Hi guys, I'm currently restoring the underside of my 88 Testarossa and will be replacing all the suspension bushes. This could end up being an expensive little exercise as Ferrari pricing is exorbitant for bushes. I know that Superformance in the UK do bushes, but are other places that also offer these parts. I've spoken to Ferrari mechanics who tell me that various bushes can be too tight to fit and need to be linished down or the arms will distort, and some are too loose and won't have the right 'crush factor' when fitted. There are plenty of 20 year plus cars out there that must be being re-bushed, so what are you guys using and what is your feedback on the various options?
I make my own. I prefer a stiff suspension bushing, so I prefer materials like Delrin with a polished steel sleeve. Lasts long and improves the handling. Not the choice of others but I like them.
Wow, seems like an amazingly hard product to make a bush out of. You must get a lot of shockload feedback back into the car. http://www.plasticsintl.com/datasheets/Delrin_150.pdf Thanks for the input. Always good to learn about something new.
HI I HAVE JUST CHANGED MY REAR BUSHES ON MY 512TR AND REPLACED THEM WITH POWERFLEX POLYURETHANE BUSHES WAS A BIT OF MESSING AROUND BUSHES WERE LONGER THAN OLD ONES BUT WORTH IT MIKE
Thanks Mike. Hmmm...Powerflex are interesting. 17GBP per bush average makes it an expensive proposition as well. Are you happy with the ride quality compared with factory bushes.
Mine do squeak on occasion. But I lube them up once a year and then you get no noise. Harshness? Not really, but a much improved road feel. The car is much more predictable & precise when cornering. The best part is you can use Delrin inside transmissions & diffs in place of metal bearings & bushes. The stuff is really good at taking punishment without dimensional stability changes (deformation) under load or prematurely wearing out of specifcation.
Teflon works also, is self lubricating, I think rubber for suspension bushes would be eaisier on the other components. Ago
I made Delrin/Aluminum bushings for one of my street cars ~30 years ago, rather than run the Heim joints that Electramotive used. Lasted over 7 years of hard street/back road driving, but as Turbopanzer notes, it made for very precise geometry and predictable handling. The harshness was negligible, as it's at the pivot points, but the feel was worth what (very) little was added, and noise was never an issue for me either - just an occasional graphite job, and it was good for another year or so, but most never made a peep. The Boxer has Energy Suspension poly now, as does the 400GT. Same results: better, more predictable handling from maintaining the more defined geometry, without added harshness. Some trimming/shimming is required, but so worth it.
Have some qv London solid bushes on my 308 plus have just rebuilt a fresh set of suspension with energy bushes which are an easy install if you keep the outer shell. Have not noticed any real negatives with either compared to one, plus much cheaper and easier to replace in the future.
I would just stick with the factory style bushing.. They will last another 20 years or so and you'll have no worries with squeeks or fitment.. Uzz.. pm me.. I have bushings that you need. R
So the concensus is stick with rubber bushes to maintain the quality of ride and long term durability, or go with a eurethene or similar. And to get rubber bushes there is little choice. By factory or buy Superformance? Any other rubber options.
The biggest difference with Delrin/Teflon to Rubber?Poly bushings is really out on the race track. Turn-in is more predictable and cornering is much harder. (you can pull more G's before washout occurs). For the road or the home type mechanic, stick with the off the shelf stuff. You will be far happier and have piece of mind. I just happen to be a former racer and I just love a car thats passes identical cars in the turns. I just get all giddy inside!!!
When you did the 308, did you happen to take any check measurements of the inside tubes of the control arms (wishbones). I'm trying to find the internal diameters of the control arms and shcoker eues on 308's and Testarossa's. Not the externals of the bush, but the tubes or eyes that the bushes press into.
Approx 24mm, that is the id of the outer tube which you leave in place to fit the energy suspension bushes. The factory oe bushes are a pain as you probably know pressing them in and welding etc. With the energy bushes really easy install just cut one end off the oe inner tube, heat with a blow torch, and then push out, clean the hole and put the energy bush in, total time is about 2 hours to do all the arms.
