poly bushes for panhard rods, are they worth it?

With the panhard rod bushes, I found Super Pro to be too hard and promote death wobble. As soon as I swapped them with the orange ones from the Big Jimny shop the problem was solved.

I have Super Pro poly bushes everywhere else. They tighten up the ride on the road without being uncomfortable, so would suit Carlos Sainz, I mean Sniper. However, those who use them heavily off road, whilst not suffering from any loss of flex, have found that they can promote the radius arm mounts to tear away at either end if there is a slight weakness caused by the onset of corrosion.

The flip side is that poly bushes last much longer than rubberlastic ones. So you pay your money and make your choice.

I'd say for a mostly road use Jimnjam, go poly all round but if you go off tarmac a lot then buy a press and get used to changing rubber ones!

Kirkynut

Define "off road a lot". I am up and down farm tracks multiple times a day and creeping about in fields too but, if it weren't for the clearance of ruts you could do most of it in a fiesta. Are you saying that polly would suit what i do or is rubber better?

Sorry for the thread jacking Ninecherries.

Lambert wrote: Define "off road a lot". I am up and down farm tracks multiple times a day and creeping about in fields too but, if it weren't for the clearance of ruts you could do most of it in a fiesta. Are you saying that polly would suit what i do or is rubber better?

Sorry for the thread jacking Ninecherries.

I mean lots of hard core flexing the suspension up stuff like Dave, Brett and the intrepid Green Lane Gang do, or at an off road pay and play site every weekend.

Having said that, if you're up and down farm tracks and catching the radius arm mounts on ruts and grounding them out you're going to weaken them and you don't want the bushes to be giving the mounts a hard time too.

So I think that I would use rubberlastic bushes from you're point of view for the longevity of the car.

I'd not seen anyone cause damage to their radius arm mounts when I fitted Super Pro poly bushes but I have now and it was suggested that they may be a cause for the failure, if not the only cause. Being bashed to hell and back is a major cause! Their firmness cannot help though.

Kirkynut

Cheers bud. I have so far only put 2 new bushes in in 8 years and while it may be close on ruts it doesn't catch. Also the handling is not at all baggy but actually quite civilised. Think I'll stick with what I have. Thank you.

No probs. Paint the radius arm mounts on the chassis and axles regularly to prevent rust from weakening them and causing them to tear away. You can't do much about metal fatigue though.

Radius arm mount guards no doubt help but only if you remove them, wash the mud out and paint the mount areas regularly. Otherwise they're mud traps that will encourage rust!

Kirkynut

Oh it gets looked after like that. Cleaned underneath every year prior to new waxoil and any surface corrosion is applied with inhibiting goo and paint too. It may be a losing battle but I ain't going quietly!