By Jon H on Sunday, November 25, 2001 - 10:47 pm: Edit

I hope the title didn't mislead anyone. ;-P

I am, of course, talking about bushings. Poly or rubber?

Any opinions?

Thanks, Jon

By Ali on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 11:46 am: Edit

Rubber - for radius arms, rear trailing arms (at the chasis mounts)
Polys - panhard rods, rear trailing arms at the axles.

By D Cantrell (Discodad) on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 01:16 pm: Edit

I also like the poly on the Blistiens all around. I have gone through 3 sets of shock bushes.
1 set on the Disco 2 sets on my old 88RR
I am also installing as soon as the parts arrive ploy bush kit for the sway bars (On road performance)

By Kristian on Monday, November 26, 2001 - 09:24 pm: Edit

My panhard rod poly bushings disintegrated in 12 months. Might have been the constantly dripping ATF. I went back to rubber for that part.

By Tom P. on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 09:45 am: Edit

Rubber all the way around!!!

Tom Proctor
96 Disco

By Bill Bettridge (Billb) on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 10:30 am: Edit

Second the Rubber all around opinion

- rubber is considerably better in most areas as long as the bushings are changed when needed - the only advantage of urethane is usually longevity, but they do suffer much more than rubber in constantly loaded applications such as trailing arm outrigger bushings - urethane tends to have much less "memory" than a vulcanized elastomer and will take a "set" . Finally - bushings which have metal sleeves for bolts, etc will perform considerably better in rubber due to the fact that the rubber is actually vulcanized to the metal insert allowing for flexibility the way the engineers designed it while urethane is simply cast around a metal insert and not bonded to, so almost immediately it comes loose and the insert walks around inside the urethane - needless to say, this ain't the best for suspension design!

Urethane suspension components, frankly, are mostly just a current buzzword and may only have a valid use in situations where you want an extremely tight suspension - which you don't on a Rover.

Bill

By J Horrobin (Jon_H) on Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 07:14 pm: Edit

Thanks everyone for your opinions, especially Bill for also an explanation of your opinion.

Thanks again

By Tom P. on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 04:18 am: Edit

Bill B.,

You almost think you know a thing or two about rubber ;-)

Tom P.

By Bill Bettridge (Billb) on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 12:25 pm: Edit

Unfortunately, Rubber has been my life for the last 12 years

By Mike Rupp (Mike_Rupp) on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 05:37 pm: Edit

Bill:

What do you do in the rubber industry?

I work for a company that distributes rubber: SBR, EPDM, Nitriles, Neoprenes, Butyl.

You dont exactly run into a ton of people in the rubber industry.

By king of bad puns on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 05:42 pm: Edit

oh, there's a few rubber industry people bouncing around here and there...

By Bill Bettridge (Billb) on Wednesday, November 28, 2001 - 07:37 pm: Edit

Mike,
I manage an indutrial rubber products dist and specialize in the automotive OEM

Is your company a custom compounder, or just deal in raw stocks? Where are you located?

Bill (always glad to find somebody else who doesn't make bad jokes about rubber! ) (PS - I don't dare post the name of my company on-list or I'd be the target of jokes for about a year)

By Mike Rupp (Mike_Rupp) on Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 03:55 am: Edit

Bill:

We sell the raw rubber to mixers / compounders. We distribute and source synthetic rubber globally.

Mike

By Milan on Thursday, November 29, 2001 - 05:18 am: Edit

Rubber does not last more than one winter here. Or I should say it lasts much longer but shows cracks after the first one. Poly is the way to go for me. I have had them on my Bronco radius arms for 7 years now and they're still good. They do soften up with age.

I don't see how especially in radius arms rubber is better. Also if at the axle end the rubber is bonded to the inner sleeve, once that sleve is tightened, it tends to twist the rubber bushing inside the arm every time the axle travels up or down. This twisting further contributes to cracking.

Engine and tranny mounts, I prefer made of rubber due to dampening vibrations better. Same maybe for body bushings, maybe. Otherwise, everywhere else (especially on suspension) poly for me, thank you very much.