Global West sells Delalum bushings for stock upper and lower control arms. I once suggested to Mark at SC&C that solid bushings would give a harsher ride and he gave me quite a lecture about how they would not, the opposite in fact if I remember the conversation.
Haha....Ive had to live with boatlike handling for the past 3 years with that car. With me wanting to drive the car faster and take turns harder now, i dont think im all that safe where i'm at now. I think i'll have to let you drive it when everything is all done.
and thank you Frank for setting me in the right direction. Looking forward to ordering the stuff this weekend and getting it on the car ASAP.
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Matt
1969 Firebird Convertible
1971 Buick Skylark
Don't use poly bushings in the control arms. Use oem style rubber bushings of cash is tight, or get global west "del-a-lum" bushings if you can afford them. For shocks hotchkis has specially valved bilsteins that are perfectly matched for their springs and id highly recommend them. Ive heard that the edelbrocks are valved pretty good for springs with some rate too them as well.
Dont be concerned about solid bushings on a street car. I have solid bushings in the upper and lower a-arms and my car rides better than it did with all the oem stuff.
I have to agree. The poly bushings will add the stiffness you are looking for. But they do tend to add some problems later. They way they are used puts them in a rotational bearing load and they dont make a very good sliding bearing surface. All the greasing that can be done helps. But the grease usually gets pushed out and then its back to a sticky poly on metal surface.
Where delrin has better properties for a metal on plastic sliding bearing surface. Delrin AF is IMO the best. The added teflon helps with dry sliding.
I have my own lathe so I wont pay the large amount of money that some manufactures are looking for on the delrin bushings. Delrin is a dream to turn down. And I have made my own poly, delrin and solid steel bushings. The delrin was the easiest.
But if the cash isnt available for the aftermarket delrin bushings I reallly think new rubber bushings will give you years of great performance. Rubber compounds for bushings have come along way over the years. The mechanics of rubber bushings is still the same. You will have to set the car up (control arms) as usual when using the rubber because they are bonded tightly to the bushing housing.
And if you are set on poly not a big issue either. Really, they do work well, you wouldnt see so many offerings of them if they were that much of a problem.
One important issue is the grease. Not all greases are the same. The lil grease packet that comes with the bushing are more of an installation aid IMO. For maintenance a high quality grease will make a world of difference. And I like to install zerk fittings for poly bushing. Thats the only way you are gonna get the grease in between the plastic and metal. I like to grease both sides of the bushing if the application allows it. So one zerk for the outer shell and one for the inner surface for each bushing. Sometimes the inner surface cant be done due to the design of the application. But where it can it helps alot.
Oh and for the grease. There are alot of them out there. I have done alot of looking and testing through use. My fav right now is lubriplate special auto-marine grease. It has some very good specs and is not too expensive.
But no matter what route you go Ill bet yer excited. You have done the homework and you are gonna be VERY happy with the results. No more boating the tanker down the road. Cant wait to hear about the first road trip. JR
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hybrid Mode
