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What kind of bushings?

P

phreaker76

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Palmdale
Ok, i have tried a few searches and came up with very little. I'm trying to figure out what the advantages and disadvantages are of polyurethane bushings vs. OEM rubber. I also have heard of a few other materials out there. Does anyone have any opinions on what bushing I should get? These will be on a daily driver that i'm getting ready to do a 3.5 or 4.5" lift on. I would rather have quality and durability over ride quality but hoping for something that would fit both worlds.
 
Polyurethane bushings are harder than rubber and thus give a firmer ride with more control. The downside is that they make a lot more noise than rubber bushings. Some aftermarket poly bushings are graphite impregnated to reduce noise, while others have Zerk fittings for greasing. On my "fast" car, I replaced all the bushings with TPR (Thermo-Plastic Rubber) bushings which were supposed to be the best of both worlds (that and a few machined aluminum solid bushings), but I haven't seen those for the XJ.

So I guess to summarize, if you want improved control and steering response and can put up with a little squeakiness, go with poly, otherwise go OEM rubber.

And yes, I wouldn't be surprised to see this discussion moved in the very near future...
 
i have no complaints with the RE superflex arms i have. rubber bushing on the frame end and superflex bushing on the axle end.
 
Besides what has already been stated,Poly wont flex as well,hence not good on a 4x4(other than a mall crawler).
 
So poly isn't as good for offroad because of a lack in flex right? However poly is longer lasting and you get a tighter feel in the steering although a little noisy? Just trying to make sure i understand.
 
phreaker76 said:
So poly isn't as good for offroad because of a lack in flex right? However poly is longer lasting and you get a tighter feel in the steering although a little noisy? Just trying to make sure i understand.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good assessment, although I'm using poly bushings on my XJ anyway. There aren't a whole lot of places on the XJ where a stiffer bushing will limit flex. Bushings for the stock control arms would be one point where they would make a difference. Stock arms rely pretty heavily on the bushings to give when flexing. Most aftermarket arms except for RE SuperRide have a joint somewhere that allows the arm to twist rather than relying on the bushing to give. I'm running poly bushings in my Rough Country arms and it flexes great.

Hope that helps.
 
Poly = bad, and a waste of cash.
 
lancey3 said:
Poly = bad, and a waste of cash.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you could share your experience with us so we can understand why they are bad? I've never had problems with mine, on any vehicle I've driven, other that a bit of squeakiness if they weren't kept lubricated.
 
It rides stiffer than rubber so you feel the bumps in the road more and you have to grease it or it starts to squeak (you don't have to grease rubber). Poly bushings dont compress hardly at all compared to a squishy rubber bushing, so when your CAs twist up, there is more resistance and binding at both ends. Thus no benefit, not to mention the cost.
 
I actually wouldn't mind switching to poly just since my Jeep sees a lot f street time and after changing the rubber bushings, I can attest to the fact that they're a pain in the butt. It'd be nice to change them less often. The little bit of flex that you lose in the bushing would seem to me, to be trivial. If your suspension is working good otherwise, you'll never miss the extra fraction of an inch of flex. As far as the noise, I don't know bout you, but my XJ makes plenty of other squeaks and rattles, I don't think I'd notice the bushings squeaking.
 
BlackSport96 said:
I actually wouldn't mind switching to poly just since my Jeep sees a lot f street time and after changing the rubber bushings, I can attest to the fact that they're a pain in the butt. It'd be nice to change them less often. The little bit of flex that you lose in the bushing would seem to me, to be trivial. If your suspension is working good otherwise, you'll never miss the extra fraction of an inch of flex. As far as the noise, I don't know bout you, but my XJ makes plenty of other squeaks and rattles, I don't think I'd notice the bushings squeaking.
Click to expand...

They cost more. You could some real arms with rubicon express superflex joints which are rebuildable.
 
Thanks for the info. Keep them coming.. As usual i'm going to get more questions than answers before getting to the point of making a clear decision.. LOL .. I'm starting to think it's more a preference?
 
phreaker76 said:
Thanks for the info. Keep them coming.. As usual i'm going to get more questions than answers before getting to the point of making a clear decision.. LOL .. I'm starting to think it's more a preference?
Click to expand...

Not at all. Poly bushings are largely dismissed by the offroad community.
 
bwaa! ha! ha! :bs:


lancey3 said:
Not at all. Poly bushings are largely dismissed by the offroad community.
Click to expand...

sound like you have largely dismissed them. they force the suspension to flex and they break less often than rubber. but i have yet to see a set of leaf springs with heims on each end.
 
BlackSport96 said:
I actually wouldn't mind switching to poly just since my Jeep sees a lot f street time and after changing the rubber bushings, I can attest to the fact that they're a pain in the butt. It'd be nice to change them less often. The little bit of flex that you lose in the bushing would seem to me, to be trivial. If your suspension is working good otherwise, you'll never miss the extra fraction of an inch of flex. As far as the noise, I don't know bout you, but my XJ makes plenty of other squeaks and rattles, I don't think I'd notice the bushings squeaking.
Click to expand...
You couldn't be farther then the truth,try some Superflex or Currie joints,you'll never say that again!!!!
 
So is a Jeep dealership the only place to get rubber bushings? They seem really high for the parts. UCA bushing = 48.29 each at my local joke of a dealer.. May as well buy brand new uca and lca's at that price.
 
phreaker76 said:
So is a Jeep dealership the only place to get rubber bushings? They seem really high for the parts. UCA bushing = 48.29 each at my local joke of a dealer.. May as well buy brand new uca and lca's at that price.
Click to expand...
Any place,Checker,Advance,Napa.........
 
I order most of my parts from RockAuto.com, they have good prices but their shipping isn't the fastest. If you want, PM me and I'll get you a code for 5% off - when you order from them they e-mail you a 5% off code and encourage you to share it around.

I've found Moog bushings tend to last longer than generic ones. I usually spend the little extra for the "Problem Solver" series, as they tend to be really well designed and built, better than OEM. I don't know what they are made out of though, the ones for my car were TPR. They might even be polyurethane for the XJ bushings.
 
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