squeaking poly bushes!

[Dazzer]

OK what do you lubricate squeaking poly bushes with?

 

I've tried just spraying them with WD and or waxoil which silences them for... oh about five minutes.

 

I've decided to strip everything down and re build with some type of grease...

 

Used to use rubberlube years ago (red gunky stuff) don't know if it's available anymore, or is it OK to use LM or graphite on Poly bushes?

 

Worst culprit are the rear shackle bushes although it becomes a bit of a cacophony with bushes competing for the loudest squeak! Rain brings some relief or just flooring the throttle which drowns out the squeaking overture... bring back rubber all is forgiven!

 

Any advice or ear mufflers gratefully received.

 

Dazzer

[ianc]

Ask Neil Revington about Masterlube. I have nylon, not polyurethane, bushes and I have to lubricate these bushes with Masterlube every time I grease the suspension and - occasionally - in between greasings as well. Just ease the rubber ring seal up at the top and squirt some of this jungle juice in - don't forget that you need to treat each end of the bearing, and give it a little time to penetrate after the first application. In fact, make a second application shortly after the very first, as it takes a while to work its way along the bush on the very first application.

Ian Cornish

[Dazzer]

Hi Ian

 

Thank you for the info. Ill give Revington tr a call.

 

Many thanks

 

Darren

[Don Elliott]

The front suspension on my 1958 TR3A has squeaked for 50 years. I have tried everything that was suggested on this forum and elsewhere, except one idea. I plan to do that idea this winter. I will dismantle all the parts on the front suspension for the n-th time and drill and tap for grease fittings. I'll put them in where they can be reached with a grease gun, but I'll try to hide them so concours judges can't see them while peering under the car with one knee down on the grass.

 

Anyone have any comments (positive or negative) on this idea.

[stuart]

The front suspension on my 1958 TR3A has squeaked for 50 years. I have tried everything that was suggested on this forum and elsewhere, except one idea. I plan to do that idea this winter. I will dismantle all the parts on the front suspension for the n-th time and drill and tap for grease fittings. I'll put them in where they can be reached with a grease gun, but I'll try to hide them so concours judges can't see them while peering under the car with one knee down on the grass.

 

Anyone have any comments (positive or negative) on this idea.

The only problem I can see is that the nylon bushes have no facility for the grease to travel out from the nipple position. Although I agree its a good idea.

Stuart.

[Rhodri]

I have often wondered- do the polybushes rotate on the central sleeve, wearing the sleeve, OR do they rotate inside the suspension arm etc, thus wearing away the housing in the arm?

 

There is little, or no flex in a polybush, but the old rubber bushes flexed rather than rotated and didnt wear out the metal.

 

Rod

[stuart]

I have often wondered- do the polybushes rotate on the central sleeve, wearing the sleeve, OR do they rotate inside the suspension arm etc, thus wearing away the housing in the arm?

 

There is little, or no flex in a polybush, but the old rubber bushes flexed rather than rotated and didnt wear out the metal.

 

Rod

Rod they normally rotate the bush around the centre tube and as far as I know although they havent been available for long enough to tell, they are supposed to last for years (Hardly anyone does large amounts of miles enough to wear them out in the way of mileage these days )

Stuart

Edited October 14, 2008 by stuart

[Rhodri]

I wish that the quality of the rubber in the rubber bushes was an awful lot better than it is today, as I feel that the compliance in the rubber is far better for our older, and perhaps not quite properly aligned, suspension. The poly seems to shake the cars a lot more and our TR suspension movement is not very large and exaggerates the jarring. I appreciate for racing they are good.

 

Rod

[david ferry]

Don't forget that different 'poly bushes' are used in all sorts of different vehicles and are subjected to different wear and stresses.

 

I believe Superpro bushes are used quite widely in 4x4 vehicles and london taxis.

 

There should be some data available from these uses.

 

The real question is how much specific value any data will be for application in a TR although general durability and wear properties will be available from this data.

 

Both of my TRs have poly bushes used very extensively due to the improved performance and durability without going as far as solid nylon bushes everywhere which would invoilve loss of fillings, and probably teeth!

 

I would also like to be able to set up my suspension geometry properly and have is stay where I want it to be without the added slop and play induced by worn out rubber bushes.

 

I for one don't really want to be for ever replacing worn out rubber bushes having had to do this on my TR6 in the past. The final change was to poly bushes and then the car was sold.

 

David

[vivdownunder]

I've found the black poly upper inner bushes to be good, as the compound seems to be slightly softer than the red, blue etc.

 

Some replacement kits have one piece per side poly bushes which aren't correct.

 

The upper inner poly bushes should be two piece per side tapered items. The tapers grip on the suspension arm so the bush can rotate only on the fulcrum pin. Also, to fit new two piece bushes, only the upper suspension arms need to be removed. Fitting incorrect one piece per side poly bushes requires removal of the top fulcrum pin, which means springs out and a big job.

 

Poly bush kits should come with a satchel of white lube which is smeared on the fulcrum pins, and inside the new bushes. Then they rotate properly without harshness, and don't squeak.

 

When old original rubber bushes are removed, the upper inner fulcrum pins often need dressing to remove surface rust.

 

It's the same procedure using the white lube when fitting new poly bushes to the rear spring shackles.

 

The other place the suspension will squeak is at the lower inner white nylon bushes. The nylon bush is meant to rotate on its inner metal sleeve, and to do this properly, the end nuts on the fixed pins need to be really tight. These end nuts lock the metal sleeve, and stop it from spinning on the fixed pin, which in turn causes squeaks and rapid component wear leading to bad suspension knocks.

 

To stop a squeaking lower nylon bush, I've found it best to take the end triangular support bracket off, and spray PTFE lube from a pressure can between the white nylon bush and the inner sleeve it rotates on. It takes a while to "wick" in. Pull back the black rubber seals, and allow a squirt of PTFE onto the white nylon washers either side of the nylon bush, which will lubricate these. PTFE is very slippery and long lasting stuff.

 

The above isn't a foolproof way to remove squeaking at the bottom inner nylon bushes, but it works in most cases.

 

Sometimes, like with Don's car, these squeaks are just plain stubborn. If installing grease fittings, the nylon bush has to be drilled below the fitting so the grease can get to the inside of the bush. Best to check for a grease that won't harm the nylon too.

 

Regards,

 

Viv