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I just picked up a new (to me) hp 30 front for my 01 w/ 6in longarm. i am replacing front upper control arm bushings (axle side).I would like to get Ya'lls preference and reason on which one you would use.
I can only speak from my experience on my tranny mount (it's poly). when stopped at idle with trans in D it vibs LIKE CRAZY! I'd change it to rubber but the skid plates make it a booger to change! I also have poly motor mounts....another mistake. Poly just transmits vibrations were rubber seems to absorb them.
Poly isn't as bad as ALLLLLLL you seem to make it out to be. It's a vibration, not a figgin death shake. People make it seem like you're in a washing machine, shaking violently back and forth.
It's vibration... and it's also not a Cadillac, it's a Jeep.
I say poly, especially for suspension, be be prepared for other weak spots to fail instead of the rubber bushing in the upper.
To me, it depends on how the suspension is set up. Do you have a Y link like most guys? There is a lot of forces on the bushings when flexing and something needs to give. I have found that rubber is not up to the task, but then again some say the poly bushings are not up to it either and will deform. At this time, I am using rubber on the top link, I am only running one, and have found that it will not hold up. So I am going poly on the top and keeping rubber on the bottom to soak up noise and vibration. Some of this also depends on how tough that poly is. It comes in different hardness.
I just did my control arm bushings and debated poly and rubber and I came to the conclusion rubber was best for my needs. I decided the control arms need to flex a bit(stock suspension) and having poly there would limit the flex and create a weak point else where. I also didn't want the squeaking that comes with poly, vibration I wasn't worried about as said it's not a cadi.
I almost went with Moog bushing that supposedly are a happy medium between poly and rubber. Those bushing are stiff like poly and have no squeaking supposedly but again I wanted the flex of rubber and saw no need to add any stiffness plus they cost a lot more. On my supra I plan to go with poly/solid bushings because it's all about reducing flex.
I have poly engine mounts because I wanted durability and no flex there. I also have poly sway bar bushing for durability but they squeak loud as hell in the winter no matter how much I grease them. I can't imagine having full poly control arm bushing, rumbling loud exhaust and engine vibration I can tolerate, constant high pitch squeaking sound I can't.
my motor mounts have poly bushings, I love it. the whole jeep feels more solid when driving and there has been almost no wear on any of the poly parts in the last 2 years. I'm saving up some $ to get a poly trans mount right now.
My lower control arms were poly bushings before, I didnt notice much of a difference between then and the rubber bushings. Now they are johnny joints on both ends and yes they make you more of the road but I prefer that... I like to feel what I'm driving over. Like Jim said it's not a cadillac.
With two piece bushings it 'should' be easy to install and maintain. The factory rubber UCA bushings deform easily and quickly in my experience.
I ran poly swaybar bushings and hated the squeaking, so I trashed 'em. Grease only kept them quiet for a day or two. They might have a poly formula with more 'give' now, who knows.
That was a problem for me also. I read all about them online and figured I would tackle the lowers. I used a drill and drilled many holes through the old bushing and eventually got the old rubber and inner sleeve out. The out sleeve was another story. I have no vice or torch and didn't trust using a ball joint with out bending the arms. I didn't have anything the exact size of the sleeve but small enough to go through the control arm try and whack them out with.
I took it to a buddies shop and had him press out/in the bushing, 40 bucks which sucks. Looking back I should have just gone with new arms from quadratec but I don't know what bushings they use. At least I know the bushing I used are high quality but the hassle and cost might be too high compared to new control arms.
