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[VXL V6]

So how long do your GM or Lemforder rear bushes last (roughly) when you have front polly bushes and lowered chassis?

[chrisgixer]

So how long do your GM or Lemforder rear bushes last (roughly) when you have front polly bushes and lowered chassis?

Not actually had a rear bush fail with poly yet.


...although I did change them as suspected they where past their best. Turned out to be a slightly flexing Lemforder steering idler, replaced with GM idler.


In theory, well, my theory anyway is that they should least longer with poly, as there is less yaw put through the rearward oe rubber bush due to less flex in the front bush.

Lowering should help too, as the natural position of the wishbone sits nearer the natural horizontal position the rear bush wants to sit at. Stiffer suspension, should also help as there's less suspension travel and therefor less action on the bush.

....one wonders why Mr VXL V6 is asking

[05omegav6]

Anything from a week to 20k ringing any bells

[TheBoy]

So how long do your GM or Lemforder rear bushes last (roughly) when you have front polly bushes and lowered chassis?

I reckon slightly less than before. I seem to be getting around 20k from GM rear bushes in a GM wishbone, with Powerflex front polys.

[VXL V6]

So how long do your GM or Lemforder rear bushes last (roughly) when you have front polly bushes and lowered chassis?

I reckon slightly less than before. I seem to be getting around 20k from GM rear bushes in a GM wishbone, with Powerflex front polys.

Interesting. Car has done 21K with complete new suspension setup (Lemforder Wishbones, GM rear bushes, Powerflex front poly bushes, MV6 Springs, B4 Shocks, Meyle HD droplinks, GM steering idler, setup to our accepted settings by Fleet Fit in Loughborough), it's also had rear Lemforder donut bushes approx 10K ago, two new front hub/bearing assemblies in the last 5K and Tradeclub discs and OEM pads in the last 1K.

I do need to fit new tyres all round as the current ones were only put on until I was happy that the chassis work was complete and also because I want to get a set of wheels refurbished before fitting new tyres.

The issue I have is when nearly at the point of completing a tight corner - the point where the bodyshell's momentum is loading up the outside wheel - it has the sensation that the tyre wall is flexing and the car appears to have a little 'jolt' before settling down. the the best analogy I can give is it's like the body shell jolt if you were to accelerate with a FWD mid bend.

TRE's are good and there is no noticable play at either wheel. Car drives absolutely straight with no steering input on a level road other than this issue the car handles well, far better than standard suspension but a little softer than the 3.2 does on Eibach / B4's

As I say, could simply be sidewall weakness on my cheapo tyres, a point I could prove by swapping the 3.2's wheels and SC3's onto the car (but I really would like to then put a refurbished set of wheels and new tyres on the 3.2.....!  ££££££!)

I usually carry a fairly full and relatively heavy load in the boot, which was removed when going to the Oxford meet, this did seem to improve matters a bit, but unfortunately isn't an option fro me in the week.

[05omegav6]

What are the front arb bushes made of? Rubber or Poly

[VXL V6]

Not replaced them so presume they are originals.

[05omegav6]

Not replaced them so presume they are originals.

More than 80k, but less than 120k

[VXL V6]

127K sir.

[05omegav6]

They'll be past their best then... Question I guess, is what to replace them with...

[VXL V6]

They'll be past their best then... Question I guess, is what to replace them with...

Pretty sure Polyflex do poly replacements for them.... might be a job to do when I have the Rad and condensor out on my next task to complete on this car.

[05omegav6]

Ah slightly crossed wires... They do indeed do poly arb bushes, was referring to the vertical rears, but on rereading, they have been changed already

Could be that the rubber arb bushes are deforming and snatching as the arb loads up

[Kevin Wood]

I have had exactly these symptoms (normal steering up to a certain loading then feels like something has "shifted") and it was the front wishbone rear bushes.

[chrisgixer]

Similar symptoms to the chewing gum bushes in Delphi wishbones. Feels like the outside wheel is folding over.

Not encountered on my own car though.

[VXL V6]

OK, thanks to all for the confirmation. 

So basically, the concensus of opinion is that it is rear wishbone bushes and 20K is around the failure point when running this setup....

So that means i'll have to change the bushes (probably better to have another pair of wishbones prepared and just slot the front polys out of the existing into the replacement wishbone) twice a year at current annual mileage....   .....Which also entails having a full geo every time as well.

Great! 

It's not really the money aspect or the wishbone fitting, it's having the time which is the problem - time to fit, time to geo.

[05omegav6]

There is a durable poly solution

[VXL V6]

More info required 

[chrisgixer]

Extra info is. They will likely snap the wishbone off due to fatigue.

Sorry Al, but I really don't think its wise to recommend them to others. Especially given Razzo's experiences. Where the arm snapped off while driving.

[VXL V6]

I've got a set of bushes that Razzo made but due to the issues TB had I decided not to fit them until those issues had been resolved.

[05omegav6]

Will have to agree to disagree on that point

They're totally different to the bushes that Razzo made/fitted and after 18 months or so, there's no sign of wear or stressing to the wishbones... None.

[05omegav6]

If anyone knows someone who does mechanical component testing/inspection then I will volunteer my wishbones for inspection, and also a refurbished wishbone and subframe for destructive testing to establish some sort of life expectancy for my poly vertical bush...

Can't say fairer than that

[VXL V6]

Are yours the ones I've seen pictured on here that offer some degree of pivot? They comprised of black and yellow polly components iirc

[05omegav6]

Are yours the ones I've seen pictured on here that offer some degree of pivot? They comprised of black and yellow polly components iirc

All black now, but yes they allow full range of movement...

[Kevin Wood]

So that means i'll have to change the bushes (probably better to have another pair of wishbones prepared and just slot the front polys out of the existing into the replacement wishbone) twice a year at current annual mileage....   .....Which also entails having a full geo every time as well.

Great! 

Just set yourself up with the tools required to press the bushes in and out and you can delete the geo setup from that.

FWIW, my first set of rear bushes following poly bushing the front lasted WAY longer than 20k and they were a long way from new when I fitted the polys. I think it depends on the source of bushes (these were on a £50 set of wishbones).

[VXL V6]

Pushing the bushes in and out isn't really a problem, the garage I use for MOT's will happily do that for me for a pint!

Currently undecided on the route I will take, would like to know a bit more about Al's version including the costs and now I do have four genuine GM brand new (in sealed packets) rear bushes on their way to me for £5 each... At that price I thought I might as well get a pair for the 3.2 in readiness!

Just to note, I'm wrong in saying these wishbones have GM rear bushes in them, this car has Lemforder rear bushes as I never took them out when I got them, It was the wishbones on the 3.2 (again Lemforder wishbones) that I put GM bushes in. That occurred because I took the original ones out thinking I would fit the Razzo ones in until Jamie had some issues with the same setup that he wasn't 100% sure of the source of.