Omega Owners Forum

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to OOF

Pages: 1 2 3 [4]  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Polybushing  (Read 13365 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

106pete

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Plymouth
  • Posts: 189
    • Omega 3.0 elite
    • View Profile
Logged

mandula

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Finland
  • Posts: 174
    • Opel Omega -03, Z22XE man
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #46 on: 14 May 2018, 09:41:40 »

Last week replaced strut mounts + bearings and ball joints so was able to check wishbones. No cracks or other faults found, all good with both front and rear polybushings fitted.

Good to here that all is still good.  :y How long have you had them fitted?

Is this still correct, you have Powerflex in the front and Strongflex yellow for the back bush of the wishbone?

What make of wishbone did you use?

Thanks

I fitted first Powerflex to front bush (if I remember correclty, over 2 years ago).
Then fitted Strongflex to rear bush over 1.5 years ago and (again if I remember correctly) near that time replaced front polys to Strongflex yellow ones that are a bit stiffer than Powerflex purples (90 ShA vs 80 ShA).

So now I have both front and rear bushes Strongflex yellows fitted.

My wishbones were replaced about 5 years ago when I purchased my car, job was done by local garage and I dont know what brand they used.
About 50 euros each.
Logged

Nick W

  • Omega Queen
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Chatham, Kent
  • Posts: 10834
  • Rover Metro 1.8VVC
    • 3.0l Elite estate
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #47 on: 14 May 2018, 09:42:52 »

That's an excellent example of why that type of poly bush isn't suitable for the application: you're moving the flex from the part that is designed to accommodate it, into one that isn't. And making a metal part work as a hinge is always going to end badly for the part.


Reinforcing it like that has not solved the problem, but is just reducing the symptom of it. On a racecar which is(or at least ought to be) subject to regular, frequent, detailed inspections that's just one the necessary compromises that might solve another problem. But for our sort of usage? Absolutely not for me.
Logged

mandula

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Finland
  • Posts: 174
    • Opel Omega -03, Z22XE man
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #48 on: 14 May 2018, 11:11:35 »

Did anyone see nick bonds solution? https://www.facebook.com/TheBodgeShop/posts/1774395092587610
https://www.facebook.com/TheBodgeShop/posts/1774199165940536:0

It looks rusty/dirty inside that bushing.

What I've read, poly bushing binding can cause problems like that when there is no grease or not suitable grease used (some may consider it as installation fault).

I could easily move my wishbones up and down with very little friction and no noise coming from bushings when I removed struts out of the way. I bet there is much more resistance with regular rubber bushings when comparing movement against (properly installed) poly bushings.

So far I can say that these bushes are not moving the flex from the part that is designed to accommodate it, but are even making it easier to flex.
Logged

Andy A

  • Omega Knight
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Bristol UK
  • Posts: 1101
    • Omega 2.2i CD manual 2003
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #49 on: 14 May 2018, 12:24:14 »

Did anyone see nick bonds solution? https://www.facebook.com/TheBodgeShop/posts/1774395092587610
https://www.facebook.com/TheBodgeShop/posts/1774199165940536:0

It looks rusty/dirty inside that bushing.

What I've read, poly bushing binding can cause problems like that when there is no grease or not suitable grease used (some may consider it as installation fault).

I could easily move my wishbones up and down with very little friction and no noise coming from bushings when I removed struts out of the way. I bet there is much more resistance with regular rubber bushings when comparing movement against (properly installed) poly bushings.

So far I can say that these bushes are not moving the flex from the part that is designed to accommodate it, but are even making it easier to flex.

What grease did you use?

Did you find any difference after changing the front bush from Powerflex to Strongflex?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with just the front poly bushed changed and rear left standard?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with both the front and rear poly bushed poly bushed?

Thanks
« Last Edit: 14 May 2018, 12:34:52 by Andy A »
Logged

mandula

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Finland
  • Posts: 174
    • Opel Omega -03, Z22XE man
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #50 on: 14 May 2018, 13:30:13 »


What grease did you use?

Did you find any difference after changing the front bush from Powerflex to Strongflex?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with just the front poly bushed changed and rear left standard?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with both the front and rear poly bushed poly bushed?

Thanks

I used the grease that came with Strongflex bushes. I used it plenty to all surfaces where metal to bush contacted.

I found some improvement how steering and handling felt when replaced front bush from Powerflex to Strongflex because different in stiffness. It felt a bit more steady to drive overall.
But I must say that Strongflex was better design. There was grid groove where centre metal tube is inserted. This helps greasing it better. At Powerflex there was nothing, only flat surface that wont hold any grease on it when you push that centre tube in place.

I had pretty new rubber bushings before I fitted polys, so I think there was not so much noticeable difference that I wished for. Maybe when cornering difference between rubber and polys could be noticed most. And of course in time, when rubber loosen up polys show why they are better.

Same thing with rear bushing. I did not even wanted any improvement for steering and handling when I changed rear bushing, all I wanted was not to worry about rubber bushes to wear out.
Logged

Andy A

  • Omega Knight
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Bristol UK
  • Posts: 1101
    • Omega 2.2i CD manual 2003
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #51 on: 14 May 2018, 14:19:08 »


What grease did you use?

Did you find any difference after changing the front bush from Powerflex to Strongflex?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with just the front poly bushed changed and rear left standard?

What improvement did it have on steering and handling with both the front and rear poly bushed poly bushed?

Thanks

I used the grease that came with Strongflex bushes. I used it plenty to all surfaces where metal to bush contacted.

I found some improvement how steering and handling felt when replaced front bush from Powerflex to Strongflex because different in stiffness. It felt a bit more steady to drive overall.
But I must say that Strongflex was better design. There was grid groove where centre metal tube is inserted. This helps greasing it better. At Powerflex there was nothing, only flat surface that wont hold any grease on it when you push that centre tube in place.

I had pretty new rubber bushings before I fitted polys, so I think there was not so much noticeable difference that I wished for. Maybe when cornering difference between rubber and polys could be noticed most. And of course in time, when rubber loosen up polys show why they are better.

Same thing with rear bushing. I did not even wanted any improvement for steering and handling when I changed rear bushing, all I wanted was not to worry about rubber bushes to wear out.

Would you say that the yellow Strongflex bushes are the same stiffness as the Powerflex ones or do you think the red would be a better match? 
Logged

mandula

  • Junior Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Finland
  • Posts: 174
    • Opel Omega -03, Z22XE man
    • View Profile
Re: Polybushing
« Reply #52 on: 14 May 2018, 18:16:00 »

https://www.strongflex.eu/en/content/6-red-or-yellow

https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-details/Powerflex+Material+Shore+Demonstrator+/11710.html

Red Strongflex and purple Powerflex have same hardness 80 ShA. From first above links it says that it is a similar hardness as rubber bush would have.

For the price of one purple Powerflex you can buy one red and one yellow Strongflex to compare  :P
Logged
Pages: 1 2 3 [4]  All   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.043 seconds with 22 queries.