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urethane bushes or rubber?


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#1 _shmack_1_

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Posted 03 June 2007 - 04:05 PM

as stated what do you blokes recomend for a streeter (LH injected 5l) are the urethane bushes to hard? any suggestions?

#2 _JBird_

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Posted 03 June 2007 - 04:08 PM

Go the Rubber.

I put Urethane bushes in mine (LJ) and it's always at the back of my minds if they start to crack or something.

If you insist on using urethane, go for Noltec bushes. And don't rig your diff/trailing arms up with urethane, or the front end mounts. Uppers/Lower control arms with Noltec should be alright though. About the only place where not having any movement in the suspension would be the Radius Rods as that helps with braking straighter.

#3 _youngy_11_

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Posted 03 June 2007 - 06:05 PM

I went urethane all round in my restoration, haven't driven it yet thou lol.

It will be alright

#4 _Squarepants_

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Posted 04 June 2007 - 11:30 PM

Mine had poly's in the front upper control arms and rubber in the lowers when I bought it. 6 months later I pulled it apart as ther was slop in the steering only to find the polyurethane had worn the steel pins down (Yes, the steel wore out rather than the bushes). After a few inquiries I was told that unless you're racing it's better to put poly in the lower arms and rubber in the top, as it's not as hard on the car. I did this, it didn't steer quite as well as with poly in the top arms, but I didn't have any more trouble with the "wearing parts" wearing my car out.
If you're going to replace all bushes with polyurethane you will have a much harsher ride and get alot more vibration and noise in the car, aswell.

#5 _JBird_

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Posted 04 June 2007 - 11:47 PM

I would have done all rubber just for piece of mind. Do it and forget it.

Urethane you need constant checking. Over bumpy roads the urethane squeaks like you have mice in your dashboard.

#6 _Chamois hatch_

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Posted 16 June 2007 - 11:54 AM

the squeaking occurs when they haven't been fitted properly^, i have poly in the UC with v8, very happy not as stiff as nolathane but more responsive than rubber. go with noltec

#7 orangeLJ

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Posted 17 June 2007 - 07:02 PM

i have nolathane bushes all round on my LJ, wouldnt have it any other way, ride is fine, nowhere near as harsh as my commodore, but then it has liquid filled struts, and full pedders kit (so all nolathane aswell)

the torry steers really well and never had a problem in the 3 years its been on the road. :spoton:

#8 _Barman_

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Posted 19 June 2007 - 05:59 PM

I used "super pro" bushes and they dont squeek and firmed things up nicely
Baz

#9 Toranamat69

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Posted 19 June 2007 - 06:12 PM

Give 'em time they'll get there.

#10 _timbotorrie_

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Posted 22 June 2007 - 09:22 PM

got nolathanes in my LH, replaced every single bush with them. havent had any troubles over 4 or so years :spoton:

#11 fuzzypumper

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Posted 23 June 2007 - 01:40 AM

Ive had red nolathane on every single bush for 15 years on my V8 hatch with no squeeking, cracking or alignment issues. Except when you add heavy duty springs to the equation, running over a pebble feels like pot hole. Its always gonna be about a happy compromise between comfort and handling response.

#12 _Squarepants_

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Posted 25 June 2007 - 04:36 PM

The squeaking is probably from lack of grease inside the bush.
As opposed to rubber bushes that actually flex with the suspension movement, poly bushes allow the "pin" (centre spigot that goes through the bush) to pivot inside the bush. This is why some (I'm not sure if this is the case on any torana bushes) come with steel sleeves through the centre hole, so you tighten the component onto the sleeve, rather than the bush itself, the bush then pivots on the sleeve, rather than flexing like a rubber item.
This is also the reason they wore my steel UCA pivot arm out (they had no sleeve).
This is also the reason that you shouldn't tighten rubber bush mounts whilst the car is jacked up, rather you should leave them loose, drop the car down and then tighten them up at it's normal ride height, otherwise, if you tighten them whilst jacked up and the suspension all hanging down, they will flex and be stressed when you put the car back down on the ground, where the suspension normally sits.

#13 _Brewster_

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Posted 08 July 2007 - 03:35 PM

what sort of grease do you use to lubricate the inside of the nolathane bush, is it just car grease, or a lithium or molybond based grease?
Does using nolathane bushes on the outriggers to the body create vibration? Or should normal rubber bushes be used for that?

#14 orangeLJ

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Posted 11 July 2007 - 10:07 AM

its a special grease i know that much, usually comes in little packets with the bushes. Seems, for lack of a better word, mettallic.

#15 TerrA LX

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Posted 11 July 2007 - 12:49 PM

^ i think it is actually graphite.

#16 orangeLJ

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Posted 11 July 2007 - 12:56 PM

thats the word i was searching for!!

#17 _Brewster_

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Posted 11 July 2007 - 02:35 PM

Graphite grease, gotcha, thanks

#18 _gmhgtr_

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Posted 11 July 2007 - 04:40 PM

go rubber, as urethane cracks and is hard on some components, and also 'squeaks" too.

:spoton:
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#19 frash da bucket

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 07:36 AM

I"d say go the rubber,its much better ride and takes out the torshinal vibrations on your car suspension, i had a skate board when i was younger,when using on the road it was like riding a jackhammer,you would feel all types of road surfaces going through your body with the urethane wheels fitted,iam so glad i bought nos rubber bushes years ago for my lj to do the front and back six times round.So if some gave me these urethane bushes today i would throw in the bin,cheers.

#20 orangeLJ

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 09:56 AM

If you feel too many bumps there are two problems-

A) your too old!
B) your driving on the footpath!

:tease:

in all seriousness i have had my LJ together for 3 years and have no squeacks in my suspension and i have nolathane all round. If they are correctly lubrucated and fitted then they are better then rubber, yes it firmens the ride, but thats the point. rubber tends to harden over time, and also seems to crack. its really a personal choice

#21 _Brewster_

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 01:04 PM

Ok, so I'll use rubber for the k frame to body, and I'll use Nolathane all round, except maybe the upper control arm bushes, I keep reading around here thats the way to go....
I really wanted to use nolathane, for two reasons,

1. Firms up the ride, although I wont be using the car for racing and

2. Because the car has to go in for rego checks, I get sick of the inspector sayin, these rubber bushes are cracked and need replacing when the seem fine :furious:

#22 _JBird_

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 01:37 PM

I've got rubber for the K frame, Noltec for uppers and lowers, rubber for the rear diff.

Every time I go over a pothole the whole car crashes and over bumpy roads it makes my dash squeak. So the Noltec ones don't squeak...it's my dashboard. It does make the car feel like one though and I would recommend it...though if I was to do it again I'd go all rubber as Chopper/Dr Terry have recommended me before.

I would also go rubber steering coupling cause with the Noltec coupling the bolts that hold it aren't long enough to reach the nylock part.

James

#23 Toranamat69

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 06:58 PM

If I was going to do another standard Torana front end, I would use the Poly bushes in the K frame mounts and I'm a bit undecided on the other front end bushes. I probably wouldn't use any of the locally made polyurethane bushes as I think they have a few downfalls - the main one being you have to disassmble them to regrease them which is something I couldn't be bothered to do.

The upper control arm ones do not move freely enough in my opinion either.
weather you use them in the lower control arms is a matter of personal choice.
I don't think they feel too harsh but I am always nipping up the bolts in the dash as they like to loosen off and rattle a little bit which annoys me.

I would definately not use polyurethane in the rear upper control arm mounts

Not only do the poly ones split if you use them in your rear upper control arms (and drive the way I do) - I can show some good pictures, but they make the weight transfer on the rear end worse than it already is and will not help handling.

M@

#24 _Brewster_

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Posted 12 July 2007 - 07:48 PM

Don't you just grease the poly bushes up once when you fit them and then she'll be apples? How often do they have to be redone?




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