Noise from Rebel Racing front and rear bushings

[3literpwr]

I installed the front & rear Rebel Racing bushing sets and the trailer arm mono-ball last spring when I completed my car. Seems that an unnerving amount of noise makes it into the chassis for these parts. I'm wondering if these are better suited to smooth surfaces and going back to rubber might make better sense.

I'm wondering what others experience?

[gsxrken]

I have them all around as well and yes the thumping over expansion joints and the like is definitely increased. Makes sense, as every contact point of the suspension is no longer dampened by rubber mounting. But they’re all about less stiction, deflection, IOWs…performance.
Maybe you need a louder exhaust…

[shoooo32]

It also depends on the torsion bar size and damper settings. If the shocks are adjustable, soften them up and try it again.

[john walker's workshop]

Before turning your street car into a race car, think about the percentage of time it will be on the track. That stuff is just uncomfortable on the street.

[3literpwr]

My '87 is the street car, '81 is the RR bushed rally car. Still feels harsh compared to all my previous bearing mounted rally cars. 19/27 bars and triple adj dampers on the gravel car, '87 has poly bushings and 23/31 bars.

['78 SC]

The monoballs are likely the main culprit. When I decommissioned my 1978 from track use, I replaced the trailing arm monoballs with stock style rubber bushings, but left the Elephant Racing polybronze bushings in place. This eliminated the noticeable harshness.

Similarly, when I originally installed the front polybronze bushings to replace the sagging stock bushings, I did not have an increase in harshness.

[3literpwr]

I bet you’re correct here. Might be a worthwhile exercise to install some poly or rubber back there again to see what comes out of it. As a comparison, my blue car with 23/31 bars and Powerflex bushings, feels MUCH less complaint, but less harsh from an NVH standpoint...also has an interior so.

Another point worth mentioning is, gravel tires are very very hard. Many times stiffer then street tires. I suspect this is playing a role in transmission of noise.

[PeteKz]

I put the Rebel front bushings on my 1973. It did increase the harshness somewhat on sharp things like expansion cracks and potholes, but I was pleasantly surprised at how compliant the front suspension is on normal roads.

I have not done the rear bushings yet because I haven't been able to get Rebel to send me the rear adjustable spring plates with the inner sleeves installed. Clint seems to be occupied by other problems right now. However, I also understand from William Knight and others that using rubber in the inner trailing arm bushings are important to keep the ride compliant. Don't use monoballs on the street.

[shoooo32]

I have the Rebel control arm and swing plate bushings, 21/27 tbars and no monoballs (I used the Rennline harder durometer rubber strut and trailing arm bushings). It's still compliant while being very direct.

I'm guessing the monoballs were a bridge too far for your build.

[Steve W]

You are talking about the Rebel RSR bushing sets correct? I have them on my front and rear of my 86 and have no noise from them. In fact the suspension became 'softer' and more compliant than it did with the stock rubber bushings because all the stiction was gone. But I did spend a lot of time making sure the bushings were installed precisely colinear, so the suspension arms fell on their own weight. I also cut and made seals out of felt fabric and placed them everywhere I could around the pivot points so that it helps to filter and keep dirt away from the bearings. On the converse, the polybronze rear bushings in the rear of my 84 would stick and squeak like an old motel mattress if they weren't taken apart every 5k miles and cleaned and regreased. So maybe you have something else going on?