Buy quality poly bushings from Energy Suspension or Prothane. Have used both on everything I have owned over the past 30 years with no issues. Also if you get the graphite impregnated black bushings they don't tend to squeak. I don't own Corvettes, so maybe it is a Corvette thing that they get stressed weird or something. I have used them on GM A-body and F-body cars, MoPar A and B bodies and my old S series Saturns with no issues and no harsh ride.
When I rebuilt my entire suspension almost 25 years ago I considered the "high performance" urethane bushings. I was at the Corvette parts counter in Michigan where I live, and someone else was asking the guy about them. The older gentleman said "you don't want them, they get hard and explode!" I had been reading the same thing in magazines myself (yeah, hard core pre-internet shit called reading). It was that day that I chose not to buy any urethane bushings for any single part of my suspension. The rubber bushings I pressed in myself (other than the trailing arms and spindles that I bought new) are still in great shape in the car today. Thanks for letting people know about those.
I installed a complete poly bushing kit in my 77 Vette back in 1994. I drove it every day until 2004 without issue. The bushings are still in the car, it does not squeak and it handles great. And a bonus is that it still holds its alignment. I don't understand what happened to the car you're working on but I love mine so much that I'm doing the rear on my 74 and the complete suspension on my 68.
So years back a couple of the big vendors selling corvette parts like VB&P started selling poor quality chinese made poly bushings that hardened and crumbled. The issue is, since so many people bought and used them and bought them from "reputable" sources rather than question the actual bushings, the rumors started that all poly bushings will do this and the forums are not full of threads with misleading messages like this. Quality poly bushings like Energy suspension will not fail like this. That said I replaced my rear strut rod bushings with amazon hiem joints and adjustable rods for a lot less money than I thought they would be. I use energy poly in a lot of other areas. cheap chinese rubber kits turn white and crumble also So many vendors are selling cheaper material like the ones in those adjustable arms
Yeah I have known several people that have had the trailing arms bushings from Van Steel disintegrate. Me included. These companies advertise that the polyurethane components last for a lifetime but we are finding out that urethane degrades after a while. My buddy had a Snap On urethane dead blow hammer that fell apart sitting in his tool box. I'm debating whether to go ahead and replace my bushings with the OEM rubber bushings. Might be better in the long run.
I remember seeing the poly bushing ads explode in the late 80's and through the 90's in 'Vette' and 'Corvette Fever' magazines...from all the ads, the tech and performance articles, you'd have thought poly was the a bigger deal than Penicillin... we had no idea back then what absolute garbage they were. C&S Corvettes did a great video about how terrible poly bushings were, but he focused on the C4. He also talked about a new type of replacement bushing from SuperPro out of Australia, was wondering if you'd had any experience with them?
Holy cow!! Truly appreciate your comments about poly bushings👍🏼🙏🙏 Real shame someone spent all of this money hoping they’d come away with a better suspension 🤦♂️🙄 Look forward to your next video 🤓
For the amount of driving ill be doing in Michigan, summer to late October, rubber is all you need. But the best shocks you can afford, replace the front and rear spring and drive the car. Ben is correct.
I put some Chris Alston coil overs on my project car....car has not moved since it is a project car....checked the bottom shock eye poly bushings.....THEY HAD DISINTEGRATED....WTF ! ....Had to get new poly bushing from Chris....75$ for crap that will DISINTEGRATE again ???....no not covered under warranty
Just like these rubber bushings, the poly bushings were installed incorrectly. I know two cars I installed the poly bushes thirty years ago that they are still just fine. People saying the poly bushes don't ride as well as rubber did not have them installed correctly. There is also maintenance required on the poly bushes, its called lubrication. Propper installation requires proper clearance to the pins, and lots of the propper lube. Grease nipples can be installed to make maintenance a breeze.
My low mileage 2013 Ford Dually had to have all the cab to frame bushings replaced by the dealer for $1600 since they were all bad.( really bad) Ford had replaced the old rubber bushings with these plastic improvements which turned out to be a failure. It really should be a Ford recall since they are a common failure. Numerous UA-cam videos on this fix is a testament to the problem. By the way I am fixing to do my third rebuild of my 73 Vette. I bought it in Santa Ana California in 1974 and have owned it for 50 years .
Thank for the poly bushings info. I will not ever use them on my stuff. 90 jag xj6 1988 f 150 97 ram 1500. That is insane they go to shit and destroy the pockets. Crazy great info
I replaced the rear control arm bushings on my 91 with ployurethane ones about 8 years ago. No problems at all still. And the front end was done 5 years ago and still no problems at all
I’m only seeing this video after having already installed all polyurethane bushings in front and back suspension of my c3. They are from energy suspension which I had understood to be a good brand. What are my chances of disintegration???
Certain poly bushings stay togther for years. Seems they are not all created equal. Keep your eye on them. They should be fine for a good long time. But if not you will notice breaking down.
Is it the quality of the bushes used or the application (loads) in the C3? I’ve had poly in a few things for the last 25 years, some in there for 15 years and not seen one come to bits like that. I’ve seen them waller out a bit on the rear of a lower front wishbone but not crumble. Could be the climate here too (UK)
Every Polly Bushing I Installed From Corvette America Rotted Away And I Had To Replace Everything Again With 269 Miles On The Car!!! Yes 269 Miles!!!! Keep Rocking!!!
I put poly bushings in a year ago… and my car hasn’t even been driven, and the bushing are crumbling already. What crap and such a waste of my valuable time. Thanks for spreading the word. Got a technical question: how do you know how to place the shims in the trailing arms? Are you measuring from some reference point or what?
Yeah, I first thought $5k was all the money for this hunk of junk, but now I'm thinking $3k was all the money. Luckily Ben has the passion, skill, time, used parts and a nice shop, so his costs are a lot lower than most people's who might have been suckered by this car. The only saving grace here is the rust free frame and that the engine actually runs.
I've had both good and bad experiences with poly suspension parts. I know some of the cheap chinese stuff doesn't last too long. My biggest complaint is the squeaking you get when they run dry.
I was looking for adjustable rods but it is imposible to find them with rubber, I wanted rubber and install only rubber around my car but these I have with poly bushings.
Poly bushings work when they dont have to flex in 2 directions. Trailing arm, strut rod, and even the leaf spring bushings all flex in 2 directions. However if that car has poly bushings in the upper and lower control, arms id bet they're still in decent shape. Those only flex in one axis.
Funny I have a C4 corvette and replaced all with poly. Have no issues. Been over 5 years and has no wear at all. I drive the hell out of the car as well. Maybe its just the fact that early poly was bad.
I have had rubber boots on brand new moog tie rod ends(99 ranger] go to crap in just 6 months and when i researched it, the verdict was poly would last longer. 🤔 not doubting you, just lost on what's good. Seems like the rubber I've encountered is recycled garbage. I replaced upper and lower control arm bushings on a 87 square body and same problem, same moog trash and i thought moog was suppose to be high quality.
@@charlesmiller7139. I’m not sure, but I’ve heard after they took asbestos out of the tire manufacturing process, rubber no longer lasted nearly as long. I wonder if that applies to rubber bushings as well?
That leaf spring looks crooked as hell.. quality urethane/poly in my experience lasts longer than rubber bushings… it’s all about the quality of the product you’re purchasing.. if you buy Amazon bushings/strut rods I would expect them not to last…
You dont know it would be fine with rubber bushings. Like what, rubber bushings wont degrade? Poly bushings degrade when not lubed. Nobody wants to do that and neither do I. Thats why I use/have used polygraphite bushings from PST. Performance Suspension Technologies made poly bushings that are coated so they dont squeek or degrade. Put some in a 72 Chevelle in 96. Sold the car to a friend who lives down the street from me and they are still going strong. AND I put them on every suspension part front and back and that car is tight. Corners way better than any stock car that came out back then.
Poly bushings suck! They always have a limited life span. They're good and then they fail completely. I mean literally turn to mush or powder. It's a chemical thing. Stick with good rubber unless you are seriously racing, then spherical bearings. The headliner foam that always lets the fabric fall down, polyurethane foam.
Those are some sub-standard-cheap-ass-bushings that are falling apart...I've had energy suspension and prothane stuff on my mustangs for decades and they don't fall apart like that crap.
I don't really think it makes a difference because the rubber bushings end up completely cracked and garbage also.. So if he had old garbage rubber bushings you would have to replace them all and the old polys you have to replace all.
The main reason is poly bushings were probably not a big thing back in 1973 and rubber is much cheaper. The other factor is ride comfort. Rubber has the best absorption properties so it's a perfect compromise for vehicle suspensions.
It’s a corvette. There are always more problems. It is the living embodiment of “if you give a mouse a cookie”. Whatever the project is, double the time, triple the price and realize you’ll need to do it at least 2 times.
This entire video if it were aimed at another part: "Look the frame is rusty, you should never have a metal frame on your car because they rust" ...poly is fine just like metal frames are fine, they just need appropriate care. Quality of the part effects life. Looks easier to remove than bad rubber that has welded itself to components over the years.
They had the wrong poly, if its normal quality you should be fine for a very long time. This was probably some cheap chinese junk poly or not even poly, just something that looks like poly. Remember when they tried to sell plastic as rice, yeah, those guys.
Buy quality poly bushings from Energy Suspension or Prothane. Have used both on everything I have owned over the past 30 years with no issues. Also if you get the graphite impregnated black bushings they don't tend to squeak. I don't own Corvettes, so maybe it is a Corvette thing that they get stressed weird or something. I have used them on GM A-body and F-body cars, MoPar A and B bodies and my old S series Saturns with no issues and no harsh ride.
You mean to say Performance Suspension Technologies PST. And yes Ive used them and basically made the same post you did before I saw yours :)
When I rebuilt my entire suspension almost 25 years ago I considered the "high performance" urethane bushings. I was at the Corvette parts counter in Michigan where I live, and someone else was asking the guy about them. The older gentleman said "you don't want them, they get hard and explode!" I had been reading the same thing in magazines myself (yeah, hard core pre-internet shit called reading). It was that day that I chose not to buy any urethane bushings for any single part of my suspension. The rubber bushings I pressed in myself (other than the trailing arms and spindles that I bought new) are still in great shape in the car today. Thanks for letting people know about those.
I'm a C3 owner but in the past I also owned my dream truck, an 84 Bronco. As I built that up even those guys were saying "do not use poly"!
I installed a complete poly bushing kit in my 77 Vette back in 1994. I drove it every day until 2004 without issue. The bushings are still in the car, it does not squeak and it handles great. And a bonus is that it still holds its alignment. I don't understand what happened to the car you're working on but I love mine so much that I'm doing the rear on my 74 and the complete suspension on my 68.
Like he said, cheap Chinese crap. If you use quality name-brand poly bushings, you'll be fine. Lots of people use them.
So years back a couple of the big vendors selling corvette parts like VB&P started selling poor quality chinese made poly bushings that hardened and crumbled. The issue is, since so many people bought and used them and bought them from "reputable" sources rather than question the actual bushings, the rumors started that all poly bushings will do this and the forums are not full of threads with misleading messages like this. Quality poly bushings like Energy suspension will not fail like this. That said I replaced my rear strut rod bushings with amazon hiem joints and adjustable rods for a lot less money than I thought they would be. I use energy poly in a lot of other areas. cheap chinese rubber kits turn white and crumble also So many vendors are selling cheaper material like the ones in those adjustable arms
Yeah I have known several people that have had the trailing arms bushings from Van Steel disintegrate. Me included. These companies advertise that the polyurethane components last for a lifetime but we are finding out that urethane degrades after a while. My buddy had a Snap On urethane dead blow hammer that fell apart sitting in his tool box. I'm debating whether to go ahead and replace my bushings with the OEM rubber bushings. Might be better in the long run.
I remember seeing the poly bushing ads explode in the late 80's and through the 90's in 'Vette' and 'Corvette Fever' magazines...from all the ads, the tech and performance articles, you'd have thought poly was the a bigger deal than Penicillin... we had no idea back then what absolute garbage they were. C&S Corvettes did a great video about how terrible poly bushings were, but he focused on the C4. He also talked about a new type of replacement bushing from SuperPro out of Australia, was wondering if you'd had any experience with them?
Most shops should have a sign, "Then it escalated."......Especially guys like me, the weekend warriors.
Holy cow!! Truly appreciate your comments about poly bushings👍🏼🙏🙏
Real shame someone spent all of this money hoping they’d come away with a better suspension 🤦♂️🙄
Look forward to your next video 🤓
This is what happens when cheap generic poly bushings from china are used. Real poly wont do this.
For the amount of driving ill be doing in Michigan, summer to late October, rubber is all you need.
But the best shocks you can afford, replace the front and rear spring and drive the car. Ben is correct.
Yep, polyurethane bushings were all the rage back in the day. Brother installed them on his '81 and regretted it instantly.
Yeah I remember and I remember getting laughed at for going back with the stock rubber but didn't want a squeaky, noisy, rough ride from the poly.
I put some Chris Alston coil overs on my project car....car has not moved since it is a project car....checked the bottom shock eye poly bushings.....THEY HAD DISINTEGRATED....WTF ! ....Had to get new poly bushing from Chris....75$ for crap that will DISINTEGRATE again ???....no not covered under warranty
Just like these rubber bushings, the poly bushings were installed incorrectly. I know two cars I installed the poly bushes thirty years ago that they are still just fine. People saying the poly bushes don't ride as well as rubber did not have them installed correctly. There is also maintenance required on the poly bushes, its called lubrication. Propper installation requires proper clearance to the pins, and lots of the propper lube. Grease nipples can be installed to make maintenance a breeze.
'proper' only has one p in the middle.
my 74 vette needs bushings and i will never put poly in it thanks to you !!!
Yea strut rods tend to twist. And It seems anything that has a twisting effect kills poly bushings. So yes great video. Hope it helps lots of people.
My low mileage 2013 Ford Dually had to have all the cab to frame bushings replaced by the dealer for $1600 since they were all bad.( really bad) Ford had replaced the old rubber bushings with these plastic improvements which turned out to be a failure. It really should be a Ford recall since they are a common failure. Numerous UA-cam videos on this fix is a testament to the problem. By the way I am fixing to do my third rebuild of my 73 Vette. I bought it in Santa Ana California in 1974 and have owned it for 50 years .
Thankfully I saw this video before I got around to changing my bushings too bad I bought the poly bushings around a year ago thank you Ben
Thank for the poly bushings info. I will not ever use them on my stuff. 90 jag xj6 1988 f 150 97 ram 1500. That is insane they go to shit and destroy the pockets. Crazy great info
New garage/shop looks great! Love your work!
Great info, thank you! But why are they more expensive? Zip Corvette has them for 3 to 4 times more!
totally agree with you ben not just in corvettes but any car thoses poly bushes are garbage
Just remember Ben, it is a labor of love.
Lololol, and sometimes ya just feel like you're being loved to death!
I don't think he's loving it, but there's no shortage of labour.
A yard full of C3's coming in mighty handy with this build! Can't wait to see it on the ground and rowing through some gears!
Thanks for the heads up Ben. 😊
I replaced the rear control arm bushings on my 91 with ployurethane ones about 8 years ago. No problems at all still. And the front end was done 5 years ago and still no problems at all
Not all poly bushings are the same, obviously.
Wow. My 74 needs to go in for an alignment and knowing there will likely be some bushing replacement I now have that question answered. Thank you.
Thanks again Ben I really appreciate your content 👍🇺🇸
I’m only seeing this video after having already installed all polyurethane bushings in front and back suspension of my c3. They are from energy suspension which I had understood to be a good brand. What are my chances of disintegration???
Certain poly bushings stay togther for years. Seems they are not all created equal. Keep your eye on them. They should be fine for a good long time. But if not you will notice breaking down.
Is it the quality of the bushes used or the application (loads) in the C3?
I’ve had poly in a few things for the last 25 years, some in there for 15 years and not seen one come to bits like that.
I’ve seen them waller out a bit on the rear of a lower front wishbone but not crumble. Could be the climate here too (UK)
Every Polly Bushing I Installed From Corvette America Rotted Away And I Had To Replace Everything Again With 269 Miles On The Car!!! Yes 269 Miles!!!!
Keep Rocking!!!
Garage queen.
Great information, thanks.
did you have to remove/replace the bushing that got belt up in the vise?
I put poly bushings in a year ago… and my car hasn’t even been driven, and the bushing are crumbling already. What crap and such a waste of my valuable time. Thanks for spreading the word.
Got a technical question: how do you know how to place the shims in the trailing arms? Are you measuring from some reference point or what?
I guess one just has to love C3s. Lots seems to need repair. (I'm not including the poly bushings though).
Yeah, I first thought $5k was all the money for this hunk of junk, but now I'm thinking $3k was all the money. Luckily Ben has the passion, skill, time, used parts and a nice shop, so his costs are a lot lower than most people's who might have been suckered by this car. The only saving grace here is the rust free frame and that the engine actually runs.
I've had both good and bad experiences with poly suspension parts. I know some of the cheap chinese stuff doesn't last too long. My biggest complaint is the squeaking you get when they run dry.
I was looking for adjustable rods but it is imposible to find them with rubber, I wanted rubber and install only rubber around my car but these I have with poly bushings.
Way ta go Ben.
Poly bushings work when they dont have to flex in 2 directions. Trailing arm, strut rod, and even the leaf spring bushings all flex in 2 directions. However if that car has poly bushings in the upper and lower control, arms id bet they're still in decent shape. Those only flex in one axis.
Good info
Funny I have a C4 corvette and replaced all with poly. Have no issues. Been over 5 years and has no wear at all. I drive the hell out of the car as well. Maybe its just the fact that early poly was bad.
Is this for all ‘brands/formulations’ of poly bushings? Does apply to all makes of cars?
I'm curious, usually folks put in poly for less deflection and better handling. What bushing material would you recommend instead of poly?
Rubber and nothing else
I have had rubber boots on brand new moog tie rod ends(99 ranger] go to crap in just 6 months and when i researched it, the verdict was poly would last longer. 🤔 not doubting you, just lost on what's good. Seems like the rubber I've encountered is recycled garbage. I replaced upper and lower control arm bushings on a 87 square body and same problem, same moog trash and i thought moog was suppose to be high quality.
@@charlesmiller7139. I’m not sure, but I’ve heard after they took asbestos out of the tire manufacturing process, rubber no longer lasted nearly as long. I wonder if that applies to rubber bushings as well?
@@aleblanc3547 in my little bit of experiance, at least with moog, I'd say it does.
That leaf spring looks crooked as hell.. quality urethane/poly in my experience lasts longer than rubber bushings… it’s all about the quality of the product you’re purchasing.. if you buy Amazon bushings/strut rods I would expect them not to last…
I did poly bushings in a Monte Carlo. It was a mistake. The ride was harsh and squeaky.
Maybe it handled 1% better but it wasn't worth it.
Thats why they are not used by the factory
Same as all the other after market improvements like that turbo thing that went in the air intake
Oh... You're supposed to punch that part?...
>big sigh<
Thank you.
brb in a few hours...
How much time did it take to get there?
You dont know it would be fine with rubber bushings. Like what, rubber bushings wont degrade? Poly bushings degrade when not lubed. Nobody wants to do that and neither do I. Thats why I use/have used polygraphite bushings from PST. Performance Suspension Technologies made poly bushings that are coated so they dont squeek or degrade. Put some in a 72 Chevelle in 96. Sold the car to a friend who lives down the street from me and they are still going strong. AND I put them on every suspension part front and back and that car is tight. Corners way better than any stock car that came out back then.
Lots of poly bushing are/were made of inferior materials, which is why they crumble. Not all poly bushings are the same.
But they were pretty and red ! lol I never use them for that reason.
It happens to the best of them.
Poly bushings failed on my Vette with lees than a 1000 miles on it
Poly bushings suck! They always have a limited life span. They're good and then they fail completely. I mean literally turn to mush or powder. It's a chemical thing. Stick with good rubber unless you are seriously racing, then spherical bearings. The headliner foam that always lets the fabric fall down, polyurethane foam.
Those are some sub-standard-cheap-ass-bushings that are falling apart...I've had energy suspension and prothane stuff on my mustangs for decades and they don't fall apart like that crap.
The issue is SO MANY places are selling the cheap knock off garbage its actually destroyed the reputation of the quality poly bushings.
Factory rubber bushings ride 100 times better than Polly bushings as well
I don't really think it makes a difference because the rubber bushings end up completely cracked and garbage also.. So if he had old garbage rubber bushings you would have to replace them all and the old polys you have to replace all.
If it's not track driven only vehicle, poly bushings are a waste for daily use. There is a reason they are rubber!
The main reason is poly bushings were probably not a big thing back in 1973 and rubber is much cheaper. The other factor is ride comfort. Rubber has the best absorption properties so it's a perfect compromise for vehicle suspensions.
I HATE poly bushings! your car will drive like a Chinese trash can if you replace vulcanized rubber with plastic. It was designed for rubber.
It’s a corvette. There are always more problems. It is the living embodiment of “if you give a mouse a cookie”.
Whatever the project is, double the time, triple the price and realize you’ll need to do it at least 2 times.
It has nothing to do with it being a Corvette and everything to do with it being a severely abused and neglected 51 yr old car.
Nah! Do it right, with good one’s and lot’s of lube. Also, don’t buy an old car if you find it a hassle to work on them.
Wouldn't a press be easier?
Yeah, HF presses are not even expensive and he'd probably get a ton of use out of one. But he likes to do things on a budget I guess.
Rules for C3 Corvettes. Stop looking, or you'll keep finding things to fix. If you're a woman, drive it till the noise goes away !!. 😂
This entire video if it were aimed at another part: "Look the frame is rusty, you should never have a metal frame on your car because they rust"
...poly is fine just like metal frames are fine, they just need appropriate care. Quality of the part effects life. Looks easier to remove than bad rubber that has welded itself to components over the years.
Must have been a sloppy driver, wow!
This car hasn't been a driver for decades, is my guess.
They had the wrong poly, if its normal quality you should be fine for a very long time. This was probably some cheap chinese junk poly or not even poly, just something that looks like poly. Remember when they tried to sell plastic as rice, yeah, those guys.
Thats what happens when you let the car sit tomuch and dont drive the car the bushingbdry out faster when they are not moving
This car doesn't look like it's moved in 2 decades. lol
Chinese?
Of course. Made with the bone dust of political prisoners.
cheap pos bushings