[Leebluegtv]

Hi there want to tackle refurbing my rear suspension in near future just wondering which parts you consider polybushing. i think my upper links bushes are in good nick as my gtv has only done 56k. so thinking just pb spring pans and dog legs.

thanks.

 

[WantAGTA]

Hi there want to tackle refurbing my rear suspension in near future just wondering which parts you consider polybushing. i think my upper links bushes are in good nick as my gtv has only done 56k. so thinking just pb spring pans and dog legs.

thanks.

Top ball joints, drop links, spring pans and dog legs, my upper arm bushes were good after 87k. Check ARB bushes too.

 

[Leebluegtv]

Top ball joints, drop links, spring pans and dog legs, my upper arm bushes were good after 87k. Check ARB bushes too.

so you say keep the rose jointed upper arm bushes? So powerflex spring pans,dog legs and arb bushes? Is yellow better than purple powerflex i gather purple is slightly softer than sporty yellow, dont want too harsh ride rather be standard as possible.

thanks

 

[WantAGTA]

so you say keep the rose jointed upper arm bushes? So powerflex spring pans,dog legs and arb bushes? Is yellow better than purple powerflex i gather purple is slightly softer than sporty yellow, dont want too harsh ride rather be standard as possible.

thanks

If the top bushes are good then leave them, yes. Purple Powerflex is the 'road' series, yellow bushes are generally for engine moints and steadies? Black is the 'race' series, but they only supply the spring pan bushes as black due to the load on them. Maybe Strongflex or Polybush supply yellow as the race arm bushes? Not sure

 

[Leebluegtv]

If the top bushes are good then leave them, yes. Purple Powerflex is the 'road' series, yellow bushes are generally for engine moints and steadies? Black is the 'race' series, but they only supply the spring pan bushes as black due to the load on them. Maybe Strongflex or Polybush supply yellow as the race arm bushes? Not sure

ok there is a set of upper links and dog legs on ebay the dog legs have purple pb in and upper links have black bushes in. So if black is race series strange having them in upper links as they are attached to subframe?

 

[WantAGTA]

ok there is a set of upper links and dog legs on ebay the dog legs have purple pb in and upper links have black bushes in. So if black is race series strange having them in upper links as they are attached to subframe?

Odd having race series in the upper arms indeed, probably won't make too big a difference on the car though

 

[Matt GTV]

IMO poly bushes are a poor choice for the upper arms, they rub against the sub frame and if torqued up too much restrict the range-of-movement of the rear suspension. Other bushes (SP and dog legs) are fine but will give a firmer ride. I had poly bushes for years but ultimately removed them all to retrofit a standard set up.

Subjective topic with varied opinions, your use of the car (& road surfaces) will likely determine your set up in the end.

 

[scrab]

I've just stripped by rear suspension with the intention on changing any worn bushes. I'm generally surprised how good the bushes are, with the only slight wear on the spring pan bushes. After reading the many posts on rear suspension I'm replacing these with standard spherical bushes.

 

[Longstryder]

I would be the same as Matt, I prefer the standard set up, and the bushes do seem to last very well. I find the ride less harsh, and just a precise on the road

 

[WantAGTA]

IMO poly bushes are a poor choice for the upper arms, they rub against the sub frame and if torqued up too much restrict the range-of-movement of the rear suspension. Other bushes (SP and dog legs) are fine but will give a firmer ride. I had poly bushes for years but ultimately removed them all to retrofit a standard set up.

Subjective topic with varied opinions, your use of the car (& road surfaces) will likely determine your set up in the end.

Interesting, I found no discernable difference between full Powerflex and full OE. Greasing them properly (Silicone PTFE lube, copperslip dries out much faster) and grinding the welds on the spring pans is necessary. Polishing the flanges on the subframe also helps.

 

[Matt GTV]

Springs, shocks, tyre type & pressures all come into the equation as to how the rear of the car feels, but I doubt many would disagree that poly bushing gives a firmer ride over OE bushes.

A few of us have had issues with the upper bushes, I would leave them well alone unless obvious play exists.

 

[WantAGTA]

Not sure how they would considering the originals are solid spherical joints with no 'give' at all. Hence why polybushes that are working properly (pivoting) should, if anything, soften the ride, or at least reduce vibration transmission. Also, tight new bushes replacing worn old ones while maintaining old, worn shocks and springs will make the ride feel firmer. Don't get me wrong, I would choose OE bushes on my car any day of the week (except ARB bushes), but from an engineering standpoint, there is no reason why they would give a softer ride than Powerflex.

 

[Mr Sunseeker]

Autolusso fitted exchange spring pans & dog legs with Powerflex bushes on my TS Spider along with a 4 wheel alignment, the first thing I noticed how much more compliant the ride was & the handling was transformed. I've not noticed any increase in harshness through the suspension etc. Still on my original upper arms & bushes (117K)

 

[Matt GTV]

Not sure how they would considering the originals are solid spherical joints with no 'give' at all. Hence why polybushes that are working properly (pivoting) should, if anything, soften the ride, or at least reduce vibration transmission. Also, tight new bushes replacing worn old ones while maintaining old, worn shocks and springs will make the ride feel firmer. Don't get me wrong, I would choose OE bushes on my car any day of the week (except ARB bushes), but from an engineering standpoint, there is no reason why they would give a softer ride than Powerflex.

There should be no 'give' in OE spherical bearings at all. When a spherical bush is subjected to lateral forces i.e. cornering, the bearing simply rotates within the bush. Off the car, if you hold a spring pan (or dog leg) you can rotate OE bushes by hand, there's not too much resistance, in contrast the powerflex steel insert pushes against the poly bush when cornering, this has resistance. It is that resistance that this discussion is about. But, there is no black & white here; tired springs, shocks, tyres, tracking will all make the rear feel crashy. Roads get a vote as well, a coast down the dual carriageway will give a different feel compared to a potholed B road. Many of us poly-bushed as a cost saving measure when our old bushes gave up, old bushes out, new powerflex bushes in - fit & forget - job done, good value really.

As already said in post #7: Subjective topic with varied opinions, your use of the car (& road surfaces) will likely determine your set up in the end.

Also, don't forget the twinny and V6 set ups are different.

 

[Leebluegtv]

Thanks all really helpful reading. Not too sure yet on poly bushing the upper links see what they like once i remove them. If i do fit poly bushes what torque spec would you experienced engineers recommend for upper links on subframe and dog leg inner bush too, last thing i want is snapping subframe.

 

[Matt GTV]

I would leave those upper suspension arms alone, unless they are completely shot. Specialists like Autolusso powerflex the rear 10 x bushes, not 14 i.e. they do not powerflex the rear upper arms as standard. Although (in honesty) that was a conversation with Ned from Autolusso some 15 yrs ago.

 

[Dsmithy]

Hi there want to tackle refurbing my rear suspension in near future just wondering which parts you consider polybushing. i think my upper links bushes are in good nick as my gtv has only done 56k. so thinking just pb spring pans and dog legs.

thanks.

I did my 99 ts about 16 years ago I bought the full rear kit in pwerflex purple,great upgrade but there are loads of bushes lol
Just finished a refurbished on rear last week,bushes are still like new 😎

 

[Dsmithy]

I did my 99 ts about 16 years ago I bought the full rear kit in pwerflex purple,great upgrade but there are loads of bushes lol
Just finished a refurbished on rear last week,bushes are still like new 😎

Thanks all really helpful reading. Not too sure yet on poly bushing the upper links see what they like once i remove them. If i do fit poly bushes what torque spec would you experienced engineers recommend for upper links on subframe and dog leg inner bush too, last thing i want is snapping subframe.

You won’t snap it lol
Just do really hand tight with a 12” long spanner job done 👌😜

 

[TorsteinS]

I replaced my entire rear suspension with the powerflex bushings (combination of the purple and black), there was at most only a tiny difference in harshness. The handling improved a LOT though, was a completely different car. Might be that there were mostly OE bushing in there from before that probably had 260k km's on them which were a bit worn. The powerflex route is much cheaper and easier to install anyways. With 18" wheels, bilstein shocks and eibach springs its the front that is really harsh, the rear is fine.