Suspension bushes

[geofff]

Hi,

Has anybody used nylon bushes on their wishbones and/or SE back axle control arms?

Has anyone used rose joints?

Any recommendations or horror stories?

Does anyone have any recommendations on damper manufacturers / resellers?

Also does anyone run 7" rears on an SEW? Do you know your offset to get the wheel flush to the bodywork?

Thanks

Geoff

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

Does anyone have any recommendations on damper manufacturers / resellers?

Just picked up a set of AVO dampers and springs from Andy at CAT Motorsport this afternoon. The quality looks very good, and I've heard nothing but good comments about the AVO's.

(Mind you, had a bit of a "kiddie in a sweetshop" moment, and bought one of his quick racks while I was there   )

[Nick M]

(Mind you, had a bit of a "kiddie in a sweetshop" moment, and bought one of his quick racks while I was there   )

That's precisely why I prefer to buy most of my parts by mail-order !!    

If I don't know something exists I can't suddenly acquire a burning need for it !!  

[geofff]

Hi Gadgetman,

I've just been pricing up the AVO's from CAT motorsport actually. Did you buy the normal bushed dampers or the ones with the rose joints at either end?

Also do the AVO's that come with bushes have circlip grooves machined into them for later upgrade to the rose joint connection?

I bought a quick rack too. From Westfield. How much did the one from CAT cost you?

Thanks

Geoff

[Blatman]

Also do the AVO's that come with bushes have circlip grooves machined into them for later upgrade to the rose joint connection?

I don't think so. You just pop out the poly bush and voila, one "rose jointed" end. It's not actually a rose joint, just a slim steel eye that will fit into a clevis designed to take a 7/16th or 1/2" rose joint.

I bought a quick rack too. From Westfield. How much did the one from CAT cost you?

Have a search of the boardroom for quick racks. It's not unknown for some quick racks to be less quick than you might imagine. There has been a discussion about this very subject in the last 10 days or so, and it contains lots of useful information. I strongly suggest you go find it.....

[Mike H]

Hi,

Has anybody used nylon bushes on their wishbones and/or SE back axle control arms?

Has anyone used rose joints?

Any recommendations or horror stories?

Does anyone have any recommendations on damper manufacturers / resellers?

Also does anyone run 7" rears on an SEW? Do you know your offset to get the wheel flush to the bodywork?

Thanks

Geoff

I think Grahan Smith runs 15x7 on the rear with et22 offset and his wheels fill the arches nicely.  

Have a look here:

http://www.seight.dsl.pipex.com/MegaSeight.htm

Mike

[Blatman]

Reading between the lines, I think Geofff has a live axle car. I think the Seight is independently sprung, so there *might* be some differences with offsets......

[ChrisG]

I think the newer style AVOs are upgradeable to rose joints cos when I was speaking to them about upgrading mine, they asked which damper design I had. They couldnt do mine cos they were the older type with the welded on tube ends, rather than the newer machined ends.

I assume they've probably designed them so they can take both to reduce manufacturing costs as much as anything else.

Chris

[Blatman]

These are the "rose jointed" shocks that I'm talking about.......

The purple poly bush makes them fit in a standard Westfield clevis. Removing the bush makes them fit in a rose joint clevis......

I think we're talking about the same thing......

I have no idea if they have a circlip retainer for the bushes or not though, 'cos I haven't taken mine apart.....yet......

[catflap]

Avo shock originally purple poly bush as above picture

Now with rose joint, held in place with circlip (difficult to see in poor quality image)

You’ll see I have moved the inner part of the joint to show it’s a rose joint.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=412....=0]http

Done by Avo in 5 min while I waited.

[chazpowerslide]

I have the CAT polybushes in both of my SE Westfields (front and rear) and have had no issues appart from a bit of creaking despite generous ammounts of copperslip upon assembley.

I have the AVO dampers (as in Blatters pic) front and rear as supplied CAT on both cars too, they are miles better than the poxey Spax that they replaced.

I have a set of the aluminium bodied AVO shocks to go on the Zetec at some stage too.

I have 15x7 rims on the Zetec with ET21 offset and 195x50x15 tyres (which fill the arches nicely) with no clearence issues and 6.5x13 on the Pinto (ET21) with 185x60x13 which could be spaced out a tad if needed.

Both cars have quick-racks too, well recommended.

I'd personally steer clear of using spherical bearings for all of the suspension bushes for road use as the ride will be noticeably harsher and rod ends that are built to last (high quality) cost much more than polybushes which only loose out on adjustability IMO.

I have spherical bearings in the Panhard rods on both cars so I can finely adjust the lateral location of the axle and spherical bearings in the top front wishbones so I can play with the castor (as I prefer a bit more castor than standard for better "feel")

Fit AVO shocks, Polybushes and a quick rack you will be amazed at the difference in the feel of the car, the way it handles and your confidance in it.

Chaz.

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman)]

I've just been pricing up the AVO's from CAT motorsport actually. Did you buy the normal bushed dampers or the ones with the rose joints at either end?

Also do the AVO's that come with bushes have circlip grooves machined into them for later upgrade to the rose joint connection?

I bought a quick rack too. From Westfield. How much did the one from CAT cost you?

Geoff

Only just got home; I can see I've been well and trully beaten to answering your Q. but..

I bought the regulars - look just like Blatter's photo.

Just looked for the machined ring, but couldn't work the poly bush loose enough to see. (I've only just got over fitting the metalastics to the suspension so I'll stop fiddling with them now)

The Cat rack was £116 inc. lock stops; and is a proper high ratio rack without the stops.

[geofff]

Hi,

Thanks to all for the replies.

I think I'll bite the bullet and go for the AVO's with rose joints as I intend to race my car in the BARC series and I think I'll need all the 'feel' I can get.

I had noticed that some quick racks had less lock to lock than others. I'll just have to see hope mine allows me to catch the car quickly if I get out of shape.

On the subject of the back axle and rose joints: I have seen rose joints used here but I thought nylon top hat bushes would probably be better as they will not allow any movement (less) laterally than rose joints. Am I up the wrong tree here?

Thanks

Geoff

P.S.

Never say you'll help a freind replace the pads on his Skoda Octavia - the pistons !screw! back into the callipers. I could have been drilling panels tonight.

[ChrisG]

Blatters, probably talking about the same thing, I was talking about putting in a rose joint inside as Catflap's pic shows. I guess it would fit a rose joint clevis without the polybush, but I thought you were suggesting just leaving like that rather than having either a solid bush or spherical bearing / rose joint inside too.

Chris

[Blatman]

Yeah, we're on the same page.....

Once the poly bush is removed, do you *have* to fit a spherical bearing inside the top (or bottom) mount, or is the poly bushing merely a spacer, and the top mount remains useable subject to it being fitted in to a properly sized clevis, with a properly sized sleeve? Having never taken mine apart (although I'm going to be doing so) I need to know if I have to budget for some (more) spherical bearings.......