Bushing kits

[Micke]

Hi there!
I´m thinking about changing bushings on my ´92 Coupe.
I havent discovered any serious damages to my stock
bushings, but i guess they are a bit "tired" after 10 yeras of
abuse and 80000 km. I changed shocks to adjustable Koni´s
last year, and i thought it would be a good thing to replace the
old bushings as well!
I´ve noticed that both Ecklers and DRM sells complete kits.
Do you guys have any recommendations in what kit to
buy e.t.c? My C4 is a daily driver during summertime, but right now
she´s taking a 6 months nap, due our Swedish winter!

Best regards
Micke

 

[Jack]

I know the parts are different (C4 vs C3) ... but just for reference. I bought a deluxe frontend rebuild kit for my C3 from Van Steel in Florida for $200 ... it had ALL polyurethane bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, idler arm, sway bar links maybe they have a similar kit for your C4 ...BTW, Art at Van Steel is a great guy!
JACK:gap

 

[corvettejonesy]

Hi,

How did the new poly bushings work for you? I was thinking of getting the set as my bushings are 16 years old and like to squeak when the outside temp drops below 40 and I go over a mild bump...

Thanks!

 

[Jack]

I like poly in driver

How did the new poly bushings work for you? I was thinking of getting the set as my bushings are 16 years old and like to squeak when the outside temp drops below 40 and I go over a mild bump

Jonesy:
Welcome to CACC! I would choose poly again. Properly lubed poly don't squeak any more than rubber. Ease of installation (vs rubber) ... durability (vs rubber). Poly will firm up the ride ... but some folks speak of preferring a softer (rubber) ride. However, most folks that replace w/ poly probably do so because their rubber ones have turned to mush from age, heat & solvents (oil/gas/engine degreaser etc). So I can't make a credible comparison in ride because my rubber ones were mushy too. I'm sure there's some difference in ride firmness comparing NEW rubber vs NEW poly ... with poly being more firm. I've never compared NEW rubber vs NEW poly so I really can't say with certainty ... I dunno of anyone having done such as comparison. I'm sure NEW rubber would've produced a much firmer ride than my OLD rubber did. Compared to rubber, polyurethane is virtually impervious to common underhood solvents. BTW, when using poly on C3 front control arms ... if old C3 outer shells are OK (probably are) there is NO need to press anything ... just hog out the old rubber from the shells and slip in the lubed poly with finger-pressure. Maybe similar/same for C4 ... I dunno. I would not rely upon hyped claims of graphite for anti-squeak ... I rely on the recommended silicone grease lube upon assembly of poly bushings. Little doubt, poly would cost points in an NCRS judging.
JACK:gap

 

[69MyWay]

Micke,

I just did this entire conversion on my 1990. I got my stuff from Vette Brakes & Products. Good quality parts.

My old bushings had deformed and no doubt were causing some issues with predicatble handling.

It is a fairly time consuming job and you need several tools handy like a drill motor, hacksaw, vice (a hydraulic press would really be really great). I found that a basic gear puller worked wonders to press out my old bushings.

The new bushings can be pressed in by hand.

Oh, you also need a torque wrench in foot pounds as you will have to retorque the suspension parts when complete.

Good luck, and have fun.

Chris

 

[rrubel]

Things may be different with the later C4's, but I found that several of the bushings on mine could not be hand-pressed - the front control arms and the rear sway bar to end-link ones.

Also, be forewarned that the nuts for the rear control arms CAN fall through the hole in the frame next to the mounting point... and grade 8 metric in that size is not a normal item for your local Home Depot... Use a magnet to hold it in place before trying to install...

Beyond that, I've noticed a marked improvement over the dry-rotted bushings that were there before (natch!). Any squeaks aren't noticeable over the stock rattles anyway.

Now, a couple years ago I replaced the rubber bushings with urethane on my Outback when they were almost new simply to improve handling. Noticed a big improvement as a result, even over new rubber, but these groan a LOT when cold, even though they've been lubed twice.

[RICHR]

 

[mauivette]

I just purchased the complete prothane bushing kit. Now I am trying to find that tech article I saw several months ago with all the tips and tricks on installing them to save time. Anyone have a link??????????

Mahalo