Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

Technical => Suspension/Steering => Topic started by: flipnbird on January 16, 2005, 10:47:11 AM

Title: new bushings
Post by: flipnbird on January 16, 2005, 10:47:11 AM
morning guy's,,,wanting to put all new bushings in(88 bird) what is a good set to buy and where??? daily driver thanks for replys :dunno:
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: shame302 on January 16, 2005, 02:36:01 PM
id go with oem replacement style ones. from what i hear...poly is noisy, transmits more vibration and road noise through the car as well as some harshness.

im sure you can get them through napa or another outlet like that.

mustangs unlimited sells factory replacements for mustangs and svos...i dont know if they are the same for a tbird or turbo coupe. maby someone can chime in on that.
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: Chuck W on January 17, 2005, 12:18:18 PM
Poly bushings aren't too bad except for a couple places.

1. If you're replacing the bushings in the rear control arms, or installing new control arms with poly bushings, leave the rubber bushings in the axle ears.

2.  Front control arms.  These do transmit pretty much every piece of grit and every crack in the road.  Somefolks can deal with it, some can't.

Most places who sell Energy Suspension or PST stuff can cross to the TBird parts.  Not a big issue.
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: Blackout on January 23, 2005, 03:51:01 PM
You might want to look into the poly/graphite bushings, they are much quieter than the reg. poly.  Also, some types of bushings (Like Sway Bar Bushings) can come with a zert connected to them to keep 'em greased properly
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: jasontbird on January 23, 2005, 06:39:58 PM
I put poly at the sway bar and end links in the front and it stiffened it up a lot.  This is great for cornering, but it makes for a very rough ride.  My 82 toyota 4X4 is smoother.  I had thoughts of putting it back to oem, but I think a compromise between the poly and the soft oem as mentioned above is the way to go.  I would say that if you primarily drive on nice roads it prob. wouldn't bother you too much, but if you got a lot of rough and bumby roads on your daily drive I wouldn't go with the poly.  Mine are from energy suspension and I ordered them from Summitt.
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: Tbird232ci on January 23, 2005, 08:49:20 PM
i have poly endlinks in the bird and didnt the ride is no different
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: mjbtbrd on January 23, 2005, 10:13:22 PM
I found the  energy poly swaybar bushings too stiff for my taste.  I now have napa ones. I also have napa rack bushings, rear upper arm bushings (in arm and axle ears).  I do have prothane lower rear arm bushings  They seem OK, car handles fine, no noise,  ride not too harsh.
Title: Re: new bushings
Post by: turbo88 on January 29, 2005, 02:01:27 PM
Quote from: shame302
id go with oem replacement style ones. from what i hear...poly is noisy, transmits more vibration and road noise through the car as well as some harshness.

im sure you can get them through napa or another outlet like that.

mustangs unlimited sells factory replacements for mustangs and svos...i dont know if they are the same for a tbird or turbo coupe. maby someone can chime in on that.


the poly urathan bushings are so far superior compared to the soft mushy rubber. when i went around corners with the mushy stock bushings it felt soft, when i put the poly urathan bushings in it handles like a porshe and its so smooth..grease the outside well and the noise is gone, mine make no noise.in some bumps along rodas my car would bottom out at around 45 MPH now it wouldn't bottom out at 65 MPH, if you like a tight handling car get the poly urathan bushings at MOPAC