Bushing Materials, Pros and Cons of Each ???? Options

[914forme]

Okay I have a swaybar design done. I am thinking about bushing materials. Currently have Weltmeister Poly Race hardness. I smoothed the arm bores etc.. to make the fit better and not grab hard. But they still grab!!!!

So up on the list I need to know experiences, etc.... with each.

Stock rubber - works for a street car.

Poly - easy to find, seems to grab like a glue gun on steroids.

Delrin - easy to find now, self lubricating, can be custom machined, needs to be replaced more often?

Poly/ Bronze - poly fills gaps the bronze gives you a bearing surface. $$$

Rollers - $$ / time or $$$$$ with out the time.

So what seems to be the best way to go bang for the buck, my $$ tree is not that big.

[Mike T]

I just replaced my old polygraphite with PolyBronze. I haven't driven on them yet but the rear moves like a well oiled hinge with no "sticktion"

The fronts move a bit firmer but are still smooth.

I'm looking forward to my first autocross.

Mike T

[Mueller]

Okay I have a swaybar design done. I am thinking about bushing materials. Currently have Weltmeister Poly Race hardness. I smoothed the arm bores etc.. to make the fit better and not grab hard. But they still grab!!!!

So up on the list I need to know experiences, etc.... with each.

Stock rubber - works for a street car.

Poly - easy to find, seems to grab like a glue gun on steroids.
Properly installed (like how Racer Chris does it), they can work quite well

Delrin - easy to find now, self lubricating, can be custom machined, needs to be replaced more often?
I'd use Delrin AF, the brown stuff, has teflon impregnated in it and is a better bushing material

Poly/ Bronze - poly fills gaps the bronze gives you a bearing surface. $$$
The poly acts as an noise/vibration isolator

Rollers - $$ / time or $$$$$ with out the time.
for the front, the bearings themselves are less than $50, it's the other parts that add up cost wise (must have a proper bearing surface on the a-arm, the sleeve is the most expensive part of the kit)...for the rear, the last time I priced the bearings themselves, they cost close to $30 each (4X)..if you have access to a lathe and the material, you could knock off a set I'd say in a day or less

So what seems to be the best way to go bang for the buck, my $$ tree is not that big.

If I didn't have the roller bearings myself, I'd give the poly/bronze a try if I had the money at the time...a decent compromise might be using polyurethane bushings with thrust needle bearings....