Time for poly bushings...recommendations?

[wesmc]

Time for every bushing I can find to be replaced.  Big kits on fleabay for under 200 bucks.  Any recommendations on brands or another source?

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

I've used Energy Suspension and Prothane.

 

Of the two, my preference is Energy Suspension.

[LanceVance]

I've used Energy Suspension and Prothane.

 

Of the two, my preference is Energy Suspension.

Any reason why?

 

Ease of installation? Price? Quality? Completeness?

 

I'm interested in this as well...

[seattlejester]

I have used the atlantic z recommendation for bushing replacement.

 

Energy suspension everywhere except for the tension arms which had G-machine ball and socket bushing in the front and a standard rubber bushing on the back side. 555 ball joints instead of the poly ball joint caps and I think my steering rack bushings were from somewhere else, I bought mine all through MSA, kind of pricey, but they had everything I needed. I had to trim the sway bar bushings if I recall, and I used quite a bit of grease as I have had some squeaky bushings in the past. Only noise I hear is the metal creaking, no rattling or squeaking.

 

If you have a press everything goes together easy enough if not some C-clamps and some pieces of wood will do the job, burning out the bushing and cutting out the sleeve was probably the most difficult portion. Give yourself enough time to take the old bushing out and then clean up the piece and maybe squirt some paint on it before putting everything back together. Makes me smile every time I have to crawl under the car when I see my shiny stock pieces.

[wesmc]

Thanks guys.....Energy it is.    Can't wait to start pressing the new stuff together.  I'll have a new (to me) CLSD, new rear discs, and new bushings.  She should track like a totally different car.

[wesmc]

btw- my tension arms did not look bad but with my 15x10 wheels they flexed enough to wrinkle a fender.  The wheel was able to shift over an inch in the wheel arch with all the old, worn out rubber stuff in there.

[stravi757]

Dont put the poly T/C rods bushings on, If you do make sure to drill holes in them first. I have seen two cars(Z and a ZX) have them snap! one of them was me. I recommend just using rubber.

[seattlejester]

^Yes, definitely avoid using everything in the energy suspension kit.

 

The sway bar bushings will be too stiff for the sway bar mounts and the tension arm bushings are quite overkill. Even worn out rubber bushings have enough force to violently spring up when you unload them, I can only imagine with the poly bushings it would either snap the bar or snap the mount off.

 

If time is of the essence, acquiring a spare mustache bar and control arms will make things really easy as that can take a couple hours for the mustache bar, and depending on how easy the spindle pins comes out a couple minutes to a couple days for the rear lower control arm bushings.

Edited July 20, 2014 by seattlejester

[Lazeum]

I've used energy suspension kit from MSA and I'm happy with it.

 

I was also concerned with TC rod bushings. I've installed them anyhow on TC rod without attaching the rod to the control arm, the load to flex the bushings at this position is not so high. I don't thing bushings stiffness is the only factor creating the failure we're all heard about.

With large sway bar (1"), I've noticed some clearance issue with the TC rod. I've made some spacers below sway bar fixtures on frame rails to lower it by roughly 1/8" and fix clearance issue. That problem could also explain some failures.

I also had a talk with Aaron from MSA, he advised me to go with poly at TC rod.

 

In addition, car behavior with poly bushings at TC rod versus stock (and new) bushing is very noticeable.

[RebekahsZ]

One of the nicest mods I've done to my car is adjustable TC rods. Several folks make them from datsunpartsllc.com to TTT to AZC. They are not terribly expensive and they eliminate the goofy stock TC rod bushing.

[wesmc]

Thanks guys...I had seen the drilled T/C bushes but didn't know why that was done.  I should have lurked more and had that issue on my radar.

[NewZed]

Some say that you're fine with urethane on both sides if you also replace the inner control arm bushing.  If it's worn the arm won't be in its correct location and stresses the end of the TC rod.  You'll know you have a problem if you hear a lot of groaning as the front suspension works.  Mine groaned until the end of a rod broke off.  The groaning went away after I replaced the rear bushing with rubber.  Eventually I replaced the inner control arm bushings but never put the urethane back on the backside of the TC rod.  It really serves little purpose anyway since it sees little load except when the brakes are applied in reverse.

 

The rod end breaks because the stiff urethane pushes on the tip if the rod, flexing it at the shoulder of the threaded area.  That's where mine broke, after I nudged the curb in reverse lightly while parallel parking..  The end of the break had signs of flex fatigue, the curb finished it off.