Control Arm Bushings - The Final Word?, Who is telling the truth? Options

[bcheney]

I need to replace the control arm bushings on my 6 conversion. I am using stock 914 contral arms. I purchased a set of OEM style rubber bushings. The manufacturer is URO Parts. They have a U-tube video explaining why they made their bushings along with a demo of how to install them. The price of a complete set of four bushings was about $50.00 Here is the link to URO's U-tube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45IvTOZxtBE

Elephant Racing makes there own version and claim that brand X (It looks like they may be referencing the URO parts) will not stand up over time. Their price for four bushings and installation tool is over $200. They say the brand X bushing significantly deforms after just one load. Here is the link to Elephants
U-Tube video that compares the two types.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X03h2gE4Rao...feature=related

I am really beginning to wonder if I should just go ahead and install the poly bushings I had at the beginning of all of this. They ran about $40.00 OR $50.00.
I was told they will squeak...so that's why I looked into the OEM style rubber type. I Really dont want to spend another $200 if I dont have to. If you have experience with any of these bushings please give me your thoughs. I would like to know what the real world report is...

[Eric_Shea]

Interesting thread. I think the end result may be that "you", the car owner, will have to decide which is right for your car. Here's my thoughts:

Rubber - Nice for a stock ride. I'm not going to get into a battle over which will fall apart etc... you decide.

Poly - BE CAREFUL HERE. The common poly bushings sold under the Weltmeister name are made of a soft 94A compound. These are the only units I DO NOT RECOMMEND using on your 914 or 911. You can tell if you have these units by simply squeezing them in your hand. If they flex they are the soft compound. A thorough search will find pictures from TRE where these have literally torn out front suspension mounts. They distort, they squeak. The other poly is made of 70D compound and they are much, much better. They are inexpensive but you will need to work to have them set-up properly. To do it properly requires a 3x1 sanding drum from McMaster, JB Weld (use a torch if you ever want to remove them) and grease zerks. By using the drum you will get an extremely tight fit on your shaft, which is what you want. If installed properly, these should be squeak free and last a lifetime.

Delrin - CFR is the only place on the planet I know of that does this and has the machinery to do it properly. See their website for details, there's no BS there. It costs more but, a lot of work is involved and... you're not the one doing it this time.

Elephant - The poly sleeve on the poly bronze bushings allows for the slop inside the control arm itself. These generally fit like a glove. Because all arms are not created equal, some shafts bind more than others. This is normal. Once lubricated and once a 2,000+ lb car is settled on them they will be fine. The only criticism I've had in the past has been the small 5x.8 zerks. Chuck says they're fine but I use a 6x1 on all of our installs (picking nits here). I have a full Elephant system on my 911. The feel of the road is amazing. Others will tell you there is no harshness in the ride as the bushings now offer full shock absorber function. While the feel is amazing, there "is" a subtle harshness added to the ride that a street driver may not admire. Imagine you're coming upon a bump in the road, forces at work will transfer this energy to your suspension and to your cars body. If there is a thick piece of rubber between that suspension and the body, there will be a certain amount of dampening performed by that rubber. This is where you need to make a decision. Do you need the racing precision that solid bushings afford or, do you need that awesome Porsche street car ride your car came with? If you purchase Elephants you will not have buyers remorse. They are extremely well made and worth every penny.

FreeMotion - While I have a full set of Elephants on my 911, I have a complete set of FreeMotion bearings on my 914. The FreeMotion products have sleeve's and races to take up the slack caused by imperfect manufacturing of our suspension pieces. Much like Elephant fronts etc. I believe I am one of the blessed ones to have a set of the prototype FreeMotion "rear" sets. I'm not sure about that but, maybe Mark could weigh in on the availability of those. If you've seen the state of my GT project you'll know that I cannot speculate on the ride quality. There are plenty of people here who can. I will assume that, as with the Elephants, that amount of precision will not come without a slight reduction in that "bump" effect I discussed. Again, if you purchase these... you will be a happy camper. The kit comes complete with great instructions and I'm sure the race department in Stuttgart would be proud of your installation.

Bottom line, solid (of any type) vs. the stock type rubber will afford precision for the sake of a small amount of ride quality. Feeling every driveway apron may not bother you... on the other hand, it may.

My personal thoughts on this? Use the Parado Principle; better know as the 80:20 rule. 80% street, go with rubber. 80% race, go with the harder bushing of your choice.

It's your car. It's your choice.