Powerflex Bushings

All things oily!
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jonclancy
Posts: 942
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:30 pm

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by jonclancy »

No probs, Ian... The more the merrier!!

Splat, end of the month?

Roll up, folks!!
Westfield 129
Posts: 867
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by Westfield 129 »

Any improvement in NVH with the Powerflex bushings is minimal. After all, the car is a light weight, tube framed, sports racer. Don't expect it to affect a plush ride, like a Caterham, or a '66 Morgan 4/4. ;)

If you want to make the change, do it for the reduced service requirements and longer bushing life, as well as increased articulation at the rear suspension. Predictabilty is improved, as is rear grip. This last may be a surprise, but can be adjusted out if you don't like it.

I find that a very accurate wheel balance, straight wheels and round tires does more to fix NVH than just about anything else. Having a smooth running drive train is also useful.

Oh, and install some tempurfoam in the seats. A single layer "backsaver" or the two or three layer (soft, medium, hard) sheet cut to fit works wonders.
seajayare
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:28 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by seajayare »

count me in for a set too please
jonclancy
Posts: 942
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:30 pm

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by jonclancy »

Nice one, Chris.

How's your car?
seajayare
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2013 9:28 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by seajayare »

Jon, car progressing very slowly. it has moved under its own steam though, which was a result!
Splat
Posts: 461
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:12 am

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by Splat »

Steam? I think that I might have spotted one of your potential setbacks.......
jonclancy
Posts: 942
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:30 pm

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by jonclancy »

Well, I think three months is long enough... :D

Any update, Please Si?

Looking at target pricing of circa £120 for 18 unit sets. Including VAT, not DelI very.

If we can't get near this, I'm going UDI and ordering some from Westfield. :D

Cheers

Jon
Splat
Posts: 461
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:12 am

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by Splat »

Didn't we have this conversation by email about a week ago? You're getting forgetful in your dotage!!

I didn't take it anywhere in the end. My Westfield Metalastics have gone 2000+ enthusiastic miles on our ultra-smooth back roads tarmac and are as good as new. They were a bugger to fit, at least they were until I threw them at the local race engineering outfit at Thruxton (Ray West), and even they managed to butcher the housing at the end of one wishbone, pressing the old unit out. So I won't be replacing the Metalastic units with polyurethane pieces until the current ones are shot!

Poly-bush offer "Westfield" units in pairs, but they are for the modern metric chassis cars. Both the metal inner and the plastic outer are too long. Westfield offer a poly bush, clearly made for them by Poly-bush that are the correct dimensions. I have two slight misgivings; the plastic is quite a loose fit over the metal inner (the pair of Poly-bush "Westfield" bushes I have go together very snugly) and the metal could be thinner/plastic thicker. Westfield are selling them in sets of 18 at a heavily discounted £120ish. I have a full set in the garage, but a casual attempt to press out a Metalastic went nowhere, and I don't want to be replacing mangled wishbones willy-nilly! Frankly, if pressing out the Metalastic bushes was easy in a home garage, I'd have sorted this long ago. But it most certainly isn't.

And I can't see Poly-bush manufacturing sets in the tiny numbers we'd want at a sensible price.

But I will stand to be corrected. Good luck!!
bobwhittaker
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:42 pm

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by bobwhittaker »

See my comments on page 2 of this topic dated Wed. 5 Aug 2015 regards one piece solid bushes made up for free
and fitted without crush tubes .
Some three weeks ago I removed all four radius arms to inspect the bushes . This after some 6000 - 8000 miles
of mainly A and B roads with some unclassified lanes . All 8 bushes were still fit for use and the only requirement
was to grease the bolts and bushes on being replaced . Inspection showed there was no distortion of the bush housing
and no sign of stress at the welds .
I carried out a similar exercise to the front suspension where again I fitted solid bushes with no crush tubes . This time
I had to pay for the polyurethane bar which cost £15 ( Inc. VAT and PP ) for a 1 metre length . These have now done
some 4000 miles and again with no problems .
The rear supension bolts were fitted with castle nuts and split pins and needed no adjustment during the 6000 - 8000
miles . The front were fitted with new " Nyloc " nuts and all they needed was an infrequent spanner check to ensure
there was still a " Nip " . So far this arrangement has proved satisfactory and more reliable than commercialy available
bushes.
Regards pressing out metalastic bushes I have never used anything more than a bench vice and two suitably sized
sockets with one being lightly ground down on it's O.D. , on a bench grinder , to ensure it didn't bind in the bush housing ,
still leaving it fit for it's orginal purpose .
Cheers , Bob Whittaker
bobwhittaker
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 5:42 pm

Re: Powerflex Bushings

Post by bobwhittaker »

The content of this topic obviously applies to the front suspension as well and I refer you to
the topic " Lower Wishbone " started Thursday Jan 14 2016 .
Further to my comments about fitting solid bushes to the front , regular inspection of the repaired
fracture on the lower wishbone shows no problems . Initially I used castellated nuts and split pins
but have since reverted back to Nyloc nuts so a simple spanner check takes no more than 10 minutes
at all positions with no adjustment having been needed .
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