ok guys, i searched the forum all night long about bushings and wheel hop problem.

I still have some concern about bushings, i will probably need to replace them soon and i want something that will last, i don't really want a stiffer suspension since it is already harsh (KONI/GC) but i want something that i will nt have to touch again. I don't mind a stiffer suspension but it is not the goal.

will a set of unobtainium or jimlab set will last longer than the stock ones?

i want something bullet proof.

thanks a lot

puma

 

i have jimlabs bushings and i luv them. i also thought that they would make my suspension stiffer but i cant feel a difference at all. the only difference i feel is that at high speeds the car feels alot more stable and sure footed on the road, much better road feedback. they were also very easy to install, it was actually alot harder to get the old ones out because some of them are hydraulic and almost none of them are 1 piece. if you do decide to get them then you wont be disappointed

 

 

I agree 100% with 1bad7...I felt no increase in ride harshness when I installed jimlabs bushings.... and this is to be expected. The stock rubber bushings have some compliance, but only a little. The stockers don't absorb any road harshness because they just don't compress enough. The reason for rubber bushings is to keep noise out of the interior, not to cushion a harsh ride. Install jimlabs bushings and your ride should not be any harsher, but you may have some increased noise in the cabin.

 

ok, what about toughness? which one will wear out first?

 

What are bushings? What do they do? How much does jimlab charge for a full set? Can a newbie install them?

-Jon

 

Puma, that's a good question. Part of Jim's "sales pitch" back when I bought them was that they should last much longer than the stock bushings. My guess is that he is correct, but I guess nobody will truly know until a set of his bushings start to wear out.

JONSKI, the bushings are located at the pivot points in the suspension...for example, where the upper control arm connects to the body. The bushing actually IS the pivot. Stock bushings are made of rubber so that road noise traveling up the control arm gets damped by the rubber pivot before being transmitted into the body of the car...so you get less of that road noise in the cabin. The problem with rubber bushings is that under heavy cornering loads, the rubber deflects a little and causes slight changes in the suspension geometry. By changing the bushing to a harder material, there is less deflection and therefore the suspension geometry remains more constant, but the tradeoff is that the harder bushing material doesn't damp the road noise as well. Typically the price for a full set is in the neighborhood of $500, give or take depending on how many people were in that particular group buy.

 

Puma

Keep in mind a lot of people have posted that the unobtainiums squeak/creak if they are not relubed periodically. So regardless of whether they last 10 years or 2, it seems you will have to do periodic maintance-something that has motivated me to steer away from them.

 

Im putting in some unobtainiums this week.. after i get em in ill post and let you know how i like em, hey CC do you live in boston or around boston? Im from Salem

 

I have a full set just sitting in my closet because I'm worried about squeaking. There is no way I'm disassembling my suspension every 6 months to relube them, so I'm in limbo right now. For those that have had them, do you have any squeaking problems? I have heard of some using thick marine grease so it doesn't get washed out, but I'm waiting until something is proven to solve the squeaking problem. Zerk fittings are not the answer for me.

 

hmm thanks for pointing that out.

does it mean you have to redo the job every year or so? Man, what a pain.

it really makes me think about it, you are right.

 

I bought a set of Unobtainiums about a month ago and if I had it to do over, I would have replaced them with stock. Way to many squeaks, moans and groans for me.....I plan to take them back out soon and go with something different.

 

Good point guys! Puma, I forgot to mention the squeaks and creaks...mine do, and that part really sucks. If your car is a daily driver, I would be careful about considering the Unobtainium bushings. If it's a track only car, then maybe you wouldn't care. I've had the bushings installed for 1 year now. They were really quiet for the first 2 or 3 months, but after that, the squeaks and creaks started. I've found that if you just spray some lube on them (motorcycle chain lube seems to work well) they will be quiet for a week or two, but then they start creaking again.

I noticed that one time after an alignment the bushings were creaking a lot more than they were before the alignment. I wonder if certain alignment settings cause the bushings to bind a little bit and cause more noise? Who knows....for reference, I had my alignment set to Pettit's street recommendation for 16" wheels.

 

Just FYI... some people seem to have problems with squeaking, and others never have a moment's problem. I haven't seen a trend yet that indicates what might be at the root of the problem. However, be aware that polyurethane bushings need periodic replacement of the lubricant and squeak also, so this is nothing new as far as aftermarket bushings are concerned. Anyone with an aftermarket rear sway bar with poly bushings who drives often in wet weather can verify this... eventually it'll squeak. Replenish the lubricant and the problem is solved.

Nathan, Zerk fittings are standard on many aftermarket suspension components where Delrin, Nylon, or polyurethane bushings are involved for re-application of lubricant. They do not weaken the suspension components, and they make re-lubing the bushings a simple task. I'm not sure why you object to them, but that is of course your right.

 

Jim,
What is your take on using thick marine grease to deal with the possibility of water? I never drive my car in the rain so water is not a big deal, but that should be all the better right? My point about zerk fittings is that I don't consider an easier method of reapplying lube a solution, I'm looking for a solution that doesn't require frequent relubing. I'll still probably install zerk fittings anyway, because you're right, they can't hurt. Once year I can deal with but the less the better. Thats the reason I'm sitting on the bushings and not selling them nor installing them, because I too am waiting for a pattern to emerge.

 

is it hard to get the zerk fittings installed?

 

I hear you.

Yes, the marine grade grease is better and more likely to remain in place instead of being worked out of the suspension or washed away, or whatever's happening to those who are developing squeaks.

 

No, not at all. Possibly one of the easiest parts of the installation.

 

where can i get some bushings

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab

 

thanks

 

what is that zerk fitting?

 

the zerk fitting is a grease fitting for lubing the bushings

 

McMaster-Carr - www.mcmaster.com

 

ok and whre do you put that? on the grease gun or on the bushing??? i don't think you put that on the bushing huh?