Hi everyone

I want to get my rear control arms powder coated black soon. What I don't want to do is remove my rear original rubber busings as they are in really good shape! Will the bake dry process damage the bushings?

thanks

If they are original they may look fine but i doubt they are in "Good" shape. Its 50 year old rubber, I guarantee its properties have change significantly in that time. You are taking the arms off anyways, just replace them.

You can get original style rubber bushings.

I don't think 400 degrees will be good for the rubber.

Must be removed. . a couple of reasons. . most of which is they won't survive the 400 F temp's in baking powder paint..

Additionally, all metal is blasted to clean and prepare for paint adhesion. . If they are blasted with the bushings, no matter how much you try, the abrasive particles will be trapped between the bushings and inner bushing surface. . . no matter how you try to mask, some will get in there. .

You're going to surprised by the amount of corrosion and rust under the rubber bushings once they are removed. This needs to be blasted to clean and fresh metal for new rubbers.

Trying to save 50 year old suspension rubber and reinstalling is not practical. . There will also be 'memory distortion' in their shape once removed. . Get new and they may be going in another 50 years,

I read so many post suggesting that if your bushings are not obviously cracked or distorted from the outside its better off leaving them in because the new stuff (bushings) that is available is not good?

That said, can some suggest good bushing for the change out on my control arms?

Thanks

As a rubber professional, I highly recommend- pull out. If they are still good, you will be able to reuse. If not, you'll know. I suspect yhe latter.

You may also want to consider painting your control arms rather than powder coating them.

Powder coating can trap moisture and cause significant rust issues.

I see you are in So Cal so this may not be an issue for you. Something I would advise you to consider however.

When I powdercoat, I preheat large parts like trailing arms in the oven and then powdercoat and bake. there's no "trapped" moisture. I think most powdercoat shops take the proper steps to coat these parts. I've never seen or heard of moisture/rust issues.

Awesome advise from everyone and many thanks!

Any recommendations for brands of bushings to buy?

If you want -like new, elephant racing. They are pricey but most like factory. I'm hoping the ones that 914rubber makes are very good since I purchased a couple sets. They are very reasonably priced.

What is the final application, pure street, auto-x, track, a combination of all the above?

Elephant Racing makes several versions of 914 trailing arm bushings

As does Rebel Racing

As does Tangerine Racing\

You can also get poly urethane from various sources just not worth the hassle, universal fit, some people like them some don't.

914Rubber is making sets now also, should be a fine product for a street car.

I have run stock, poly, poly bronze and Rebel Racing. Have not ran Chris's delrin stuff, yeah believe it or not there is a product Chris makes that I have not purchased. But I would say judging from all his other stuff they should be great also.

Car will be mostly street and possibly a once a year run at Fontana Speedway when they do the open day for Porsche cars. I want to avoid modifications and definitely don't want any squeaking! looking for something that is plug and play within reason for a car of this age!

I remember years ago i did a car with red Daystar polyurethane bushings full kit front & Back, and this thing squeaked like crazy! $100's of dollars and a week later they those things were in the trash.

If you do powdercoat, I’d mask the area that the bushing sits in. Powder usually has a much higher film build thickness. The cheap paint they put on those parts at the factory was probably less than a mil thick. Powder coating can range to about 4 or 5 miles depending on the application, person applying, product, etc. the added film thickness could make installing the new bushings a PITA.

Thanks good advice! I planned on doing the same where the bearing goes as well.

I powdercoates where the bushing goes. Went in fine. I also powdercoated where the bearing goes but I might have to clean that up.

The rear wheel bearing is a press fit already, so adding any thickness whatsoever would make the bearing impossible to install.

I leave the bushings, shaft, and old wheel bearing installed before powder coating. Then pull all that afterwards. You have to be more careful to not mess up your new finish, but it means all those surfaces are still perfect.