Polyurethane bushes

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Caporegime
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And so it begins...

My 2006 Mini went in to Technosport for a service and a look over. Whilst I was there I explained that it shudders a bit under braking and George (lovely bloke btw) kicked the front wheels, which had play in them. Now I can replace them with regular rubber ones, but as this seems to be a common thing on Minis I'm thinking of going for poly bushes. They should last quite a bit longer which is what I need in a car that spends half of it's life on speedbumps. The only thing that's got me worried is won't this add stress to other suspension components? Or welds?

Powerflex seem to be fairly well known in this field, having done lots of reading, people swear by them in all circles of motoring, not just Minis.

Anyone use(d) them? Worth it?
 
You'll end up with more precise steering and handling with the Polybushes.

The downside? Increased Vibration and Noise. If it's your everyday motor that doesn't get taken on Trackdays, then have standard bushes fitted.
 
I don't like poly bushes purely on the basis that the majority of the time you replace only the bushing and still have the knuckle on the otherside which can be worn etc.

I'd rather get some Meyle HD type things.
 
my view is that, not only do rubber bushes provide a more comfortable ride but they also protect the much more expensive parts of the chassis.

Poly bushes will transfer a larger portion of the shock forces to these parts so unless you are building a track monster, don't even think about it.
 
I fitted Powerflex bushes to the front and rear of my E46 330ci, they feel a lot sharper and precise, can't say I've noticed much extra noise, but they are a little more uncomfortable - but nothing major.
 
Poly bushes are great if you're doing a full on geo/suspension change, upgrading ARBs and so on, and will make a difference on a track.

For day to day driving on the road you'll get bored of them pretty quick.
 
ScottiB said:
my view is that, not only do rubber bushes provide a more comfortable ride but they also protect the much more expensive parts of the chassis.

Poly bushes will transfer a larger portion of the shock forces to these parts so unless you are building a track monster, don't even think about it.
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I'm with Scotti on this one.
If you replace worn/old bushes with new ones you should notice a difference anyway.
 
If it's simply a road car which you aren't endlessly pushing to the limits of grip and just want a comfortable ride, go for OEM bushes.
 
Of course, one advantage of poly-bushes from a DIY POV is that they are typically hand fit with no requirement for special tools/presses.

That has made all the difference to me (And has been my biggest motivation) on my last couple of vehicles that I have fitted them too.
 
Freefaller said:
Poly bushes are great if you're doing a full on geo/suspension change, upgrading ARBs and so on, and will make a difference on a track.

For day to day driving on the road you'll get bored of them pretty quick.
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I agree with this.

I had all of the bushes on my old Fiesta ST replaced with powerflex ones, it pretty much ruined it for the road, every little imperfection was felt.

Ideally you should get some specific feedback from people who have done it and see what the consensus is, as the effect can vary considerably.

I have read that Superpro bushes are the best as well, in terms of design and fitment, certainly in the MX5 world consensus is to rebush with OEM offerings, the IL Motorsport rubber ones (slightly stiffer than OEM), or Superpro, and that everything else offers questionable improvements and can bring about problems due to stiction, poor fit or simply bad design.

Not something I would rush into now, going to 'uprated' bushes!
 
I put uprated bushes on everything and it was cool, I you like driving you will probably want to feel the road, and besides the bushes themselves will just offer the right geometry and not fold under load, meaning your suspension shocks should be doing their job. If they are busted then yeah, its not going to be a great ride.
 
Ok cheers guys, OEM it is.

I can't see them wearing out in 5 years anyway, and hopefully by then I'll be in a different car.
 
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