Powerflex Bushings

[jonclancy]

Just Splat and Me?

Must be someone else out here needing a set, or wanting to try these out.

Hopefully a fit and forget solution!!

Now, do I mow the rest of the lawn, or take SKK out for a little blast in the Cotswolds??

[Simon Marks]

Hi,

Please count me in for a set as well.

Simon

[jonclancy]

Thanks Simon.

We now have critical mass to get an order in.

Shall we close the book by, say, next Sunday, to give those who log in less often a chance to join in?

Then we can place the order on Monday.

[Splat]

I'd say, leave it longer than that. End of the month at least. Some swing by here very rarely indeed!

Also, we don't know how much yet. Their standard packs contain one pair of bushes at about £30. So a suite of 18 will be £270+! I would suggest that we bulk-buy without either packaging or grease. You can pick up a tub of high-quality, PTFE-loaded silicone grease from eBay for about £6. With that in mind, the more initial takers now, the cheaper the unit cost (I'd guess?).

And I've yet to furnish Paul with the dimensions (although that's a five minute job after I've refitted my diff today).

[Splat]

I should add that, despite the seemingly downbeat nature of that last post, I remain seriously keen to sort this! A more compliant bushing could only improve upon the frankly dire nature of the Eleven's NVH characteristics. Especially when predominantly driven on UK A and B roads. So, I'm in for a set, so long as Powerflex aren't going to be asking really silly money.

[Westfield 129]

Just for clarification, the PF99-116 Bushings don't fit within the suspension mounts for the front suspension arms, or the rear axle brackets, as the bushing and center tube is a bit too wide. Also, the standard bolt for those bushings is 12mm, and not the 7/16" used in the W11 suspension mounts. You will need a different center tube with a 7/16" inner diameter, which can be ordered from Powerflex.

CHECK THE DIMENSIONS OF THE BUSHING ASSEMBLY OVERALL LENGTH PRIOR TO ORDERING. Make sure that they will fit within the rear axle mounts and the front suspension mounts. You may want a custom sized bushing and center tube that fits with the thrust washers. Note that the width of the suspension arm end will likely enter into this measurement so that the thrust washers don't bind the arm when the bushing is tightened down. There must be sufficient clearance between the arm and the suspension mount to accommodate the washers.

The bushings will fit on the chassis end of the lower suspension arms on both the early chassis and the late chassis with the shear plates, mainly due to the fact that the shear plates can be bent slightly to fit the wider bushings and thrust washers. Installing the bushings at this location only will greatly increase the life of the metalistic bushings installed into the rear axle mounts.

I am assuming that the Westfield supplied Powerflex bushings are properly sized to fit within the suspension arm brackets. I would order directly from Westfield for this application, after checking the measurements against one of the metalistic bushings for overall length. If Westfield did their homework, and I suspect that they did, you need to order the Westfield part number, and not "PF99-116" universal bushing.

[jonclancy]

Hi Jan,

This is a modified bush of the correct length and bore. Assuming the diameter of the 116 allows it to fit, the length and bore will be made to be perfect for our application, and it will have its own specific Powerflex part number.

While the WF bush is the same size as the Metalastic, as Si demonstrated, it has far less compliance than the 116 bush. What we are aiming for is a bush with the compliance of the 116 that is sized to fit properly and will last a lifetime. Or at least a long time!

Hi Si,

Agreed. Keep it open for a few weeks for max opportunity for folks to register interest.

How's your new diff?

[Splat]

Don't you just love carefully crafting your posts, only to have them not actually read but replied to at length nonetheless?

IN BLOCK CAPITALS!!!!!!

In answer to your question Jon; fitted!

For those of you who might still be reading, I've purchased a Quaife ATB (Automatic Torque Biasing) lsd and had it installed into the carrier by Heathrow Transmissions. It was delivered back to me yesterday afternoon and I refitted it this afternoon. If you haven't tried it, installing a diff from below with the rear of your car sitting on axle stands will result in much grunting, interspersed with freestyle swearing. Just awaiting my mate Stu to help me refit the rear clip. He's promised to pop in tomorrow morning and I'll take it out for a spin (!) afterwards.

I'll also email Paul at Powerflex with the dimensions and we'll see what he can come up with......

[Westfield 129]

The OD of the 116 is correct for the suspension arms, but the OAL is a little long to fit the thrust washers. I was caught out with the fit inside the rear suspension brackets. The would not fit the brackets on my car, the uninstalled new units from Westfield, nor would they fit the special CNC milled brackets (extraordinarly precise) ones that I had made up to the Westfield factory's blueprint.

This would be an entirely new part number if it actually fit the suspension mounts with the thrust washers (that might be) necessary to keep the bushing centered within the suspension arm. Perhaps if the washers were reduced in OD... I would be interested in a set, but I would want the thinner, less compliant set for the front end (8 bushings), and the more compliant set for the rear (the other 8). As for the Panhard Rod, the old metalistic will do just fine, or a Delrin replacement, or the rod ends from the alloy Panhard rod.

I prefer the additional compliance of the 116 type bushing for the rear suspension. They parts should last quite a bit longer than the metalistics. So far, so good on my car.

I have done a couple of diff changes with the axle assembly in the car. It can be awkward (lots of bending over a too low chassis), but not that bad (if you are not too tall).

A small pnumatic ratchet really makes this much easier. You can work through the tunnel from above with an extension. Very quick. The hardest part is the U joint, but then, only a 4 bolts. Not so bad.

I fit the diffs from inside, and work through the tunnel opening (I remove the top cover), as well as from the rear with the clam removed. I am getting too old to work under the car on stands. Fortunately, not much on the W11 requires me to lie on a cold concrete floor. The last time I R&R'd the diff was an exchange from an early car to a late one, in the same day. 'Took a couple of hours.

Generally, it takes an hour or so to make the diff change.

I fill the clutch type diffs with Redline Shockproof Light (with LSD additive for the clutches). The Shockproof alone works on the hellicals as well, and in the T9 gearboxes.

[Elva 11]

Hi. All
A set for me as well, if I'm in time.
Ian