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What type of bushing should I get?

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ichthos

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I have a 69 TR6 which is stock for the most part. The bushings are starting to show their years and becoming a problem. I am going to be work on the trailing arms shortly, but I plan to go through my entire suspension system in the next year or two. I have noticed I have a choice of stock rubber, hard (upgraded) rubber, urethane, prothane, and nylitron. I don't know if any of the names are just variations of the same thing. I want something that will last, but not something that is so hard that it makes for a rough ride and wears out other parts. In general, I like to drive my car hard through the backroads, but I do enjoy cruising with my wife. I am leaning toward the nylatron or hard rubber bushings because I have heard the new stock rubber deteriates quickly, and on the other end of the spectrum, the urethane makes for a rough ride. What bushings would you use and why did you choose them? Where did you buy them from? Any input is greatly appreciated.
Kevin
 
'Prothane' is a brand name for polyurethane; however poly comes in different hardnesses so they may or may not be the same hardness as the other "urethane" bushings you looked at. Poly can actually be made almost as soft as the original rubber, or nearly as hard as Nylatron (which is also a brand name for a range of nylon compounds). Note that Nylatron is still harder than the other choices.

Anyway, my point is that they are all different (with the possible exception of Prothane).

If you are keeping the rest of the car basically stock, then I would go with the original rubber, or hard rubber. That said, I used Nylatron on my TR3A (before the poly components became readily available) and it worked out very well along with my other modifications.

However it did entail some special installation, since unlike the rubber, the Nylatron does not twist to accomodate the movement. Instead there is a steel sleeve that the bushing slides on. The bushings were supplied oversize (to ensure a snug fit in the arm) and then had to be reamed to fit the sleeves. I don't know if that would be the case for current supply (and for a TR6), but if you are considering them, you might ask about installation procedure.
 
Kevin- Use BPNW. They be at your door the next day most of the time.
Much has been said about the benefits of hard rubber if everything else is stock. think about it, how long will it take to put enough miles on it to wear them out. They will degrade with age first.
 
Installing Nylatron on a TR6 doesn't require anything special on the front, but on the rear, you need to clean up the Trailing Arms to accept the bushings. You can't just pound them in to the TA without damaging them. You can see what you have to do here. As Randall pointed out, Nylatron is the hardest busing material you can buy and some people don't like how the car rides after installation. It is a firmer ride with more feel, and noise, transmitted through the suspension. It doesn't bother me but it did take some getting used to.
 
I am about to tear apart and re-configure my diff mounts and bushings. In readings and conversations there seems to be a lot of feeling that the very hard bushings (nylatron etc) transmit the shock to other parts of the chassis with negative results. I am leaning towards the hard rubber option to add life without beating up other pieces( including my own!)
Elysium
 
I have standard rubber replacements all around (TRF suspension Magic Kit)except on the trailing arms, rear spring pads, and front sway bar (all Urethane from BPNW). I don't notice any harshness from the rear and really enjoy the feel. This is only my first time re-doing suspension so I have only the old worn out rubber to compare. But again, no harshness from the rear in my opinion. And it's true that BPNW is fast and good to work with. You can even track your order with them online.
 
While at Watkins Glen, a fellow club member and I were talking with Richard Good. My friend asked about the harshness of the ride with the nylatron bushings. I gave my standard answer, "Springs and shocks are there to soften the ride, that is not the job of the bushing. The bushing is there to aid a pivot point. I don't want my bushings to work as shock absorbers."

Yes, you feel more through the steering wheel. You may even feel a little difference in the seat of you pants. But you will feel the most difference in the cars handling. I currently run Nylatron in the front, and urethane in the rear. Along with several other handling upgrades, the car handles like a dream.
 
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