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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 12:41 AM
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Bushings

Hi guys, can anyone tell me where I can get rear POLYURETHANE bushing for FD, or is there one! If it's stock bushing, where can I get them for cheap price.

Thanks guys
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 01:38 AM
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call ray at malloy mazda there about 350 shipped
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 06:30 AM
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PU bushings come from Jimlab.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by dgeesaman
PU bushings come from Jimlab.
His are Nylon actually. I don't know of anyone that makes poly bushings for the FD.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 10:30 AM
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Bushing my Prelude was easily the best mod I ever did!

I'd love to Polybush the FD, is there a kit that replaces the following? (colored on the diagram)

2 per Front Upper Control Arm
2 per Front Lower Control Arm
3 per Rear Lower Control Arm
2 per Rear Upper Control Arm
2 per Rear Trailing Arm (I think - can't remember exactly)

2 per Front Tierods
2 per Shock
1 Bumpstop per Shock





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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 10:36 AM
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Suspension.com (Energy Suspension) is well known for urethane bushings but they only do Miatas, and 1st-2nd Gen RX7s.

Dave
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 10:36 AM
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Originally Posted by turbojeff
His are Nylon actually. I don't know of anyone that makes poly bushings for the FD.
How much stiffer are they over stock? is nylon similar to polyurethene insomuch that it lets the suspension actually do its work unlike rubber which becomes stressed?

edit: Thanks Dave, it was an ES kit I had on my lude, really unsure why they haven't done an FD kit as yet

Last edited by DS2000; Nov 4, 2004 at 10:43 AM.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by DS2000
is nylon similar to polyurethene
For all intents and purposes the nylon is solid and polyurethane is merely very stiff.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by DS2000
edit: Thanks Dave, it was an ES kit I had on my lude, really unsure why they haven't done an FD kit as yet
Pretty simple, really. No one goes to the expense and effort of making molds for poly bushings for a car for which there might be 6,000-7,000 surviving. Not even if all ~13,500 were still on the road.

Look at the production numbers for the 1st or 2nd gen. RX-7 compared to the FD. There's your answer: potential customers.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 12:21 PM
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[QUOTE=DS2000]Bushing my Prelude was easily the best mod I ever did!

I'd love to Polybush the FD, is there a kit that replaces the following? (colored on the diagram)


3 per Rear Lower Control Arm


These 3 are not bushings, they are sperical bearings, no one makes an upgraded part to replace them because there simply no way to improve on the stock part.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 12:41 PM
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The pillow ball bushings (2 per rear lower control arm, 1 per rear upper control arm) cannot be replaced with anything but an OEM part because of their required range of motion. Since a pillow ball or spherical bearing bushing is metal on metal, there is no slop in those joints if the bushings are in good condition. It's when they become worn that they develop the metallic clunking noises that mean it's time to replace them.

The innermost bushing on the rear lower control arm is called a "damping" bushing, and while it is partially made from rubber to dampen vibration and noise, it also requires movement in a non-linear fashion and must be replaced with an OEM part also.

The only bushings in the rear suspension which can be replaced with a non-OEM component are the differential bushings (2), trailing arm bushings (2), the shock mount bushings (2), and the rear upper control arm bushings (4) where they mount to the rear subframe.

The available options for replacing those bushings are Mazda OEM, Mazdaspeed's "40% stiffer" rubber bushings, my Nylon 6-6 bushings, and (for the trailing and differential bushings only), Pettit's Delrin "drag launch" kit. FEED also markets a pillow ball bushing kit which replaces those other bushings, but I believe it is made by another manufacturer. BicuspiD is the one to talk to about importing a set.

Last edited by jimlab; Nov 4, 2004 at 12:45 PM.
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 12:58 PM
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From: Redmond, WA
Mazda OEM pillow bushings and their locations...



Rear lower control arm inner damping bushings...



Mazda OEM vs. FEED spherical vs. Nylon 6-6 (front lower control arm)...



Another comparison shot (front upper control arm)...



BicuspiD's "Original Box" (same as FEED) spherical bushing kit...

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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 01:03 PM
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Wow...cool stuff, Jim!

Sonny
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 01:24 PM
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Here's the how-to I wrote up on removing/replacing suspension bushings where several of the pictures above came from...

https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/how-remove-replace-suspension-bushings-211372/
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Old Nov 4, 2004 | 05:00 PM
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Yeah FEED, RE Amemiya, R-Magic, Orginal Box and a few others have the Sperical Bushings. You get 2 or 4 more with the RE Kit, not sure which ones they are though. The only problem with there sets is if you are buying or have the adjustable.aftermarket Trailing arms and toe links, becaue you get those bushings as well.

As for pricing off the top of my head:

RE and Orginal Box about $1500
R-magic $1450
FEED $1200

They are somehting like that, kinda a priciy but WELL worth it
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Old Nov 5, 2004 | 02:47 AM
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Wow, those are some evil prices

Jim - thanks for all the info, Im still pretty new to the FD so still learning
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Old Nov 5, 2004 | 06:42 PM
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I honestly do not think the prices are that bad, mainly because if you were to buy trailing arms and toe links that will set you back about $450, so there is just another $800-1000 difference and if you were to say buy new OEM ones that would run roughly $600.

Not to down Jimlabs nylon bushings, but they are a solid bushing, and with the nature od the suspesion in need to move so it doe not bind, whihc is wht I like the more exspensive pillow ball bushings better. But either would be a vast improvement over stock.
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Old Nov 5, 2004 | 09:24 PM
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Originally Posted by eyecandy
Not to down Jimlabs nylon bushings, but they are a solid bushing, and with the nature od the suspesion in need to move so it doe not bind, whihc is wht I like the more exspensive pillow ball bushings better.
That's why the OEM pillow bushings and damping bushings need to be replaced with OEM parts, as I stated above. The rest of the bushings can be replaced with bushings with a linear range of motion, which is what's included in my kit.

The FEED/Original Box bushings also move in a linear fashion, despite being "pillow bushings". If you consider the front upper control arms, for example, you should be able to figure out that there's no possible way that they can move in any direction but up or down when they're mounted parallel to each other. In order to twist to the left or right, you'd either have to be able to collapse one side of the control arm and expand the other, or unbolt one of the bushings. Think about it...

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Old Mar 30, 2005 | 03:34 AM
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Originally Posted by jimlab

Rear lower control arm inner damping bushings...



Mazda OEM vs. FEED spherical vs. Nylon 6-6 (front lower control arm)...



Jim would have any more of these front lower control arm Nylon bushings for the rear lower control arm?
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Old Mar 30, 2005 | 11:05 AM
  #20  
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Originally Posted by t-von
Jim would have any more of these front lower control arm Nylon bushings for the rear lower control arm?
The bushings in the rear lower control arm must be replaced with OEM parts because of the range of movement. That includes both the two outer pillow ball bushings and the inner "damper" bushing, which is also a pillow bushing.
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Old Apr 3, 2005 | 03:52 AM
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So your saying the above nylon bushing won't work properly in the front portion of the lower control arm because of the movement?
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Old Apr 3, 2005 | 07:25 AM
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Originally Posted by t-von
So your saying the above nylon bushing won't work properly in the front portion of the lower control arm because of the movement?
I think you are talking about the body side of the trailing links in the rear suspension. If so, I was once concerned that the Unobtanium bushings might bind in those positions since that arm does not swing in a simple plane. However, I tested for binding by moving my rear suspension through the full range of motion (with the shock/spring removed) soon after I installed the Unobtanium bushings and there was no binding. It was really quite free to move the whole way.

-Max
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Old Apr 3, 2005 | 08:58 AM
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I have the Unobtanium bushings installed on my FD and its been quite an improvement over my worn out stockers! I'm gettin the diff mounts replaced on Monday, will post how it feels then.
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Old Apr 3, 2005 | 03:28 PM
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Ooops! I just realized that I had the wrong pic for the bushing that I'm looking for. I'm looking for the one that attaches the lower most forward suspension arm. The one that controls wheel movement under braking and acceleration.


I already have the nylon diff bushings. I here replacing the ones in this suspension arm really cuts down on the wheel hop.
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