Hello peeps

I'm finally gonna get round to fitting some powerflex bushes into some new OE wishbones, but I have a question.

In the kit (802: rear bush) I seem to have too many bits.

I have:
2 x large metal washers
2 x large metal sleeve (a tube with a big washer on the end)
4 x top hat shaped bushes
8 x doughnut shaped bushes

Now I'm fairly sure I know what order they do in. For each side you have a metal sleeve, 2 top hats and 2 doughnuts fit over the top hats to make up the extra space difference. This means that I have 4 doughnuts left over though? Are they spares?

I'll take some photos later to show my point. The doughnuts all seem the same size but have different markings on them and the fitting instructions don't mention anything.

Or they wouldn't be replacement drop link bushes??

Cheers

NB I will do a fitting giude when I get round to it

How strange your doing wishbones, thats exactly what I'm doing today, maybe we'll have our periods on the same day too ?

I'm taking mine off at the moment, I need to replace a mounting nut on the wishbone where the lower strutbrace got caught and pulled the bolt clean out I fitted a longer bolt and extra nut but it kept knocking off the drive shaft if I gave it any beans

I'll let you know what I find with regards to bushes on my wishbones.

Thanks Jimbo

P.S Mines due next week, although I think I'm due the menopause soon

You've lost me - but it might become clear with photos. Surely you only have two top hat bushes per rear wishbone mounting point? Otherwise you have a bush over a bush which seems a bit odd.

If it helps, I have some photos of the bushes on my car:

Yeh it does sound odd.

Its almost as if the top hat bushes are a standard size, and they have made some ring shaped bushes to slip over the thinner part to take up the extra space (i.e. the bit inside the metal clampy bit)

I'll take some photos tonight and post them up.

That doesn't sound right. They are used on a number of different vehicles and have been available for ages, so I cant think why they'd suddenly switch to using universal bushes and 'spacers' - surely that's got to be more work intensive to make than just making bushes of the correct size.

yes you have 4 too many doughnuts.

i know on the front there where a couple of bits left over on mine, one set was for the oem wishbones and the other for aftermarket wishbones.

Its to do with the sleeve size,different bushes for different sleeves!some where in the info they state the wishbones can be different sizes like Dan_s said! I had to order the different sleeves free of charge!

Didn't get chance to look at them today, I started out to sort out the wishbones but ended up removing the oil cooler and pipes (a much bigger job than indicated in the How To guide).
Maybe I'll get chance tomorrow when I've fitted the new cooler and pipes.

I had 4 pieces left over from my kit when I fitted the powerflex bushes. I think they're still in the old box,i'll have a look tomorrow.

Baz

Get 1 piece polybushes like superpro rather than 2 piece like powerflex, the powerflex ones just seperate under load on the coupe so they are essentially useless.

Hi, be looking to do bushes soon too, but superpro dont list any for the coupe.
Where can you find them?
Cheers
Chris

Amazing what Google can do with the words Powerflex, Fiat and Coupe

They are powerflex ones Bockers - I think chirs (Chris) was looking for 'Superpro' ones, which are an entirely different company

I was, thanks Nobby, not that stupid bockers:). Was directed at akeme re the superpro ones as he reckons powerflex are useless, though a lot seem to use them, but superpro web site doesn't list for the coupe.

Nobby, did you get the email pictures I sent you ?

I think Akeme could have been thinking of superflex instead?

Click me

^ Jimbo - haven't had a chance to check my emails yet but I'll have a look later at my ma's (I haven't got tinterweb at home yet - just moved house)

Thanks again for sending them

Mini update for everyone else: I've stripped down 1 wishbone and I'll be doing the other one soon. Also putting together a little 'How to'

I have powerflex on my RX7, and they are great, though the 2 piece design of the powerflex is not suited to the coupe wishbones as they dont have a vertical retaining bracket like most cars therefore the bushes slip away from the wishbone after a while.

Single piece bushes which are more difficult to fit have a lip which helps stop them slipping out of the hole.

Hi, who makes the single piece bushes, neither superpro or superflex list for the coupe. Where can i get single piece ones from? Anyone experienced the problems with the powerflex? Cheers

Thats why the safety mod Barbz did on the wishbones is a good idea.
If Nobby is doing a how to guide, hopefully he will include the mod in the guide. I've sent him pictures of the mod on my wishbones.

Hmmm I might try the one piece Superflex bushes on my next set of wishbones. I had fitted the powerflex ones to my last set but TBH I never really noticed much of a difference in the handling department,although they did make fitting the wishbone a lot easier .

Baz

Superflex application for the coupe

I have the superflex ones fitted and it's a pig of a job to do.

im gonna get some new wishbones for my coop..never been done and sometimes its a bit rattly over bumps etc....is the polybush route recomended...id like t improve the cars feel and handling, but opinion about the difference they make seems split??

Yeh it was Superflex for the coupe, i put Superpro on my golf.

Just in case anyone is looking to do this before I have completed the How To - if you use powerflex bushes then the 2 extra sets of doughnuts are basically slightly different size.

4 of the doughnuts are marked 'B' - these should not be used as they are smaller (~26mm) than the others (~27mm).

I stripped down the other wishbone last night and I will be doing the Barbz safety mod too tonight. Then getting a mate to press the bushes on this weekend.

Chris

Hi Nobby

I just stumbled on this post. Yes, there are always 4 extra rings i believe with the standard wishbones you need the A ones and aftermarket wishbones require the B's, depending on the type of bracket.

I must have mounted around 30-40 sets of powerflex bushes and i stopped using a press to mount them. I get the sleeves to the machine shop to get them machined out to the exact spec i want. (The sleeves don't fit on aftermarket wishbones, they are too tight, and even on standard wishbones you may struggle).

When the sleeves slide nicely on the wishbones without play i degrease properly, apply Locktite Blocpresse 638, push on the sleeves and let it settle in a vise.

It makes it a much easier job than pressing them on.
I'm yet to see a set where the locktite glue has failed.

Thanks Dink

I managed to finish my wishbones the other day - a friend pressed on the bushes at work and applied 638 too. I also did the Barbz mod on the rears of the wishbones and I'm rather pleased with how they turned out. Jimbo sent me some photos of how his wishbones were fitted and I did the same.

I'll do the how to in the next week or so.

Chris

your should be going round the sprint track quite quickly then chris?

Hopefully.... if not it'll be driver error/skill problems

<making excuses already>

let us know how yours hold up, mine have fallen to peices in the couple of months they have been on.

i'm going to go back to standard rubber ones.

the problem seems to be the metal sleeves falling apart, even my front ones are looking bad now.

Ry