suspension bushings

Huh? Are you talking about replacing what you had with new original rubber bushings or polyurethane?

The originals are so hard I can't see where they would squish out.

The Poly are a little softer and very stable as well and if you used a flat washer against them on both sides, there is no where for either the rubber or the poly to squish out to?

Are you sure that it just isn't the camber adjustment that slipped? That thing is notorious for slipping.

Also when you retighten all the suspension bolts they need to be very tight and you need to lube the threads of the bolts with 30 weight oil and torque them to spec, on the high side of spec.

It would be an excellent idea to put a camber lock kit in the car as well if you ask me?

Bill,

The a-arm pivot bolts are supposed to be tight. Torque is 58 ft lbs. Maybe you got a set of bad bushings????


Doug,

The stock '71 a-arms will not allow the use of a camber lock kit, as there are no shims. One of the vendors (not sure which one) sells a camber lock kit that is .100" thick. You can mill .100" off the upper ball joint and use that vendor's kit. If you mill the .100" off one side of the ball joint (instead of .050" off each side), and install that camber lock kit on the front side of the ball joint, you will have increased the caster by approximately 0.8*. This has been done before.

John

I had just replaced the bushings with the stock style. You guys were not there when I ran the Dragon, I must have been pullig 1 G turns, but so was everybody else. The rubber looked like it was squeezed from a tube.It was only 2 on the front lower.Gary Walker sent me 2 poly graphite bushings and that's what I'm replacing all mine with. Bill 1362

Bill, you must have been cornering hard! I lost 4 lower rear rubber bushings in 2 yrs but none from the front (with 245-50x 15 fronts on 8" Campys...) Lots more wt in the back and most is on those lower bushings. I also used to regularly lose the lower rubber bushings on the Koni rear shocks. Finally got tired of changing them & went all poly for everything.

I can't see the original rubber bushings doing this to you.
There must be an issue with durameter with those replacement bushings. Those have to be the ones from Maserati Source?

I have the red polyurethanes in there. Graphite wasn't available yet. The only disadvantage to mine is that they can squeak, but there is usually so much tire rubber squealing no one would ever notice?

Wow Bill? Squeezing the rubber out of the bushings? I'll bet you just tear door handles off of cars getting in to, huh?

I was laying it in the turns and the tires never squeeled, so I figure that caused it, They were maserati sourced. I'm having Derlin bushings made at my local plastic machine shop. Maybe if they work out well I can offer them for sale. The carbon graphite bushings from Quella just doubled in price{ no fault of his} His supplier went up and the final cost is 38$ each x 16= more than I plan on spending. When I install them I'll post here. Bill 1362

Here are the new HMUW bushings. Help me out here.. The pivot will be between the inside metal sleeve and the HMUW right? NO, the bushing on the left is from Pantera Perfomance and is poly graphite, It has a hex sleeve so it would pivit on the outer diameter... right? All my parts are kinda press fit.. are they going to be too tight? Bill

The Poly bushings just slip in. First time I saw the hex sleeve. don't know why it's necessary. Polygraphite won't squeak, not that the regular poly does, but some people complain about them.

Hard part is getting the old rubber ones out. lube 'em up before you close 'em up. They should be pleasantly firm.

FYI, the factory race cars used bronze bushings. Dude. If you squish these out, that's what you will need to do, or possibly Delrin. Lay off of the testosterone pills.