Poly Bushes

[Impressor]

Hi all,

I was wondering if any of you out there have tried poly bushes on the front LCA?

Any difference on ride quality or handling?

I am very interested in getting a set as it lasts longer and is not prone to cracks like the OEM rubber but my question was whether it preferable to stick to the OEM part rather than the poly bushes?

Thanks

[kowalski]

i have polybushes for sale, brand new

[Sulaco]

I read somewhere years ago they behaved exactly like the rubber ones, but last longer. Dunno, as I've never actually used them myself.

[Mike51809]

They dont soak up any bumps you hit, think of it as a solid link from the frame to the lower control arm. Id think the ride would be a little harsher but the advantage is your suspension geometry stays in place when you hit a bump or take a turn but in my opinion unless its a racecar or a weekend track car you dont need them but thats me... And dont forget the rear lower control arm bushings most people do..

[Vetruck]

Poly is alot better for a car than rubber is. Poly bushings are by no means racecar stuff, they are a budget step up from stock bushings. Poly does NOT make a car ride harder-why? becahse the bushing point is a pivot, it is not designed to take alot of load in bump. The A-arm bushing are in tension and compression in lateral form. Rubber bushing here will deflect more from road forces and cause slight change under braking and cornering load of the balljoint (again as stated, any coil spring load makes these bushing strictly a fulcrum). The only hinderance to performance of a poly joint as opposed to a rubber joint is in fact in pviot bind. The poly will take just a tad more effort to pivot when torqued to specs- however the lateral deflection is reduced greatly and the supension geometry stays more in tact when it relates to tire footprint contact and alignment.

The next step up is Delrin. That is a very durable and no flexing material that also has minimal bind. It is used alot in not articulative racecar pivot joints. The articulative joints are used with Rodend(or heim) type joints but will wear out rather quickly for prolonged street use.

Poly is a decent choice for street- better than rubber. Just make sure you completely grease the entire assembly with moly grease prior to install so they do not develop squeaks.


edit to add- There is a new and very trick needle bearing bushing setups that are acctually the ultimate for this type of joint replacemetn. A company called Allstar Racing Products sells A-arm bushings that are comletely 100% metal needle roller bearing setups with full freedon of pivot and absolutely 0% lateral deflection. Thay are only made for popular GM sizes but I am sure with decent fabricating skills that some of these could easily be outfitted to our arms for an all out ultimate street handling, or full race build. it would work best for either.

[kowalski]

my attached bushings are the only polybushes available for w202.
others has to be custom made as i have never seen them available in a shop.
there are far more polybushings available for beemers and jap cars, almost nothing for mb.

[Dearlove]

i sell poly bushings for these cars, pm me for details

[Impressor]

Hi all,

Thank you all very much for the input, especially Vetruck and your further recommendation on Delrin. When and if I get down to replacing such bushes to poly, I will be sure to post pics as well as a brief description on the differences, if any at all...

Thanks again...

[Dearlove]

if you need stuff like this shoot me a pm
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo72/dearlove88/PolyBush190EOverall01.jpg (http://s363.photobucket.com/user/dearlove88/media/PolyBush190EOverall01.jpg.html)

[Mike51809]

Do you sell poly swaybar bushings?

[Dearlove]

what size do you need?

[Dearlove]

as in inside dia and outside dia

[Denlasoul]

PM Dearlove regarding questions of his items.

[dokotela]

Am I not awaiting such a PM from dearlove?

[Dearlove]

you are, should have them changed this week, ill let you know as soon as i do

[John Jones Jr.]

Dearlove, PM sent.

[Vetruck]

Dearlove, do you make an offset bushing like the KMAC ones to move the A-arm pivot?

I am also curious if anyone has used these an know what the effect is since it is necessary to shorten the tierod length. Does anyone know if the bump goes to hell? I have yet to lower one of these cars, never the less even do an alignment on a stock height one yet. I can see numerous pics where alot of people get this "stannce " look as they are calling it (Ill keep my opinion to myself on that one) and have massive negative camber when hammered low.

I am not looking to go that low with this car and am trying to figure out just what parameters I need to modify into it to get proper adjustment range. I really do like the idea of moving the lower mount inward but have also read the chassis mount can be slotted just a tad to do the same thing. I like the idea of slightlymoving the front ears inward to gain caster, and generally it has been my experience on cars that this also allows for a slightly sider wheel to turn full lock inside a fenderwell and not rub the rear of the inner fender.

It would be nice if anyone with experience and understanding can have a open discussion on these factors. I would like to read up and learn the cars so I do not have alot of down time with mine sorting out trial and error issues with suspension geometry. What is known on these cars-examples-
1) do we have caster issues?
2) I see the camber issues when extremely lowered- but just how low a fender lip height off the ground with a standard 225/45-18 front tire is an issue where we loose appropriate alignment specs?
3) what is a stock C220 alignment spec?- I have seen w202 specs vary in caster alone from either 1-2* (a speedy benz post) to 5.5*-6.5* (from someones claims on a hunter machine) Thats is quite a difference in opinions or facts.
so anyone have the entire front and rear factory specs? Ive tried searching online but can;t find anything other than the two different posts I quoted.


I will start with just those questions to see if anyone has answers for me

[John Jones Jr.]

Wish I could help Vetruck but know little about W202's myself and have no technical spec's to hand. Sorry.

[Dearlove]

Hey mate
the one's I'm about to test are 'adjustable' yes.

As for the wheel alignment i just take it to my local shop for now, until i hit up the track a bt more then ill take it to a proper suspension shop (not one of these franchised places....)

[Vetruck]

Hey mate
the one's I'm about to test are 'adjustable' yes.

As for the wheel alignment i just take it to my local shop for now, until i hit up the track a bt more then ill take it to a proper suspension shop (not one of these franchised places....)

I pull the current #'s off my stock car this week and post what they are. I do my own alignments. I was just curious is anyone knew the specs off hand for a baseline. Ill make sure I record this and then work with the car to get a good agressive street setup without much tire wear. It'ss be easy for me to put my gauge on it and get a quick maber/caster reading for each front. I am not equipped to do any rear caster settings, but can do rear camber and toe no prob. Maybe later tonight if I get back in time, it'll only take me about 10 mins to record the fronts but I need to get the car into the center of my other garage to do it- thats where I have my ground markings for a level base and I have two car over there in the way I need to move.

Ill take a few pic when I do it also so everyone can see how easy it is.

[Vetruck]

I pull the current #'s off my stock car this week and post what they are. I do my own alignments. I was just curious is anyone knew the specs off hand for a baseline. Ill make sure I record this and then work with the car to get a good agressive street setup without much tire wear. It'ss be easy for me to put my gauge on it and get a quick maber/caster reading for each front. I am not equipped to do any rear caster settings, but can do rear camber and toe no prob. Maybe later tonight if I get back in time, it'll only take me about 10 mins to record the fronts but I need to get the car into the center of my other garage to do it- thats where I have my ground markings for a level base and I have two car over there in the way I need to move.

Ill take a few pic when I do it also so everyone can see how easy it is.

It's been one hell of a week. I have not done anything around the house I had planned to. Always, I still have not fogotten about this- I have some Koni Yellow Monotubes coming early next week so I wil need to get out there and put them on. I will pull the alignemtn specs prior to putting on the Koni's jus tin case the high pressure Monotubes lif the chassis a bit and I have to reset the alignment.