Bushing material: best for non-squeaking

[w261w261]

Not too long ago, I replaced a front upper arm, and also a rear arm. Now the squeaks have started, and the garage that did the work I don't think has a solution. I read all the threads on squeaking, and one of them said something like the poly bushings squeak, and the OEM rubber ones don't.

If I have to, I'll get new OEM Honda arms, because that squeak is really annoying. It is in the uppers.

Any input?

Thx

[Vanilla Sky]

grease. that's the only thing that cures squeek. that's why a lot of the parts equipped with poly mounts have the option of a grease fitting (i can't remember the name of it exactly, you guys should know what i'm talking about).

[paso100]

why you shouldn't use rubber:
"Polyurethane, when it is properly formulated, will increase the performance level of most suspensions. In a typical A-arm-type suspension, deflection of the rubber bushings during cornering, braking, and acceleration will allow the front end to temporarily go out of alignment. As the rubber bushings wear, they begin to compact and distort, introducing play into the suspension components. This play exaggerates a number of conditions, such as unresponsive steering, vehicle lean, wheel hop, and front-end misalignment. When you add oversized tires and increased suspension travel, it soon becomes apparent that a weakness exists in the chain. Anyone with an understanding of mechanics knows it's a rare machine that doesn't need all of the parts in its makeup to run at peak efficiency. This holds true for the chassis as well.

Polyurethane works by maintaining firm control over the suspension unit it adjoins. In many instances, the rubber-bushed suspension component will only begin its function once the rubber's displacement is halted by supporting metal. When rubber bushings are distorted and smashed, they allow contaminants to occupy the areas they used to. An example would be worn strut-rod bushings holding saltwater against the vehicle frame or worn tie-rod end dustboot covers that allow sand and other small particles to contaminate the lubricant. Contamination of this kind guarantees a speedy demise to any suspension component."

pics of lubing bushings/install:
http://www.vintagewatercooleds.com/tech/Techtips/ATStechnotes/Aarmsbushings/aarms.htm

links to buy synthetic urethane lube, cost is about $4.
http://performanceunlimited.com/cobravalley_chemicals/polyeaze.html

http://www.howellautomotive.com/Howell/Store/catalog/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2091

http://www.go-synthetic.com/amsoil_greases/amsoil_greases.html

[Oldblueaccord]

Not too long ago, I replaced a front upper arm, and also a rear arm. Now the squeaks have started, and the garage that did the work I don't think has a solution. I read all the threads on squeaking, and one of them said something like the poly bushings squeak, and the OEM rubber ones don't.

If I have to, I'll get new OEM Honda arms, because that squeak is really annoying. It is in the uppers.

Any input?

Thx

Steel. no squeeks.

wp

[w261w261]

Paso, thanks for the reply. Can the poly lubricant be applied to the bushings without taking them out? At one point, I sprayed WD40 on them, and it worked for about 10 miles. It's hard to see how to get the lube where it can do its job. Thx

[paso100]

Sorry, but you got to have those bushings pressed out and in. I have the same squeak w/ my new AIM bushings because the mechanic did not lube them and I have to take the car back for him to do this. Car feels great but sounds pretty ghetto over slow-speed bumps, quiet at speeds above ~30mph.

Here's a pic of the AIM adjustable camber arms I bought and the bushings that need to be lubed :uh: .

[catalin]

Do you guys know what manufacturer makes for our cars?? I need all the bushings replaced before I have the disc brake convertion done and I am having trouble finding aftermarket bushings.

Thanks

[w261w261]

John (Paso):

Pardon my ignorance, but I gather the bushings turn with respect to the control arm, and that's why they have to be lubed before being pressed in? In other words, they don't rotate with respect to the mounting bolt going through them. So the only place for lubricant is between the bushing's outer surface and the inside of the control arm.

Have you ever heard of a grease fitting being installed in the control arm to lube the bushings periodically, or do you think that if they are properly lubed upon installation that the lubricant is good for the life of the arm/ball joint?Maybe the metal is too thin to support a grease fitting, or the installation of the fitting might compromise the strength.

Finally, I notice that you have revalved Bilsteins on your car, as do I, but I have Eibach 1" drop springs. Do you remember what the revalve specs on yours are? Mine are 100 comp / 300 rebound, and it isn't quite enough. So I'm going to send a pair out for another try (I have two pair), but am wondering what specs to call for. As it stands now, when I hit a bump, there is a secondary compression and a secondary rebound (not large but definitely there) before things stop. Hit a bump in a corner and it's not as nice as it should be, considering the extra expense of the springs/struts.

The original specs on the Bilsteins are 46 compression, 195 rebound. So if it subjectively feels like I'm 85-90% there, that would mean maybe 115/325 for the next try. I'd really like to nail it this time because of the expense involved.

Thx

Hal

[paso100]

This is only from what I've heard/read, so ... you won't have to relube the poly bushings if you use one of the poly lubes, which are super sticky, impervious to water, etc., so you won't need a fitting.

You know, I asked for a dyno reading of my revalved shocks and it's all Greek to me. :uh: I would leave Jack French at Bilstein (West Coast) an e-mail and ask him his advice. According to their website they charge more for specific valving requirements. Ouch.

What I did was just tell them my spring compression rates for the Suspension Tech springs which were 331 ft/lbs front and 124-180 (progressive springs) ft/lbs rear and asked them to revalve accordingly. Stock springs are 211 front and 117 rear (info gathered from this website, thank you very much).

I'm very satisfied :) with this setup: initial damping is a little harsh at low speeds, square-edged bumps, but then the ride just gets smoother the faster I go. The car just seems to glide over ANYTHING above 50mph. Rebound feels very quick and just sticks with no bouncing.

If you gave them your spring rates and their revalving doesn't work, it sounds like they should revalve for free. Good luck.

[w261w261]

OK John, thanks.

Hal