly racing. put the rubber bushings in the right place will alleviate some stress that may cause issues. I think the TC rod is one of these areas. that rod needs a certian amount of give in the bushings to prevent it from being overly stress and possibly snap from what I understand.