Lower control arm bushings

wolf k · #1 (**permalink**) 04-20-2011, 06:02 PM

Installing my front suspension now. The lower control arms ride in poly bushings with no grease fittings, just assembly grease. I have had bad luck with poly bushings in the past in regards to squeaking. Do any of you guys have squeaking down there? Or should I drill and install zerks?

Pete Munroe · #2 (**permalink**) 04-20-2011, 07:58 PM

Wolf,

Just relubed the trailing arm poly-bushings hoping to stop a squeak. These are pretty much the same as the front suspension bushings.

I have found that after lubing poly bushing halves, and pushing them into the housing, the air trapped between the halves quickly pushes the bearings apart. Hard to slip the bushing assembly into the chassis when it is fighting you by expanding back apart.

This time I cut a shallow v-shaped groove in the poly-bearing surface from the inside edge to but not through the outer flange.

Now, when you compress the bearings halves with a vise, the air is expelled as they push together. A plus, the groove holds grease and the center cavity can be packed with grease. Aside they are a LOT easier to install when they don't rexpand before you get the assembly into the chassis.

With out a groove in the poly-bearing surface the fit is so tight I doubt a typical grease gun could force the silicone grease out around the bushing anyway...add the groove, and a zerk fitting couldn't hurt.

Pete

ERA Chas · #3 (**permalink**) 04-21-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Munroe

This time I cut a shallow v-shaped groove in the poly-bearing surface from the inside edge to but not through the outer flange.

Cool tip Pete, thanks.

wolf k · #4 (**permalink**) 04-24-2011, 02:18 PM

After reading the FAQs on Energy Suspension bushings, some have experienced squeaks, and the fix by their tech reps was to disassemble and re-grease. So the grease is necessary for lubrication, they are not self lubricated. Therefore, I added zerks and grease grooves as Pete suggested.

Pete Munroe · #5 (**permalink**) 04-24-2011, 09:15 PM

Wolf,

You went one step further by adding grooves to the metal sleeve (as well as the poly bushing?). Never thought of grooving the metal sleeve, or the inside of the the poly-bushes...only the outside. oops. Of course, that leaves one surface, the inner, potentially too dry.

How did you groove the metal sleeve? I get frustrated with steel very quickly, its hard stuff...doing the poly-bushings ID as well as OD should work about as well.

Have been removing and lubing everything on the car chasing a very annoying SQUEAK-SQUEAK...every tar-strip you hit...so loud and sharp you would think it would be easy to find...not.

About all that is left, and I dread doing it, is drop the front lower arms (and maybe the rear-end cradle bushings). If the control arms come off, they will get zerks, grooves and if that doesn't stop the squeak I do not know what will.

Let us know what type/price of grease gun and cartidges you get for the silicone lube. Silicone lube from Energy Suspension is really thick (and pricey!) stuff and may need a better gun than the normal chassis lube gun? You are the appointed product tester here...!

wolf k · #6 (**permalink**) 04-25-2011, 06:57 AM

Pete, I am pretty sure that the pivot motion on these bushings is supposed to be only between the OD of the metal sleeve and the ID of the poly bushing. The OD of the bushing is not designed to turn in the ID of the control arm. You also have to tighten the bolt tight enough so that the ID of the metal sleeve is not turning on the OD of the bolt. Maybe someone else can confirm this.

I used a cut-off wheel on a die grinder to cut the grooves only on the OD of the metal sleeves.

Energy Suspension tech said any chassis grease can be used to lube the bushings if you have installed zerks. That is what I will use. The thick silicone stuff is longer lasting and doesn't wash away, perfect for bushings without zerks.

Pete Munroe · #7 (**permalink**) 04-25-2011, 10:18 PM

Wolf, et al,

Spoke with a Energy Suspension tech this afternoon, Kevin.

Comments were that an anti-seize, either the graphite or aluminum powder type, helps quite a bit as a lube either added to, or in place of the silicone.

Also, he recommended looking at the web pages of a parts distributor, SUSPENSION RESTORATION in Modesto, CA. They stock and sell retail EVERY size Energy Suspension makes (or it is not listed in their catalogue) They generally are selling at a discount to retail.

BEST idea to modify bushing to retain lube off the web page was to
run a SAE type thread TAP through the I.D. (only!) of the poly-bushing to create grooves that retain grease.

They also suggest don't touch the metal sleeve, only the poly.

Only the black poly has the anti-squeak graphite added to the mix, the red doesn't...or, it wouldn't be red...so some materials have a specific app.

Pete

wolf k · #8 (**permalink**) 04-26-2011, 06:25 AM

Pete, thanks for the info. I am thinking that the grooves in my sleeves will slowly file away the ID of the poly bushing, probably why they don't recommend it. I did round off the sharp edges. Good luck with your squeak.

YerDugliness · #9 (**permalink**) 04-26-2011, 07:31 PM

I just finished rebushing the parallel 4-bar suspension on my Cobra....I started off having a friend machine my bushings out of Delrin, then that fell through after 3 or 4, so I ordered the graphite impregnated bushings from:

Suspension Restoration Parts Co.

If I have any squeaking, I guess I'll know it's the Delrin pieces.

Cheers from Dugly