Suspension bush kit

[Storm_X]

I have been looking around at new suspension bushes, I'm just wondering has anyone Purchased any recently, I came across a complete kit on eBay for around $450 witch seems to be the cheapest so far. And still I don't think this includes any sway bar bushes.

[rowan_bris]

What does that kit include?   Often you will only need lower inner bushes, upper inner bushes and caster bushes.  I would be particularly wary of cheap ball joints and lower inners!

[Storm_X]

This Kit Includes:

Part No.   Qty Included   Application   Components Included
SPF0094K    1   Front Shock Absorber, Upper Bush Kit   4 Bushes, SuperPro Grease
SPF0061K    1   Front Strut Bar to Chassis Bush Kit   4 Bushes, 2 Steel Tubes, SuperPro Grease
SPF2729K    1   Front Control Arm Upper Inner Bush Kit                                (For cars with De-dion Rear Suspension)   8 Bushes, 2 Steel Tubes, SuperPro Grease
SPF2941K    1   Front Torsion Bar Brace Mounts   4 Bushes, 2 Steel Tubes, SuperPro Grease
SPF0094K    2   Rear Shock Absorber, Upper/Lower Bush Kit   4 Bushes, SuperPro Grease
SPF1830K    1   Suspension to Cross Member De-dion Bush Kit   1 Bush, 1 Steel Tube, SuerPro Grease
SPF1970K   1   Rear Watts Link Bush Kit   5 Bushes, 5 Steel Tubes, 1 Washer, SuperPro Grease

   

[Duk]

What ever they supply, make sure the top control arm bushes have the additional polyurethane bush spacers that keep the main bushes inside the control arm. Without these additional spacer bushes (they are just polyurethane rings), the bushes will work their way out of the arm and get wrecked.

Poly bushes for the top shock mount (front) and top and bottom (rear) aren't recommended by a few people as they restrict the articulation of the mount(s) and put more side loads on the top seal/sliding surface and piston.

I bought bushes from Performatek years ago, but freight costs from America have gone retarded and I believe Andy at Performatek has some health issues that limit the amount of time he can spend running his business. It took months to get my delivery and I had read more recently on AlfaBB, that other have had long waiting times due to Andy's health. It's a shame, because he has some good stuff and is 1 of the few who has a decent website that shows what he can supply.

[vin sharp]

Regardless of what you buy from who, make sure that the LOWER INNER A arm bushes are the original ball-joint in a steel case type. There are poly bushes available for this application, which allow so much flex relative to the ball joint type that you might as well forget the whole thing and just keep old worn stock stuff.
While replacing rubber with poly is usually an upgrade, replacing a ball joint with poly is just making money for the poly maker!

[Storm_X]

I'm not to sure what you exactly mean about the ball joints . If I do not damage them when I do my torsion bars , I will not change them.

At first I wasn't goin to change the bushes , but after taking the gearbox out last week I don't thing metal on metal is any good for the suspension, some of the bushes have completely 100% disintegrated .

[Darryl]

What Vin means is that the original lower inner bushes are a proper bearing encased in rubber. It is a pretty nice bit of gear not just "a chunk of rubber". Vin's recommendation echoes what I was told by another guy up my way, very experienced in both building and destroying (rally) 116 suspension. Based on his advice I went with rubber everywhere on front except the caster bushes.

Here is a pic of the bits left from a disintegrated, removed lower control arm bushing (not mine):

[Cool Jesus]

Duk or Vin,
What about the rear end?
Not withstanding personal preferences, rubber or poly for rear suspension components? Are there any no go replacements out back?

[Duk]

Duk or Vin,
What about the rear end?
Not withstanding personal preferences, rubber or poly for rear suspension components? Are there any no go replacements out back?

I've used poly bushes in the watts linkage and was happy with them.
I've made a spherical bearing for the main DeDion pivot point but haven't tested it yet.
I would go spherical bearing/rod ends for a road car, but make sure they are well protected from water and dirt.

1 thing to note about poly link bushes for the anti roll bar, especially the rear one, is that they can put some pretty big strain on the mounting points on the DeDion frame and bend or snap them, just because they lack the articulation flexibility. Ball joint based pivots with enough articulation would be better, but rubber is easiest.
Chassis mount bushes should be fine in poly.