Suspension rebuild input for bushings welcome

[Scott_M67]

Hi all, I'm looking for some input based on your experiences with poly vs rubber mounts. How many people have installed poly bushings and then regretted the excessive road noise and increase ride harshness and squeaks even with the silicon grease? I've read through Jim M's suspension sticky and my understanding of this topic is that poly bushing may be beneficial in some applications but not necessarily all positions. I have my entire suspension removed and have media blasted everything and I started burning out the old bushings in preperation for either installing black graphite poly or new rubber bushings. I also have a set of the MSA Eibach progressive springs and Tokico blue strut inserts for our '77 280z project. About 20 years ago I used a few poly bushings on GM cars, specifically Corvettes and the squeaking and harsh ride drove me nuts.

 

Currently based upon my reading, starting with the front end I will be installing poly mounts for the steering rack, a poly steering coupler and sway bar bushings and links. The ball joints and outer tie rods are new parts by Moog. The wheel bearings are new Timken. The T/C rods are getting new Moog rubber bushings. The bump stops are new KYB rubber and as for the lower control arms I'm leaning towards new rubber bushings.

 

The trans mount will get new rubber bushings. The front differential mount is a new Nissan rubber mount and I plan on adding a "Ron Tyler" mount to the topside.

 

The mustache bar is a tricky one, the old rubber bushings really move around but help isolate differential noise from the car. As we all know the rear mounting on these cars isn't the best so I'm inclided to go with poly mounts for the mustache bar to help firm this area up and hopefully some dynomat on the inside will help with any differential noise. I'll be running a CLSD from a '87 turbo. Does anyone have a recommendation either way for the mustache bar?

 

The rear sway bar bushings and links are again black graphite poly.

 

The rear wheel bearings are new Timken. For the rear A-arms I'm undecided and would like some input, does it make sense to use rubber on the outer and poly on the inners or vice versa, all rubber or all poly? The reason I mention new outers is based upon a statement in the Energy Suspension notes that says "you may need to sand the new spindle pin to fit our inner sleeve". I'm not really inclided to do that to a new pin so I'd rather use new rubber bushings and get the correct fitment.

 

TIA,

Scott

[greghassen]

My experience with replacement rubber t/c rod bushings is not a good one. I too didn't want the harsher ride with poly so decided to use aftermarket

rubber which cracked bad in just a couple years. The aftermarket rubber just isn't the quality of the original factory rubber. If you can

find factory rubber, go for it, but if its cheap aftermarket rubber... you might be replacing it in just a few years.

[Scott_M67]

Thanks for the reply, so far I've found Napa and Beck Arnley have some of the bushings, probably the same supplier. I have not stopped into Nissan to see if they still carry them though.

 

My experience with replacement rubber t/c rod bushings is not a good one. I too didn't want the harsher ride with poly so decided to use aftermarket

rubber which cracked bad in just a couple years. The aftermarket rubber just isn't the quality of the original factory rubber. If you can

find factory rubber, go for it, but if its cheap aftermarket rubber... you might be replacing it in just a few years.

[Snailed]

Too bad Hardrace doesn't make any S30 fitments. The hard rubber lasts much longer than poly but are stiffer than OE rubber and don't squeak. I wonder if any bushings they make would fit a 280z?