Rubber suspension bushings, Thinking of switching from poly Options

[Mowog4]

I can tell I am quickly getting old, the poly bushings in my car squeak while I drive the car which is driving me nuts. I had a shop pull them out and grease them inside and out, worked for a couple days then the noise was back.

Any choices other than rubber, or is the rubber a good alternative?

[914Sixer]

914Rubber has a kit. URO did make 2 different hardness ones. Rubber is the way to go in my opinion unless your tracking the car.

[Shivers]

I have read around here that 914 rubber makes a nice rubber bushing.
I gave up chasing squeaks years ago, I found it easier to replace the 7 parts that didn't squeak with 7 that did. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ClayPerrine]

I tried all the various suspension bushings out there. Rubber, Delrin, and Needle Bearing. The Needle Bearing ones are great, but I got a really harsh ride. The Delrin bushings would stick and squeak. I tried grease fittings but that didn't fix it. I reamed the Delrin bushings, but to get them to not squeak, they got really sloppy tolerances.

I put in Elephant rubber bushings and the ride is acceptable, and the bushings don't squeak.

Clay

[bbrock]

I have 914Rubber bushings in the front, but their bushings fit way too loose in my rear trailing arms, so I put Elephant Racing bushings in the rear. Probably worth checking out this post: http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?s=&...t&p=2888749

[Mowog4]

I tried all the various suspension bushings out there. Rubber, Delrin, and Needle Bearing. The Needle Bearing ones are great, but I got a really harsh ride. The Delrin bushings would stick and squeak. I tried grease fittings but that didn't fix it. I reamed the Delrin bushings, but to get them to not squeak, they got really sloppy tolerances.

I put in Elephant rubber bushings and the ride is acceptable, and the bushings don't squeak.

Clay

Seems to be a huge price difference between Elephant and the others, any idea why?

[willieg]

I had a Sunbeam Tiger that was 98% road and 2% SCCA. I thought poly bushings would be better. NOT! Much firmer ride which is good for the track but not for the street. Also, with poly bushings, you hear all of the other noises.

[Cairo94507]

Another vote for the Elephant Racing rubber bushings. That is what I have in my car along with Bilstein shocks/strut inserts, 140 pound rear springs, stock torsion bars and stock (later) F&R sway bars. Car rides and handles great. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[76-914]

I have no experience with 914rubber's bushings but I can say that Elephant's product, albeit pricey, works great. And I can say with absolute certainty that I would never again install Delrin bushings. What an annoyance those things are. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

[Root_Werks]

914Rubber has a kit. URO did make 2 different hardness ones. Rubber is the way to go in my opinion unless your tracking the car.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

Ran all variants of suspension bushings in 914's. Depends what you want. For any street driving, rubber is the way to go.

Much easier on the senses.

[Mikey914]

I tried all the various suspension bushings out there. Rubber, Delrin, and Needle Bearing. The Needle Bearing ones are great, but I got a really harsh ride. The Delrin bushings would stick and squeak. I tried grease fittings but that didn't fix it. I reamed the Delrin bushings, but to get them to not squeak, they got really sloppy tolerances.

I put in Elephant rubber bushings and the ride is acceptable, and the bushings don't squeak.

Clay

Seems to be a huge price difference between Elephant and the others, any idea why?

I think it may be somewhat their business model. They make a great product. At the end of the day unless there is an exotic formulation of the rubber, they are basically the same.
We are less expensive in that we do hundreds of sets and are not in the business of trying to command a premium. Speaking for our design we simply tried to get as close to factory as we could on these.

Mark

[bdstone914]

I can tell I am quickly getting old, the poly bushings in my car squeak while I drive the car which is driving me nuts. I had a shop pull them out and grease them inside and out, worked for a couple days then the noise was back.

Any choices other than rubber, or is the rubber a good alternative?

@Mowog4

Are you referring to front or rear bushings?
The rear bushing are now carried b Restoration Designs. They come from the same company that supplies Elephant Racing.
Not as pricey as Elephant.
Installing the rears is quite a chore. I will be posting a thread with the tools I made to install them.
914 Rubber front bushing are good. I would not use Uro fronts again. Had too man problems with them.

@76-914

[914Toy]

I have no experience with 914rubber's bushings but I can say that Elephant's product, albeit pricey, works great. And I can say with absolute certainty that I would never again install Delrin bushings. What an annoyance those things are. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[Mowog4]

I can tell I am quickly getting old, the poly bushings in my car squeak while I drive the car which is driving me nuts. I had a shop pull them out and grease them inside and out, worked for a couple days then the noise was back.

Any choices other than rubber, or is the rubber a good alternative?

@Mowog4

Are you referring to front or rear bushings?
The rear bushing are now carried b Restoration Designs. They come from the same company that supplies Elephant Racing.
Not as pricey as Elephant.
Installing the rears is quite a chore. I will be posting a thread with the tools I made to install them.
914 Rubber front bushing are good. I would not use Uro fronts again. Had too man problems with them.

@76-914

I am going to do both front and rear. The car has become a nice driver, but the creaking is driving me nuts

[Mikey914]

We do sell the tool for the fronts with the bushings . Ian did a video with how to install that is worth checking out.
Removal
https://youtu.be/qa-apYYIjlg
Install
https://youtu.be/5AysZlHr2lM

TAKE NOTE as to what he says at 2:50 --- This is important
Not a super easy job, but you can get a good idea of what you will be in for.

[ClayPerrine]

@mikey914 I am not knocking 914Rubber's bushings. It is just that I have never used them. I bought Elephant's bushings years ago, before you put yours out. If your bushings follow form with the rest of your products, then they will be great.

The bushings in Frody (Betty's 914) and Igor (My Six conversion) are from Elephant. I bought two complete sets when they first came out and did both cars, just to get rid of the delrin bushings on Frody, and the needle bearings on Igor. I bought one set of the install tools, and I still have them. The installation was easy, as long as you used lots of lube. Putting the rubber bushings in both cars made them nice to drive on the street again.

The bushings in Elwood (Our factory six) are 50 year old factory bushings. I am not touching them until they actually fail.

Clay

[brant]

just a point of reference to squeaking....

I put Weltmeister (hard poly like) bushing into my street car front and rear

this was around 1986
the squeaks were significant

I grooved (with a dremel) a spiral channel that goes around the bushing for the length of the bushing... installed grease Zerks... right over the groove.

no more squeaks in 35 years.

also I experienced more sticktion.... in the suspension before the zerks

the race car runs roller bearings front and rear

[Mowog4]

just a point of reference to squeaking....

I put Weltmeister (hard poly like) bushing into my street car front and rear

this was around 1986
the squeaks were significant

I grooved (with a dremel) a spiral channel that goes around the bushing for the length of the bushing... installed grease Zerks... right over the groove.

no more squeaks in 35 years.

also I experienced more sticktion.... in the suspension before the zerks

the race car runs roller bearings front and rear

I ordered rubber bushings from 914 rubber and RD today, I may try the spiral grooves beforehand. Thanks for all of the suggestions