I'm just getting the coupe ready for her MOT and noticed whilst changing the front pads that the drop link bushes on the anti-roll bar are toast.
I run the Eibach anti-roll bar and I'm wondering if the extra stiffness has caused this ?

Is there a set of polyurathane bushes available off the shelf to fit in place of the soft rubber standard jobs, has anyone gone down the road of upgrading these ?

Haven't tried this but I am sure that with the specs of the Coupe, Superflex or Powerflex can supply adequate parts... Superflex has hundreds of those Link Pin bushes: http://www.superflex.co.uk/products.php?cat=394

Try to contact Christine @ superflex, nice and helpful..

Hope this helps..
Jochen

I got some for my sloppy 16vt many moons ago. They weren't listed but i sent them an OE one and i got something very similar back.
It wasn't an exact copy but fitted with no issues.

I've never got round to doing the same with the others but i think its worthwhile invesigating, esp for people running with Eibachs etc, definite improvement and will last far longer.

Possible group buy?

Good find there Jochen, thank you.

All I need now is the spec of the standard item, does anyone have lying around a standard rubber bush and can put the dimentions on here.

http://www.superflex.co.uk/datasheets/SuperflexLinkpinbushes.pdf

There must be a similar bush in that little lot that will do the job.

Don't forget the wishbone end of the drop link - this also has rubber bushes

It's the bushes that sandwich the wishbone that have failed Nigel, the actual bush on the bar end is fine.

I see - however, if you're replacing the two bushes that sandwich the wishbone, surely you'd want to uprate the circular bush at the ARB end too?

It doesn't really work on lowered coupes because the angles end up wrong and everything gets loaded up before it's supposed to.

My last set had a lifespan of about 2000 miles before they were toast.

the 2 that sandwich the wishbone last no time at all,it would be good if we could `supaflex` them,as well as the ones on the top of drop links too

Well if someone has a rubber bush knocking around and doesn't mind doing some measuring, I'll see if I can find a suitable polyurathane replacement.

You'd really need to take measurements off the wishbone. The rubber ones squidge into the recess which wouldn't happen with PU - you'd need to find some that were a bit tapered and pretty much the correct depth without needing squished.

The rubber ones getting squashed into the wishbone is just them being a rubbish soft rubber, when they are new they are pretty solid.
Some poly versions the same size will be fine, if they are slightly too long I can cut them down a little.

I`ll check my `parts bin` in the garage,usually keep loads of crap, sorry old bits, lying around, if not totally knackered

That would be great Paul, it's just a rough idea so I can order some of a similar size.

and please let us know the dimensions, surely Jimbo is not alone with his problem...

Greetz, Jochen

These bushes arent the best in design,
they sit low and are in a high water area.
So perishing is seen usually afer 2 years even on new ones.

Nothing to do with the stiffness i wouldnt think.

Mine have been on 6 months John and the rubber has split on one, on the other side the metal cup supporting the rubber has penetrated inside the rubber bush !?
I can only assume the standard rubber bush can't support the extra roll stiffness of the uprated roll bar ?

I'll call alternative autos, Steve will have some he can measure up for me and I need some servicing parts anyway.

I'd be interested in a set - mine seem to get destroyed after a few months.

Let us all know the measurements Jimbo, would be good to see if we can replace them with a harder material...

Will do.

Where in Lancaster are you Davie, I was brought up there, parents still live there.

Hi Jimbo, originally i was from the Garstang area then moved towards Bowerham, now near St Martins College if you know that?

Davie

Sure do, my folks are still up in Burrowbeck near the Uni. I only manage to get up that way 2 or 3 times a year.
Every time I come up a new building or shopping centre has sprouted from the ruins, it's looking quite good now around the old Lancaster swimming pool.

sorry, I aint got any of the bloomin` things !!! well I know I have,but dunno where

I would be up for a set of these too.

Mine are buggered!

For the sake of a few quid I would
happily buy a new drop link and send it to you Jimbo...

Don't worry about that, I'll buy some if it comes to that, thanks for the offer though

Ok, I've got a set of new standard bushes on the way (thanks Joe) so I'll take some measurements and see what I can find in the list of uprated bushes.

How important is the metal centre to the integrity of the bush, it's only a compressive load on the bush so there shouldn't be any lateral movement to them ?

maybe to spread the load more, so as not to split the rubber

I'm not sure Paul, if the rubber was going to split, it would just pull away from the metal centre and do so anyway.

I can understand bushes that act on a hinge using a metal insert, wishbones, etc, but these drop link bushes don't have any rotational stresses on them.

Is it just so that you don't massively overtighten/compress them?

Okay, Ive just ordered a set of these:

http://www.superflex.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=SF394-2755S

I'll report back when they are fitted and running.