What makes Polybronze bushings great

[Dixie]

Since this thread keeps turning into raves for PolyBroze bushings, I thought we could have a separate thread detailing what makes them a great product.

So with no attempts to be antagonistic, let's talk about the P/B bushings. Here are a few questions to kick things off...

• Did you notice any increase in NVH?
• Did the bushings lead to faster lap times?
• Who has the most miles on their P/B bushings? How many?
• Has anyone had any failures?
• Has the product lived up to any warranty supplied?
• What is the expected lifespan of the product, and how long do you expect it to last?

[mede8er]

They don't have an annoying squeak like straight poly's.....ask me how I know...

[Zeke]

Maybe they do nothing more than plastic bushings. It's the superb engineering appreciated by people who know a good thing when they see it. You know, there are needle bearings made by Mike Mueller that would give the ultimate freedom for the a-arm. There are some detractions to needle bearings, but for all out racing, they'd be great. Yet, many go to the polybronze instead. It's just a perfect solution.

BTW, I'm convinced that the mounting kit is as important and if someone were to use Mike's bearings, they should use Chuck's mounts with them.

[NOH20]

I'll know more in a couple of weeks after my car has the complete Elephant polybronze set up completed.

[anthony]

I've also been looking at replacing bushings. The basic problem is that there isn't a stock replacement rubber bushing that can easily be installed. (I've heard of the Smart Racing rubber replacement bushings but they aren't in their catalog and you are supposed to send them your a-arms and $400 for installation.)

The poly bushings are cheap but they can squeek if not installed without a lot of sanding and fitting. Zirc are also recommended for regreasing. There can also be binding issues with the poly bushings.

In sum, even though I don't really want to pay $500 to refresh my bushings, Chuck's system seems like the best all around solution when you consider installation, performance, and longevity.

[widebody911]

I went to plastic bushings a few years ago, and then last summer upgraded to PolyBronze. I found that the NVH isn't much greater than with plastic bushings, even taking into the fact that I upgraded to monoballs at the same time.

The advantages are less friction in your suspension action, more 'true' pivoting due to better quality bearings, and no squeaking. It's also easier to dial in the alignment, although the monoballs have a large part to play in that.

FWIW, one of my A-arm bushings siezed, which ended up breaking the control arm mount. My rear Neatrix bushings were junk when I pulled them out - they had softened and distorted.

[randywebb]

What do you mean by plastic bushings?

I'd be interested in hearing the NVH comparison of poly bronze with rubber....

[JonT]

Sorry--WTF is NVH?

[creaturecat]

NVH: http://www.sae.org/automag/nvh_challenges/

[turn6]

Thom,

How old were your Neatrix bushings when U pulled 'em? Was any lubricant used during installation? What do you attribute the softness & distortion to? tia.

[Dixie]

So,

Does anyone have a good number of miles on them? In other words, are you as happy after 10,000 miles as you were when they were new?

Has anyone taken down the suspension, for whatever reason, and seen how they are wearing, first-hand?

Is the race hardened steel? Chrome molly?

[MuffinMan]

Originally posted by JonT
Sorry--WTF is NVH?

NVH = Noise Vibration Harshness

[widebody911]

Originally posted by turn6
How old were your Neatrix bushings when U pulled 'em? Was any lubricant used during installation? What do you attribute the softness & distortion to? tia.

They were about 2 years old. I'd used a rubber-compatible grease when I put them in, but I don't think that was the problem. I think the rubber compound just isn't up to the task. I sent them to Chuck for analysis, maybe he could chime in with a better idea of why they went west.