Urethane vs rubber?

[fast.asleep]

Other than longevity, what is the advantage of urethane suspension bushings?

 

[chevyford8]

From my understanding urethane is stiffer than rubber, so less flexing.

 

[rrubel]

Advantages - MUCH stiffer, so handling is improved. Also, as you mentioned, doesn't age and degrade.

Disadvantages - ride gets harsher, will squeak/groan (esp when cold) and need relubricating occasionally (not all, but usually the swaybar ones).

I've done front/rear swaybars and endlinks plus some of the control arms on the Vette and have done front/rear swaybars and endlinks on my Subaru. BIG difference in handling. Would do it again in a flash.
[RICHR]

 

[Edmond]

Advantages - MUCH stiffer, so handling is improved. Also, as you mentioned, doesn't age and degrade.

Disadvantages - ride gets harsher, will squeak/groan (esp when cold) and need relubricating occasionally (not all, but usually the swaybar ones).

I've done front/rear swaybars and endlinks plus some of the control arms on the Vette and have done front/rear swaybars and endlinks on my Subaru. BIG difference in handling. Would do it again in a flash.
[RICHR]

Hi Rich,

Where did you get the bushings from? Did you get a whole set?

 

[rrubel]

I got most of the pieces from Suspension Restoration (www.suspension.com). They're Energy Suspension components. I didn't get a whole kit mainly because they all came with body mounts that I wasn't going to use. I got the front/rear sway bar bushings with end links (also available without the links), the rear control arms, the diff carrier, and tie bar end caps. I would have gotten shock bushings, but TPIS already uses urethane. I do plan to get some to rebuild my old Bilstiens, which failed inspection because the bushings had rotted. Hope this helps.
[RICHR]

 

[vms4evr]

Rich,
How difficult to remove the old ones and install the new ones on the sway bars. I'm thinking of getting the kit from Energy Suspension that has the bushings and end links packaged up. They even have ones now with grease fittings on the mounts with channels in them so greasing them up is easy.
Graham

 

[LEEJANDZ]

Go with the polyurethane.
ENERGY SUSPENSION might be the best company out there.

You will really feel a difference between the rubber and polyurethane.



JASON *** BRAND NEW MAGNECOR WIRES FOR SALE!!! *** 1979 L-82

 

[Edmond]

Okay, when I hit a bump in the road, I'm hearing some noise from the rear end. It sounds like something is hitting the plastic on the wheel well. That should be a bushing right?

How many bushings are in the rear?

Should I just get a set for the whole car and stay consistent?

 

[rrubel]

Edmund, if you're hearing scraping noises over bumps, that's probably shocks. There are rub marks under my hood from where the old tires on the old shocks would hit. Bushings tend more to be sloppy handling.

Regarding ease of installation, the swaybar->body bushings are a piece of cake. The swaybar->endlink bushings mostly required a press. I was able to drill out the old bushings in a couple places, and also fashioned a tool to let me hammer out the old ones when I could get the part off the car easily.

I remembered the other bushings I got - the FRONT upper/lower control arms. Those even gave my mechanic fits.
[RICHR]

 

[muddywaters]

urethane bushings

Hi, Yes urethane lasts long, yes you can feel the difference but from my experience w/ urethane they destroy related parts, I prefer the more compliant rubber ones. Just my .02

 

[rrubel]

I'd like to see how you can destroy a metal part... that's all the bushings touch. I've had urethane on my Subaru for about 4 years now with no ill effects.
[RICHR]

 

[muddywaters]

urethane bushings

Get some time on.

 

[Edmond]

I'd like to see how you can destroy a metal part... that's all the bushings touch. I've had urethane on my Subaru for about 4 years now with no ill effects.
[RICHR]

Rich, I think Muddy was saying that since they're stiffer, the ride will be stiffer and when you do go over rougher roads, the result will jar the car more than the rubber bushings.

I ordered a catalog from Suspension Restoration and I think that I'm going to do it mid-May or so.

 

[resto75]

My 75 had sloppy steering and I thought it was the steering box as everything else looks ok as far as the steering rods etc. I did notice that my sway bar links were cracked and ready to fall apart. I replaced the links and the sway bar bushings themselves with poly bushings and all the steering slop went away. I didn't really think that had much to do with it but I guess it does. Glad I did that before buying a steering box.

 

[muddywaters]

u Vs r

Edmond is correct on that, not only does urethane outlast the metal it is up against, they also transfer vibration thru out the vehicle. The only place I would use them is on a sway bar since the vehicles weight is not upon them. Vettes can turn into rattle traps soon enough without adding to it. Urethane , no doubt came about from racing and is marketed for everything. I have had urethane on vettes, jeeps and atv's, and on the 88 I own now I'll go with the oem replacment rubber . I know how some of us feel about Detroit, but I think the engineers would have put them in there. Just my .02

 

[rrubel]

Know why the engineers didn't put them there originally? Two reasons... cost, and average NVH. Since urethane will, as we all agree, make the car ride stiffer and noisier, that's something that many buyers won't want. Those of us who don't mind it in exchange for better handling can just replace them ourselves (as we're doing). And since a 5-cent cost increase on an item is a big deal to manufacturers, they always look for the cheapest way out possible. Besides - urethane lasts too long and the manuf. would lose out on replacement parts!

Urethane won't outlast most metal... it wears just like any other polymer. You can see the wear marks on my Outback's sway bar bushings after 100k miles, but it's nowhere near as worn as the rubber was after even 30k miles.

Let's agree to disagree, eh? I think we've pretty much answered the original question .
[RICHR]

 

[Edmond]

Okay, on average, the Urethane will last longer than rubber right? Which one is cheaper?

 

[rrubel]

Rubber is cheaper initially; urethane won't wear out and need replacing. Given that most people will probably only replace once over the life of their car, rubber is cheaper...
[RICHR]

 

[rrhayden]

Rear Bushings

Has anyone dont the rear axle mounting bushings? Is it a dificult task, or can it be done easily?

 

[rrubel]

Axle mounting bushings? You mean the control arms and such? I've done half of them, and they're not too bad - hardest part is getting the arm back into place right and getting the nut on without losing it into the frame (there's a clearance hole there). I still have the differential carrier bushings to do.

I guess I'm not sure what you mean by axle mounting? The axle is independent, connected to the frame by two control arms, the shock, the swaybar, and the diff. Unless I'm missing something obvious.
[RICHR]