Suspension Bushings - Which ones? Options

[Scott Carlberg]

I want to UPgrade my Suspension Bushings.
I bought complete F&R sets from GPR last year and was even lucky enuf to have Mueller install the rears for me, however my rear-arms prolly need replacing, and when I do that I thought I'd upgrade to some better Bushings than what I bought.

Looking around at the different websites, I've found these choices:

- PolyBronze from Elephant Racing (pelican parts)
- Roller Bearings from Mueller
- Delrin's over on Paragon Products site
- Poly-Graphite (Weltmeister) GPR, Pelican et al.


I've heard Mueller's Roller Bearings are Awesome and I don't doubt it, though I would like to go for a ride in a 914 that has them so I can see/feel.

I do not know much about the PolyBronze from Elephant Racing, as I until recently didn't really surf the Pelican site much.
Nor do I know much about the Delrin's that are listed on Paragon's site.

Can you guys share your experiences with these different Bushings?

Right now my 914 is 'just' a 1.7, stock-bodied car.
IF the dream ever happens ( (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif) ) it will someday have a Sheridan Body Kit on it, and two more cylinders in the eng compartment, and only be driven on the weekends, on tracks in Calif & Nevada. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beer.gif)

Thanks in advance for your time,


Sc

[Mueller]

if you need them any time soon....count mine out....
I'm all out and no plans on making any more in the near future...

I forgot, Tarett has 3 sets (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

I thought you've been in Scotts 3.0 914/6? he has the needle bearings front and rear.........

I think you should get the elphant units so I can look at them up close and personal...don't know about installing them tho, I'm curious what a shop would charge to install them???

the key with the plastic bushing is ensuring your trailing arms are near perfect, I think that is the problem with yours, the ends are oval instead of nice and round...

[davep]

A friend told me of his experience about 15 years ago. He cleaned up the trailing arms as best he could, and that was extensive. Then he installed the bushings. After that he had to hone the bushing ID to size. That is a real problem with plastic. You pretty much have to freeze it to make it hard enough to hone. Finally he was able to install the shafts. He had similar problems with the front A-arms.

Basically the bushings deform when inserted into the arms, and the ID's are no longer round, hence the need to hone them true.

[lapuwali]

The Elephant Racing guy is local (he's in Campbell, I think). I've met him. You can order his stuff directly from him, you don't need to go through Pelican.

His latest stuff uses a bronze bushing in a urethane sleeve that allows you to squish it around some to counteract the non-round bushing holes, but not have something as completely soft as an all-urethane bushing. You can also lube the hell out of them with the Zerk fitting, so they should last a bit longer than an all urethane bushing.

[Bleyseng]

I just bought a set and posted pics last week of them. I haven't had time to install them but maybe this weekend.

Geoff

[Jeroen]

You can buy direct from Elephant (Chuck Mooreland)
He's a nice guy to deal with
www.elephantracing.com

or

www.tarett.com
sells both Mueller's bearings and Elephant's bushings (same price as direct from Elephant)

Do a search on "elephant"
There was a thread recently discussing both Mueller and Elephant's stuff