Best Bushings for my Application?, Oh noes! the choices! Options

[Brando]

Now, I use my car as a daily deutschebag and weekend autocrosser. Right now my front and rear end feel kind of soft and squishy. My car still has the OE bushings (cheap rubber) from 1975. I've felt the ride of a 911 SC with Weltmeister bushings and it wasn't bad, and also a 911 SC with the poly-bronze bushings from Elephant Foot Racing and that was just like riding in a new 993. BUT I've yet to feel how the ride in a car with Mueller bearings or Neoprene bushings are. Cost wise the Weltmeister bushings or Mueller Bearings seem best, but I'm more concerned with the ride of the car.

For those using different flavors of bushings, what do you reccommend?

[Mueller]

QUOTE (nebreitling @ May 16 2005, 11:50 AM)

i was under the impression that mueller bearings are nla... can anyone (anyone=mike) verify this?

just taking a short hiatus while I build up my funding to buy more parts....I have fronts in stock...Tarret has front and rear in stock.

QUOTE

Wow, Elephant Racing's article was pretty informative

....yea, if you like exaggeration and drawn "examples" blown totally out of proportion, I'd like to see the "facts" and not read the theory.....for the front, the needle bearings are designed to support at a minimum, 8000 pounds static (each, now times that by 4 on the front), the races are specially heat-treated material held to within 1.5000" +0, minus .0005".

Think those ER bushings (they are not bearings, they are bushings) are held to those tolerances? I think not. As to his claim of the ER bushing having "full contact", no way, no how, there will always be points of tangency with when you have a smaller diameter housed in a larger diameter feature, the only way to prevent this would to have a press-fit, which obviously will not rotate very well.

Ever hear of people complaining about the throttle bushings on their carbs/throttle bodies??? That happens from being cycled back and forth, just like the suspension in use, however, the suspension will have much more weight bearing down on them. Yes, the bushings are lubed, but in no way can you count on the "figure 8" feature , once the grease is wiped away, you will have metal to metal contact, now if his bushings are pressurized like the bearings in a engine, that would be a different story.

As to misalignment "binding"...well, I've never had a complaint about it, yet I've seen posts about the ER having issues....if your car is tweaked that bad, fix the problem correctly.

Obviously the ER parts work, so do needle bearings, I don't feel the need to go on smear campaign and make up some "White papers"..I've heard rumors of people "saying" they have had problems with the needle bearings...I have had one pair returned, uninstalled, the buyer didn't feel comfortable using them after talking to an engineering buddy of his...no problem, full refund, no hard feelings....as to these "people" having problems with the needle bearings?? Where are they, why have they not called or e-mailed me to complain about it?? Do they really exist???

just remember, both items will/can wear out in time, one advantage of the needle bearings is that when/if the bearings wears out, it can be replaced for less than $10 each (the major cost of the front bearings is the specially heat treated sleeve)

the biggest disadvantage to the needle bearings are cost and perceived exposure to the elements....the way I look at it, I want people to use the needle bearings cause they either want to or understand why to use them, if you don't fall into that category, then the Elephant bushings are for you...and I'm fine with that (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

Yes, I do know Chuck and we do talk when we see each other, for him, the Porsche stuff is his full time job and lively hood, so he has to work on it harder than I do...my hats off to him to succeeding in the market.