Bush Questions

[FG50T]

I want to rectify my terrible inner front tyre wear that I have, car has only done 20,000kms. I'm led to believe that replacing the front lower control arm bushes is the solution instead of a camber kit (I have SL's)? Can anyone here also recommend Superpro over Nolathane?

[Guest XR09]

I have never used the nolothane.

I do have super pro and have never suffered uneven wear or brake shudder. They have been in two years and still working fine. And that's with a lot of track days and dirt road usage. They are very stiff though. And you will feel things you never have before. But all in all they are worth it. Specially when the tyres are costing 400+ a corner.

[Smoke them tyres]

+2 for SuperPro. The excessive wear with the std bushes comes mainly from toe out under braking. 1700kg car with front brakes doing 60-70% of the braking will load them quite heavily. The deformation of the std rubber bushes under this sort of load means that the wheel alignment will not be held under dynamic load. As you are experiencing, stuffs tyres in no time.

Also, if the car is cornered hard and generates at least 0.5g in cornering, that will mean probably around several hundred kilograms or so acting on the bushes on that side in cornering. That can mean it will also add wear to the outside as the loaded bushes will compress and reduce any static negative camber.

The tyre wear will then look odd as if the tyre is running underinflated when it is not.

No design flaw/problem, just soft std bushes. All in the name of a quiet car.

The uprated bushes will make the car much "sharper" and more satisfying to drive.

I would also get the upper ones done at the same time....cheap and easy to fit whilst there (unless a V8). If you do get those done, get a Fulcrum shim kit as well and use the std upper mounts. Camber can then be changed by loosening the upper mounts and sliding different thicknesses in, rather than having to completely pull the thing out to change the shims that is the std setup.

Edited 22/06/11 11:35 AM by Smoke them tyres

[Ralph Wiggum]

+1 for superpro. Def do upper and lower bushes at the same time. Dont do the shock mounting bush. Stay rubber there,wont affect handling/tire wear but will help reduce, the increased NVH with the superpro's. If you fit a camber kit either buy one that has bolts that feed in from the engine bay and are retained or modify yours. Makes life easier for you wheel aligner and you will get a better alignment as getting to the nuts in the engine bay with the stock mounts is a biotch

[Full Monty]

Im going from Nolathane front lower control arm bushes, to all superpro next week.

The nolathanes have been in for 5 years, and just wearing out now, some slop evident under tension.

will post the differences once installed. although Im doing rear control arm, and upper control arm, rear control blades and rear upper arm at the same time, so the effect will be hard to isolate to just the change from the front bushes

[Ralph Wiggum]

Monty, I just did the whole lot including the sephrical bearings on the lower and upper control arms. Do you diff bushes at the same time!

You will notice a def increase in NVH. My Pedders coil overs feel like they are on the full hard damping when on full soft now! handling is about 6 billion % better tho!

[freeze_dk]

How much would bushes cost from front to back?

[Ralph Wiggum]

My whole lot cost $1,370.82(trade)here in Perth but that was including rear spherical bearings, which may/may not need doing and a tube of super pro grease and I hate the little packets they supply!!

That was all front bushes and ball joints, sway bar bushes front and and rear. All rear suspension bushes and diff mounting. Plus another $90 (IIRC) for a set of HD sway bar links from P@ at wholesale suspensions and $120 (ish) for front camber mounts.

I went to town on my car as I plan to hang onto it for a while. I would get it checked out and only replace what you need to to save a bit of $'s. Def get onto Pat @ wholesale suspension.

Definatly worth the $'s IMHO my car never fealt "right" with the HP its making (which aint that much!) and the stock suspension and bushes. Its now nice and tight and balanced.

[Full Monty]

yeah Ive already done diff bushes, but swapping the rear one from the hard sport version to the comfort spec whilst the cradle is out.

what was labour for all that Luke? big job!

[Guest XR09]

5 years out of a set of bushes is pretty bloody good. Specially softer nolathane ones. With the big brakes and dirt road shoite I am surprised I have gotten two years out of the poly's.

The Super pro are the ducks guts for a performance car. The feel is 100% better. No tramp, no shudder. You know where your wheels are pointed and when they are going to let go.

The bad is you better find a good alignment and balancing man. My right rear was 2.5 grams out and I could feel it. Also shoite cheap noisy tyres are even worse with the poly's.

I'm in two minds if I will go this route again when I upgrade.

Do I want a large car that feels like a Rex but cant handle anywhere near one ????

Then again first time I drive a std one I know it will piss me off.

Might even try the Nolo's first.

BTW it took me three and a half hours to do all the bushes, front rear and diff. That was with a mate from Fulcrum helping.