Suspension rebuild

I am going to put a set of uprated springs and shocks on my Spider and wondered what other bushings/bearings I should consider replacing while I have it all appart?

I've heard that the aftermarket poly bushings are not always a good idea so if I replaced anything it would probably be with stock items.

Hi - I've read somewhere that poly bushes aren't good at the back but improves the from end. Can't remember where I read it, it's not long agp
Erik

My spannerman (www.ianellisalfas.co.uk) did this recently on my Bertone. Speak to one of the specialist parts companies:
www.classicalfa.com
www.alfaholics.com

They'll recommend which bushes you should change and whether they can be poly or not. There are certain bushes at the rear that should be kept stock.

I have had a discussion with Max at Alfaholics and on his recommendation I am now awaiting the following parts:

Fast road suspension kit B (1" lower) + Koni Sport shocks
Top arm inner bushes (poly)
Castor arm bushes (poly)
Conical T-bar bush (poly)
Trailing arm bushes (Heavy duty)

What a fun weekend I have in front of me.

Super fast delivery. Now where do I start...

Buy a new carpet?

Are they all fitted yet??, I want to mess about with my bushes this winter too, but I'm not sure about releasing all that spring compression

I'll pass that comment on to "she who chose the carpet".

I hit a couple of problems after pulling it all apart - the new front trailing arm bushes were the wrong type and the front wishbone bushes were so worn they positivley rattled. Also I needed the T-bar thrust washers as well,so I couldn't get it all back together last weekend. That's given me time to clean every thing up and paint it so it should all go back together this weekend - as long as my fingers don't freeze off.

The rear springs were a doddle, just ease them down with a trolly jack. The front ones were harder but there is a well documented procedure on the Alfa BB using three pieces of threaded rod in place of the spring pan bolts. Still quite scary when it goes ping! though.

I'll post the results sometime soon I hope.

I went thru a similar process a few months ago and its well worth it. I used standard springs & Koni classics and only used poly bushes for the T-bar & caster arms the rest were either standard or heavy duty rubber.

Pics here.
http://s74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...ion%20upgrade/

Your pics look very similar to mine, even down to the drying rack of freshly painted parts! I didn't bother with my own bearing press though. I removed all but the front wishbone bushes myself and then got a local engineering firm to change the wishbone bushes and press in the other bushes. Took 40 minutes and cost me 20 quid.

I just got everything back together this evening and what a difference No more wallowing and crashing over the bumpy roads, no more rear end skipping out. Very controlled and not at all harsh even though the springs are a lot stiffer and shocks uprated.

Very happy

Excellent stuff, Cosmos and Fluffy, I like the look of the press I might make one of those.

The more I read about suspension upgrades the more confused I get.
I'm very much a novice about all this.

My 75 Spider 2000 appears pretty stock standard. It's now time to upgrade & improve the ride.

What is it about the poly bushings - why should they be used in some locations & not others - are they longer lasting or do they just improve the ride 7 handling ?.

Where should the heavy duty bushings be used?.

My 75 sits lower at the back than the front - is this a factor of time & does it mean that the rear springs have lost their umph. Or does it mean that all the shocks are buggered?.

I have a set of sports springs not yet fitted. What should I do first, the bushings then the springs & shocks or all at once.

I think the shocks are stock from 1975. What's the difference betwen Koni Yellows & Classic Reds?

The car drives OK but has a fair bit of roll. I just want something that provides a comfortable ride with pretty good handling. I don't want the suspension to be that firm that I feel every imperfection in the road.

And last, when & why should a chassis stiffener be fitted.
I hope someone can declutter my confusion on this topic.

Originally Posted by Alfasta

The more I read about suspension upgrades the more confused I get.
I'm very much a novice about all this.

My 75 Spider 2000 appears pretty stock standard. It's now time to upgrade & improve the ride.

What is it about the poly bushings - why should they be used in some locations & not others - are they longer lasting or do they just improve the ride 7 handling ?.

Where should the heavy duty bushings be used?.

A bushing is used where some movement is required but a simple pivot isn't used as some compliance is desirable. The type of bushing depends on function and the original rubber bushing are a compromise between handling and ride comfort. The stiffer poly bushings will tighten up the handling but are likely to make the ride harsher. They are also inappropriate in some places on a road car. For example the rear trailing arms need some ability to twist as the car rides over a regular road - poly bushings here would stress the arms too much. On a race track, without pot holes, it isn't an issue and you might want to use poly bushes there.

Originally Posted by Alfasta

My 75 sits lower at the back than the front - is this a factor of time & does it mean that the rear springs have lost their umph. Or does it mean that all the shocks are buggered?.

The shocks will not have an effect on the ride height. The rear springs are pretty soft and may be sagging but it is normal and in fact desirable to have the rear sitting low.

Originally Posted by Alfasta

I have a set of sports springs not yet fitted. What should I do first, the bushings then the springs & shocks or all at once.

It is much easier to do it all at once as it all has to come apart.

Originally Posted by Alfasta

I think the shocks are stock from 1975. What's the difference betwen Koni Yellows & Classic Reds?

The car drives OK but has a fair bit of roll. I just want something that provides a comfortable ride with pretty good handling. I don't want the suspension to be that firm that I feel every imperfection in the road.

I would recommend you get in touch with the usual suspects that you will have seen mentioned many times on this forum. They have many years of experience and will be able to pinpoint the changes that will give the ride and handling characteristics that you want. Remember also that even replacing all the worn out bushes with stock items is likely to be an improvement.

Originally Posted by Alfasta

And last, when & why should a chassis stiffener be fitted.
I hope someone can declutter my confusion on this topic.

Chassis stiffeners seem to be much more popular in the US. Check the Alfa BB http://www.alfabb.com.



Cosmo

Very clear & concise Cosmo. Thanks muchly.

I'm now getting my head around the suspension issues thanks to all the good guidence of Alfa Owners out there.

I notice that some parts suppliers are recommending new improved anti sway bars for front & rear. These appear to be of thicker guage steel or different steel or something, I'm not quite sure what.

Are these a consideration for an every day street car or is it something for the aggresive driver & track use. If I change all the bushings and put new performance springs & say Koni red shocks, will an upgrade of anti sway bars make a significant difference to the ride & handling?.

The uprated anti-roll bars are thinker and therefore stiffer, causing less roll as you go round a corner. I don't know the individual effect of just that component - I approached my suspension upgrade as a package of changes that would all work together. In fact, as well as adding a stiffer front anti-roll bar I was instructed to remove the rear one as that would give better overall balance with the springs and shocks I had fitted.

I can definitely recommend that you have a chat with Max at Alfaholics. He is very knowledgeable on suspension upgrades from mild road to all out track usage.