Thoughts on polyurethane bushings (Energy Suspension, Daystar).

[Cackalak Han]

I just installed the swaybar and steering rack bushings from Wheeler's (Daystar and Energy Suspension). Both are polyurethane bushings. The steering did tighten up and overall, felt very good.

Then earlier this week, I stumbled on some info regarding polyurethane bushings and now I'm thinking I should have just gone with OEM bushings (although I don't think they're offered for the steering rack separately).

Apparently, PU is very tight at first, then very quickly loses it's shape and integrity. I don't have a prolonged experience with polyurethane, so I don't know if this is true from first hand experience (but the guys posting are pretty credible people). One guy even said that after a couple of years, he could take the bushing and cut chunks out of it with his fingernails. Literally just crumbled.

Here is the thread:

http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1563815

I realize that they were talking about cars that are race-abused and daily driven, but they're also half of the weight of my Tacoma and I'm sure our components go through just as much abuse, if not more.

Anyone have any input on this? How have your PU bushings held up after 2-3 years?

 

[Desolation]

As one who has been using poly Bushings in, Racing, Street, and Serious trail applications for 30-years. I have never, as in not once, had such a problem with a Poly Bushing.
Noise is a different issue.
My current 'truck' has had the same bushings in it for over 10-years and I guarantee that a big block 4x4 used hard in the dirt should have hurt the bushings.
YMMV is the caveat.

 

[Applejack]

I used a PU spacer on my previous vehicle (99 4runner) for years with no problems whatsoever. Bushings take a little more abuse though.

 

[Co-opski]

Noise is the only problem I have had.

 

[MotoDave]

I jusut pulled some swaybar endlinks I made off ym WRX. They had been on there for ~40,000 miles and 2 years.The polyurethans is still solid and jsut as stiff as the day I put them in. I was running these as a stress test withn no lube/grease, to see how they would hold up, so they were pretty squeaky for the first few months, and got quiet after that

The best grease I've found for PU is the stuff sold by Energy Suspension: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-9-11110/

I bought the big tub of it and doubt I'll ever have to buy more

 

[ntsqd]

I've seen PU bushings like those described. They almost always are the result of a chemical incompatibility, not purely age. I've read in the past that most organic greases & oils will cause PU some trouble. Some solvents outright attack it. The grease that MotoDave linked is silicone based. It is also available in tubs and drums from Baker Precision.

 

[01tundra]

I use poly bushing in all my front & rear leaf spring eyes & shackle mounts. Like others said, only problem I've had is squeeking.

One thing that causes squeeking (other than dirt) is when you put petrolum-based grease on them.....which I've been doing for the past 7 yrs and didn't know about until Alcan told me about that little fact a month or so again. They told me to use 100% white lithium grease (no synthetic blends). I searched all over for it.....Autozone, Advanced, O'Reily's, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, Wal-Mart......no luck. I couldn't believe nobody carried it anymore, but every Lithium grease I found ended up being some sort of blend and wasn't the old school "white" lithium. Finally ran up to our local Lowe's and was walking through the tool department and all of the sudden I stummbled upon the jackpot on one of the endcaps......I bought every tube they had ! So I've finally beat the damn squeeks!

 

[Desolation]

I use poly bushing in all my front & rear leaf spring eyes & shackle mounts. Like others said, only problem I've had is squeeking.

One thing that causes squeeking (other than dirt) is when you put petrolum-based grease on them.....which I've been doing for the past 7 yrs and didn't know about until Alcan told me about that little fact a month or so again. They told me to use 100% white lithium grease (no synthetic blends). I searched all over for it.....Autozone, Advanced, O'Reily's, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, Wal-Mart......no luck. I couldn't believe nobody carried it anymore, but every Lithium grease I found ended up being some sort of blend and wasn't the old school "white" lithium. Finally ran up to our local Lowe's and was walking through the tool department and all of the sudden I stummbled upon the jackpot on one of the endcaps......I bought every tube they had ! So I've finally beat the damn squeeks!

Just one source out of many, maybe not the best but common.
http://www.summitracing.com/search/Part-Type/Assembly-Lubricant/?keyword=energy+suspension

 

[RU55ELL]

There are going to be downfalls for anything you use. The poly bushings are going to firm everything up, but you will have squeaks. With rubber, there is more slop, but no squeaks. Personally, I could deal with squeaks better than slop.

 

[Rattler]

There are going to be downfalls for anything you use. The poly bushings are going to firm everything up, but you will have squeaks. With rubber, there is more slop, but no squeaks. Personally, I could deal with squeaks better than slop.

Or the crazy vibrations I got before I installed PUs from Wheeler's on my steering rack in my Taco. They are jsut as good as the day I installed them 3yrs/30k ago.