RE Speed is offering a good deal on spherical bearings for a FB. They are for front control arms and rear lower control arms. They also have solid plastic tension rod bushings. Are these worth it for our cars? The car is going to be set up for Em auto-x,a nd I was gonna get energy suspension bushings (ones listed above). I will be running panhard arm and 3rd link as well.

Thanks

 

Anyone? I'm looking for pros/cons vs the urethane bushings to justify the added expense.

 

Even the hardest urethane bushings have SOME compliance. Spherical bushings have NO compliance. If you want the ultimate in accuracy and response, spherical bushings don't have to deflect or deform before transferring loads across. On the down side, they will pass along every shock load and eventually hammer the chassis and themselves to pieces so they must be watched, maintained, and replaced all the time. Also - most stock bushings add their spring rate to the movement of the suspension, while sperical bearings moe with a negligible amount of force so that your springs and shocks do all of the worl and be set up more precisely. Urethane is somewhere in between, usually not contributing so much to spring rate, but often heavily in friction. What more would you like to know?

 

You pretty much covered it, and went along with what I thought. I will probably go with the urethane for now, as the car will see some street use. If I decide to go all out on the car,a nd take it off the street, I will look into the spherical stuff. I am still going to get the plastic strut rod bushings though.

Thanks

 

Boswoj that is the most concise description of bushing materials pro and cons I have ever heard, brilliant.

I am experiementing with no rubber or poly parts in my suspension, all sherical bearings in rear and combination of delrin, aluminum and sperical bearing in front. Hopefully it will all go in over the next week or so. Will let you know as soon as its been on the road.