Polyurthane Bushing - Screwed Up?

[abnovak]

As I was cleaning up after my front end rebuild and I reread the instructions that came with my Polythane bushings. The Polythane bushing kit for the A-arms did not have metal bushing inserts in them but the regular rubber bushings that came with the kit did.

Was I supposed to cut out the metal inserts in the rubber bushings and press into the poly bushings? Seems like to should have but what confuses me that the kit that I bought for the rear springs has them already pressed in the poly bushings, at least for the foward most attach point on the rear leaf. If they were meant for the A-arms, I don't undestand why they wouldn't come that way when the others did.

If I should have used the metal bushing inserts, what would happen if I didn't tear everything back down again but kept it as it is? I am sure it would wear earlier but I dont drive the car that often. I just dont want it to be dangerous.

 

[aeronca65t]

The poly bushing do not re-use the metal inserts.
You'd never be able to press them into the poly bushings anyway (unless you drilled out the poly bushings).
Assumming the hinge bolts for the A-arm fit through the poly bushings with no "slack", you're fine (I always use new hinge bolts).

 

[George Zeck]

Your'e fine. Poly bushings, although difficult, go in w/o the old metal. Be sure to use the washers around the bushings and arm.

You'll like the upgrade. Mine drives nicely now.

Geo Zeck
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif

 

[abnovak]

Thanks guys. Seemed obvious as I was installing them but those pesky directions catch me up every time. Hope to get it out on the road this weekend. Really looking foward to it. thanks again

 

[Timd]

I just bought the polyurethane bushings for my car, and I just want to make sure before I install them. These don't have any inserts between the bushing and the bolt? My kit didn't come with any so that's what I thought, but better safe than sorry.

 

[4aNot4]

Poly bushings only get the metal sleeve when the bracket holding the bushing can contact the sleeve and prevent its rotation, otherwise you get metal rotating against metal. The rubber bushing that you are replacing has an inner steel sleeve to which the rubber is bonded. When the suspension moves, the movement is taken up by the rubber actually twisting against the inner sleeve. For this to work, the inner sleeve has to get crushed on tighening the bolt so that it does not move. Poly bushings work by rotating around either a fixed inner sleeve or the bolt itself. Whoever made the poly bushings concluded that it was fine for the bush to rotate around the bolt itself, and probably more profitable. Make sure that the bolt is nice and clean and lubed with proper grease so that the bushing can rotate freely around it. Every six months or so it would be advised to inspect the bushes to make sure that they still are concentric with the bolt and have not elongated with all that stress and friction. Plastics are prone to permanent deformation.