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Suspension Bushes


davew

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So there is sufficient flex in the poly bushes to let you adjust the rear toe?

...thats the only reason I could think of as to why you'd wanna keep a metalastic on that one.

Cheers,

Al.

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Tired of life are we ??!!

Nope. She's out. Not back 'til tomorrow...........at which point, I'll be for it.........

Al

When I fitted my poly bushes I adjusted my rear toe (a gnats toe in, FWIW), as normal. Seems to work ok.........

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Being a good boy, I followed the build manual and installed Metalastic Bushes all round.

What am I realistically missing by NOT having Poly Bushes?

The car is predominantly used for road use with about 3 or 4 track days per year.

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In my admittedly VERY limited recent experience (on the sprint car), I don't think you're missing much, to be honest. I'm a little indifferent to the performance of the poly bushes, as I don't seem to be able to discern any difference between them and the metallastic ones. I know of at least one owner who has had to re-inforce the "brim" of the top hat section of the front upper bushes, as movement of the suspension was causing it to fail (it was being eroded/cut through).

I'm going fully rose-jointed on the sprint car for next year, and I'm not planning on swapping the metallastic ones in my green car for poly bushes, because of the apparent zero benefit for me. Your mileage may vary, though.............

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I found it really difficult fitting the metalastic bushes on my locost till i phoned a friend. Here's the advice,

get out your dremile type thing and put in the wire bush attachment. Polish the inside of the wishbone tube (you can see it polishing if you look down the tube as it does it - don't forget your eye protection). Squirt lots of rubber / nylon lubriacant (yellow can in halfords) on the bush and the tube. Curse that the stuff is freezing cold when it gets on your hands. Using a long bolt, lots of washers and a bit of flat steel with a hole in it pull the bush through.

On some of them i could push the bush half way in by hand. When i was nearly all the way in i found it quite easy to hold the screw head in a spanner at one side and use a ratchet to wind the nut on.

One thing, don't get the rubber / nylon lube on the soles of your shoes - its VERY effective as i found out to my cost  when walking through the kitchen afterwards.

Mike.

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Put the metallastic bushes in the freezer for 24 hours, and then warm the wishbone before assembly. *Should* go in fine, especially if you use lubricant..............

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The one thing I would say in favour of the poly bushes is that they don't bind up in the same way that the metalistic ones do.

For example, when jacking up the rear of the car there was noticably more "stiction" on one side than the other - once you nip the bolts up tight you're locking the bush in place but with the poly bushes the wishbones seem much more free to move up and down.

How much difference this makes in the real world I wouldn't like to say, and with all the other changes to may car it's difficult to tell what has made the biggest difference.  But suffice it to say my car now feels *much* nicer to drive - the front end is more positive, it can be made to turn in sharply and drift on demand - it just feels more nimble.  And that's without the addition of anti roll bars just yet.

Incidentally, the freezer / oven trick also works for cambelt idler pulleys and aluminium front hubs.  Just don't a) get caught when SWTSMBO returns home early from shopping or b) having learnt that lesson, don't leave an oven tray in the garage !!  :blush:

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What am I realistically missing by NOT having Poly Bushes?

They're easier to keep clean?  ;)   :D  :D  :D  :devil:  :xmas:

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They're easier to keep clean?

My reputation strikes again ........  :blush:

Would poly tyres be easier to keep clean? I have worn out several pairs of tweezers getting stone fragments out of the treads of my rubber Toyos .....  :0

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*shakes head*

There really is no hope for some of you lot..... :p  ;)  :D

Tyres should be considered as much of a disposable item as engine oil - if they don't need changing every 3,000 miles you're not trying hard enough !!   :devil:  :D  :D

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I think Nicks forgetting that Steppenwolf's car has a Zetec under the bonnet.........

I'll get me coat..........

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