Hi Randy,
No one's jumped in, so I'll take a stab. I have some experience with this.
First, you'll be tempted to put nylon/graphite or poly bushings in. I
tried nylon, and they caused an annoying "thunk" when going over bumps.
I see there are poly bushings advertised that supposedly don't squeak,
but it's a big job to replace these and I think you're better off
sticking with the stock rubber/steel bushings, at least for the inner
A-arm bushings. I honestly couldn't tell the difference in handling
with the nylon, though they definitely make the suspension stiffer.
Observe the "weak link" theory: if you stiffen or strengthen one part,
it puts a greater strain on other parts. I can't say for sure if it was
cause and effect, but when I had the nylon bushings in I got cracking of
the shock mounting plates. However, I do run nylon offset top trunnion
bushings; they helped me take out some excessive positive camber.
I don't think slotted or drilled rotors are necessary unless you're
going to race. Invest in some really good brake pads--I've had good
luck with Ferodo--and I see Moss has some "exotic" pads (e.g. kevlar),
but I can't advise you on selection of those.
If you want to get extravagant, replace the flex lines with stainless
steel braided teflon lines. Presumably, they don't expand (as much)
with pressure, and you should get a little firmer pedal (though I don't
have personal experience with these).
When you're done, invest in a good alignment by somebody who knows what
they're doing. By taking out the excessive positive camber and getting
a good alignment my car's handling improved significantly.
bs
Randy Hicks wrote:
> Hi all, I'm planning on rebuilding the front suspension and brakes of
> the BJ8 this winter.
>
> Any suggestions as to what to look out for, or upgrades that I should
> be incorporating?
>
> Randy
>
> Randy Hicks
> '56 100M
> '60 BN7 Mk I
> '62 BN7 Mk II
> '65 BJ8
> '53 MG TD
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--
***************************************************************
Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell@comcast.net
'67 Austin-Healey 3000 '56 Austin-Healey 100M
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