I just got new suspension for my car yesterday. While I am in the suspensoin mode, should I be getting new bushings for everything.

Where can I buy a bushing kit that is good and not that expensive. I have heard of the RB toe-elim bushings. Are those a good start or should I do more?

Thanks.
Tim

 

It depends on your goals. If you want to keep a somewhat quiet ride, the stock rubber bushings might be your best bet if they are still in good shape. Polyurethane, delrin, or "unobtainioum" bushings make a harder connection between the road and your car's chassis and absorb less vibration. They do improve the rigidity of the suspension settings, however. You would either want this harsh but very firm road feel or just be a competitive racer looking for any advantage to replace all the bushings with a harder compound, in my opinion.

The toe eliminators, on the other hand, are useful in a different way. They make the car more predictable in hard cornering. The stock toe control bushings were designed to allow some toe-out to coalesce in the rear suspension at about a half G of lateral force. Rear steering was featured on a few performance cars in the mid 80s but seems to be absent from newer cars. Racers usually disable the rear steering by installing the toe eliminator bushings in order to keep the rear toe setting the same at any lateral g number. Once they set their rear toe and camber, they want it to remain unchanged.

I got this info from Mazdatrix's catalog and _Mazda RX-7 Performance Handbook_ by Mike Ancas, but haven't done any bushing mods (yet). I am about to install some toe eliminators, however; I think toe eliminators are a necessary mod for spirited street driving, judging by all the people who have found their FCs to be unpredictable in hard cornering when the rear steering kicks in. In the worst case scenario, it can make the rear of the car suddenly start to feel as if it is sliding out of a curve, oversteering. Suffice to say, that would be scary on a mountain road.

 

Yeah, I think I will be getting some toe-elim. bushings for sure. The car I am going to be doing this on is a weekend/track car. So I am not too concerned about having a harsh ride.

Where can I get these Polyurethane, delrin, or "unobtainioum" bushings from. And about how much do they run?

Thanks 88IntegraLS for the info.

Tim

 

I know Nopi sells the kit of Polyurethane bushings.
Not sure who else does.

www.nopi.com

 

anywhere else?

 

i recall seeing energy suspension having a kit for the FC's

 

energy suspensions has a master kit for the whole car, summit racing sells them for a really good price.

 

I bought my Prothane bushings at Corksport.com, 105$ for front arm, rear arm, swaybar and tierod bushings
Also I made my own toe steer eliminators.
http://www.corksport.com/main.php3?p...3Fcat%3D214917
BOTTOM PAGE

 

www.suspension.com

They sell the Energy Suspension kit for around $96.00. That's a pretty good price.

 

Summit and I believe Jegs also sold the ES kit.

 

As stated above, I made my own TSE well infact I made 10 sets which i sold and traded in for FC stuff.
three feet of POM/Delrin Plastic is no more than 30$ and the steel is equally cheap, did I mention that we have a lathe at work and that I work nights

 

Nice! Do you have drawings for the rest of the bushings... Delrin is cheap, and turning it on a lathe is so easy.

 

No sorry
I was so eager to install them that I didnt take measurements

I had a few PM´s and yes the bushing on the left is plastic(Delrin) and the sleeve is steel.

If you use an acetylene torch to get the old ones out, then wait to install the new ones till the hub is cooled down, trust me you do NOT wanna breath POM/Delrin fumes as they can knock you out easily

 

does anyone know if polyurethane bushings are legal in stock autocross class?

 

No, only OEM rubber bushings are legal in stock.

 

I think at this point in time its a good idea for any one to replace their bushings. Not just a performance mod, but to restore the ride of your car. Consider how old our cars are. Now consider those rubber bushings being heated, cooled, and banged around millions of times. Rubber doesnt last forever, just look at your vaccuum lines.
Me myself I think I'm going to go with energy suspension for my bushing. I"ve seen the differance they've made in other cars and their not a bad price.