Poly bush Vs Rubber

[TheOverlanders]

I read an interesting article today about the polyurethane vs rubber bush debate.

Ive ben criticised on many forum for my choice to 'upgrade' all of my bushes on our Defender expedition truck to Poly. The main gripe has been that they fail in a spectacular way when/if they go wrong.

Check out our truck @ www.theoverlanders.co.uk/kermit

This article I read basically said that sure, poly bushes can fail quickly as opposed to the slow deterioration of the rubbers but they still offer great benefits for overlanders.

1) They are so much easier to replace on the side of a road / in the bush than rubbers. No need for a press, no need to spend hours cutting them out

2) The slow deterioration of the rubber OEMs can cause wear to components as they are running below optimum for a lot longer than polys

3) Polys last longer on washboard surfaces over OEM counterparts

The article did also say that due to the fast breakup of polys that a spare set is needed whilst overloading as they dont give you the lengthy warning that the rubbers do

what do you all think ? any experience with polybushes falling apart?

 

[robnmandy]

morning gwyn
im having the same debate at the moment with my brotherinlaw he runs poly and im running standard! even though i hate to admit it i do prefer the ride of the poly but im also worried about the failure rate against oem, hes awnser is to take a full spare set with us when we go, (but hes also relying on me/going to pass me spanners to change them as and when they fail) its a tough one!!

i hadent thought about the not needing a press though! maybe ive just been convinced a touch more, i suppose it depends on the lenght of the "expedition" also we are going to a year so theres a good chance oem could fail aswell

rob

 

[ZG]

Not a fan of polys, I typically only run genuine rubber.

 

[I Leak Oil]

....and I think some brands of poly bushings are better than others. A bum bushing isn't a deal breaker that will strand you. Go quality either way.

 

[evmcgilli]

Where are you getting the Ploy bushings from?

 

[calicamper]

I read an interesting article today about the polyurethane vs rubber bush debate.

Ive ben criticised on many forum for my choice to 'upgrade' all of my bushes on our Defender expedition truck to Poly. The main gripe has been that they fail in a spectacular way when/if they go wrong.

Check out our truck @ www.theoverlanders.co.uk/kermit

This article I read basically said that sure, poly bushes can fail quickly as opposed to the slow deterioration of the rubbers but they still offer great benefits for overlanders.

1) They are so much easier to replace on the side of a road / in the bush than rubbers. No need for a press, no need to spend hours cutting them out

2) The slow deterioration of the rubber OEMs can cause wear to components as they are running below optimum for a lot longer than polys

3) Polys last longer on washboard surfaces over OEM counterparts

The article did also say that due to the fast breakup of polys that a spare set is needed whilst overloading as they dont give you the lengthy warning that the rubbers do

what do you all think ? any experience with polybushes falling apart?

I spoke with the Slee guys when I was debating about if I should replace my LC originals with poly. #1 You go poly to handle the added articulation over stock articulation #2 Poly will give a harsher ride #2 Stock rubber has a longer life than poly. I decided to stay with the OEM gear and given my ride was not getting a major suspension build for more articulation they said that was probably the best approach staying stock rubber.

 

[kmlacroix]

Rubber will absorb more impact, has a quieter ride.

 

[Gren_T]

I've gone for poly on my 90 for a few reasons. Not having a press to remove the original bushing was a big one, it took 12t of pressure to get a panhard rod bush out using a friends press - you could see the rod vibrate just before the bush let go.

Poly has come a long way since the 1st poly bushes came on the scene, there are many different grades available. I run poly bushes of different grades - hard "red" bushes in the panhard rod and shock absorber bushes & soft "blue" bushes on the rest of my suspension.

Not all rubber bushes are equal, I have seen a few rubber bushes fail prematurely & returned bushes to my local supplier due to lots of air bubbles on the surface of the rubber, also seen a few bushes where the rubber had a white tinge to it these were all non OEM bushes.

OEM bushes fitted prior to a long trip should give no cause for concern but personally I'd put a complete set of poly's on the vehicle and keep a set as spares as they are small and light and can be fitted anywhere.

Regards all
Gren

 

[DividingCreek]

I have used poly in the rear of 5 door 110's to tighten up the handling. Trailing arm bushings and sway bar bushings specifically. Poly comes in different densities/hardness and the proper one for your application needs to be chosen as they cannot all be lumped together as is being done here. The hard/firm are more likely to fail/tear/squish out. I like the rubber up front for smooth ride. The tighter rear makes for far better on road handling ie/reduced body roll/gumby effect and predictable handling. Properly installed urethane bushings require lubricant. Good bushing kits come with a silicone grease. If you install them dry, yes they will self destruct.

 

[Ohlins]

For the likes of Morocco and those other famous African washboards/corrugations,OEM bushings every time. Fit a full set before set off and you're good to go! Britpart will be crap.

You can always find them en route as you go if need be.







.

 

[toylandcruiser]

I have poly bushings on my land cruiser. I hate them they creak so bad. Especially when they get wet.


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[NMC_EXP]

Not all rubber bushes are equal, I have seen a few rubber bushes fail prematurely & returned bushes to my local supplier due to lots of air bubbles on the surface of the rubber, also seen a few bushes where the rubber had a white tinge to it these were all non OEM bushes.

Regards all
Gren

A white or light colored coating on the surface of a new rubber part is not a cause for concern. In the (US) rubber industry, this coating is known as "bloom".

Some chemicals used in rubber compounds migrate to the surface after the rubber has been vulcanized and show up as a light colored coating.

If the rubber part is one which will be visible such as a tire, shift lever boot...etc, the rubber chemist will select chemicals which will not migrate to the surface of the part.

When installing rubber bushings do not use petroleum based fluids as an assembly lubricant. Chances are the types of rubber used for suspension components will be chemically degraded by petroleum based fluids. If a lubricant is needed, soapy water will work.

 

[Fivespddisco]

Interesting read.
Thank you for sharing. As it was said earlier "quality quality quality" Whether you're using rubber or poly. I'm a big fan of Polly-Bush. They have served us well on all of our trucks from the frozen north the burring south.

 

[wuntenn]

Just a heads up - not all polybushes are so easily installed. I just replaced crappy britpart rubber ones that lasted all of two months with SuperPro bushes after a lot of research. Many of the SP bushes are not two-piece like Polybush ones, but one piece and needed a vice and a lot of wrestling to press them in, well lubricated with the silicon grease supplied. I tried to get them in with the hydraulic press I used to get the old ones out but it wasn't as easy as with the vice.

 

[discomun]

Fivespddiso, since you use the Poly Bush on all of your trucks, how have they fared longevity-wise?