Hi Fred,
Unfortunately, judging by the posts from your countrymen over the past few
years - the USA based manufacturers of urethane bushes only seem to produce
one variant - with a duro hardness similar to concrete. And - to make things
MUCH worse - they make them exactly the same way as the old crap rubber
metalistic bushes were made.
Fortunately for many of us, one of the cleverest suspension guys in the
world has a business just 2 miles from my house. And - he is the world
pioneer on urethane suspension. And he used to race MGs - so he has a real
soft spot for people with British sports cars!
EVERY single rubber bush in my BJ8 is made of urethane, and has been there
for 6 years. EVERY one. Every rubber suspension bush - even the engine
mounts. And it doesn't squeek or thump or crash or shake out my fillings.
Ask anyone who has ever been in the black & white car.
The average bonded rubber 'metalastic' bush is FAR harsher riding than a
urethane free pivoting bush when you are just driving around on the street -
irresepective of the duro rating of the urethane - because the bonded
metalastic bush doesn't pivot freely - the design binds solid. And if you
don't fit your rubber bushes EXACTLY the way the workshop manual describes
(because they don't freely pivot once you tighten up the retaining nut &
bolt - thats why you HAVE to set them up at the cars exact ride height as
per the workshop manual) - then you destroy them as you drive out your own
driveway.......
A modern, free pivoting urethane bush design will give you a MUCH better
street ride - the urethane itself only really shows through on lateral load
eg cornering.
Here are some modern urethane suspension facts
http://www.noltecsuspension.com/technical/faq.php#1
They are doing a batch of Healey bushes in 'softride' (as well as 'grunt') -
and the softride ones will be in black (rather than their trademark
'blue') - so no one will even know you have urethane - and they DON't sqeak
or thump or shake out fillings.
These black ones don't appear in their catalogue -
http://www.noltecsuspension.com/product/search.php?selBrand=14&product_vhcid=71
If anyone is interested - send me an email & I'll let you know when the next
batch is ready.
Best
Chris
www.myaustinhealey.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Wescoe" <fredwescoe@earthlink.net>
To: <healeys@Autox.Team.Net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 10:57 AM
Subject: Front Suspension
>I have decided that my big winter project this year is a rebuild of the
>front
> suspension, including but not limited to all of the rubber bushings, coil
> springs, shocks etc.
>
> I have seen a number of different thoughts on bushing types, rubber,
> stiffer
> compounds etc. I don't rally the car but I do drive it aggressively on
> quiet
> back roads. I don't want to shake my fillings out but I am sure that any
> change of 40 year old parts will benefit the car greatly. What types of
> bushing compounds should I think about and what sources are there? Should
> I
> think about changing spring rates or stick with standard?
>
> Any words of wisdom from those of you who have done this? Cautions or any
> cases of "as long as you have it apart, you might as well ....."?
> Suggestions of what to do and how?
>
> I will be doing the wheel bearings as well and also the sway bar bushings.
> Any other suggestions?
>
> I have about another 6 weeks of driving fun before I start.
>
> Fred
> 63 BJ7
Check out the new British Cars Forum:
http://www.team.net/the-local/tiki-view_forum.php?forumId=8
|